We loved our visit to Moss Beach! We enjoy Sunday drives to different beaches and this was an excellent choice. Within this area, we also checked out the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. There's a small free parking lot here as well. If you have to use the bathroom, it's well maintained and clean. We enjoy the coastal beaches. It's beautiful and serene. It's even more relaxing to hear the waves with a sunset or sunrise. I still enjoy a foggy morning with a good cup of coffee. It's a nice walk to enjoy mother nature. If you enjoy animals, the seals are fun to watch! Lots of birds flying around, too. read more

Beautiful beach that we checked out a few years ago, it's pretty windy here with the cold water, it was pretty freezing, but a good spot read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

Very scenic beach convenient to hayward and pacifica and even San Francisco. Perhaps you need a quick holiday getaway - this is probably the nearest patch of Pacific ocean you haven't seen yet. Tide pools, wildlife and a very underrated beach you just might love. It's just a few more miles from Pacifica and driving down this highway is full of great views. read more

Fell in love with the beach and long walkway lined with trees. It was magical. It's definitely getting into my list of recommendations when we have out of town visitors. read more

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Definitely will have this beach in my faves list. We were able to see a bunch of sea life. We tried catching the tide pools before it was high tide. Our boys loved it. Great views. They enjoyed speaking with the seals from top of the cliff. We weren't allowed on the beach because all the seals were there resting. There were a few bathrooms at the parking lot. We met one of the rangers and she was lovely enough to explain and talk with the kids and answer all their questions. We'll be back Moss Beach! read more

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This review is specifically for the Pillar Point Bluff Trail, a 1.5-2.5 mile loop trail at Pillar Point Bluff near Moss Beach. Very easy, relaxing walk just outside of Half Moon Bay. Starts with a short incline which brings you to the top of the ocean cliffs with beautiful views along the shore. The hike itself is pretty uneventful and it's fairly flat and mundane at the top of the hill - but for those looking for a short hike with beautiful ocean views, this can't be beat! Plenty of parking both in a small lot and along the street. The main entrance is right across from the Half Moon Bay Airport. (There are several entrances.) Note this IS OPEN during COVID-19, as of May 16, 2020. There were quite a few folks hiking there, though, but everyone was friendly and it was easy to stay socially distanced. read more

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I love this place. It is meditative, peaceful, relaxing, and beautiful. There are those who go down to the beach to be closer to the ocean and the sand. I particularly enjoy standing on the cliffs overlooking the tide pools and all the seals. I also enjoy walking through the small forest if eerie looking trees and finding the fallen log to eat, have lunch on, and catch a nap. Its the people that don't really obey the rules and barricades that make it difficult for others to enjoy. Especially the wild life. If you see someone breaking the rules, a humble nudge of a word may be helpful but I wouldn't waste too much of my breath on it seeing as they don't always listen. Anyway, the place is enjoyable still and a wonderful place to visit. read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

Gorgeous beach and lots of little hiking trails nearby to be found by the sea cliffs. read more

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I LOVE this beach. It has public parking. Free I might add! Lots of Marine life. Really neat place to take children to just explore. Public restrooms that are actually clean, always a plus. Nice scenic trail where you can view the Seals either in the beach swimming or laying out on the rocks depending the time of day you go. Sometimes you see Otters. Just an FYI, water shoes with a nice solid bottom. This is a rocky beach and can be uncomfortable to the feet. Also check the tide schedule before arriving. If the tide is too high you will not be able to see the marine life. read more

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Nice place for a walk. Did anyone notice the house next to the beach stairs had so many cameras? When we were in the beach , the same house owner suddenly pulled out a megaphone and started yelling across the beach that kites werent allowed in the beach.... Is that normal? read more

This is the extension of Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Enter from the Moss Beach distillery and the cross streets there are residential parking. Beware of parking on the wrong side of the street as we were ticketed $33. Beautiful beach with steps to go down to the ocean. There is a mini tide pool to the right side of beach. No bathrooms. If you walk the bluff trail (Cypress Ave/Beach way), you will be able to find this location. I'm not sure if it's called Moss beach but when I mapped it on Google Maps, that is what it indicated. Good luck and what a gem of a find! read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

