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.

Friday 14th April 2023 at 1:06pm for a low tide of -0.38ft. sunrise is 6:36am and sunset is 7:43pm

Saturday 22nd April 2023 at 7:12am for a low tide of -0.85ft. sunrise is 6:26am and sunset is 7:50pm

Sunday 23rd April 2023 at 8:00am for a low tide of -0.66ft. sunrise is 6:24am and sunset is 7:51pm

Monday 24th April 2023 at 8:48am for a low tide of -0.37ft. sunrise is 6:23am and sunset is 7:52pm

See more good times to visit

Low tides today

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.39ft at 1:42pm

12:24am 3.21ft 1:42pm 0.39ft

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

Thursday 30th March 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.39ft at 1:42pm

lowest tide is 0.39ft
12:24am 3.21ft 1:42pm 0.39ft

Friday 31st March 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.30ft at 2:30pm

lowest tide is 0.30ft
1:36am 2.93ft 2:30pm 0.30ft

Saturday 1st April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.24ft at 3:12pm

lowest tide is 0.24ft
2:30am 2.53ft 3:12pm 0.24ft

Sunday 2nd April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.26ft at 3:42pm

lowest tide is 0.26ft
3:18am 2.08ft 3:42pm 0.26ft

Monday 3rd April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.37ft at 4:12pm

lowest tide is 0.37ft
3:54am 1.62ft 4:12pm 0.37ft

Tuesday 4th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.58ft at 4:42pm

lowest tide is 0.58ft
4:30am 1.16ft 4:42pm 0.58ft

Wednesday 5th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.89ft at 5:06pm

lowest tide is 0.89ft
5:06am 0.73ft 5:06pm 0.89ft

Thursday 6th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.26ft at 5:36pm

lowest tide is 1.26ft
5:42am 0.35ft 5:36pm 1.26ft

Friday 7th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.67ft at 6:00pm

lowest tide is 1.67ft
6:18am 0.03ft 6:00pm 1.67ft

Saturday 8th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.20ft at 7:00am

lowest tide is -0.20ft
7:00am -0.20ft 6:30pm 2.08ft

Sunday 9th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.33ft at 7:42am

lowest tide is -0.33ft
7:42am -0.33ft 7:00pm 2.47ft

Monday 10th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.36ft at 8:36am

lowest tide is -0.36ft
8:36am -0.36ft 7:36pm 2.81ft

Tuesday 11th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.32ft at 9:36am

lowest tide is -0.32ft
9:36am -0.32ft 8:24pm 3.10ft

Wednesday 12th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.30ft at 10:48am

lowest tide is -0.30ft
10:48am -0.30ft 9:54pm 3.26ft

Thursday 13th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.34ft at 12:00pm

lowest tide is -0.34ft
12:00pm -0.34ft 11:48pm 3.08ft

Friday 14th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.38ft at 1:06pm

lowest tide is -0.38ft
1:06pm -0.38ft

Saturday 15th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.35ft at 2:00pm

lowest tide is -0.35ft
1:18am 2.54ft 2:00pm -0.35ft

Sunday 16th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.22ft at 2:54pm

lowest tide is -0.22ft
2:24am 1.81ft 2:54pm -0.22ft

Monday 17th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.05ft at 3:36pm

lowest tide is 0.05ft
3:18am 1.01ft 3:36pm 0.05ft

Tuesday 18th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.43ft at 4:12pm

lowest tide is 0.43ft
4:12am 0.27ft 4:12pm 0.43ft

Wednesday 19th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.90ft at 4:48pm

lowest tide is 0.90ft
4:54am -0.32ft 4:48pm 0.90ft

Thursday 20th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.40ft at 5:24pm

lowest tide is 1.40ft
5:42am -0.71ft 5:24pm 1.40ft

Friday 21st April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 1.89ft at 6:00pm

lowest tide is 1.89ft
6:24am -0.88ft 6:00pm 1.89ft

Saturday 22nd April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.85ft at 7:12am

lowest tide is -0.85ft
7:12am -0.85ft 6:36pm 2.34ft

Sunday 23rd April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.66ft at 8:00am

lowest tide is -0.66ft
8:00am -0.66ft 7:12pm 2.71ft

Monday 24th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.37ft at 8:48am

lowest tide is -0.37ft
8:48am -0.37ft 7:54pm 3.02ft

Tuesday 25th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is -0.06ft at 9:42am

lowest tide is -0.06ft
9:42am -0.06ft 8:42pm 3.23ft

Wednesday 26th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.18ft at 10:48am

lowest tide is 0.18ft
10:48am 0.18ft 10:30pm 3.30ft

Thursday 27th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.33ft at 11:48am

lowest tide is 0.33ft
11:48am 0.33ft

Friday 28th April 2023

The lowest tide in daylight today is 0.42ft at 12:42pm

lowest tide is 0.42ft
12:06am 3.08ft 12:42pm 0.42ft

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.