San Carpoforo Creek Beach
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About San Carpoforo Creek Beach in San Simeon, California
The San Carpoforo Creek Beach Access is the northernmost portion of the state-owned properties in Hearst San Simeon State Park. A portion of this beach is also in Los Padres National Forest and it’s signed that way at the trailhead.
This is a wide beach that doesn’t get a lot of visitors so it has a wild and remote feel. The surface is a mix of sand and rocks and has a lot of driftwood scattered around. Looking back from the beach you can see that the valley is surrounded by the typical hills of the Big Sur coast.
The creek pools up behind the beach, sometimes breaching the sand and connecting to the ocean. During the wet times of the year the creek or the pool is deep enough that you’ll have to walk out to the end of it if you want to reach the ocean waves.
This is a great beach to explore when the tide isn’t high. On the other side of a large rock at the south end of this beach there’s another hidden beach called Ragged Point Beach.
Camping is allowed on the beach, but overuse has led to a restriction on camping recently. This was done because of trash and human waste accumulating. Day-use is still allowed but visitors should keep their eyes open for snowy plover nests in the dunes and not bring dogs to the beach. Hopefully camping will be allowed again in 2026.
On the north side of the Highway 1 bridge over San Carpoforo Creek there is a small pull-out parking area with a fence and a gate. This is the San Carpoforo Creek Trailhead and it’s about eight miles north of Piedras Blancas Light Station and across from a house at the address 18550 Cabrillo Hwy, San Simeon, CA (use that address to map to). Beyond this gate is a trail that leads down to San Carpoforo Creek and eventually the beach.
About 1.5 miles north along the highway you’ll find Ragged Point Inn and Resort which has lodging, a restaurant, and gift shop. It’s a perfect place to stop at along this southern end of the Big Sur Highway.
- Address
- 18550 Cabrillo Hwy
San Simeon, CA 93452 - Phone
- 805-772-6101
- Park Name
- Hearst San Simeon State Park, Los Padres National Forest, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- Other Names
- San Carpoforo Valley
- Owner
- State Park
- Pet Details
- No dogs allowed on the beach
- Fees
- Free parking along the shoulder of Highway 1
- Activities
- Surfing, Beachcombing, Fishing, Beach Exploration, Beach Camping
- Amenities
- Stream, Driftwood, Dunes, Sea Stacks, No Facilities
Nearby Beaches
Ragged Point Beach
0.3 miles away
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Young Creek Beach at Ragged Point Inn
1 miles away
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Point Sierra Nevada Dunes Beach
3 miles away
Point Sierra Nevada sticks out into the Pacific Ocean north of San Simeon and Point Piedras Blancas. North of...
Nearby Attractions
Salmon Creek Falls
3.4 miles away
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Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument
9 miles away
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Nearby Lodging
Ragged Point Inn
1 miles away
Ragged Point is located on the Big Sur Coast 15 miles north of San Simeon’s Hearst Castle and midway...
Gorda Springs Resort
8.9 miles away
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