Dunes Beach - Half Moon Bay State Beach

Nice beach, but bring your own cleanup gear We visited Dunes Beach recently and it’s a solid spot for a family outing. The views are great and there is plenty of space for kids and adults of all ages to hang out without feeling crowded. Parking is $9.99, which is standard for the area. However, the one thing missing was a place to rinse off. We couldn't find any showers or foot wash stations near the beach area. If you have kids playing in the sand (which they will), it’s a bit of a struggle to get clean before hopping back in the car. Tip: I’d recommend bringing a few gallons of water or a portable rinse kit if you plan on letting the kids loose in the sand. Good experience overall, just come prepared for the cleanup!

Best place to fishing, good place to go for walk at beach or in the trail, good place to view sunset, clean restrooms.

Beautiful as always… water wasn’t too cold as it usually is around this area.

Beach is narrow and the water comes up close, parking is plenty for $10 but we barely found a spot over the long weekend. A bit steep to get down to the beach. 6 restrooms, but we couldn't find a shower or something to wash down our feet before getting back in the car.

Love that California has so many state beaches.

Great place for great food.

Nice and colorful place

Summer summer summertime! Give me a beach and sun and water and am a happy wife ! Love love love !!! Thank me later !!

I haven't been to a California beach in so long and I forgot how cold it gets even during the summer! Came on a weekend and you definitely have to wear a parka here. There's a $10 honorary charge for parking your car where you deposit $10 in cash by the bathrooms although the print is so small I'm pretty half the people there didn't notice at all. Dunes Beach also connects to the rest of the Half Moon Bay Beaches including Venice Beach. Here are some of my observations and things that I liked: - I appreciate that there is both a beach area but also this small park area where people can just watch the views without getting sand on themselves. - As you walk further south along the beach, there becomes a split between the areas vertically along the beach. I'm not sure what the technical name is but there's a running water strait between the sand area which is then kind of hard to continue to walk down the beach as you have to cross the water strait. - The wind is crazy and it is COLD, wear a parka - yes, even when it's July. Okay maybe that's too much but at least bring the option of a parka in case you get cold. Overall, great beach. It does get busy on the weekend though but if you decide to cross the strait, which not many people do, you get to a have a semblance of a private beach.

This beach is always a fun go to for me and my family! It is huge and is so long! It is well kept, no matter where you walk you are surrounded by the California coast and the beauty that Half Moon Bay is known for! Highly recommend!

We came to Dunes Beach from the Roosevelt Beach walking path, after entering and foot at the North end of Roosevelt Beach. The path is paved and a better option than walking on the sand if you have any mobility issues. It was a 15 or 20 minute walk. Entering Dunes Beach this way is free - no $10 fee! Ironically, there are not a lot of dunes in Dunes Beach! A sandy hiking path winds along the tops of the hard sand cliff top above the beach (low cliffs, nothing dramatic). I believe the path goes for a ways, but we didn't take it too far. Entering the beach can be difficult. There's a steep, rutted, uneven narrow path that leads to the beach from the parking lot. The young and old may need assistance, or like us opt to enjoy the view overlooking the beach from the hiking trail. There are bathrooms here but no benches overlooking the ocean. One or two benches are behind the parking lot with no view of the beach! Roosevelt Beach is much more accessible; use the additional parking entrance to the right of the ranger station to get to Roosevelt Beach.

Often foggy and cool early morning, you also get way less crowds at Dunes in Half Moon Bay. Our kids love the ocean and running away from the waves and throwing sands and rocks into the water. We recently taught them how to look for mutant looking sand-crabs by watching for bubbles in the wash and digging them up. Pretty fun to watch them swim in the bucket. I love the bluffs and coastal trails right next to the water, it's not how people imagine beaches and always has a surreal quality in the fog. Redondo beach is even more extreme with water running from land into the ocean and people on horseback. From the parking lot its not an easy descent down to the beach with a slippery small cliff and sandstone without any grips. Possible for small children and older people but not as easy as just walking onto the beach like other places.

$10 to get in. Ok I get it ...state beach $10 to get in. But once you get in ...bathrooms were disgusting. All trash bins were either ripped out or full. What exactly is the $10 per car for ? The guy sitting in the booths salary and pension? The beach was fine

Beautiful place, restrooms are available, beautiful walking trails that connect you to other beaches along HMB!

