Martin's Beach - 4 Things to Know Before Visiting

San Gregorio State Beach is a stunning beach in a valley about 10 miles south of Half Moon Bay and a short drive from Silicon Valley in the South Bay.Park facilities include restrooms and picnic tables. Dogs are not permitted on the beach, as it has been identified as an itinerant nesting habitat for the locally underpopulated western snowy plover. North of the main beach is a nude beach on private property.

San Gregorio state beach is one of the better scenic beaches on highway one a few miles south of half moon bay. This is an excellent beach walk with high sandstone cliffs the entire way. North of the creek there are caves and fossils in the sandstone cliffs to investigate. Park facilities include restrooms and picnic tables. Dogs are not permitted on the beach, as it has been identified as an itinerant nesting habitat for the locally underpopulated western snowy plover.

The Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve is located on the western slopes of historic Kings Mountain in Woodside. Purisima Creek Redwoods doesn’t have any old-growth redwood groves; its two canyons are instead filled with dense stands of small to mid-sized second-growth redwoods. The popular Redwood Trail is wheelchair accessible. Like many parks in California, dogs are not allowed. The preserve is home to many species of animals, including bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes and rabbits.

El Corte de Madera Creek is a small river in the Santa Cruz Mountains, San Mateo County, northern California. It is a tributary of San Gregorio Creek.The creek flows about 7 miles, from its source in Kings Mountain near Skeggs Point on Skyline Boulevard, to its confluence with San Gregorio Creek about 2.7 miles east of San Gregorio.

Pomponio is one of the larger beach parks along Rte 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. It is made up of several miles of sloping, sandy beaches and a small lagoon below high sandstone bluffs. There are hiking trails and beach access. No camping is available. Dogs and campfires are not permitted on the beach.

This historic ranch property is hidden in a pristine valley south of Half Moon Bay. The area offers solitude and a rich assortment of plants and wildlife along the riparian corridor of Mills Creek. The ranch is sheltered from wind and fog and is often several degrees warmer than the town of Half Moon Bay. A trail from the parking area consists of the old ranch road along Mills Creek. After a mile it passes a 1930s bungalow that serves as a park residence.