Montara State Beach

Montara State Beach is a wide mile-long beach just north of Montara along the San Mateo County Coast. Behind the beach there are stunning sculpted sandstone cliffs making this a very photogenic spot.

The beach has two access points on Highway 1. One is at 2nd Street next to the old La Costanera Restaurant (8150 Cabrillo Hwy) in Montara and one is a half-mile north. The northern parking lot has a wide trail and a steep stair that drops down to Martini Creek where it crosses Montara Beach. The southern parking lot requires a walk to the beach side of the restaurant to reach a safe stairway access point.

Nearby McNee Ranch is state park land within Montara State Beach that has hiking trails that lead up to Montara Mountain. There are also trails that traverse the hillside above the highway all the way to Gray Whale Cove State Beach. You’ll find the hiking trailhead on the inland side of Hwy 1 just north of the northern Montara State Beach parking lot.

The Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel is south of here for a unique place to stay if you plan ahead.

Address

2nd St and Cabrillo Hwy
Montara, CA 94037

Park Name

Montara State Beach, McNee Ranch State Park

Owner

State Park

Pet Details

Dogs allowed on leash

Fees

No fee for parking

Activities

Fishing, Tidepooling, Hiking, Beachcombing, Surfing, Beach Walking

Amenities

Tide Pools, Trails

Links

Water Quality
Tide Chart
Surfing Info & Web Cams
Water Temps
Topo Map of Montara Mountain Ridge