Half Moon Bay State Beach

You can't imagine the scenes! amazing

We LOVED Half Moon Bay State Beach during the week. Like any state park, on weekends every spot is taken and it's a bit of a mad house, but during the week it's beautiful and peaceful (as long as people aren't running their generators).

Currently there aren't any hookups, but when we camped there last month the ranger mentioned that they were going to be putting power in sometime within the next year. I can't imagine how much more it's going to cost to camp there. Currently ocean front dry camping is $50/night and all other spots are $35.

The bike trail is awesome, it spans 3 miles and 4 beaches.

4 stars only because of the steep price for dry camping.

Wow, just wow! Francis Beach has everything you might want in a campground: Incredible views, scenic bike trails, long wide sandy beaches, electricity, and all while still being close to town! You'll of course want to plan ahead and book an oceanfront campsite 6 months in advance, but we got lucky and someone cancelled last minute and we were able to book a 6 day consecutive stay in an oceanfront spot!

Most of the sites have been updated to include electrical hookups, so you won't hear generators unless you're at the back of the park towards the access road which have a few sites without hookups. Steady 30A power with no issues.

Be sure to find one of the spur trails along the main bluffs trail south of the campground with a gorgeous alley of old oak trees! The whole coastal trail is fantastic to bike up and down the coast!

This is our 7th California beach state park we have visited this month and one of our favorites! (We have camped at South Carlsbad, Crystal Cove, Point Mugu, Carpinteria, Morro Bay Strand, and New Brighton State Beach.) Other than Point Mugu, it has one of the most accessible beaches.

We also feel there was better spacing between sites compared to many other of the state parks. This is not just a parking lot, there is a small green space between most sites. We had electric at out site and a water spigot in between us and the next site. Trash and recycle bins were nearby.

The bathrooms were not 5 star, but being Spring Break and Easter weekend, it is busy and we'd imagine keeping up with cleaning would be challenging. However, the water pressure in the showers were the best of any CA state park we've experienced! Showers use quarters (50 cents for 2 minutes).

The beach is amazing! Beautiful sunsets!

One big surprise here (and a couple other of the CA state parks) was the Wifi...it is enough to work from and even stream a movie!!

Park WiFi and Cell Reception:

Park WiFi - 11.5 Mb down 4.5 Mb up (averaged)

AT&T - three bars 4G LTE 10 Mb down 10 Mb up

Sprint - three bars of 4G LTE 5.7 Mb down 4.2 Mb up

Verizon - three bars of 4G LTE 12.2 Mb down 4 Mb up

We were incredibly lucky to get a last minute cancellation in one of the best (if not THE best) sites at Francis Beach. This back-in site gave us a panoramic view of Half Moon Bay, the pounding surf, and the changing weather - a perfect setting. Despite April's cool breezy conditions (and quite a storm) the park was full, but quiet. Sites are well spaced, with grass or shrubbery separating the asphalt pads. Sites have electric hookup only, but water and a dump station are available. We heard no noisy generators, no traffic roar from Hwy 1 (it's a mile away) - just the gentle sound of the ocean.

The 5-mile long Half Moon Bay coastal walking/bike trail runs through the park, and of course there are miles of sandy beaches to enjoy - the sunsets are spectacular. Should you need connectivity there is (unsecured) wi-fi provided by the park and adequate cell coverage. In town we slaked our thirst at the Sacrilege Brewery and Kitchen on Main Street, but mostly we ate at our ocean view Airstream table and watched the waves.

Here's to the good life!

HMB is definitely one of our favorites in Northern California. Beautiful views of the beach and stunning sunsets make it one of our go to spots. The sites have plenty of space but the first row takes the cake! HMB’s charming downtown area is about a mile walk for those wanting to lunch or a stroll. Our young kids like to ask before visiting a campground if there is a pool or playground. For this one I always answer, yes. The biggest ones you can find...the beach and the ocean. It’s always followed by a cheerful yay!

We did not have reservations and crossed our fingers hoping to snag a spot here as everyone online was booked. Luckily, we got a spot. Staff were friendly, beach was clean, sites were roomy. Only negative thing I can say about this beach is that you have to pay to shower. $2 got you 8 minutes and they only accept quarters.

Clean campground next to Francis Beach. Plenty of space. Easy access. Short drive to downtown and many of the areas attractions. tMobile signal was great. They have electric only spots with a dump station onsite and a place to fill with fresh water. As an FYI, you have to swipe a credit card to use the dump station. I think it was $10 to use it. Great place that we will likely come back to if we are lucky enough to find a spot. This is a popular campsite, so good luck getting a spot.

Just a stone’s throw from the community of Half Moon Bay, this is a terrific oceanfront state campground, with a mix of dry and electric hook-up sites. Sites in the middle of the loop lack privacy yet are spacious enough to spread out. Recommend the northern part of the campground, farther away from the busy day use area. We were there midweek in November and the campground was full yet quiet. I would expect a much busier and lively vibe in summer. The coastal bike trail connects the campground to both the north and south for several miles. The campground was very quiet at night, except for the pounding surf!

Awesome campground right by the beach in beautiful Half Moon Bay. Enjoy the sound of the ocean waves all night long. Sites are spacious, level and have picnic tables. Electric hook up is available but no water or sewer. They have a dump station for $10. Bathrooms have toilets on one side, coin operated showers on the opposite side of the buildings. One of THE Best campground to enjoy the sunsets by far.

There is also a cool bikepath that you can take up or down the coast. Walk into town and enjoy some nice restaurants as well.