Yay to discovering new places to visit! After lounging around the house and getting some much needed relaxation last week, my family and I hit a point where we needed to get out! Frans jumped online to figure where we should go for a quick jaunt. We also wanted to bring Speckles so the destination had to be dog-friendly. We finally decided to head to Poplar Beach at Half Moon Bay.
Just follow the signs to the paid parking lot ($2/hr or $10/day) or find street parking further down in the residential area. There is also a walking trail on the bluffs above if you decide to take that route. There is a short hike down and, though it’s not overly steep, it does take some steady footing.
Now, we’ve been to Half Moon Bay several times but there are numerous beaches in the area. This particular beach turns out to be the only one actually owned and run by the city of Half Moon Bay itself. I have seen conflicting notes about whether dogs are allowed or not but we saw A LOT of people with their dogs on leash there, many of whom looked like regulars.
Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay, CA
What a fantastic beach! The sandy area is spacious and stretches out a good length. Plus, there’s a very subtle grade to the water so you can play in it without getting too wet (depends how you define “play”). Speckles loved getting her feet wet and we loved not having to bring home a salt water-drenched pup. The beach was pretty clean when we were there. I’m guessing that’s because most had their dogs on a leash and were responsible enough to pick up after them. Either that or any droppings were washed away 😛
My daughter had a blast looking for seashells. There weren’t that many to scavenge but, between those and the holey rocks, she brought home a nice booty (like pirate treasure, not a derriere). I don’t think she’ll ever tired of searching for shells on the beach. She’ll totally be a 90-year-old beachcomber! Oh, families should note there is a portable toilet but no bathrooms. So make sure you bring hand sanitizer 🙂
We only spent a couple of hours walking along the waves and loved every minute of it. The waves were just wild enough to be interesting and the sunset gave everything a gorgeous glow. Tired but refreshed we made the 20 minutes drive home. We’ll definitely be heading back to this beach again!
