Moonstone beach is a really beautiful beach that stretches out seemingly forever, no hike to get to it but potentially a long walk to the water if you come at super low tide
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I definitely recommend coming here to have a picnic, or be like my awesome friend, Winter, and go surfing or something!! ??
Tiny but intimate drive to a most beautiful beach. Large river like through it so pick your side carefully. So many pelicans and seagulls. We walked only part of the length and wished to be able to spend many more hours.
Moonstone Beach – A Whimsical Coastal Dream for Engagement Photos
Moonstone Beach is truly a gem on the Northern California coast, offering a stunning variety of backdrops for an engagement session. From the dramatic rocky cliffs to the smooth, reflective tide pools and the dreamy driftwood scattered along the shore, this spot has a little bit of everything.
What makes Moonstone Beach feel so magical is the way the light filters through the mist in the early morning or golden hour, giving photos a soft, ethereal glow. The mix of textures—waves crashing against the rocks, sandy pathways lined with wildflowers, and even the nearby lush forest—adds a whimsical and almost storybook-like quality to the images.
If you’re looking for an engagement session location that offers both adventure and romance, Moonstone Beach is the perfect spot! ?✨?
Brought our dogs here to get some of their energy out while on a road trip and it was a beautiful, fun beach to throw the ball for them and enjoy the view!
The stoneyness of the moon will enhance the highness of the tide for sure dudette. Sometimes referred to as dog fight beach because of the lax enforcement of leash laws and the abundance of four-legged friends. Little River runs into the ocean here, making it a great place for novice surfers to get past the first set in an expedient manner. Go with the flow! Rouge waves are a real thing here as I once found out from personal experience. The cave, the boldering, and the climbing wall make this place epic. Friends have had marriages here, wakes here, and sound healing ceremonies. No overnight camping and no fires back beyond the rocks where the sheriff can not see ok? ?
This is a gorgeous beach near Arcata/Eureka. The sea joins with the river and creates natural swimming pools. Parking is free, but limited. There aren't many shops near it, so consider bringing food and drinks. Highly recommended for families, or anyone interested in scenic nature.
Moonstone Beach is wonderful. We try to visit here at least twice a year. Our doggies love the 2 mile boardwalk. There's a lot of spots to sniff around and squirrels to chase. There is parking along the park. The view is fantastic. The walk is refreshing, calming and peaceful. You can stroll or power walk whatever is your liking. I do several walks a day. It's wonderful. There are several lookouts along the way. Great place to take pictures and/or videos. Doggies are not allowed on the beach only on the boardwalk. Restrooms are available on the south end of the park. There are quaint inns to stay overnight with parking. Our favorite is Cambria Shores Inn.. They all have rooms views of the ocean.
Highlights: Dog-friendly, free parking, but hard to find a parking spot on the weekends!
My family, with our dog, was on a road trip, and we just wanted to find a dog friendly beach to stop at quickly for a pit-stop on our way. Parking was free, which was nice, but it was VERY hard to find a spot! We went on a Saturday in July around 1pm. There are not very many parking spots and the parking lot has a lot of potholes and is a rough ride.
There were LOTS of dogs on the beach--good if your dog likes other dogs, not so good if your dog does not. We only stayed 30 minutes, walking up and down the beach. We did not stay long, but lots of other people looked like they were camped out for the day and seemed fine. No shade.
Definitely a great stop. We were short on time, easy parking at the bottom of a hill. Easy access. Would have loved to check out the caves. This seemed to be a bit more crowded then other beaches, but not bad.
Right next to the county bus stop. A GREAT place to take young kids. Easy access and plenty of "safe" places next to the river and/beach to enjoy. There are even 2 caves to explore. A popular surf spot as well. Great family weekend spit with a porta potty in the parking lot. (Free access and parking too)
The height of socialist tyranny. A FREE public road accesses a FREE public parking lot where you are expected to be courteous and thoughtful to the folks at the small events facility located there. Then it gets worse. You are expected to be courteous and thoughtful with the masses of free loading socialists who are here for one thing and one thing only- to use the FREE beach access. If these people get their way we will all be walking our dogs at sunset in perfect peace and harmony!!! The happy free loaders should be charged repeated fees by a capitalist overlord. Instead they bleat, "Nothing's free, our taxes pay for it." Sheeple.
Stop by this little beach and you will enjoy some Strang rocks that look wet even when dry. You emwill enjoy the little tunnel that is really beautiful.
Gorgeous beach! We loved it there despite the fact that it was quite busy. Kids, dogs, and surfers. Lovely soft white sand. Lots of dogs off leash but mostly that was no biggie.
Large, flat beach that seems to be frequented by a mix of surfers, families, and dog owners. There is a parking area at the end of Moonstone Rd with easy, immediate access to the sand. At low tide you can watch a freshwater stream feed across the sand into the ocean.
Seems to be popular because it is pretty easy to get to from highway 101, just two minutes and you are there.
Really beautiful clean beach , amazing cove for kids to play looks like some good fishing on the left side just follow the moat, may also be good for surfing.
Great beach with lots of rocks for crawling RC trucks. Big parking lot, full but big. The river runs into the ocean there. Easy flat beaches to walk on.
I love taking the kids to moonstone beach for either a day at the beach or a quick stop. Easy access to the beach, though parking can get a little crazy on busy days. Last weekend was absolutely beautiful, sun was warm, it wasn’t too windy, we had a great afternoon!
Awesome place to view the sunset and (carefully) check out some Sea life on the North end of the beach. Also has a cool Sea cave and climbing rocks. Be aware that it gets very busy on the weekends so parking can be tough. Also the driveway to the parking lot is very steep so some older vehicles may struggle getting back up.
More trash around than I liked so pick up after yourself if you go. Lots of different ways to enjoy the water here. There was a shallow "river" and s lagoon of sorts( great for the little ones) and rocks to climb and the beach was wide so there was lots of room. The dunes aren't too far off either and we had fun exploring.
This is my favorite beach to visit with my friends and family. Always friendly people an dogs when I go .. some good water days for the young ones when river is low. It's Not far to walk for a nice spot either when your packing lots of beach gear.
They have a beautiful location for any occasions. Just reserve the beautiful banquet room, it has a nice size porch that looks out the ocean and mad River.
Seen some beautiful wedding's and fun occasions take place there.
There's several
Good days to surf or skim board
There's good rocks to climb too
