01
Best overall pick
Moonstone Beach
Moonstone Drive Oceanfront • Scenic Boardwalk Beach • Best For Sunset Walks
Cambria’s signature shoreline, with a wave-side boardwalk, tide pools, and pocket coves of sand between sculpted rocks.
If you only have time for one beach near Cambria, make it Moonstone Beach. A mile-long boardwalk traces the bluffs above the water, with stairways dropping down to stretches of sand, tide pools, and the smooth “moonstones” that give the beach its name. It’s especially magical in the late afternoon, when the sun drops behind offshore kelp beds and the whole horizon turns gold and pink.
02
Most relaxed shoreline
Santa Rosa Creek Beach
South End Of Moonstone Drive • Wide, Uncrowded Beach • Great For Easy Strolls
A quieter stretch where Santa Rosa Creek meets the ocean, with room to walk, beachcomb, and watch shorebirds working the surf line.
Tucked at the southern end of Moonstone Drive, Santa Rosa Creek Beach feels a bit more low-key than the main Moonstone boardwalk area. The creek often braids across the sand before spilling into the Pacific, creating shallow spots where kids like to splash and explore. Driftwood, kelp, and changing sandbars give it a wild, always-in-motion feel that rewards unhurried walks.
03
Best for tide pools
Leffingwell Landing
North Cambria Headland • Rocky Cove And Picnic Spot • Perfect For Exploring At Low Tide
A small headland park with a sheltered cove, rocky shoreline, and some of Cambria’s most accessible tide pools.
Leffingwell Landing sits at the north end of Moonstone Drive, where the coast feels a touch wilder and more intimate. A short path leads down toward the water, with tables on the bluff for picnics and a small cove below that reveals excellent tide pools when the ocean pulls back. It’s a favorite of locals for watching waves slam the rocks in winter swells and for spotting otters and harbor seals just offshore.
04
Quiet local gem
Lampton Cliffs County Park
South Cambria Neighborhood • Pocket Cove And Cliffside Park • Best For Peaceful Coastal Views
A tiny neighborhood park with stair access to a tucked-away rocky cove, away from the main Moonstone crowds.
Lampton Cliffs feels like the kind of place you’d only find if a local tipped you off. The park itself is small—just a few benches, a patch of lawn, and a bluff-edge path—yet the views down the coast are sweeping and often blissfully quiet. When conditions allow, a stairway leads to a narrow cove framed by cliffs, ideal for listening to the surf and watching the light change on the water.
05
Best non-sandy beach alternative
Fiscalini Ranch Preserve Bluff Trail
West Cambria Blufftop • Wild Bluffside Coastline • Top Pick For Long Oceanfront Walks
A mile-long bluff trail above the ocean, offering constant Pacific views, sea breeze, and occasional paths down toward pocket coves.
While Fiscalini Ranch is more about bluffs than broad sand, it belongs on any short list of Cambria’s best coastal spots. The oceanfront trail meanders along the edge of a protected preserve, with benches, overlook decks, and side paths that peer down into rocky coves. Come here when you want a longer, meditative walk with open views, seasonal wildflowers, and a good chance of spotting whales or dolphins on the horizon.