Shelter Cove Beach
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About Shelter Cove Beach in Pacifica, California
Shelter Cove in Pacifica, California is a small private community near San Francisco. West-facing Shelter Cove Beach is below the community where residents rent seventeen houses from the landowner. The roadway at the end of Shelter Cove Road washed out many years ago so residents have to hike down a long stairway from the community above the cove. Parking is difficult near the top of the stair (only 3 spaces) so most residents use public transit to get around.
Shelter Cove has a long history of public use dating back to the early 1900’s and even had a restaurant at one point. The main trail into the cove starts at the intersection of Kent Road and Blackburn Terrace (near address 151 Blackburn Terrace, Pacifica, CA 94044). Signs there strongly discourage access to the beach by threatening fines and arrest, but this is the only access to the beach which is public below the mean high tide level (all of the sandy part of the beach). In 2008 a public beach access prescriptive easement complaint was filed with the California Coastal Commission.
If you manage to get down to Shelter Cove it is possible to walk on the rocky shoreline all the way to San Pedro Rock which is visible to the south from the beach (best at low tide and during calm surf). Above the rock is Pedro Point Headlands which have hiking trails to stunning vistas including a view down into Shelter Cove.
- Address
- 151 Blackburn Terrace
Pacifica, CA 94044 - Owner
- Private
- Pet Details
- No dogs allowed on the beach
- Fees
- Limited free parking
- Activities
- Beach Exploration
- Amenities
- No Facilities
53°F
Nearby Attractions
Pedro Point Headlands Trails
0.8 miles away
Pedro Point Headlands Park is on a high point above the city of Pacifica, Shelter Cove Beach, and San Pedro...
Nearby Lodging
Pacifica Beach Hotel
0.7 miles away
The intimate Pacifica Beach Hotel is just steps from the sand and shore, with around 50 guestrooms ideal for...
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Pacifica
1.1 miles away
The Holiday Inn at Rockaway Beach in Pacifica is one of the hidden gems between San Francisco and Santa...
Related Maps
Reviews
We were there last weekend and sat down on the smelly beach for 5 minutes. Watched a crow eat another dead crow on the beach. The beach smelled terrible. Tried walking out where the road used to exist but the landslide made it too risky to WALK on the trail. We doubled back to the DO NOT TRESPASS stairs and left. Trust me folks there is nothing exciting about this area. I bet it was something great about 50 years ago.
As another commenter noted, this is a PUBLIC beach. The property owner Arno Rohloff has a history of harassing visitors to this PUBLIC beach in an attempt to scare people away, but it is a beautiful cove that. The description on this website is misleading – the beach is not only for the residents of Shelter Cove. The beach is not private.
This is a beautiful PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE beach. There is no such thing as a private beach in California.