Finally made it to Half Moon Bay!!! I stopped By Dunes Beach early morning to enjoy a few hours out of Sacramento. There's nothing more than burrowing my feet in the sand, listening to ocean waves, and stare at the gorgeous views!! Even better to feel the cold water on my toes as the water moves into shore. Dunes Beach is off Cabrillo Highway (Highway 1), off Young Ave. Named after their huge (yes, you guessed it) sand dunes! Parking was plentiful, when I arrived around 9am. Still was when I left after 12pm. Parking is $10, and it's cash only. Pay by putting your fee in a brown envelope, by the bathrooms. Then, the attached stub, goes on your car's dash (Seriously??? LOL) The waves are so cute and beautiful to look at. It's a great,simple beach to enjoy a nice walk, have a picnic on the sand, (or at the benches above the beach). Even, as more people showed up to Dunes Beach, it never got crowded. Which was really nice! I look forward to coming to Dunes Beach again in the future!

We ended up at Dunes since our normal preferred spot (Venice beach) said there was no beach access. We paid our $10 to park and found a spot. This lot is nice that it streches down the beach so if you get spot that faces the water, you might not ever have to get out of your car if you're just there for the view! There are bathrooms in the parking lot as well if needed. We were there for the beach though and I was a bit disappointed to see that there was no formal beach access, just scrambling down some rocks/dirt to get to the beach, easy enough for adults but a little bit of a challenge with little kids and if you're carrying stuff. Once on the beach, we found the actual beach (sandy area from water to the cliff) to be pretty short/narrow compared to Venice. Overall a decent beach but we prefer Venice.

Great spot to catch sunset for us. From the parking spot down, it was a pretty close walk and small climb down the rocks path to get down to the beach. Even if you don't want to go down to the beach, you can catch the sunset from the car in the parking lot.

Ironically amid covid, really enjoyed the isolation from other people on the beach, hardly anyone here on a weds afternoon. Blissful strokes of the waves and open scenery makes this a great spot.

Beautiful, sandy beach in Half Moon Bay. There's a ten dollar entry fee but well worth it. Parking lot at the end also has restrooms. It's a short walk down to the beach and there's even a bench overlooking the bluff area. When we went there were fewer people there compared to other nearby beaches. Would love to come back again.

Stayed here the whole afternoon. Kids love to run around and do some physical activities. The beach was almost empty today due to holiday and as always super clean.

Such a quiet beach to watch the sunset. Great Picnic locations along the beach. Limited parking, restrooms are just a stoll away. A nice view of the Mavericks with a good pair of binoculars. This is my go to to get away.

When it's too cold to go out on the beach with a beach chair, the parking lot spaces face the ocean and still provide you with a good ocean view.

Great beach. Most of it is clean, but there is a $Hitwater stream in the middle that stretches for about a quarter mile or so. Disgusting and stinky as hell. Who made the stream? why is it there?? yuck!! Aside from that, the sand is nice to walk on and there is plenty of non disgusting beach to see. Be ready to pay $10 for parking!

We absolutely love this beach, its so clean and awesome. There was a volunteer event going on during our visit and it was so nice to see the community pitch in and help, loved it!! Our favorite beach!!

A beautiful weekend morning in Novemver. Come early, enjoy the beach, waves, sun. They are all yours!

Gorgeous views and a short walk to the beach area. The restrooms are accessible and clean, for the most part. There is no soap. The drive down Young is quiet and peaceful. It is typically not overcrowded, my guess is because it's not free. It'll cost you $10 to park. This outweighs the lengthy walk or hike to the beach areas, for those who have trouble with physical limitations. You can see for miles, from the cliffs. The Ice Plant and other flowers give color and life to this quaint, hidden gem.

Highly recommend. We came here on a Sunday. There's plenty of parking. Access to the beach is right off the parking lot (to the left of the lot). It's an inclined down but our kids (7 and 5) made it down without assistance. Bathrooms were clean except one didn't flush. Sand was soft and not very big waves today.

Gorgeous beach. Plenty of picnic tables near the sand if youre just looking for a quick bite to eat with a view. $10 parking, worth it.

Best local beach in my book.. Aside from the hefty $10 parking fee, the beach is super clean (bathrooms too) and well maintained. Came here about a month back to do a beach restoration project with the fam (re-planting native plants and removing non-native plants), and decided to come back to take a walk on the beach with my wife this time around. The beach doesn't seem to ever get crowded (probably due to the fees), but it is well worth the price. In addition to the beach itself, there is a nice little paved bike/running trail running parallel to the beach. Lots of local eateries close by as well (ie., Sam's Chowder House!)... Became a member of the California State Parks Organization because of this spot! Will definitely be frequenting this spot during Summer.

Great local beach, good spot to get away and relax! I actually got to see a whale show off here today too! Perfect for surfing, boogie boarding, building sand castles and swimming, just be careful though waves can get rough! You do have to pay $10 to park but totally worth it. Parking pass is good for all state beaches (for that day) so if your on a road trip along Highway 1 would definitely recommend buying.

