San Gregorio State Parks on the Beach - Guide to San Gregorio State Beach

San Gregorio State Beach in Moon Bay, California (in San Mateo County)

San Gregorio State Beach is a beach near San Gregorio, California, USA, south of Half Moon Bay. Part of the California State Park System, the beach lies just west of the intersection of State Route 1 and State Route 84. San Gregorio Creek widens to form a small freshwater lagoon in the park behind a sand berm, or barrier beach, which typically blocks the mouth of the creek, forcing the creekwaters to flow underfoot as they seep into the Pacific Ocean. During the rainy season the creek often cuts through the sand berm and flows directly into the ocean. Historically the creek was a coho salmon spawning site and the Department of Fish and Game is considering restocking it with coho to improve the salmon fisheries south of San Francisco.

Park facilities include restrooms and picnic tables. Dogs are not permitted on the beach, as it has been identified as potential nesting habitat for the endangered (official status "threatened") Western Snowy Plover, a subspecies of the Kentish Plover. North of the main beach is a nude beach (private property) that charges a fee to park in their parking lot north of the park's lot that provides closer access.

A stone marker with a plaque commemorates (now missing) the three days Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portolà's expedition camped at the beach to rest and treat their sick in 1769, during his first (failed) attempt to reach Monterey Bay. They would go on to discover San Francisco Bay instead. The site is registered as California Historical Landmark 26.

Picknic Tables by the Beach at San Gregorio State Beach in Half Moon Bay

The area includes a protected, driftwood-strewn estuary at the back of a wide, sandy beach - with grassy bluffs along the coast. The estuary is home to many birds and small animals. California Historical Landmark 26 commemorates the passage of Spanish Explorer Captain Gaspar de Portolá through this area in October 1769.

Considered a self-registered fee area, although there is a kiosk which is staffed during summer months

It is one of the cleanest in the state.

Location of San Gregorio State Beach

The San Gregorio State Beach is located at 37°19'23"N 122°24'7"W. The San Gregorio State Beach address is 20033-20063 Cabrillo Hwy S, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019. The beach is located 10.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Highway 1. San Gregorio State Beach can be contacted at 650-879-2170.

Here is a driving map to San Gregorio State Beach.

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Here is a detailed list of other state beaches of California besides San Gregorio State Beach.