Blufftop Coastal Park

As other have reviewed, massive amount of Horse droppings on the steep path to the beach, no
Tiered tines on the path down, a lot of horse droppings on the beach, no plumbed facilities (bathrooms are two outhouses up the cliff; no showers). This beach isn’t a good one given the above. Avoid this unless you love the smell of horse manure and flies.

Gorgeous view, not too crowded but a lot of horse shit!!! When I went there was a dead bird too. Omg I felt like I had to watch whenever I take a step.
Parking was $ 2 per hour CARD only, no cash.

Definitely not a difficult trail. This is a must for couples who want to take it easy. Beach is of course on the West side as you walk along the cliffs. Bring a jacket in case if it gets cold, Half Moon Bay is pretty unpredictable in weather.

Wonderful place to soak in the sun and the ocean air. Benches nearby parking was very appreciated since my guests could not walk far.

If you’re looking for a challenging hike, this is not the place; however, it’s a great place for leisurely walks with your dogs, biking, sightseeing, people-​watching, bird-​watching, soaking some sun, beachcombing and photography.
I betcha you can do more from what I mentioned, and that’s for you to discover on your own.
There are several ways to get there and two main parking locations on each end. But if you don’t mind walking, there’s also residential parking not too far away if the lots are full. I suggest on a busy weekend, don’t even bother looking for a parking space as you would just waste your time. There is plenty of residential parking in the area.
If you’re here for a leisurely walk, there are benches along the coastal trail to rest or enjoy the view. There’s also a cool part of the trail called Old Forest, where there’s a canopy of Cypress and Eucalyptus trees for approximately a quarter of a mile long. This is a perfect place to be to cool off protected under the hot sun if the weather is scorching hot, or a place to relax and mediate while smelling the fresh leaves and rid your body of negative toxins.
It’s also a great place to unwind and have your battery re-​charged and get rid of the stress from your day-​to-​day lives and baggage that builds up from work. Ain’t it amazing how Mother Nature always heals the mind, body and soul just by spending some time with her? Best part of all, it doesn’t cost a dime and a lot cheaper than seeing a Psychiatrist.

The view is amazing. This is a quick stop from Santa Cruz on Highway 1 to San Fran.
It was super chilly in the morning but the view is just amazing. There are walk ways down to the beach with safe trails leading you up and down. I would defineitly come back here. Its great walking distance if you live near the beach.

Super awesome beach! LOVE IT!
Huge waves at this beach! They were great!
Lots and lots of beach here, although a lot of it dirty. Many seabirds were around.
There’s a cool path that seemed to stretch for miles north and south. We walked it for about a mile north.
Beautiful flowers!
This beach is very accessible from the road, straight from Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay.
The super soft sand on the bluffs that you have to walk down to the beach are easy to walk down but a bit of a you-​know-​what climbing up. My super skinny BFF had a beast of a time and grabbed on to the plants to heave his 110 pound butt up the hill.
The parking lot is kinda yucky and needs a good sweeping. It was unclear to us if you have to pay to park here or not since the parking meter looked like someone had beat it to a pulp with the graffiti and what not and total blank screen.

The views are amazing!
If you want to get a away and be at peace this location is a must.

Great place to just go and clear your mind. Awesome views of the ocean, and walking trails that outskirt the terrain above the coast line.

This place is gorgeous! Go all the way down Poplar Street and there’s a parking lot on the left side. You do have to pay for parking. There is one pay station (card only). You can walk along the bluffs to take in the beautiful views of the ocean without getting in the sand. If you want to go down to the beach there is a path near the parking lot that leads to the beach. Be careful walking down because you may slip, and there’s horse poo along this path and on the beach so watch where you step. We came on a Wednesday around 12pm and there weren’t that many people on the beach or in the parking lot, which was nice. By the time we left (around 1pm), the parking lot was filling up. This place is dog-​friendly so bring your furry friend for a nice stroll along the beach.

Just an awesome beach, beautiful views and open parking.
There’s horseback riding in the area… so on the road down to the beach, it’s a minefield of horse «goodies». But that wasn’t enough to ruin how nice a view and environment the beach in general is.

