Rocky Beaches

Pillar Point

Really varied tidepools with great Nudibranch potential!

Pillar Point is awesome! there is a lot of variety in the types of pool left by the tide. The left hand side (looking out to sea) has some small pocket pools and a wide flat seagrass bed. there are lots of accessible little pools near the beach and there's a small cut parallel to the beach which is a good place to spot fish.

The pools along the deeper ravine at a 90% angle to the beach have giant green anemones, acorn barnacles and is where you'll want to head to find nudibranchs. There are some sea palms and varied fauna on the rocks next to this ravine also.

This area is a popular surfing spot, also known as Mavericks when the tide is high and the waves can come in fast and strong so you'll need to watch your back and don't underestimate the tide. The smaller cut parallel to the beach fills in first so do wear water shoes!

Good times to visit in the next 30 days

To get the most out of tidepooling, you'll want to go when the tide is low so that the rocks of the beaches are visible and as the ocean tide gets lower it leaves behind little pools of water in which you can see lots of fun critters!

Try to arrive before the lowest tide time, so that you can have some fun on the tidepools before the tide rises again. Below are the four best low tides for Really varied tidepools with great Nudibranch potential! in the next 30 days during daylight hours.

Thursday 26th June 2025 at 6:24am for a low tide of -1.80ft. sunrise is 5:51am and sunset is 8:34pm

Friday 27th June 2025 at 7:12am for a low tide of -1.51ft. sunrise is 5:51am and sunset is 8:34pm

Saturday 28th June 2025 at 7:54am for a low tide of -1.09ft. sunrise is 5:51am and sunset is 8:34pm

Friday 11th July 2025 at 6:12am for a low tide of -0.94ft. sunrise is 5:58am and sunset is 8:32pm

See more good times to visit

Low tides today

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.83ft at 7:48am

7:48am -0.83ft 7:06pm 3.17ft

What you could see

Tidepooling tips

Stay safe

  • Never turn your back on the ocean.
  • Wear water shoes and watch your step.
  • Pack water and sunscreen.

Respect the reef

  • Don't take anything from the reef, leave it for others to enjoy.
  • Leave the reef as you found it, careful where you step and try not to break the reef or step on living things'
  • Take all your litter back home with you.

Have fun!

  • Take lots of photos, upload to iNaturalist for help identifying.
  • If you don't see anything, sit very still, wait and watch!

How to get there

Parking

Parking available at the radar station and in the overflow carpark. Parking is often full, best to arrive at least an hour before low tide to leave enough time to park and also walk the half mile to the tide pools.

Directions to tidepools

Park in the parking lot at the bottom of the radar station if possible, follow the trail at the sea-end of the carpark straight out and along as the path swings to the right around the bluff. The tide pools, shallow-water sea grass beds and a secluded beach are about half a mile or so from the carpark after you pass the jetty on the left.

Keep an eye out for shorebirds in the marsh to the left, harbor seals in the secluded harbor before the jetty and nesting great blue herons in the trees on the walk to the tide pools.

About Pillar Point

Pillar Point Harbor CA

  • (650) 726-5727
  • Get directions
  • Open to the public: Yes
  • Bathrooms nearby: Yes
  • Visitor center: No
  • Docents and guides: No
  • Dogs allowed: Yes

When to visit

As a general rule it is always a good idea to get to the tidepool site before the lowest tide so that you can have a good time looking at critters before the tide starts to come in.

Low tides in the next 30 days

Saturday 14th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.83ft at 7:48am

lowest tide is -0.83ft
7:48am -0.83ft 7:06pm 3.17ft

Sunday 15th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.64ft at 8:24am

lowest tide is -0.64ft
8:24am -0.64ft 8:06pm 3.09ft

Monday 16th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.34ft at 9:06am

lowest tide is -0.34ft
9:06am -0.34ft 9:18pm 2.86ft

Tuesday 17th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.06ft at 9:48am

lowest tide is 0.06ft
9:48am 0.06ft 10:48pm 2.38ft

Wednesday 18th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.53ft at 10:30am

lowest tide is 0.53ft
10:30am 0.53ft

Thursday 19th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.05ft at 11:18am

lowest tide is 1.05ft
12:00am 1.65ft 11:18am 1.05ft

Friday 20th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.57ft at 12:12pm

lowest tide is 1.57ft
1:06am 0.80ft 12:12pm 1.57ft

Saturday 21st June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.03ft at 1:00pm

