Shamel Park is a community park in the coastal California town of Cambria nestled in the burbs along Moonstone Beach. It's a six acre park that has a large grassy field, kids play area, swimming pool, reserved picnic table area with a Santa Ana grill, individual picnic tables with smaller grills, gazebo, restrooms, and direct access to Moonstone Beach. There is no fee to use the park including the parking. When I dropped by recently in the summer, the grassy lawn was crunchy brown. I don't know the reasoning for the lack of irrigation. But it was open for folks to use still, some folks were playing soccer. The swimming pool was surprisingly smallish size for a community pool; it was covered up and not in use. Possibly closed just for the day. I'm sure the schedule is posted on the San Luis Obispo parks district website. The pool is next to the children's play area, gazebo, and restroom. The play area and picnic areas are shaded by beautiful old growth trees. This is one of my favorite beaches, in Cambria, due to the restroom situation and combo park and beach access. There are several walking beach access points from the park. But most I recall involve stairs. The stairs are not numerous but they're there. The beach has sleeper currents and strong riptides. So if you go into the water be careful especially since there are no lifeguards here. To the far right behind the restrooms is a ragged tag self made old dirt trail leading to the Santa Rosa creek where it connects to the beach.Beautiful views. Movie worthy cinematography scenes. Regarding the dog policy, dogs are not allowed on the beach. But they are allowed in the park, leashed that is. read more

See all

This park is a fine place to stop if you want to let the kids or the dog out for a bit. Most of the grassy area was taken up by a large group of gentleman playing soccer while we were there but there is a small, unfenced area where you can let your dog off leash for a bit and let them relieve themselves. Most people kept their dogs on leash though Be careful though as it's close to the street and people go around the corner there much faster than I would like, especially for a residential neighborhood. The bathrooms were clean and there is a playground area for kids. You can also access the beach from this park. There is a pool are that was closed, so as busy as it was when we visited, I imagine it gets even busier. read more

See all

I really have zero complaints about this hidden park. It was in a quiet neighborhood in a corner. I have 3 kids, two who are adults, and one who is 8 years old. There was a play area with slides and swings and they all enjoyed it. The bathrooms were clean, and I noticed there was a pool too. I don't know when it's open or if they open it at all. I just thought it was cute. There was beach access and the beach was pretty clean. There were not too many people, so it was nice to have it practically all to ourselves. There was sand but also beautiful rocks that we all enjoyed playing in. The waves were extremely large and gorgeous. There was a sign that said no lifeguard on site. Overall it was a great experience for all of us, and we would love to return for another day of hanging out! read more

See all

Hey there, dog owners! Are you looking for a dog-friendly space, possibly a beach, to walk around with your pup? Look only as far as Shamel Park and its beach access. Shamel Park has been a location for my family for many years. We often found ourselves here walking off an ABC burger from Main Street Grill. Upon a recent trip in July of 2023, I realized Moonstone Beach had minimal dog areas. The only point of entry was Shamel Park. With a Cambria Roasting Coffee, we headed out to take our sweet rescue beagle June to the beach - her first ocean experience. We let her explore the grassy space, grabbed a few doggy bags (ours was empty, so this was much appreciated!), and headed down the stairs and onto the sandy beach. It was early morning, and the fog was still socked in - my favorite beach weather. It was a warm 65 degrees, so we enjoyed the brisk air. We walked up and down the beach without so much a person to disturb us. June thoroughly enjoyed her first beach experience. It was the perfect dog beach, from the calm waters to the soft sand. Just make sure you keep your pup on a leash! As we exited, a couple had their pup off-leash, a clear no-no. While our beagle, June, is dog friendly, and perhaps your dog may be too, you never know. Please keep your dog on a leash! As we left, we took advantage of the faucets in the park to wash off our and June's feet. In all, this was an enjoyable experience. read more

Hubby, digs and I had a good time walking in the Beth. I'm so glad they allowed dogs in the side of the Beth we were in. It was cold but the ocean and waves were beautiful. The park was big and not a lot of dogs which was also good for us. Our dogs got to run around a bit before heading back to our hotel room. I love Cambria!! read more

Nice park with amazing view of the Pacific Ocean. Stopped by on Christmas Day to take a break and eat some lunch. There are plenty of picnic tables except for maybe a day with perfect weather and everyone in town showing up. Then it might be a little crowded. The weather was terrible, gray, cloudy, windy, light rain but there was a family playing kickball. There is a bathroom and plenty of grass area for playing. We took a little stroll after lunch and looked at the ocean before heading into town to do some shopping. read more

