| San Gregorio State Beach | |
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| Location | San Mateo County,California |
| Nearest city | San Gregorio |
| Coordinates | 37°19′23″N122°24′7″W / 37.32306°N 122.40194°W /37.32306; -122.40194 |
| Governing body | California Department of Parks and Recreation |
San Gregorio State Beach is a beach nearSan Gregorio, California, United States, south ofHalf Moon Bay. Part of theCalifornia State Park System, the beach lies just west of the intersection ofCalifornia State Route 1 andState Route 84.
San Gregorio Creek widens to form a small freshwater lagoon in the park behind a sand berm, orbarrier beach, which typically blocks the mouth of the creek, forcing the creekwaters to flow underfoot as they seep into thePacific Ocean. During the rainy season the creek often cuts through the sand berm and flows directly into the ocean. Historically the creek was acoho salmon spawning site, and theDepartment of Fish and Game is considering restocking it with coho to improve the salmon fisheries south ofSan Francisco.[1]
It is one of the cleanest beaches in the state.[2]
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 underpopulatedwestern snowy plover. It is considered a self-registered fee area, although there is a kiosk which is staffed during summer months. North of the main beach is a nude beach on private property.
A stone marker with a plaque (now missing) commemorates the three days Spanish explorerGaspar de Portolà's expedition camped at the beach to rest and treat their sick in 1769, during their (failed) attempt to locateMonterey Bay. They would go on to discoverSan Francisco Bay instead.
The site is registered asCalifornia Historical Landmark 26.