lowest tide is 2.03ft
2:06am -0.07ft 1:00pm 2.03ft

Sunday 22nd June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.38ft at 2:00pm

lowest tide is 2.38ft
3:06am -0.85ft 2:00pm 2.38ft

Monday 23rd June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.61ft at 2:54pm

lowest tide is 2.61ft
3:54am -1.44ft 2:54pm 2.61ft

Tuesday 24th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.71ft at 3:48pm

lowest tide is 2.71ft
4:48am -1.80ft 3:48pm 2.71ft

Wednesday 25th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.76ft at 4:42pm

lowest tide is 2.76ft
5:36am -1.91ft 4:42pm 2.76ft

Thursday 26th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -1.80ft at 6:24am

lowest tide is -1.80ft
6:24am -1.80ft 5:42pm 2.78ft

Friday 27th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -1.51ft at 7:12am

lowest tide is -1.51ft
7:12am -1.51ft 6:36pm 2.78ft

Saturday 28th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -1.09ft at 7:54am

lowest tide is -1.09ft
7:54am -1.09ft 7:42pm 2.75ft

Sunday 29th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.55ft at 8:36am

lowest tide is -0.55ft
8:36am -0.55ft 8:42pm 2.67ft

Monday 30th June 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.05ft at 9:18am

lowest tide is 0.05ft
9:18am 0.05ft 10:00pm 2.48ft

Tuesday 1st July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.67ft at 9:54am

lowest tide is 0.67ft
9:54am 0.67ft 11:18pm 2.14ft

Wednesday 2nd July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.26ft at 10:36am

lowest tide is 1.26ft
10:36am 1.26ft

Thursday 3rd July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.79ft at 11:18am

lowest tide is 1.79ft
12:24am 1.68ft 11:18am 1.79ft

Friday 4th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.24ft at 12:00pm

lowest tide is 2.24ft
1:18am 1.19ft 12:00pm 2.24ft

Saturday 5th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.59ft at 12:42pm

lowest tide is 2.59ft
2:12am 0.69ft 12:42pm 2.59ft

Sunday 6th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.83ft at 1:36pm

lowest tide is 2.83ft
3:00am 0.23ft 1:36pm 2.83ft

Monday 7th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 2.96ft at 2:30pm

lowest tide is 2.96ft
3:42am -0.17ft 2:30pm 2.96ft

Tuesday 8th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 3.02ft at 3:18pm

lowest tide is 3.02ft
4:18am -0.48ft 3:18pm 3.02ft

Wednesday 9th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 3.02ft at 4:00pm

lowest tide is 3.02ft
5:00am -0.72ft 4:00pm 3.02ft

Thursday 10th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is 3.01ft at 4:42pm

lowest tide is 3.01ft
5:36am -0.88ft 4:42pm 3.01ft

Friday 11th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.94ft at 6:12am

lowest tide is -0.94ft
6:12am -0.94ft 5:24pm 2.97ft

Saturday 12th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.89ft at 6:48am

lowest tide is -0.89ft
6:48am -0.89ft 6:12pm 2.88ft

Sunday 13th July 2025

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.70ft at 7:18am

lowest tide is -0.70ft
7:18am -0.70ft 7:06pm 2.73ft

Recent observations at Pillar Point

Other considerations

Rules

Please be respectful of the reef and leave anything that is alive or could have alive things in it where they are. Don't move animals between pools, put them back where you found them, it's their home. If you want to fish or collect seaweed or shellfish you need a fishing license.

Information on rules for this location

Accessibility and Safety

As tide pools go, this is pretty accessible. It's a bit of a walk on the flat path and there is a bit of beach to navigate to get to the pools, but the pools also have a reasonably flat section. That said, there are some fast flowing cut-throughs to get over if you want to go further out and seasonally some quite slippery seaweed, so a walking stick makes a good companion.

The edge of the tide pools nearest to the open ocean on the furthest right hand side (if you are facing out to sea) can be heavily affected by wind and swell, so as always, keep an eye out on the ocean, particularly so if it looks choppy.

If you go far out, make sure to watch your exit route to ensure that you don't get cut off by the incoming tide.

If you are setting up a picnic don't sit too near to the base of the cliff because erosion can cause dangerous falling rocks.

Pet Policy

Dogs are allowed on-leash on the beach here.

Food options

There are lots of restaurants in the nearby town of Granada or in Half Moon Bay.

Picnics

Lots of space on the beach for picnics, no fires allowed though. Be careful not to sit too close to the cliffs because rock fall is common.