Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:San Simeon, California
Few beaches have as diverse a fan club as San Simeon State Beach. Tree huggers, surfer dudes and architecture buffs all agree that San Simeon is a worthy beach retreat. Most people head to San Simeon State Park on the Central California Coast to visit the historic Hearst Castle, one of the most visited parks in the state of California. But directly below this architectural intrigue is an equally appealing natural attraction; San Simeon State Beach. Known for its dramatic coastal cliffs and green rolling hills, reminiscent of Ireland, San Simeon State Beach is an oasis of wildlife. Red hawks wheel overhead against a deep blue sky and elephant seals breed along rocky outcroppings. Situated within San Simeon State Park, about 35 miles north of San Luis Obispo on Highway 1, the area is known for its riparian forests and coastal wetlands, where the endangered Tidewater Goby fish and hundreds of monarch butterflies make their home. With its 850 foot-long fishing pier, grassy lawns for picnics, family-friendly, ocean-view campgrounds, and the kind of rolling waves the surfers call "sweet peaks," San Simeon State Beach is a protected, rural cove, a pristine beach escape.
Fishermen, wildlife observers, birders, and surfers alike harbor a soft spot for the tranquil outdoor recreation at San Simeon State Beach. Nature-loving surfers head to Pico Creek (at the north end of downtown San Simeon) for the best reef break waves along the beach. San Simeon Pier, jutting out into a cove near San Simeon Point, is a favorite spot for sport fishing. Surfperch, calico surfperch, spiny dogfish and white croaker are caught year-round, while the summer and fall catches from San Simeon Pier are usually pacific mackerel, jack mackerel and jacksmelt. For a different kind of marine life experience, head to San Simeon's Moonstone Beach, just below Hearst Castle, for a view of the tidal pools brimming with starfish, sea urchins, and anemone. Be sure to head to Piedras Blancas, located about six miles north of San Simeon, but still part of the typical San Simeon excursion. Piedras Blancas is a rookery for a large colony of elephant seals that fight, flirt, and dip in and out of the waves. The towering Piedras Blancas Light Station is a great place to gaze out onto the vast Pacific Ocean. For a quiet day communing with the natural world, San Simeon State Beach is a charming slice of Central California's rugged coastline.