Dunes Beach has a pay lot that's not too badly priced AND there are an adequate number of spots in it. The lot even has clean bathrooms. There's a slightly steep dirt path at the southern end of the parking lot that will take you down to the beach. The sand on the actual beach is white; some of it's soft, and some of the sand is rough. If you keep heading south once you reach the beach, you'll come to a small lagoon that's contiguous with Venice Beach. Opposite the lagoon is a staircase that leads upward. Climb the stairs and they'll take you to a trail that leads to the Venice Beach parking lot.

Nice beach. Not a lot of people come here which i liked. However not a lot of distance from the sand to the shore so you'll be sitting really close to the water. The water is super cold but we still got in. Just make sure to be careful because the waves are strong.

This is one of the more beachy like state beaches on the California coast. It's sand and water. Plenty of room to set up an umbrella and spend the day. Not a lot of coastal geology. Convenient parking and public bathrooms.

It was a short walk from the parking lot to the beach. The beach was clean and beautiful. It wasn't crowded so we were able to enjoy the peaceful sounds of the ocean. Found some small shells and sea glass. Overall i had a great time would definitely come back.

One of my favorite beaches.. we saw dolphins again today.. very clean. My kids love the sand, water and rocks

Dunes Beach is one of the beaches located at Half Moon Bay. The beach is easily accessible and they only charge $10 for parking. People seemed to be enjoying themselves whether they were surfing, playing volleyball, grilling out or just relaxing on the cool California coastline!

Wouldn't give one star lady at booth was extremely rude total waste of money for parking also state park shouldn't charge fee for parking

It's a decent beach, and does have really nice clean bathroom facilities so no problem with that, and I am even OK with during the spring and summer months that they enforce the 6.00 parking fee if it means we can have clean beaches and rangers coming through every now and then. In the fall and winter every year this beach fee is not required unless its some major holiday with a three day weekend, but like I said it's rare. If you do like this beach and prefer to go alot you will want to consider getting a season pass for all of the local beaches that charge entrance fees, it get's cheaper that way. I've had some incidents from locals here who went and painted (note: he didn't use spray paint, he used that shitty cheap color latex shit from the bottle that high schooler's typically "paint" onto their car for some homecoming dance or something...) my brother's car here with "locals only." My friend walked in on him doing this after snapping his leash down at the beach. My friend: Hey dude, wtf are you doing?! Shit for brain teen: Bunch of kooks stay outta our beach. Locals only. My friend: Dude that guys car you just sprayed, lives in this city about a mile away from here. Shit for brain teen: Well f_ck how the hell was I supposed to know he's from here. I didn't recognize his car... The conversation escalated from here when the rest of us came up to see what was taking my friend so long, and I see little point into going into anymore detail on this incident. Any case adolescent teens aside, the surf here can be really good on a SW swell day, and can produce some killer long rides with a workable shoulder at the northern section of this beach BUT, it is very prone to close out conditions if you even get a breath of wind, this place due to the cliff or something can be turned into a wind tunnel. This place can have a decent rip as well so be prepared to keep up with paddling to keep yourself in position otherwise you'll miss a nice set and if you drift to far you might have a long walk back to your car. Generally, I like to stop by and check it out, if it's surfable it's great, although most times it's not. It's nice and quiet and often I'm able to get a nice session to myself as most people who surf here pretty much keep to themselves as the ratio of space between your neighbor is quite good. So here we do have a nice white sands beach, clean facilities, some minor localism (which isn't a big deal, I've seen worse.) Can get big and just close out, but still fun place to just park the car and watch the sunset after a crappy day at work.

This beach is probably the best that you'll get along half moon bay. It's actually part of a huge cove of beaches that you can see from on top of a cliff, so don't bother with the 10 dollar parking. Park somewhere else for free and walk. However, if you are dying to use the bathroom and are looking for something protected, go ahead. The beach is very nice, with the sand still surprisingly silky smooth beneath your feet. The only problem is that there's a number of scattered dried seaweed everywhere, so depending on where you are there's flies buzzing around. There are also flocks and flocks of seagulls perching from the nearby rocks, and they often make a poopie run every once in a while. Pick a good spot and you can stay for hours, but be careful, it get's quite chilly fast!

Fantastic local beach with very few people ever on it. The beach tends to have a steep slope towards the water so I don't recommend for children.

First time coming to this beach. Parking was 10 bucks like most beaches in Half Moon Bay (so it says online). We came pretty early around 11am on a Saturday and there were other people already at the beach. When we were leaving the parking lot was filled! There are some public restrooms, the one i went to was clean, however the toilet water was yellow. After you park, you have to walk down a path to get to the beach and while walking down the path it smelled funny. The path is a little steep but it isnt long. The beach itself looked clean, however it had many.. MANY dead birds all over the beach. After finding a spot where there were no dead birds, it was really relaxing.

