Half Moon Bay State Beach

Overrated place and the parking cost $ 10. Huge waves are breathing taking. Very windy and cold.

Four miles of sandy beach. Surfers surfing away, 52 trailer sites with picnic tables and fire rings, 4 tent sites overlooking the beach, with handicap access. This is a very windy location (peg tents down). They have hot showers which you can use by paying with quarters.
Have tried to book here during summer season and it’s pretty hard to do.
The park gates remain open even at night. Firewood can be purchased for about $ 10 (better buy prior to coming here) from the camp host.
Bike trails are paved and pretty flat, bring your beach cruisers!
Beach camping perfection if you plan ahead.

This is the main beach in Half Moon Bay. When everybody in South Bay decides to hit up HMB for the weekend, this is where you’ll find most of them.
Want to support the beach and not have to walk very far? $ 10 will get you a parking spot right next to the beach. Or you can find free street parking half a mile away.
This beach is accessible from all angles. There are no steep cliffs to descend, unlike at some other beaches in HMB. There’s a grassy area with bbq grills and picnic benches that are usable on a first-​come, first-​served basis. There are only 3 single-​occupancy bathrooms, so expect a line.
The water is cold year-​round, so a swim may not be ideal, especially due to the rip currents that can surprise inexperienced swimmers. Fortunately, the beaches in this area are all quite scenic, and the Half Moon Bay Coastal Trail connects to other beaches to the north and south. I definitely recommend a walk about! A jacket is not a bad idea, since the wind can be a little chilly.

Nice state beach but really geared towards folks to come by and BBQ. Although I’d like to test their camping ground.
If you’re looking for a beach, they have one but you’ll find lots of bbq pits there as well. Nice but not what I’d expect from a beach.
I’d rather drive south to Santa Cruz or Carmel.

I absolutely love it here! I visit just about every weekend. The bathrooms are normally yucky and stinky, but that’s from the frequent traffic. I feel there should be someone on duty at all times to keep out a lot cleaner. However, it’s so relaxing out by the water and on the sand. There are plenty grills available for your bar b que pleasure. I recently stumbled upon the walking trail. I had a nice bike ride through there and stopped to take a tree climb and pictures. Overall, it’s a nice, clean, relaxed beach with plenty open space for everybody. Parking is never an issue.

Been going here for 40 yrs. Always great memories! Some days overcast but last time I went in Sept pic perfect!

Excellent beach! Not too long, but my lady and I were lucky to have a sunny day on a lazy Sunday afternoon. We took food and blanket (of course we cleaned up after ourselves) and soaked in the sun. Parking was a challenge, but I was able to find off street parking. It’s 10 if you park inside and it does fill up. There were a lot of people, but not overcrowded. Picnic tables and restrooms are present. It’s rare that a sunny day comes out in Half Moon Bay, we were lucky to be present when the sun came out. Located 16 miles from me, I’m glad I can be lazy here :)
Overall: Excellent beach (when weather permits)

At 9:00 on Saturday evening a camp ranger came to say we were being too loud. He then persisted to say that their were too many of us at the camp site. Their were 10 of us total. The ranger called out a code called 5526a (I can’t find anything on this code). When I asked him to see the code, he said if I wanted to see I can go see it with the judge and he was going to write me a ticket.
I can’t believe the audacity!!! He couldnt tell me what he was going to give me a ticket for. I think it was all BS and he gave me my license back and of course no ticket. He did say I had to leave and threatened me again.
Terrible experience. Don’t camp at this park.

We recently went camping here so I have a mixed review. The campsites are close together (as with most beach sites) and it was mostly RVs. So with our spot it felt like we were in an RV parking lot. The facilities were clean and there are coin operated showers (yay). However, being from SoCal I didn’t expect it to be so chilly. It was foggy the whole time and too cold to go in the water. That being said, I still enjoyed the beach. It was clean, not too crowded and still beautiful. I got to fall asleep and wake up to the sound of the waves. The seagulls seem to enjoy hanging out on the beach in masses so watch out for the poop!

