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Pomponio State Beach, Half Moon Bay, CA

Photo: Jason Jenkins, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & Outdoors

Pomponio State Beach

Windswept San Mateo coast beach with sandy flats, tall bluffs, a small lagoon and a creek.

Half Moon Bay, CA

About Pomponio State Beach

Pomponio State Beach sits on the San Mateo coast about twelve miles south of Half Moon Bay. Visitors find wide, gently sloping sand beneath high sandstone cliffs, a small lagoon, and energetic surf. The park offers picnic tables, pit toilets, and areas for fishing, surfing, windsurfing, and watching wildlife. Dogs are not permitted on the beach, fires are banned, and camping is not offered here. Ocean water stays cold all year, and strong rip currents are a real hazard, so caution is advised.

  • #beach
  • #coastal
  • #bluffs
  • #lagoon
  • #surfing

What's around here?

The closest stops to Pomponio State Beach, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Pescadero State Beach

    Under $25

    Coastal state beach in San Mateo County with tide pools, rocky cliffs, and access to a nearby wetland preserve.

    2.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors

    San Gregorio State Beach

    Under $25

    A sandy state beach south of Half Moon Bay with bluffs, a creek, and a protected estuary for birds and wildlife.

    2.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing

    Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park

    No admission fee

    A California state historic park centered on a 115-foot lighthouse that has operated since 1872 on the central coast.

    7.6 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Butano State Park

    Under $25

    A redwood canyon park in San Mateo County with hiking trails, campsites, and ocean views, recovering from a 2020 wildfire.

    7.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing

    James Johnston House

    No admission fee

    An 1853 pioneer-era residence in Half Moon Bay, California, where costumed guides share the house's history and the family who lived there.

    11 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

    Half Moon Bay

    No admission fee

    Visitor guide for Half Moon Bay and the San Mateo County coastside, from downtown shops to coastal trails.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

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