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.

Wednesday 10th April 2024 at 6:42am for a low tide of -1.09ft. sunrise is 6:41am and sunset is 7:40pm

Thursday 11th April 2024 at 7:36am for a low tide of -1.08ft. sunrise is 6:40am and sunset is 7:41pm

Friday 12th April 2024 at 8:30am for a low tide of -0.86ft. sunrise is 6:38am and sunset is 7:42pm

Saturday 13th April 2024 at 9:30am for a low tide of -0.52ft. sunrise is 6:37am and sunset is 7:43pm

See more good times to visit

Low tides today

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.05ft at 2:30pm

1:12am 3.06ft 2:30pm 0.05ft

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

Tuesday 19th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.05ft at 2:30pm

lowest tide is 0.05ft
1:12am 3.06ft 2:30pm 0.05ft

Wednesday 20th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.02ft at 3:18pm

lowest tide is 0.02ft
2:24am 2.73ft 3:18pm 0.02ft

Thursday 21st March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.05ft at 3:54pm

lowest tide is 0.05ft
3:12am 2.34ft 3:54pm 0.05ft

Friday 22nd March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.17ft at 4:24pm

lowest tide is 0.17ft
3:54am 1.93ft 4:24pm 0.17ft

Saturday 23rd March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.37ft at 4:54pm

lowest tide is 0.37ft
4:30am 1.55ft 4:54pm 0.37ft

Sunday 24th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.66ft at 5:18pm

lowest tide is 0.66ft
5:06am 1.20ft 5:18pm 0.66ft

Monday 25th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.02ft at 5:42pm

lowest tide is 1.02ft
5:36am 0.89ft 5:42pm 1.02ft

Tuesday 26th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.42ft at 6:06pm

lowest tide is 1.42ft
6:12am 0.65ft 6:06pm 1.42ft

Wednesday 27th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.83ft at 6:30pm

lowest tide is 1.83ft
6:48am 0.47ft 6:30pm 1.83ft

Thursday 28th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.35ft at 7:24am

lowest tide is 0.35ft
7:24am 0.35ft 6:54pm 2.22ft

Friday 29th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.30ft at 8:06am

lowest tide is 0.30ft
8:06am 0.30ft 7:18pm 2.58ft

Saturday 30th March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.30ft at 8:54am

lowest tide is 0.30ft
8:54am 0.30ft 7:48pm 2.89ft

Sunday 31st March 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.30ft at 10:00am

lowest tide is 0.30ft
10:00am 0.30ft 8:24pm 3.16ft

Monday 1st April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.19ft at 11:18am

lowest tide is 0.19ft
11:18am 0.19ft 10:00pm 3.34ft

Tuesday 2nd April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.01ft at 12:30pm

lowest tide is -0.01ft
12:30pm -0.01ft

Wednesday 3rd April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.22ft at 1:30pm

lowest tide is -0.22ft
1:30pm -0.22ft

Thursday 4th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.36ft at 2:18pm

lowest tide is -0.36ft
1:18am 2.71ft 2:18pm -0.36ft

Friday 5th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.35ft at 3:06pm

lowest tide is -0.35ft
2:30am 2.00ft 3:06pm -0.35ft

Saturday 6th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.17ft at 3:48pm

lowest tide is -0.17ft
3:24am 1.17ft 3:48pm -0.17ft

Sunday 7th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.18ft at 4:30pm

lowest tide is 0.18ft
4:12am 0.35ft 4:30pm 0.18ft

Monday 8th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.67ft at 5:06pm

lowest tide is 0.67ft
5:06am -0.35ft 5:06pm 0.67ft

Tuesday 9th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.21ft at 5:42pm

lowest tide is 1.21ft
5:54am -0.85ft 5:42pm 1.21ft

Wednesday 10th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -1.09ft at 6:42am

lowest tide is -1.09ft
6:42am -1.09ft 6:24pm 1.76ft

Thursday 11th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -1.08ft at 7:36am

lowest tide is -1.08ft
7:36am -1.08ft 7:00pm 2.26ft

Friday 12th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.86ft at 8:30am

lowest tide is -0.86ft
8:30am -0.86ft 7:42pm 2.69ft

Saturday 13th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.52ft at 9:30am

lowest tide is -0.52ft
9:30am -0.52ft 8:36pm 3.03ft

Sunday 14th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.19ft at 10:42am

lowest tide is -0.19ft
10:42am -0.19ft 10:06pm 3.22ft

Monday 15th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.03ft at 11:48am

lowest tide is 0.03ft
11:48am 0.03ft 11:48pm 3.12ft

Tuesday 16th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.18ft at 12:48pm

lowest tide is 0.18ft
12:48pm 0.18ft

Wednesday 17th April 2024

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.30ft at 1:42pm

lowest tide is 0.30ft
1:06am 2.77ft 1:42pm 0.30ft

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.