Half Moon Bay SB offers perfect day use and camping. Fees are substantial, though worth it, and camping almost always requires reservations many months in advance. There is a moderately long hiking promenade trail mostly to the south, with many overlook benches and with many dogs and local residents using the trail. Be careful with the sun exposure. The views toward the sea, including the curving bay and including the school of dolphins which we definitely saw (also one whale), are splendid. Views toward the hills are inspiring also. There are picnic tables and barbeque grills for day use. For campers, there are some shaded sites less close to the ocean, and there are various RV hookups mostly without shade, and there are premium-​priced sites right next to the ocean. Restroom facilities are somewhat good though the restrooms for day use get filthy quickly. All told, this is a five-​star!
Right now I am editing the review after I shot several videos and photos. I am in the HMB SB parking lot. They now have 65 MB/​sec State Park WiFi that I’ve signed into. A Warm Cloudy Day is so nice here.
I do have something USEFUL to add, which admittedly the Chamber of Commerce might not emphasize. Despite the curving coastline which might block tsunamis from the northwest, we all should understand how to go to high ground in case there is a tidal wave warning. My theory, which is guaranteed worth what you paid me for it, is that the best approach would be to walk very briskly about 1 mile up Kelly Avenue toward the hills and to get into higher ground either there or at Miramontes Avenue one block south but parallel to Kelly. I don’t know, for example, what exactly happened on March 11, 2011.
Come on folks, doesn’t somebody think it’s FUNNY that I reviewed the new concrete bases under the trash receptacles? See the photo.

First off, paying $ 10 for parking is a bit ridiculous. Second, I was so shocked to see how filthy the beach was. That people would be so lazy to not throw away their trash and that the city can’t have people clean it up regularly. You are charging $ 10 for parking after all.

Beautiful place, not too crowded, lots of tables for picnics, can get a bit too cold but if you come prepared, then it’s just perfect to lie down by the beach with a blanket.
Wind is perfect for kite flying
U have to pay a parking fee of $ 10 if u want to park inside but it’s totally worth it.

I am so biased because I lived in San Diego for 7 years, and I’ve always been so skeptical going to any of the beaches up here because I didn’t think it could compare (with the weather either), but Half Moon Bay State Beach surprised me.
Luckily, I came on a nice 70 something degree day so my impression started out great. The beach is big and it’s pretty clean and had a few trails (and horseback riders) and also BBQ and picnic areas. The sand wasn’t too coarse either. The water was freezing, but I did technically go in the winter.
Overall, I think I found myself a new beach.
Protip: Save yourself $ 10 from parking in the lot and park in the residential area and just walk a little bit.

One of the great beaches in San Francisco Bay Area. It’s clean and has many great stations for BBQ and family gatherings.

I love this place and try to come here as much as I can since I love in Foster City. If it’s a nice sunny day I will hop in the car and take the 20 min drive over here and spend 3 – 4 hours on the beach and relax. This beach can and will be crowded especially on a nice sunny day.
Many great people and crowd here. Next time if you’re driving through please stop by and soak in the sun.

Can live in California without the beach!!! Had such a great time here! I ran in the morning close to the coast, not a lot of ppl around which made my work out better!!! We then ate at half moon bay brewery and the calamari and beer selection was amazing! Would definitely go back for a wick getaway!

Freaking awesome beach! Glorious!
This is an absolute find! Come here and spend the day.
We came in December and even though it was windy as hell, we loved every minute we were there. The sand is just perfect. Gorgeous bluffs too.
Good parking and plenty available when we were there. I am sure it’s packed during the warmer months. Cost is $ 10 to park, but if you pay once at another state park, then your parking covers all other state parks for the day.
Go to the beach! NOW!

Park a bit aways away and just walk to the beach. We went in the winter time and saw 2 groups horse back riding there. Gorgeous beach to walk around and see the cliffs right next to the beach. Beautiful!!!
There is a trail atop the cliffs that you can walk on as opposed to walking directly on the beach — which can be kind of difficult!
Really nice place just to take a stroll. Definitely windy and a bit cold in the winter so dress appropriately! Some occasional benches atop the cliff too. :)
I would say it’s not the most beautiful place to visit in Half Moon Bay, but it’s definitely worth seeing!

In der Bay Area mal ein gemütliches ruhiges Plätzchen zu finden, ich nicht einfach. In dieser Bucht kann man mal die Großen Cities vergessen und auf den Pazifik hinausschauen. Verschiedene Strände laden dazu ein.
Mein Tipp: Ein Picknick vom nahegelegenen Supermarkt mitnehmen

A beautiful beach. Always clean and always beautiful. With a campground right next to it, and bbq grills around, this beach makes for a perfect spot to relax and unwind.
That’s why I’m always here on my lunch! A nice little quiet get away from work with the sounds of the ocean soothing me to sleep.
Ahhhhhhh

We stopped here 2 times during our stay. The first time was after dinner in Moss Beach. The park was closed so we found a place to park, got the flash light and made our way to the beach. Just beautiful in the light of the crescent shaped moon. Lots of folks ventured out for an evening walk and the view of the stars? Amazing.
The next evening we stopped here again…10 minutes until sundown and the Ranger was still taking the $ 10 fee so we made our way out and parked on an adjoining street with a spectacular view of the sunset. Really? Sunsets should be free, right?