PROS: (1) Dog friendly (2) Scenic, windswept beach (3) Pleasant trail along the cliff CONS: (1) Metered parking (2) Very windy (3) Loads of horse poop

The beach was pretty! It's sandy, but there are quite a few rocks/shells to find. Lots of horses ride along it. Not a swimming beach, just a "Wow!" beach.

A little difficult to get down to the beach, Steep downhill, but very clean. Have to pay for parking

We visited Poplar Beach instead of Half Moon Bay State Beach, and it was a breath-taking sight! :) But it was a cold day, so my husband and I weren't able to complete the whole beach.. still, it's a lovely place for photos!

My kids call this place - "the horse poop beach" - and for a reason. Wear shoes on your way down to the beach, but if you walk a bit you'll soon be away from any crowds. Very pretty beach, but the water is not good for smaller kids to wade in due to the strong currents & powerful waves.... More

i had the pleasure of being in close prox to Half Moon Bay... and love going there by myself a few times. this time i took my dog and were, somewhat turned away form the beach, yet was given an alternate because i had my dog with me this time. great beach for taking your dog and having the opportunity... More

All the beaches along the San Mateo coastline are lovely to behold.... the difference is in each beach's unique atmosphere. The horse poop was abundant and nasty. The people on horseback didn't seem to be having much fun on their lumbering, poop producing beasts... so it wasn't even any fun to watch the horses walk by (and walk is all... More

This is my favorite beach in HMB. It is always deserted. I think the horse poop keeps most people away, but not me! I love it! My wife and I like to build castles out of it, throw it at each other then rinse off in the ocean.