Out of the several beaches close to my house, this one is my favorite so far. Beautiful soft sand, a cool backdrop formed by the sand dunes, and most of all - fewer people. A nice serene spot to come enjoy the shoreline. Accessible by the bike path too!

Very nice beach. Clean, plenty of parking and remote enough not to be a huge tourist destination. The bathrooms are disgusting (good thing I had sanitizer in my bag) and there is no hand soap available. It was a bit cold, I wore a sweater the whole time, with fog that comes and goes throughout the day. There was even a paved trail so you can run, walk, bike or whatever along the coastline :)

One of my favorite beaches on the coast. There is paved walking and biking path that's surrounded by seasonal wildflowers. The walkway goes by a great with great views of the beach. The parking lot is rarely crowded and there are modern restrooms. I think the beach is not used too much because you have to look carefully for narrow road from Hwy 1 that goes to it.

Half Moon Bay was full so we traveled down the highway to check out one of the three other area beaches. Just as pretty and not as crowded. Plus, Roosevelt and Dunes are side by side with ONE entrance fee.

What a nice way to end a weekend in Half Moon Bay. We hadn't spent much time on the beach and I was bound and determined to do so before returning to reality. The traffic was heavy and everywhere we went seemed to loom a mass of humanity. We asked as we entered which beach would be the least crowded and then followed that road. We found a nook in the rocky crags and laid a nice big blanket down for a well deserved nap. What a wonderful peaceful time. The wind was coming up but the day was clear of fog and the sun warm. Snoozing, gazing, listening to the surf and the laughter of the little family introducing their little girl to the sandy texture of the beach; she, crying and raising her hands to get off the gritty grainy land. Once her mom got her closer to the water and she could fell the wet firm sand, she changed her mind and began to enjoy running from the water following her dad in the chase. It was a perfect ending to a very perfect weekend.

Gem of a beach tucked along Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay. Access is off a paved road that can be easy to miss so you have to watch for the signs. There is a gate that stays locked until 8am, there's a $10 fee (standard CA Parks Fee) that can be paid either at the kiosk or self-paid at a box by the bathrooms. Large parking lot with large clean unisex bathrooms. Beach access is a little tricky in that there's a cliff along the entire parking lot except for an outlet by the handicapped parking spots. Walk to the beach is very short which is a big plus. Beach itself doesn't have a lot of distance between the cliff and the water and the cliff provides some early afternoon shade. Sand is very soft/spongy in parts and the beach itself is clean with little debris/rocks/kelp, and not a lot of floating kelp in the water compared to some other beaches in the area. Swim with extreme caution as the waves crash down hard with the angle of the beach/troughs and can take you off your feet very easily and there seems to be strong crosscurrents/riptides in some parts; no lifeguard on duty. You get some morning walkers/joggers but otherwise it's a very calm and clean beach.

Great local beach. Bathrooms, good sand and parking lot ($10). Beach access is down a relatively steep ramp but my 2 and 4 year old manage it ok while holding my hand. This time of year you can see whales spouting and sea lions swimming in the surf. Not too many tourists since it's off the beaten path and I hope it stays this way!

Nice state beach to visit. $6.00 parking fee and enough parking spaces in the lot. It was very windy when I went. Clean bathrooms in the lot, but no paper towels available. At the south end of the lot, there is a mildy steep dirt trail that leads down to the beach. White sand, some of it is rough, some of it is soft. If you continue walking South, you will come across a little lagoon that is actually adjacent to Venice Beach. Across from the lagoon is a staircase that leads up to a trail that goes to one end of Venice Beach's parking lot.

Nice place to park and look out at the sun setting in the distance. Paths lead to the sand from parking lot.

I always come to half moon bay to escape the heat in the San Jose area. I like this beach because there's not a whole lot of people like Santa Cruz. You do have to pay ~10 for parking unless you park way out in the main road and walk. Bathrooms are usually ok

We went here today. What a beautiful beach. There was hardly anyone around. We saw two giant crabs wash ashore. Sadly, the seagulls demolished them both. Poor crabs...The sand is soft and clean. Only use the bathroom if you cannot hold it. They are unisex and FILTHY!

Awesome beach. Big, soft sand, and most important...CLEAN! It didn't even bother me that my 10 month old ate most of the sand.

Nice clean beach, and if your lucky you will see some dolphins like we did! And don't forget to pay your ten dollar parking fee!!!!

Water was a bit rough and the sand was really rocky. I've got cuts on my legs from the rocks being banged up against them from the waves. Not a great place if you wants your kids to be able to go in. It was also PACKED, but that was probably due to the fact that it is Labor Day and like 100+ degrees out anywhere thats not the beach.