Leffingwell Landing is part of the San Simeon State Park providing access to Moonstone Beach and…read moretide pools, northern starting point to the Moonstone boardwalk (walking trail), picnic tables, restroom, and gorgeous bluff views. Absolutely gorgeous views. And get this...parking and access is free. FREE! I walked down to the tide pools. I didn't venture out too far. It was low tide and I didn't see much of any marine life. But still fun. Then I walked up to the bluff and looped around the walking trail and portion of the boardwalk. Terrific views. Pretty native flowers blooming. There are several benches and picnic tables to sit and look out to the ocean... well actually 360 panoramic view. Ocean, beach, tide pools, meadow, bluff, treeline, people watching. Breathing in all this beauty and calm. If you go into the tide pool area. Please do me two big favors. One is to be aware of the tides. Don't get so engrossed that you turn your back on the ocean and kiddos. Second is that observe and no need to harm the marine life. Take a picture (physical or mental) and leave everything as is.

Great tide pools! We walked down the stairs and found tide pools up high on the rocks with all the…read moretypical tide pool wild life! Came around 1 since low tide was set to be 1230 on June 24th

Final lovely beach before hitting scenic highway 1 cliffs and elephant seal beaches to the north,…read moreso if you want a beach walk, pier, or hike to a headland, stop here. Portable toilets replace the bathrooms, but there are signs about the area located off the large parking lot. You can see the historic Hearst buildings from halfway down the pier. We saw sea otter and comorants,and had a great view of Hearst Ranch.

I was a little confused why the rating is so high here having lived in California all my life and…read moreseen some amazing beaches. It appears that a lot of the reviews on this listing are actually for Hearst Memorial State Beach, which is, imo, much better but has a completely separate yelp page. I hope people aren't getting them confused because they will be disappointed if they are. San Simeon State beach is ok but the sand is a but rough and there are many spots that don't allow dogs. We have parked here a few times to enjoy the views and use the restroom. There are also some boardwalks/paths you can meander but the beach itself is just ok. I would head over to Hearst Beach since you're already in the area or really any of the other awesome beaches in the state for any genuine beach activities but that's just me.

Thanks to Yelp pal Hannah S.'s review, I had bookmarked this spot as a place to stop when we were…read morein the area. The views are indeed scenic! We grabbed some coffee at the shop located here and then took a stroll behind the stores to savor the cool breezes, the trees, and the lovely sights of the Pacific Ocean. There's actually a trail, too, but we didn't venture down it as we were pressed for time. This is worth a stop to bask in the beautiful seascape.

Lovely scenic stop along the PCH as you make your way up from Cambria towards Big Sur. There's a…read morerestaurant, gas station, great coffee shop, bathrooms, art work, some hiking and view points, and an inn all at this little stop area. I walked all the way to the back where there's a lovely overlook with expansive Pacific Ocean views all along the cliffs and out as far as the eye can see! I even saw a sea otter hanging out with a sea gull - playing around in the waves together haha!! I think the gull was chasing him and gobbling up the otter's leftovers lol. There's another hiking trail on site down to the black sands of Young Creek Beach - but it's a super steep hike down a 400 foot cliff and I wasn't feeling it lol! But there are lots of nice seating areas overlooking the trail, beaches and cliffs so it's still very enjoyable. I grabbed a coffee and some dessert at the coffee shop instead which I can highly recommend!! It was fantastic and the staff were wonderful (see my review for Ragged Point Coffee Shop & Bakery). At the time of my visit, it was about as far as you could go up the PCH to Big Sur bc the road further up is washed out but they're working on it. Still a great little spot to explore - lots of parking and great views. I'd definitely consider staying at the inn next time!

Small quaint beach town with a pier with 3-4 benches and people come here at all hours of the day…read moreto fish. While visiting the area, we came here 3 days in a row to grab food and fish on the pier. It's very peaceful, quaint, and if you are used to the vibrant hustle of the beaches in OC, which I am, this place keeps everything on pause for you to enjoy the moment. I am already planning a return with the whole family to stay couple of nights and attempt another round of fishing on the pier for my boys. Oh and this place is dog friendly....so he will be joining us next time too. Definitely recommend a visit....just very peaceful!

April 16-19, 2026 - Cayucos…read more Still the best beach in California, in my opinion. I've been coming here for years. In my earlier days, I would run from Cayucos to Morro Rock and back when the tide was low. These days, leisurely walks on the beach with my husband and dog are more my speed. Rather than running to Morro Rock, I just take in the beautiful view. Duckies and Schooners are still here if you want to grab some food. Ocean Pizza is gone, but you can still get pizza at Pie in the Sky Pizza. And no visit to Cayucos is complete without a walk on Cayucos Pier. Note: Dogs are allowed on the beach, but not on the Pier.

We enjoyed a relaxing day here with our dog. We were able to drive down to the lower beach and park…read morewith a great view of the old pier. There is lots of shade and space to relax and enjoy the sounds of the water. The beach and picnic area were pretty clean and although there were people fishing and BBQing, there was a nice quiet atmosphere. I don't know if it's typical but on our visit there were no screaming children or loud teens posing for the gram. It was a really calm vibe. The restrooms are near the entrance so it's a bit of a trek if you need to go and the portable restroom that was in the area was locked. Still this was better than the other beaches we visited in the area and I would definitely come back.