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Absolutely wonderful! This beach has so much to offer including trails, sandy beaches, cliffs, tide pools, and decent parking areas. You really can't go wrong at Moss Beach -- this place truly has it all. It's a good idea to check online when the tide will be low so you can check out the tide pools. I think they were my favorite thing about this beach aside from the natural beauty that seems to extend as far as the eye can see! My friend and I saw starfish, sea urchins, crabs, and a whole lot of coral. Even chitons! (molluscs). It's an educational experience as well as a fun outdoor adventure where one can get fresh air and exercise. A trail not too far above one of the entrances will take you to a scenic overlook that has amazing views of the coast line and beaches far below. I would definitely recommend this beach for anyone with kids! read more

I found this place in 2020, and it's been such an oasis for me. I feel like Alice in Wonderland here; that is if Alice were Black and had a big Afro :). It's incredibly tranquil, and so it's the perfect place to meditate or journal or take a short hike. Moss Beach Distillery is also a stone's throw away which comes in handy if you need a snack or a meal or a drink (or 3). read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

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Pretty neat little science-y beach -- tide pools? Count me in! There are signs posted everywhere about not touching anything or even bringing any buckets. There are park rangers actively patrolling too. We came early enough to check out all the creatures in the tide pools. By afternoon, tide pools were gone and it just looked like a regular beach. Actual sandy area is quite small so sunbathing was kinda hard. Seemed like everyone came to check out the seals but they were honestly so far away you couldn't really see them. There's also a short nature trail not too far off for a quick stroll. Didn't have any problems finding parking in the lot and bathrooms were also available, kept relatively clean by public standards. read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

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My boyfriend wanted to see the tide pools and the California harbor seals. The tide pools have a variety of sea creatures such as eels, octopus, sea stars, etc. Unfortunately because of COVID, tide pools were closed. We came about 10:30 AM and didn't catch the low tide pools, but it was still beautiful. The ocean view and nicely manicured walkways were enjoyable and easy to walk on. The lighting among the eucalyptus tree forest was perfect for picture taking. read more

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I love this beach! so much to see and to learn especially for little ones. I came out here in the morning to check out the sea stars and sea life.. would definitely come back every weekend if I could. There are several places to hike around as well. read more

Yes, I can see why people tend to love this place. The beach actually has sand, for one, and when the summer gets warm enough at Half Moon Bay and the fog lifts, you can spread out a blanket, open up a good book, and take in some rays (sunscreen recommended). In the fall and winter, this is a nice spot (with parking!) to see Mavericks or explore the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. And one of these days, my wife and I will give the Moss Beach Distillery a try, despite the mixed reviews. It sounds from other yelpers that many people first came here on school field trips, which sounds really nice. In WVa, our idea of a field trip was to go tour a coal mine. Or an actual field. We had it tough back then. No California Academy of Sciences and four-story rainforests for us! Thank goodness for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, though. Every child should see real dinosaur bones before that are forced to watch that purple imposter named Barney cavort across their HD flat-screens. For pure beach-walking pleasure, we prefer to stroll the sands and cliffs of Poplar and Redondo Beaches in south Half Moon Bay. For some real peace and quiet, we hit Cowell Ranch Beach or places further down CA Highway One. But Moss Beach is cool, too. read more

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A gorgeous beach for nice beach-walking and exploring/tide-pooling. It's particularly great for SF residents who want a more chill place not full of other people... a little beachy escape. It's a short drive down HWY 1 past Pacifica. Not sure how the surf conditions usually are (can always check surfline.com) but I saw at least a handful of surfers here catching pretty good waves. It's usually on the foggy, misty side so bring layers and warmth. When it does get sunny here, it's pretty much perfect. Also, a little tidbit: I hear that the distillery that looks out onto the beach is haunted. There are yelp reviews for it, too. See: Moss Beach Distillery. read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

Beautiful little gem along the coast! Absolutely worth a visit. A great place for taking family pictures, too!

