Moonstone Beach Trail is a 2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Cambria, California that offers the chance to see wildlife and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking and walking and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
hiking
nature trips
road biking
trail running
walking
bird watching
beach
views
wild flowers
wildlife
We stayed in Cambria one night in the summer of 2016, wish we had planned a few more. I had not previously heard of this town, we were on the way to big sur. I hiked the beachside boardwalk for hours. An amazingly peaceful, spiritual kind of hike. Between the moonstone beaches, the beautiful mountains to the north towards Big Sur and the eternal fog in the distance it added up to a very enchanting walk at sunset.
It's always very crowded. You won't get any solitude on this beach or it's trails. However, the views are stunning, par for the course for the central California coast. Be prepared as it can be downright cold at this beach during the summer months, coupled with the everpresent onshore breeze, a windbreaker is a must.
Lovely beach walk
Beautiful trail I recommend it to people who have dogs
Beautiful!
Easy relaxing
Love this spot. Always a pit stop of our drives up North along the coast.
Easy trail along the Cambria coast. Great at sunset.
Beautiful scenic walk with great spots to stay and eat!
Super easy walk with lots of spots to walk down the beach. Beautiful scenery.
Beautiful and peaceful. Wonderful walk.
Tom E.
Very nice trail. Fog in morning and sun in afternoon. Saw several whale blows about 1/2 mile out to sea.
Very nice. This is a wonderful area and not overly crowded.
Beautiful walk with ocean views. Park at the end of the path with trees and places to sit over looking the ocean.
A nice relaxing wooden mile long boardwalk along the beach featuring plants and some lizards and an occasional rabbit. Very romantic
Beautiful year round - a long and peaceful trail, great for dogs as well.
Beautiful for a short run along the coast
Popular trail in Cambria with boardwalk along the coast. Water was stunningly blue. A cool compared to the heat wave in the central valley. We like to start at the northern end parking lot at the top of the overlook.
Beautiful, easy walk!
Family had a great time!!!
Had a great time!!!
Nice
It is a very nice adventure to see the sea lions up close. I would like to suggest that for February it is the best time to go and look at the sea lions because it is time to procreate and there are quantities the beach fills up. Then go hiking to stretch your legs.
M F.
This is an easy and beautiful walk along the ocean.
Great place to take your dog (on a leash).... beautiful walk and we even spotted some whales breaching.
Mrs D.
Suggested for active walkers. Our fur kids are always welcome (on leash) and the locals are friendly. Breath taking views of the ocean without getting sand in your shoes; although there is access points along the trail.
I LOVE a foggy beach & this was a perfect beach for that. A relaxing, beautiful beach walk.
A great place to take a beautiful walk for any stamina. Nice views -- very dog friendly.
This trail is super easy to walk. Definitely not a challenge in the least, but it will give you lots of exploring to do. There is a staircase that leads down to a little beach with some rocks to climb on. A bit further north, there is a place where you can climb down a bit of a hill onto a really neat tide pool area with smooth, flat rocks. We saw otters, seals, starfish, anemones, some sort of baby shark looking creature, crabs, hawks, gulls, dragonflies, butterflies, squirrels, and many other birds and insects. Other parts of the boardwalk take you through more wooded areas and Moonstone Beach. Lots of interesting rocks as well, if you are into that. I will definitely be doing this trail again. Not for any sort of physical challenge, but because of all of the exploring it offers!