See all

Local Eval: As a part of my "mission" to visit all SLO County Parks, I was really happy to "discover" this less well known park, that is just a short drive away from Cambria's nice Farmers Market. As one of the only County Beach Parks, it opens on to amazing Ocean views and vistas, while still having facilities like bathrooms, and a summer pool. Since it was both off peak and a weekday, most of the time, we were all alone. It was serene, but also felt like a scene in an apocalyptic movie [e.g. After a viral extinction event perhaps]. It is right next to Moonstone Park, and you can explore the beach/tide creek part of this park too. We saw some wild Mallard Ducks before they became spooked. The creek's water wave pattern was interesting since the surface waves seemed almost to stand still, since the wind was pushing the water the opposite way, from the tidal current. Physics at work! Of course, in the open Ocean, this would be more of a hazardous rip current! Besides the Ocean sands, stones, view, water, the park itself has a ton of picnic tables, a few of which have an ocean view. Most are behind a wooden fence for some reason...maybe to help corral errant kids? There is a large kiddy playground, a rotunda for events, bathrooms, BBQ's, Picnic tables, a summer pool, a foot washing fountain, and a large grassy area. It is an ideal area to have a picnic from the spoils of one's adventure into Cambria's wonderful Farmers Market, where you can grab some amazing BBQ'ed proteins/ or fruit Pies [e.g. Raspberry] from Linn's as well as, all kinds of fresh local produce, soup, veges, fruits, baked goods, cheese, wine, olive oils, crafts, popcorn, flowers, pies, breads, nuts, and more, from various very local or not so local vendors. It would turn out to be way cheaper than eating in town or on the motel tourist strip....where we stay once many years before we moved into the Pismo/SLO area. This coastal area is so beautiful as compared with much of Central Valley CA, or congested LA/Long Beach areas. As with all SLO County Parks, you will likely need to log onto the county website, to pay to reserve a spot, for a group function. All SLO County summer pools have either a daily rate [$2 kids/$5 adults] or a very fair seasonal rate for those on extended vacations, or for lucky locals. While we really enjoyed this Park, there are other parks just down the road a bit, as well as, a ranch with miles of hiking trails, but they are likely not to have facilities. read more

See all

So much fun for kids, there's lots of playground equipment and none of it is broken. So fun, but there's usually birthday parties here so it can get quite busy. Super fun though. read more

Beautiful park on the beach. Picnic or play volleyball or stroll along the sand, it's all within a 2 minute walk. Beautiful views. We were here the week of July 17-22 to escape 100°+ heat. What a relief. Easy parking. Watch out for the clumps of tar which lays on the sand. It's a natural release from under the ocean. read more

See all

This is one special place during COVID for the local people to find some time away from home or simply enjoying a nice lunch at the park. We were out of town and got some take outs. While looking for a place to sit down to have our lunches, I found this park and was so glad to see how spacious it is and that it offered plenty of clean picnic tables and benches, with a public bathroom, playground, and plenty of easily-accessible trash bins and water spigots for washing up. Additionally, what's even more amazing about it is that it nestles right next to the beachfront so on one side there's this lovely family park and the other side is the ocean where families and children can play. This park is a real gem in Cambria. read more

See all

Nice little park that has something for everyone. There's an outdoor pool, gazebo area, kid's playground, horse shoe pitch for adults, picnic tables, bbq area- areas can be reserved for gatherings. Large grassy area, beach access- dogs must remain leashed on beach. Free parking. read more

See all

Perfect spot to bring your chair and book to sit at the beach and read, walk on the sand or sit at the benches. Clean restrooms and close parking. read more

It's a hot summer night. William Holden starts to dance to "Moonglow" on the dock. Kim Novak starts clapping her hands to the music. The heat between them climbs. They dance tentatively at first. The music engulfs them. They move in for the clinch. Rosalind Russell rips Holden's shirt out of a drunken rage. ...oh my, my favorite scene from "Picnic". Nope, it didn't happen at Cambria's tiny Shamel Park. Just a lot of locals picnicking and waiting for the 4th of July fireworks to start promptly at 9pm. This rectangular piece of lawn must be their official city park, and it sits right next to the beach. How perfect is that. A cover band played a whole of 70's funk disco like Cheryl Lynn's "Got to Be Real". You sing it, girl. Jamie W. and I staked a bench to watch the pyrotechnics, and we held onto it for dear life even as senior citizens passed by with their walkers. OK, we're not that mean..but it would have been quite a moral dilemma had they walked by. There was a teenager in a pirate suit. We didn't know why. Ah, the fireworks finally started at 9:30. It was a good display...not Ka-Boom level, of course, but a respectable show indeed. They last a good half-hour. And then we beat the traffic before the show ends. That was all I had to report for Shamel Park. No, it's not really a travel destination for tourists like me. Locals must love it as they should, and it's a fine space to celebrate our nation's independence. I'll let them have it to themselves now. read more