I'll need to be neutral in my review for this beach, as I went when the beach was necessarily fenced off for the seals. Thus, there was literally only a little beachhead below the stairs for you can visit. That also means all my beach gear--the umbrella, the Lightspeed tent, and beach vball that I hauled for a serious stay at the beach went back into the car. Facilities wise, there's toilet and parking above that's shared with the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (that's all the trails above this beach). We were able to enjoy that, but how I would love to be on the sand..... read more

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This is an amazing view and definitely worth the visit. I came here with a group of friends during low tide pool earlier Saturday morning. The beach is absolutely gorgeous. Sea lions are playing in the water not too far away from the beach. There are a lot of wild life to check out. With the low tide, the ocean bed closer to the sandy beach is exposed. You can see the anemone, slugs, small fish and other creatures that need snorkeling to see. There is also a ranger around if you have any questions about what you're seeing, and to make sure that no one tries to take wild life home. The rocky floor is crazy slippery because of the seaweeds and kelp, so be sure to wear shoes with good traction. Like all the microweathers around this area, it is also crazy cold. Many people had a thin winter coat or down jacket even though it is June. read more

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UPDATE 2016: I mistakenly reviewed Moss Beach thinking it was the same as Pillar Point Bluff -- it's not. I added my new correct review here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pillar-point-bluff-moss-beach ________________________ 5 stars as a dog beach or "long walk on the beach" for people. This is not a beach you come and lay out at -- at least I wouldn't recommend it. For dogs, walking, and exploring, I can't imagine anything better. It isn't very crowded, although there are a lot of people; it sounds contradictory, but it's not. Moss Beach is a very long stretch of coast, and it's easy to get 50m to yourself, even on the weekend. Parking is pretty easy, too. There's a dedicated lot as well as lots of parking throughout the neighborhood. I truly love this place - only wish it was closer! read more

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It's beautiful It's interesting It's so close to the city Paths to walk through the woods Shoreline to hang out on Sand to goof around in Big exciting waves Tidepools to investigate Seals on the beach to watch It's the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve too There's a small info/science hut at the parking lot You aren't allowed to keep your beach finds since it's a reserve but bring your binocs and your magnifying glass because there's so much you'll want to look at here read more

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How can you rate beautiful nature anything less than 5 stars ! Awesome stuff! The hermit crabs were so active I loved watching them crawl about. There were cute little fish in the pools camoflouged and super beautiful anemones and sea cucumbers. I saw one star fish. Apparently almost all of them have died due to the destructive chemicals we put out. I hope this place stays this beautiful forever and continues to grow read more

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Beautiful location with good trails along the bluff. Please note that dogs are not permitted on the beach itself, only on the Reserve's Coastal Trail, and then only on a leash. This is to protect the native plants and animals in the area, so please be respectful of others: leash your dog and pick up their poop. read more

Due to the high tides a little farther down along the coast, I turned to Google to find the next, closest beach with accessible tide pools. The beach itself is relatively small, not much area to walk around as a good chunk of the beach is blocked off for nursing sea lions (this may just be seasonal, I'm not too sure). What really threw me off guard and I was really disappointed by, was the notice when walking down to the tide pools that says, "DANGER avoid contact with water due to high bacteria levels." I did a bit of research online after leaving and it turns out that sign was posted due to weekly water testing done at the site that reads positive for dangerous levels of bacteria over 60% of the time!!! I walked around for a minute and do think there would be some pretty spectacular finds in the tide pools if the tide had been a bit lower while I was there, but overall, I was pretty turned off by the information about the bacteria in the water. I would definitely not bring smaller children here given the water quality concerns. For anyone else interested, more info about the water quality can be found here: https://www.theswimguide.org/beach/3086 read more

