Moonlight State Beach

Public beach · Encinitas

Moonlight State Beach

Public beach · Encinitas

west of I-5 on, Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024

Highlights

Sandy beach with a snack bar, playground, volleyball & tennis courts & recreation equipment rentals.

west of I-5 on, Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024 Get directions

parks.ca.gov

@moonlightbeachvb

@travelleisure

"A lively beach in Encinitas known for swimming, surfing, and volleyball." - Travel + Leisure Editors

10 Affordable Road Trip Destinations in the U.S.

View Postcard for Moonlight State Beach

@cntraveler

"This beach will keep you occupied, with facilities and rentals for everything from fishing to volleyball. Parking can be hard to come by, but once you arrive, you'll see that the trouble was well worth it. Of all the San Diego beaches, this feels the most family-oriented. It's not a quick in-and-out destination, but worth it for a beach day with the kids." - Marie Tutko, Archana Ram

The Best Beaches in San Diego

View Postcard for Moonlight State Beach

@travelleisure

"Between the cities of San Diego and Los Angeles is Encinitas, a city that’s home to Moonlight Beach, one of the country’s most accessible stretches of sand. According to Eljas, Moonlight Beach “offers an accessible mat all year around to accommodate wheelchairs and scooters on the sand” and is the only beach in the area that offers “free-floating beach wheelchairs that can navigate the sand and the water.”" - Travel + Leisure Editors

10 Wheelchair Accessible Beaches in the U.S.

View Postcard for Moonlight State Beach

Jill House

Google

Beautiful! We arrived just before sunset on a weeknight. Found street parking. Large play area, restrooms, volleyball nets, plenary of spots to watch the sunset. Waves we’re fun to play in. Great spot! Lots of restaurants nearby as well.

Siddartha Donthula

Google

Amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, not crowded any day of the week with ample parking in a walking distance. Large kids play area, restrooms, and showers along with kayak rental all on site. The waves are usually higher than other San Diego County beaches, so be aware of that.

Valentin Casillas

Google

Our family decided to check out the Moonlight for the first time during 4th of July weekend. This is a really nice place with a lot of activities going on and we found free parking about 100 yards from the beach. No complaints here.

Boon Kiat Goh

Google

Restrooms, water refills, waves for surfing, bbq pits, playgrounds, parking all free. Ticks all the boxes for a chill day beside the beach

Captain James

Google

Simply one of the best beaches in north county San Diego. Family friendly.

Maha Sabah Shakir

Google

Nice clean beach with soft sand. A lot games and benches. Beach was very Crowded on Sunday

Nutreense Broker

Google

Moonlight is a great spot for families and friends. It has picnic areas, a playground, and fire pits. You can swim, surf, or play beach volleyball, and there are lifeguards on duty. It's clean, easy to get to!

L T

Google

Lifeguards on duty. The beaches have been replenished but, as with every busy neighborhood beach, sand space is limited depending on the tide, time of day, and crowd. There are fire puts and a snack bar with various open hours. We love watching the sunset & surfers at Moonlight Beach. Parking is limited. Be mindful of how much you bring as you may have to walk awhile to get to the beach. The slope down to the beach might be steep for some folks. There's firepits, volleyball, BBQs, etc. There's also a snack bar...no idea about the hours, I've never seen it open and a lifeguard station. Be careful of who you buy firewood from as we witnessed a man in the parking lot sawing up pallets... that wood is treated and definitely has toxic fumes. Be wary - the lookout often has sketchy people out and about. But overall, it's a pretty chill place to hang out & watch the sunset with friends & family or just go for people watching. There are handicap accessible parking and beach rolly chairs for disabled. There's also a ramp from the upper parking lot but it is quite steep and would be impossible to go up in a non-electric chair.