Shamel Park - Fourth of July Fireworks Show (7/04/2008) - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

Wonderful spot to spend a half hour or a half day. Families enjoying the grass, kids playing sports on the field in a wonderful beach front setting. read more

This is a great park in Cambria! There is a big grassy area, a pool, a play area and picnic/BBQ areas. All that, plus the beach and ocean! Oh, and there was no fee to use the park. No wonder it was sooooo crowded the last time we were in Cambria on a weekend. This time we stopped by during the week and were one of the few people there! Five stars for this park! read more

See all

Great park to stop at and have lunch or a walk. Pretty big park for it being in the city. Saw people with families and kids enjoying the park. It has playground equipment, baseball fields, and a pool. I had read on here about homeless and druggies here but I didn't see any here. Everyone seemed kosher and just their for a good time. The park was pretty packed with people. Nice and green and lots of shade trees. read more

We took the kids to swim at the pool. It was a pleasant pool area. Not much seating, not much shade, but kids had a great time and it wasn't really crowded. (First Friday they were open for the season, I think) The park is GREAT! Has a newer play area with swings & slides, horseshoe area, and huge grassy park. There's an easy entrance to the beach, dogs allowed, and the beach was large and clean... at least until you got crude oil stuck to your feet & clothes from the random deposits on the sand & rocks. Apparently it's a natural occurrence in this part of CA, and unconcerning overall, but dang!!! Pain to try and get off clothes & towels, and hard to scrape off the kids. Great place to visit for pool picnic and playground, but head for a beach farther north. read more

See all

Great local park. We vacation in Cambria with our twin daughters a lot. This a great area for a picnic, play time, and access to the beach. Cambria holds their annual 4th of July celebration in the park so it can get crowded if you are there for the holiday. Come early to reserve your spot and enjoy the fun. read more

See all

My family and I, that's an 8yr old and a 2 1/2 year old, traveled from LA to SF over this Labor Day weekend. I was looking for cool stops along the way and I found this one via Yelp. I am giving it 5 big stars!!! Not only is it CLEAN!!! Like WOW clean!!! But it's also really great for both age groups of kids. Lots of climbing and crawling, swinging and running. Cute little town of Cambria should really feel proud of this gorgeous tree lined park that sits just steps away from the beach. Parents don't be scared! It has an adorable wood gate surrounding the park with visible entry to the beach, but not so visible that your kids will take off on you. Bathrooms are very very well maintained! I didn't feel like puking while using the bathrooms there. We will definitely make this park a regular stop for us coming and going to and from LA - SF and SF to LA! Picnic benches all over, grassy area, just lovely. Just lovely!!!!! read more

See all

Best park, we have been coming here for years and you just walk through the park to gain direct access to the beach. Beach is a pebbly beach so might be good to have water shoes to make walking easier. No fine sand here. Great to come during the quarantine because it isn't too packed and people respect social distancing. Great waves for boogiebording. read more

When facing the water go to the picnic tables to the left. There isn't a fence and you can eat while having a front row view of the ocean. We had a terrible experience at Linn's and this park + the sound of the ocean ways made the day better. read more

This is a great small Park in the Hidden Gem of the Cambria area. If you have a family with kids there's a playground clean bathrooms a small pool that's probably open on seasonal basis in a big grassy area. it's also very accessible to the beach and it's an interesting kind of beach it's where you can hunt for moonstones and interesting rocks but the surf is very very wild to have to keep a hawk eye on the kids. the noise the ocean is very relaxing and be very easy to sit on one of the upper benches and take a nap. There are shady places to eat a picnic lunch but I'm sure during the summer it's very crowded when I went in late October he was the weather was still nice but it was also lots of places that you can sit at a picnic table and enjoy. I think the beach is a great place for seniors as well or people with a certain age you can take your time walking and not really worry about being in anybody's way. read more

Shamel Park - The entrance... And steps to the beach - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

See all

This is right next to Moonstone beach. You are able to walk around looking for pretty rocks. There is also a play set and field for people to run around. They have a bunch of tables and some people were actually out bbqing tonight. read more

See all

Delightful place to eat take-out together before our group split up to head home. Both shady and sunny picnic benches. Lovely grass. Several kids on the play structure. Clean restrooms. Several work crews and families eating together, kicking soccer balls around, playing with well-behaved dogs. The fence and trees blocked much of the wind from the beach just behind them. LOVED the sound of the surf!! read more