The "H" (aka hubby) wanted to go to see some tidepools this past weekend. So we asked some locals and they directed us to Moss Beach (Take California Ave. off of Hwy 1 in Moss Beach). It was beautiful. The weather was awesome and we spent about 1 hour walking along these rocks/reef that contained tide pools. It wasn't high tide, but we saw several star fish, lots of hermit crabs, some small fish, sea anenome, and lots of coral. If you look into the distance, you can also see some seals sunning themselves on the rocks. The best part is that it's free! LOVE it! I'd highly recommend tidepooling if you have kids or if you're a kid at heart! It's definitely a nice afternoon activity. read more

I grew up in a tide pool-free land. I had heard of these creature-filled wonders, probably even seen some sort of filmstrip segment on Sesame Street about them, but never ever got to see one in real life. It was a childhood dream, unfulfilled. So, when we descended upon Moss Beach, I was enthralled. Looking into my first tide pool was sort of like looking at one of those 3-D Magic Eye posters - at first I didn't see anything, and I was disappointed. But then, wait, there's a hermit crab crawling over there! And another! And another! And there's an anemone! WOW! I, like every other five year old there, could have literally spent hours staring into the pools, dropping hermit crabs into anemones to make them open up (no, wait, I didn't do that. That's BAD. Don't disturb the nature!) I don't know if other adults' attention spans would be held captive like mine, but I can say that this is definitely a great place to bring the kiddos if you're looking to spend a few quiet hours. There were a bunch of kids on the beach, but no yelling, crying, or boredom. Everyone was totally enthralled. If you like your creatures bigger and fuzzier, Moss Beach is also home to a colony of harbor seals who rival the Pier 39 sea lions for their sunbathiness, cuteness, and viewable proximity. And if you are a total dork like me, you can make up names and stories for the seals (as my boyfriend said, "1000 childrens' books born in a minute - look, it's 'Slessinger, the Errant Little Seal!'"). That will fill up another two hours right there. read more

I've been visiting these tide pools ever since elementary school and each visit and experience is just incredible! The weather, depending on the day, could be cold or warm, so I've never actually gone to Moss beach just for the beach, but mostly for the tide pools. Parking is difficult when it's busy. Make sure you check online to see times for the low tides before coming! read more

This walk of coast has caves. Rock coves with the Pacific washing into them. Moss Beach has mist and fog curls for air. The sky is grayer than usual. It's typical for people to talk about change casually. It's just not fair. Like, to talk about Moss Beach as a trip I'd gone to as a teenager, compared to now. It'd feel like a discussion about the different things, what'd happened. I'm much more of a dreamer these days. Talk about emotions. Moss Beach is supposed to have cautions signs. It doesn't. The cove rocks the ocean runs over is black, smooth. The dry rocks are sharply silhouetted. The history with Moss'd started with long drives in my Corolla. A red one. The windshield wipers were squeaky, managed to clear the dew, rain. I had plenty of gas money to spare then. I use to breathe differently even. The beach air smelled like seashells. I was one of those typical writers. My thoughts came from a bunch of pretty metaphors with no substance. Moss Beach is a stretch for the imagination. It's got plenty of surf; it goes on forever along highway 1. Make a right turn at any street marker and you're on it. Sand. Nowadays I think about having children. Before traveling. Perhaps I'd own a house and mortgage. Charlie, my dog, would have pups before me. I'm hoping by next year at least, to be in another big city. Falling in love would be nice. Yesterday the beach air was salty. read more

Sea life uncovered when tides are low. Saw mussel beds, sea anemone, crabs, and red octopus. Great trails to over look the beach. read more

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The main attraction here is the tide pools, which are teeming with hermit crabs rolling around, bright green sea anenomes, starfish of bright orange to deep purple colors, and a host of other sea creatures. The best times to go are right before and after low tide, so that the pools are still still filled with water and the sea life is in action. There are an endless number of little pools to giant ponds to see! Make sure you bring a good walking shoe with good grip or waterproof boots, since you'll be walking on top of sea kelp and moss (and watch out for the star fishies, don't step on one like I did - accident, really!) Bring a camera too, it's impossible to take a bad picture when everything is pretty already! A great place to bring kids for an educational adventure - we saw a few tour groups and families, but make sure the little ones don't go running around on the slippery moss. Great place for a date too, it's like an aquarium, but free! read more

