Moonlight State Beach
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Daily sunrise – sunset
- Entrance fee
- Statewide rule — see below
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Statewide rule — see below
- Camping
- None listed
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(760) 633-2740
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 16 acres, Moonlight State Beach lies in San Diego County, about 2 miles from Encinitas.
Popular activities here are snorkeling and diving, surfing, swimming, fishing, and geocaching. Water access includes 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 | sunrise – sunset | — |
Official wording
Dawn 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
See the park’s wording
Are dogs allowed?
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Things to do
PicnickingFishingSnorkeling and scubaSwimmingSurfingGeocachingHiking
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Showers
- Drinking water
- Picnic areas
- Parking
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
- 1 Encinitas Blvd
Encinitas, CA 92024 - Nearest town
- Encinitas — about 2 mi (straight line)
- Coordinates
- 33.0484, -117.2975
- Phone
- (760) 633-2740
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
The beach is located west of I-5 on Encinitas Boulevard in Encinitas.
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
- Photo: Moonlight Beach lifeguard station.jpg — Public domain (released by the author), Bovlb
“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