Cowell Ranch Beach

Located 3.3 miles south of Half Moon Bay, Cowell Ranch State Beach consists of two secluded pocket beaches approached from a parking lot on Highway 1. A half-mile trail leads to bluffs overlooking the beaches. Seal Beach, south of the overlook, is a harbor seal protection area and closed to the public. You may glimpse newborn seal pups on the beach in early spring. A steep staircase provides access to the northern beach, a quarter-mile-long sandy cove on the north side of the overlook. The trail crosses the site of the former rail bed of the Ocean Shore Railroad. The Ritz Carlton Hotel can be seen on a cliff north of the trail. Dogs are prohibited at all times.