Beautiful place for walks near the ocean, great for surfing. Waves r always good, usually 2-5 feet. read more

Moss Beach - Beaches Near Me - Moss Beach, California

(Mental train of thought while hoofing it out to the tidepools) Whee!!!!! Look at me!!!! I feel just like a kid skipping down the beach, kicking sand up. I'm almost there. Whoops! Ow! Damn it I slipped on some moss! yeah yeah yeah I was a klutz as a kid too This place is a beautiful slice of the California good life. There's a calm inlet to the left as you walk along the beach. Now this isn't really a beach that you go to kick back, lay out and drink beers on while you bake (and I use that term loosely). No, this is more of a "Wear sweatshirts and perhaps bring the dog along for a special day" type of beach. It is a good beach to expose young children in terms of both the calm water in the small cove and for the older kids (and the big ones) there's the tidepool with all your favorites--hermit crabs, sea anenome, starfish. Of course, like all tidepools it's best at low tide (check the newspaper on the weather page for tide times). Any day with a -1.0 through -2.0+ is worth checking out and will impress even experienced tidepoolers. read more

Moss beach was a great experience. We were there during high tide when we got there. I asked the ranger when the tide would go out and she said in 7 hours or so. We waited and were rewarded with a wonderful family experience in the tide pools. Surprised that bare feet and tide pools can mix, but just be careful where you tread. read more

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I had a flashback of Junior High when they took us on a field trip. Of course in Jr. High this place was cool! I remember having a handout and we had to identify the variety of sea life: hermit crabs, fish, anemones, starfish etc. in the tide pools. That was fun and then we were able to walk around the beach and hang out by the fallen tree and pretend to be cool kids. Ah the life of a teenager! Went there recently and I didn't have a worksheet but I did identify all the sea creatures and walked around the tide pools, hoping not to slip and fall. I don't remember having that fear in Jr. High. I saw someone dropping hermit crabs into the anemones and watching the anemones close down around the crab, wait that was me. Hee. Sorry crab. It was only 1 I swear! The anemone looked hungry! It was cold! I had a sweatshirt on and I was wearing my hood, pulled down and knotted with no shame. I don't know how some kids were in the water without getting hypothermia. It was fun looking at everything and seeing the kids get really excited when they found stuff. But that got old pretty fast so we walked around and sat on some benches overlooking the pools, fun and relaxing. Try it, but don't feed the anemones! read more

wonderful recreational beach area just north of half moon bay. it's sad that i've lived in the bay area for so many years and only visited half moon bay twice, and only the first time to moss beach a couple of weekends ago. this beach has miles of sand, perfect for a weekend outing with the kids, dogs, friends, etc. the weather was perfect when i visited, warm, but not too hot, with a gentle breeze. fitzgerald marine reserve is also along moss beach, which is a great place to visit and take in some of the natural wonders of half moon bay. free parking + free access to the beach area...just be sure to finish up before sundown so you can make your way back to your car! read more

this beach is so beautiful and full of tide pools. these tide pools are amazing! so many star fish, crabs and really pretty coral. this is a great place to go and feel like a kid again. lucky for me my childhood memory is a field trip from junior high, not a great one especially when your mom drives a group of your classmates then slips on a rock and twists her ankle. she had to go to emergency and had a light sprain. luckily she was ok but i do remember another parent taking me home but stopping us off for a nation's giant burger. back to the beach! it's truly a remarkable sight to see with fantastic ocean views. dress warm because it can get pretty cold at times. if your walking around the rocks you better watch your step! read more

Despite other reviews, dogs are NOT allowed here and you will be turned away by the rangers. I really wish people wouldn't put false information in their reviews. Thank goodness Montara Beach is dog friendly and is only a mile away. read more

moss beach is a very nice beach. when its not windy, I'll be there relaxing. read more