Awesomeness!
If your considering this beach, please go.
Great views, not over crowded, and you may catch some horse back riders too ;)

My poodles and I would wake up at 4am and drive TWO hours just to be at this beach. We come only this early (6−8am) when there’s not that many people and dogs around. It’s clean enough, despite the horse poop everywhere. Definitely a favorite in this household!

I spend a lot of time here when the weather is nice. Amazing walks and views. My dog gets tired before I do. lol.

The husband and I loaded up the car and the pup on a cool spring day and went in search of a nice beach to play and lay on. We made landing in Half Moon Bay and tried this beach. Unfortunately it was significantly more windy than normal on the coast that day and that beach had absolutely no cover. No cover+extra windy= too much sand flying, it stung the skin and the pup could barely keep his eyes open because of it.
There was a lot of horse «presents» everywhere, so beware your step.
It would have been pleasant to walk around the trails, but we were in search of a beach so we kept driving looking for something more sheltered.
(We ended up at Bean Hollow and it was amazing).

Absolutely loved the beach! Pretty well kept besides the horse poop. When I went there weren’t many people which was nice and peaceful. The parking lot is metered and only takes credit/​debit cards. I believe 1hr is $ 2, 2hrs is $ 4 and so on.
My dog loved the beach. He hated the ocean but he is a snow dog :) Most dogs are on leash, but there’s always that one owner.
The beach is kind of hard to get to. You have to go down this slope in the hill which can be difficult if your not wearing sneakers. I know I was wearing flip flops (never again!) There’s a trail on top of the hill overlooking the ocean, I’ll have to walk it next time.
I will definitely come here many more times. Very easy to find, right off of Hwy 1.

With so much coastline along Hwy 1 (not to mention the Bay Area) I wouldn’t care to come back here. It wasn’t HORRIBLE, but still, not worth coming back.
Good:
–dogs are allowed on the beach
–pretty secluded, not crowded
Bad:
–have to pay for parking, but that seems standard out there, just not used to it since we don’t need to in SF
–horse poop from the get-​go! you can smell it as soon as you start down into the sand, and not only that, but scattered along the beach! Def cannot see how kids can be playing out there… sanitarily at least.
–port-​o-​potties are EFFING nasty! it prolly would have been more clean for me to just pull down my shorts and squat at the beach. like REALLY! There was a beer can in the potty, it was pretty full, there was POOP (I kid you not!) smeared on the toilet paper holder (seriously!!! thats D-​I-​S-​G-​U-​S-​T-​I-​N-​G!!), of course no toilet paper… and supposedly it is cleaned or emptied every 3 – 4 days, according to the chart… but somethng tells me it’s prolly longer than that… hmmm.
With the money they collect with the parking, you’d think it would be kept nicer… truly a shame!

This is a wonderful place to go for a walk or bike ride. Fabulous views of what seems to be miles of beach… cool trails that take you through all kinds of terrain, and amazing views all the way around. Not too crowded (actually we hardly encountered anyone the last time we were out). Just watch out for «road apples» left behind by the horses.

I’ve taken my dog here twice now and while it is a dog friendly beach, it is not one of my favorites. There is a lot of parking, but on the weekends, it does get quite busy. The downside is the sandy, steep trek down to the beach. It makes it a little unsafe to be bringing beach chairs and coolers since it is pretty steep. However, once down on the beach, you are all set to enjoy a great day at the seashore.

We sought a beach in Half Moon Bay where our dog could walk with us. This is one.
Pluses:
+ Dogs allowed (on-​leash)
+ Free parking
+ Not crowded (maybe I shouldn’t have written this review!)
+ Lovely unobstructed view of crashing waves and other beachy stuff
Minuses:
— Steep grade to get to and from the beach
— Navigationally-​challenged? Might be easy to get lost here when walking along coast (yep, it once happened to me).
— Cold (bundle up!)
— Horse poop (watch your step)
There are port-​o-​potties in the parking lot, if you really need to go.