We go to shamel park each year for the 4th of July. We love it so much. It's so close to the fireworks that it fills the sky! If you come out here for the fourth make sure to bring blankets and chairs ! We can't wait to go back next year , it's an awesome family tradition and we love it so much! read more

Shamel Park - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

Shamel Park on 4th of July is where my family will be every year! The fireworks were right over our heads and they were beautiful. It's a great feeling to look around and see your whole community celebrating together. The people who put that event together did a great job! read more

This is a great little coastal park right off Highway 1. Plenty of picnic tables, open green space, a small pool that has lifeguards and wonderful beach space too! Doesn't seem to get too crowded and seemed like it was nearly entirely locals enjoying it so I was glad we took a little break on our road trip here! The bathrooms are what you expect for a county park - dirty but at least they are there, right? read more

As far as the park itself I can't say how good or bad it is as we have only been here once and that was for the 2014 Independence Day Celebration. We parked about 1/2 mile away from the Moonstone Beach as all the spots near the entrance have been taken. Once inside, we noticed a large crowd of mostly locals that has gathered here to celebrate the birth of our nation. The large grass area by the entrance got turned into the grill field as everyone seemed to have a BBQ going. Some people even brought along with them those huge coolers, and some parties setup tents. As out of towners, we just came to see the fireworks, maybe grab a beer and some grub. While it is great that they allow coolers and BBQs, the whole celebration felt more like a picnic and not something that actually took time to come up with and organize, as we thought it would be. There were only few stands where you could buy food and drinks: if you didn't bring any with you, the selection was very limited. On a good note, there was a lot of people around but the local fire dept and police were on it so I didn't see any foul play even though the profile of some in attendance can be considered very questionable. And with all the glass being allowed in, it was a good thing there was nothing to report. The best part of the evening was definitely the view as Shamel Park is right by the Moonstone Beach and the fireworks were launched high into the sky from the area right below. The City of Cambria put on a great firework display that lasted almost a full hour and was spectacular on a night of clear skies. It did get a bit chilly but maybe we are just not used to the cool coastal climate and should've prepared better (chairs+blankets). All said and done,we enjoyed the Shamel Park and the Independence Day party Cambria put together. As tourists we felt welcomed and enjoyed the fireworks. It was a good, but not great experience, mostly because we did not have tents, grills, charcoal, coolers etc like most of the people. The whole thing is aimed more towards the locals and there is nothing wrong with that. But for someone who is just visiting, there should be a bit more though....After all that's what tourism is all about, true? read more

This little park was a gem of a find in Cambria. We had just checked out Moonstone Beach and were looking for somewhere for our 3 year old to let off a little steam on a playground (his request). The playground is clean, well cared for and very safe. With direct beach access as well as restrooms and picnic area, we lucked out finding this park right up the road from the beach. read more

Such an absolutely beautiful place. Love walking the beach in the morning with my pups. Great place to hunt for beach glass. So relaxing to be in the presence of nature and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. The tide pool are a blast too. read more

See all

I'll never look at a county park (or a wedding) the same way. I (and a bunch of other volunteers/slave labor) threw one hell of a party here, even if I do say so myself. One of my best girlfriends held her Hawaiian-themed wedding bash here for 30 people, in what turned out to be a unique location for a beach wedding (beach is literally right behind a short wall and some stairs) in a wedding-heavy city. Though I cursed every bump in the dirt and uneven surface, the reception site (12 long picnic tables, some trees and a big, rusty, pig-roasting barbeque) was easily transformable into pseudo-Hawaii. She could only reserve the two main picnic areas, but we still felt like the park was all to ourselves; the playground and public were kept at a nice, not-so-public distance. You'll never feel more alive than when you're frolicking in the ocean at sunset with a bottle in one hand and centerpiece flowers in the other. read more

Awesome park well kept the grass is very nice and green it's only a few minutes from the beach .Great place to walk your dog's or have lunch .I love how the city keeps this park very clean and the view from the park is wonderful read more

Shamel Park in Cambria is a county park. It has a pool that is open on weekends in the summer in the afternoons. There is a gazebo for concerts on the expansive lawn. There is room for large groups (100-200) easily on the large number of picnic tables and the lawn. There are big BBQ pits too! There are horseshoe pits (2) for a little friendly competition. The children's playground has swings and climbing setup that can keep a lot of children happy! With all that now come the cool part. It is right on the beach! just a few step away and you are on the beach with huge crashing waves. The beach is such at this location that there is a huge riptide. so be forewarned. The strolls down the beach lead to the creek and often there a lots of birds. The beach is a pebble beach. Look carefully at the rocks and note that the dark green pieces are jade.! Bring a picnic, your horse shoes, you beach blanket and / or a good book and enjoy the afternoon at a lovely little county park. read more