san gregorio state beach

I love San Gregorio beach for a couple of reasons: 1. It's never too crowded; 2. It's pristine and has some of the most amazing sunsets you'll see in your life; 3. Good, intermediate level surfing.Only downside, $8 to park your car....Also it can get windy and chilli when the sun goes down. Dress with layers and don't bother bringing a gazebo: it will fly away :).

This is a great beach to visit. It's got everything - nice surf (well, be careful with the kids staying close to the water, the water is called and there are rip currents there), a long and wide strip of sand - perfect for a walk or a run, nice cliffs with typical plants and some caves, plenty of driftwood to explore, a river (the water looked clean in December, but in summer it might be not so clean). Depending on the season, you might catch a view of whales in winter, or it might get warm enough to dip into the water in summer. So it's a nice and clean California beach which pretty much got it all.So why it is not perfect? The traffic is usually quite bad on weekends and it might take long time to get in and out. The parking is expensive ($7) and what is worse, it's officially open from 8 am until sunset. Since a lot of people come there to enjoy the majestic views of sunset, if you plan to stay a bit longer, you might rather park your can along the road or in a parking lot on the other side of the highway - that way you don't need to worry about getting a parking ticket or paying fees. The restrooms are really gross. And the beach has no facilities - you need to bring everything with you and take everything out.

This beach has a parking fee, but the view is great. There are some cliffs to the north that make a great view. It is also fun because of the driftwoods forts that other beach goers have made. Looking at the forts are interesting. One word of caution is that there are sand fleas....a LOT of them. No one in my party was bit, but I wanted to warn that they are there. Also, there is a river that you have to cross over to get to the beach. The river has a warning that it is stagnant water, so try to avoid going into it.

San Gregorio State Beach is a popular place to go for having a picnic; there are lots of picnic tables. Its also a family friendly beach.

This beach has a beautiful, rugged feel. The barrier beach that confines San Gregorio Creek in the summer is the most popular area, as it is right down from the parking lot, bathrooms and picnic benches. However, once you've made the trek down to the beach, you have ample opportunity to spread out along the coastline in both north and south directions beneath the bluffs with fascinating angled strata. The constant and dramatic breakers make for a thrilling (if brisk) dip, but not great for swimming or kids. Nevertheless, the beach itself and the wide wet zone of the waves do make for a great place for kids to play. We went during the extended drought, and there was signage indicating that the creek mouth itself was unsafe to swim in due to contamination. This was fairly obvious, given the thick mats of algae in the stagnant water. Even though it was a beautiful, hot day, there were relatively few people using the area, likely because it was a weekday. I imagine that on a weekend the place would be a madhouse and the parking lot would be overflowing. The parks employee in the ticket booth was less than friendly, and the bathrooms needed a bit of maintenance. Overall, a great place to spend a warm day.

From the hill overlooking the San Gregorio, when you look down to the beach...you see sand, surf and...a river flowing down to the ocean. If it looks enchanting from the hill-top, wait till u go down and cross that little river to get to the main beach. It is an awesome feeling stepping into the rushing water. The beach itself is family-friendly and usually not very crowded. Stroll along the side of the ocean towards the cliff and you come across some sandy caves hollowed out by the ocean. Or you could choose to dig your feet into the wet sand and let the foamy waters surround you....close your eyes and feel the wind and surf transport you to another world! One visit to this place is not enough...in the 3-4 times we visited the place, the river shifted every time and each time, the beach looked different and beautiful.

This beach gets really crowded on nice days. Easy access to the surf and a long open area makes it a good location for family outings on weekends and during the summer.

not windy, there's a little river that drains into the ocean where the kids played the entire time, plus a cool cave to explore. Great family afternoon.

A great beach day can be had. Between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz Ca.. A climb down to the beach, then relax with the sounds of the ocean.

The beach is good for kids to play on the sand, but remember the ocean is very dangerous and unpredictable., Be sure to go to the General Store a short distance away on the main street going to San Gregorio from across the hill Hwy 84.,

This beach is not for the tanners but for the people who want a serene walk and want to really get away from the cement city. Love this beach!!!

Great area to relax, do some birdwatching and head up to the bluffs for great views. Plenty of parking. Picnic area close to parking lot with tables.The day fee charged by State Parks is valid in all their parks along the coast until closing, so great value for money.

San Gregorio State Beach is a well-maintained state park just south of the intersection of Hwy 1 (the Cabrillo Highway) and CA route 84 (aka La Honda Road where it leaves the Bay Area).The drive takes you from California's scenic coastal hills through the fog and redwood belt and then out to the coast to this lovely beach framed by tall bluffs. There is no camping or having campfires on the beach, but there is a grassy picnic area with tables and the ability to barbeque up on the bluff by the parking. The beach access does require some hiking.Be aware that the temperature at the coast may be 20 or more degrees less than in the South Bay during the summer months and that the ocean can have riptides at this location.Parking is $8 per car and the booth may be unattended, so bring exact change.

This beach is a favorite spot of my grandchildren. An incredibly beautiful spot...BUT parking is $8 which we don't mind spending IF the attendant is in the box and the bathrooms are clean. The bathrooms are disgusting and the attendant is not present. Therefore, we do not pay the $8. If San Mateo County wants our money, they will staff and attendant and clean the bathrooms...otherwise, the beach is awesome. The 5 stars is for the beach only.

This is a nice hidden beach worth checking out with it's sea walls and caves. You just have to watch out for the tricky hillside pathway up to the shore.