Half Moon Bay State Beach and Poplar Beach

Half Moon Bay State Beach is a series of four beaches (1. Roosevelt, 2. Dunes, 3. Venice, and 4. Francis) that have been collected into one state park that stretches about four miles along the shore in the town of Half Moon Bay. The Coastside Trail connects all the beaches and even extends beyond the borders of the park as far north as Pillar Point and as far south as Poplar and Redondo Beaches. The trail is easy and flat. It sometimes follows right along the cliffs and sometimes pulls further inland, but it is often even paved to be accessible for all people. There is a campground too, if you would like to trying camping right along the beach!

For the hike below, I started at Poplar Beach and then hiked south along the Coastside Trail towards Redondo Beach. Technically, Poplar Beach is not part of the state park, but it has a similar feel to it. I mistakenly used my state park pass in the parking lot, and I was lucky not to get a ticket. This is a park operated by the City of Half Moon Bay and the County of San Mateo. They charge $2 per hour at an automatic kiosk.