Cowell Ranch Beach
Managed by: California State Parks
Location: South of Half Moon Bay off Highway 1
Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset. Please note: due to California state budget cuts, Cowell Ranch Beach is currently closed on weekdays.
Fees: None
Trail Difficulty: Easy 1-mile roundtrip to scenic overlook and back. Brief but strenuous climb up stairs from beach back to overlook.
Things to See and Do: You'd never guess this gem of a coastal landscape exists so near the rush of traffic along Highway 1. A half-mile walk from a small parking lot along a broad trail leads to jaw-dropping vistas of towering cliffs, curving coastline and surging waves. Honey-colored sands beckon from the foot of Cowell Steps connecting the cliff-top overlook to the beach. Tides and winter storms make this cliff face highly erodable, often causing sand slides to close the steep staircase.
This 1,270-acre property was protected from development in 1987 when POST acquired it with generous gifts from donors. Partnering with the California Coastal Conservancy, POST transferred the beach to California State Parks and sold the agricultural portions to local farming families with protective easements in place.
Keep Your Eyes Open For: Coyote brush, dock, wild radish and mustard. Pelicans and, February through May, harbor seals in the restricted beach area immediately to the south.
Directions: From I-280, take Highway 92 west toward Half Moon Bay. Turn left onto Highway 1 and head south for approximately 3 miles. Turn right at the Cowell Ranch Beach sign to reach the parking lot.