Montara Beach, Montara, California, 94019
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: CA Rte 1 in Montara, CA, across from McNee Ranch/Montara Mountain state park area.
Starting Point: Montara State Beach parking lots, CA Rte. 1, across from McNee Ranch/Montara Mountain trail area (also landmark of Ocean View Farms), or further south near 2ndSt., Montara.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Montara State Beach information link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=532
Montara State Beach Driving Directions link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=532
San Mateo Coast State Beaches Brochure link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/532/files/SanMateoCoastBeachesParksWeb2016.pdf
Map link:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir//37.545454,-122.51427/@37.5556806,-122.5728591,12.24z
Other map options: Input “Montara Beach, Pacifica” or “Montara State Beach” in your preferred map or GPS app
Distance:
Montara Beach is an approximately one mile long, fairly wide beach, leaving plenty of options for how long or short you want to make your walk.
Considerations:
• There are two parking lots marked for Montara State Beach on the beach (western) side of the road. CA Rte. 1/Cabrillo Highway is the main traffic artery along the coast, so use caution when entering and exiting the road.
• There were no bathrooms at the north parking lot where we parked, but a port-a-potty appears in street view for the southern parking lot.
• Dogs allowed on leash.
• Hiking trail access is close by from the northern end of Montara Beach. Montara restaurants and shops are accessible from the southern end.
• Always be alert about ocean conditions. Sneaker waves can happen any time, even without surf advisories.
The trail:
Montara Beach is a clean, simple beach on a stretch of CA Rte. 1/Cabrillo Highway between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, in Montara, just north of Moss Beach.
From the north parking lot, the path leading through low beach plant terrain, seasonally painted with the colors of various blooms, is a charming lure through a split between rock formations that open out onto the beach.
We have visited many beaches along the Northern California coast, but Montara Beach has a special magic. The color of the sea is an ever changing mixture of deep blues and aquamarines. A visit there feels like being transported to a beach in the Mediterranean.
It is also a simple, wide beach with plenty of room to walk, run, or sit and have a picnic. There are geological formations to observe along the low cliff structures lining the beach. Sea birds entertain from the shore and the sky.
On our visit, the carcass of a sea lion was lying along a small water inlet leading out to the beach. Nature presents itself in various forms, living and dead. It’s always fascinating to stumble onto something unexpected on one of our outings, whether it be a whale corpse being studied by biologists or a bobcat or coyote totally unfazed by our walking nearby.
A walk on Montara Beach observing the beautiful changing colors of the sea is adventure enough.
(Montara Beach Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Sensory Overload” Insights post.)
(Click the Home page to get the broader background story.
See Insights/Hike Update News for updated reflections and outdoor activity information. Click Hikes and browse the list or check the Quick View Hike List for a summary of hike listings.
To receive hikingautism.com updates, click the HikingAutism Facebook page and click Like and/or Follow.)
(scroll to bottom for photo gallery)
Location: CA Rte 1 in Montara, CA, across from McNee Ranch/Montara Mountain state park area.
Starting Point: Montara State Beach parking lots, CA Rte. 1, across from McNee Ranch/Montara Mountain trail area (also landmark of Ocean View Farms), or further south near 2ndSt., Montara.
Info links:
For all web links, if a link doesn’t jump directly, copy and paste into browser.
Montara State Beach information link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=532
Montara State Beach Driving Directions link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=532
San Mateo Coast State Beaches Brochure link:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/532/files/SanMateoCoastBeachesParksWeb2016.pdf
Map link:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir//37.545454,-122.51427/@37.5556806,-122.5728591,12.24z
Other map options: Input “Montara Beach, Pacifica” or “Montara State Beach” in your preferred map or GPS app
Distance:
Montara Beach is an approximately one mile long, fairly wide beach, leaving plenty of options for how long or short you want to make your walk.
Considerations:
• There are two parking lots marked for Montara State Beach on the beach (western) side of the road. CA Rte. 1/Cabrillo Highway is the main traffic artery along the coast, so use caution when entering and exiting the road.
• There were no bathrooms at the north parking lot where we parked, but a port-a-potty appears in street view for the southern parking lot.
• Dogs allowed on leash.
• Hiking trail access is close by from the northern end of Montara Beach. Montara restaurants and shops are accessible from the southern end.
• Always be alert about ocean conditions. Sneaker waves can happen any time, even without surf advisories.
The trail:
Montara Beach is a clean, simple beach on a stretch of CA Rte. 1/Cabrillo Highway between Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, in Montara, just north of Moss Beach.
From the north parking lot, the path leading through low beach plant terrain, seasonally painted with the colors of various blooms, is a charming lure through a split between rock formations that open out onto the beach.
We have visited many beaches along the Northern California coast, but Montara Beach has a special magic. The color of the sea is an ever changing mixture of deep blues and aquamarines. A visit there feels like being transported to a beach in the Mediterranean.
It is also a simple, wide beach with plenty of room to walk, run, or sit and have a picnic. There are geological formations to observe along the low cliff structures lining the beach. Sea birds entertain from the shore and the sky.
On our visit, the carcass of a sea lion was lying along a small water inlet leading out to the beach. Nature presents itself in various forms, living and dead. It’s always fascinating to stumble onto something unexpected on one of our outings, whether it be a whale corpse being studied by biologists or a bobcat or coyote totally unfazed by our walking nearby.
A walk on Montara Beach observing the beautiful changing colors of the sea is adventure enough.
(Montara Beach Hike Notes were originally paired with the “Sensory Overload” Insights post.)
(Click the Home page to get the broader background story.
See Insights/Hike Update News for updated reflections and outdoor activity information. Click Hikes and browse the list or check the Quick View Hike List for a summary of hike listings.
To receive hikingautism.com updates, click the HikingAutism Facebook page and click Like and/or Follow.)
