Gray Whale Cove State Beach
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Daily 8 a.m. – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed, with restrictions6-ft leash
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(650) 726-8819
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Gray Whale Cove State Beach is a 3-acre beach in San Mateo County, about 4 miles southwest of Pacifica.
Things to do include surfing, boating, swimming, fishing, and wildlife watching. Facilities for water recreation include a swimming beach.
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 8 a.m. – sunset | — |
Official wording
8am to Sunset
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
Per vehicle at most parks (vehicles of 9 people or less, walk/bike-in free); per person at State Historic Parks and museums; amounts vary by park and are listed on each park page.
Statewide fee rule from California's park system; this park’s page doesn’t list its own fees.
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed, with restrictions · leash up to 6 feet
Not allowed in or on: the beach.
Are dogs allowed? DOGS are not allowed on the beach. Dogs are allowed on the trails east of Highway 1 and they must be confined to a leash no longer than six feet at all times.
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Things to do
BoatingFishingSwimmingWildlife viewing and birdingSurfingGeocachingHiking
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
Water
- Swimming beach
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Getting there
- Address
- Highway 1
Pacifica, CA 94044 - Nearest town
- Pacifica — about 4 mi southwest (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 37.5642, -122.5130
- Phone
- (650) 726-8819
- SMPermits@parks.ca.gov
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
On the San Mateo Coast, north of Montara on Highway One. The only available automobile parking is on the east side of Highway 1. Crossing to the ocean side of the highway can be both difficult and dangerous.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology