Pebble Beach
Pescadero, CA

Pebble Beach is a cove beach near Pescadero known for its polished agate and jasper pebbles, with a nature trail that adds some context to what you're looking at along the shore. It's a different kind of San Mateo County Pebble Beach than the famous golf destination further south, worth the clarification when telling people where you're headed.
The pebble and agate collecting history is genuinely unique among San Mateo County beaches, though decades of visitors picking up rocks means the beach isn't quite what it once was.
How we score beachesLook, don't collect, taking pebbles here has been discouraged for years specifically because so many visitors have thinned out what made the beach notable in the first place.
Free parking is available near the beach.
Stairs and blufftop trails lead down to the cove beach.
Dogs are welcome; check posted signage for specific leash rules.
Fog is common most mornings year round, typical of the San Mateo coast.
More Pacific Coast beaches

Zuma Beach
Malibu, CA · Pacific Coast
A wide stretch of sand backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, with reliable swells that draw surfers year-round and plenty of room to spread out even on busy weekends.

Huntington City Beach
Huntington Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Known as Surf City USA, with a mile-long municipal pier, consistent breaks for surfers of every level, and a laid-back boardwalk scene along Pacific Coast Highway.

Main Beach
Laguna Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Tucked between rocky headlands, with tidepools to explore at low tide, calmer coves for swimming, and an arts-town backdrop of galleries and cafes just steps from the sand.