OK...this review is for the coast line area right under the William Randolph Hearst Memorial View…read morePoint. It's about 5 miles from the State Beach memorial state beach, which the rest of the reviews mention. But it is part of the Hearst State Beach. It has plenty of gravel parking, and good views of the coastline. You are able to slowly climb down the low embankment and get close to the water. I don't think it's safe for swimming, and with the ocean breezes making it quite chilly, so didn't stay too long. The sand is rough, with some large driftwood on the beach. But I was only one on the beach for a bit, and it was nice just staring out to the ocean while hearing the loud rumbling of the shallow waves.

Beautiful, secluded, and sandwiched between San Simeon and Ragged Point - well worth a stop if…read moreyou're in the area! A true hidden gem - I only found it bc I caught the sweeping views of the creek flowing onto the beach flanked by cliffs with vibrant blue-green waters against rich, deep brown sands while driving along the PCH. It was so breathtaking I just had to stop! And eventually I found the trailhead - there's a gated entrance that almost looks like someone's private property but the hiking trail becomes obvious as you approach. The trail is sandy and mostly flat. It's part of the Los Padres National Forest and also a Snowy Plover nesting site - so be sure to stick to the trails while heading to the beach. The creek flows to a large pool created by a rise in sand on the beach, trapping the creek waters and creating a refuge for shore birds. At low tide and when the creek isn't overflowing, you can easily get onto the beach itself by walking to the end of the creek pool - there's a little dry, sandy spit taking you out onto the beach. But at high tide you may have to wade in the creek a bit bc it sometimes joins up with the ocean waters. The sand is the deepest, richest brown I've ever seen - very unique! And really makes the gorgeous blue-green waters on the Pacific pop! The trail is pretty short - only 1/2 mile to the beach. Flat and easy. It's part of the CCT (California Coastal Trail) so that's always fun. There's a large coastal pine with a makeshift fire pit under it right before you get to the beach - apparently someone was living there at one time lol - but not anymore. The beach is full of beautiful pieces of driftwood- such a lovely place to explore. There are also sea caves but unfortunately I was on a time crunch - wish I could've explored more! There's a small bit of paved parking at the trailhead - maybe room for 1-2 cars. But across the street there's plenty of parking along the side of the street. There aren't any bathrooms or facilities here so plan ahead. The trail is listed on AllTrails - Incredibly beautiful hidden gem that I will definitely leave more time to explore on my next visit - highly recommend!

Another one of San Simeon's secret trails and beaches. The San Carpoforo Beach Trail has amazing…read morescenery and seclusion. The Trailhead is just past the San Carpoforo Creek bridge ( 13 miles north of Hearst Castle) and across the street from a Lime colored house. Park in front of the trailhead or across the street. The walk isn't a long one at less than half a mile, but when you count all the exploring options around the beach and lagoon you will definitely get a lot of steps in. There's a ton a driftwood around this beach and if you hike to the north below the cliff ( if the tide is low) you can find a small secluded beach and a large sea cave. To the south is Ragged point. Note - The sand here is different than the other beaches in the area especially close to the water. It's very porous. There are also unique sand fleas/flies only found at this beach next to water. Tip - Keep a keen eye on the fields on the both sides of the road when driving here (Highway 1). I've seen herds of Elk and various deer.

The first .5 mile has a wooden path but don't try to do the full loop! The trial is quite overgrown…read moreand poison ivy is all along it. There was a small sign that indicated a part of the trail was under maintenance but once on the trail there's little direction other than small signs that tell about the trail. With no warning, suddenly you're in a very overgrown part that continues onto a broken bridge. By the point we got here we assumed we were more than halfway and didn't wanna risk more poison ivy which he had hardly gotten past. I'm glad we chose to continue because after getting past the broken bridge which was blocked off at the end (not the end we had come on) it was open, far less poison ivy and we made it to a road intended for vehicles to grt to the campground I think? It had some beautiful parts but not the sort of thing to bring kids out ages. Very narrow path for most of it!

A nice trail that's part nature walk, part moderate hike. The distance ranges from 3.5 - 3.8 miles…read moreit's a loop trail that goes around Sam Simeon State park/Campground. If you're staying at the camp ground you can easily get to the trail by following the park map. If you're not visiting the campsite there is a pullout area across the campground entrance on the other side near the beach where you can walk the trail under PCH. Coming from the beach trail around the loop you'll get around 450 feet of elevation gain, the trail is pretty simple to follow but if you're looking for direction to follow online there is a map on All Trails under "San Simeon trail to Washburn Campground Loop"

October 15, 2025 - Cambria, CA…read more San Simeon Creek Beach (also known as Washburn Day Use Area Beach) is located at the mouth of the San Simeon Creek north of Cambria. There are a number of beaches in this area, so it can be a bit confusing as to which one is which. (San Simeon City Beach is at the waterfront for San Simeon; William R. Hearst Memorial State Beach is the beach nearest Hearst Castle in San Simeon.) This beach is closest to the San Simeon Creek State Campground. There is a day use area (Washburn Day Use) accessible from Highway 1. There are picnic tables, a restroom, and a boardwalk and trail that lead to the beach. There is lots of driftwood, pebbles, some dunes, and lovely views. It's a perfectly nice beach; but, alas, no dogs allowed.