Half Moon Bay, CA, has a 6-mile crescent shaped sandy beach with sea cliffs, vantage points for watching gray whales, elephant seals and harbor seals. The beach is popular for hiking, biking, horse riding, camping, sunbathing and picnicking. The northern section is famous for the annual Mavericks Surf Contest which attracts experienced surfers from all over the world. The middle half of this crescent (shown in green in the trail map below) constitutes "Half Moon Bay State Beach".

1. For administrative purposes, the six-mile beach in Half Moon Bay has been divided into multiple beaches, some of which have parking lots. Physically, it is one long contiguous sandy beach, uninterrupted by cliffs or other natural barriers. The middle section (shown in green on the trail map above) is called "Half Moon Bay State Beach".
2. Hikers may combine three different options to cover the six mile stretch from Redondo Beach in the south to Pillar Point in the north: walk along the beach, or (b) walk along a paved bike trail paralleling the coastline with intermittent points for beach access, or (c) walk along trails along cliff boundaries.
3. Landmarks from north to south: Pillar Point Harbor (Yelp reviews) — El Granada Beach (Yelp reviews) — Miramar Beach — Naples Beach — Roosevelt Beach (Yelp reviews) — Dunes Beach (Yelp reviews) — Venice Beach — Elmar Beach — Francis Beach (Website — Yelp reviews) — Poplar Beach (Yelp reviews) — Redondo Beach (Yelp reviews).
4. There are many other beaches near Half Moon Bay: List of beaches.

Parking: From north to south:

1. Pillar Point Harbor: One Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA.
2. Dunes Beach: Parking along Young Ave, Half Moon Bay, CA.
3. Venice Beach: Parking along Venice Ave, Half Moon Bay, CA.
4. Francis Beach: Parking lot off Kelly Ave, Half Moon Bay, CA.
5. Redondo Beach: Intersection of Redondo Beach Rd and Thone Ave, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.