Whale, Hello There!

Whale Watching at San Gregorio State Beach on the San Mateo Coast

02.21.2019

Blissfully quiet on early winter mornings, San Gregorio State Beach has a large cave to explore and more than a mile of nice walking—but you’ve gotta watch the winter tides! Even if you don’t stroll the beach here, head just north of the parking for a whale watching vantage. A short walk up the trail on the bluff leads to a large promontory—ideal for spying gray whales making their migration. Bring some easy-sit chairs or a blanket and spend a little time there … it’s much better than a Google hangout! Afterwards, if the tides are okay, check out the cave (north of the beach estuary).

BONUS: After scanning the sea for whales, head to the San Gregorio General Store, just off Highway 1 on the San Mateo coast. Eclectic and charming describes this former stagecoach stop, which offers everything from Levi’s to literary novels to all kinds of different tequilas, and of course, good old-fashioned company from the bar staff. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, warm up next to the fire and enjoy live music.

San Gregorio State Beach is located 10.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay on Hwy. 1. Parking $8. NOTE: Always keep an eye to the ocean, and talk to a ranger if in doubt, or check tide charts. No dogs on the beach. San Gregorio General Store, Hwy. 84 and Stage Rd., San Gregorio; 650-726-0565. San Gregorio is 11 miles south of Half Moon Bay, off Hwy. 84.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View

  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View

  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View

  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View

  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View

  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View

  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View