San Carpoforo Beach
San Simeon, CA
San Carpoforo Beach sits at a pullout north of the creek of the same name, part of the larger Hearst San Simeon State Park system that stretches along this remote stretch of the San Luis Obispo coast. It's a genuinely quiet, undeveloped beach, the kind of stop that marks the transition from wild Big Sur into the slightly more developed coast further south.
Genuinely quiet and undeveloped, a fitting transition point from Big Sur, though there's little to do here beyond taking in the view.
How we score beachesTreat this as a scenic stop on the drive rather than a planned beach day, there's little here beyond the pullout and the sand itself.
Free parking is available at the pullout.
A path leads from the pullout down to the beach.
Dogs are not permitted on this beach because the dunes are active snowy plover nesting habitat.
Fog is common most mornings year round, typical of this stretch of the Central Coast.
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