California’s Expansive Sandy Beach with Calm Waters: An Underrated National Seashore Close to San Francisco

The Golden State contains so many wonders, including a utopian stretch of coast with uncrowded beaches and lagoons that’s less than 40 miles north of San Francisco via the scenic Pacific Coast Highway. Point Reyes National Seashore is one of the most incredible California spots that locals say you should visit, saying it has some of the dreamiest coastline views — a fiery claim if ever there was one. The parkland contains a mix of landscapes enmeshing history with nature, like a World War II military ship washed ashore, a 19th century lighthouse, and a Cypress Tree Tunnel leading onto an abandoned Art Deco radio station. But there’s no doubt its nearly-desolate beaches take the cake for scenic backdrops, and the long, pale stretch of Limantour Beach is one of the best of them.

Located toward the middle of Drake’s Bay, protected by the Point Reyes Headland and facing south, Limantour’s soft-white sand stretches for miles, with the calmest surf you could imagine. You can drive to the protected shore’s own parking lot or hike in via one of the park’s easy trails. Home to long billed curlews, harbor seals, and gray whales during spring migration, this natural zoo is the perfect weekend day trip for young families and those who love wildlife spotting. It’s just far enough from the city that it’s often dismissed by visitors, but if you choose to incorporate it into your itinerary, you won’t be disappointed.

With more than 4 miles of sweeping Pacific coastline all its own, Limantour Beach can guarantee a full day of leisure and exploration, made more manageable through ample parking and public toilets just offshore. The Limantour Beach Trail is a moderately easy walk that takes you across a total trail length of about 5.4 miles, which takes just over an hour and a half to complete. Because of the sand, some Tripadvisor reviews note that it is not great for those with mobility issues, however, the beach also has a wheelchair accessible boardwalk (but it doesn’t go all the way to the water). If a long walk on the beach is part of your plan, you can keep your eyes down, combing for shells, sea glass and driftwood along the way, or look to the horizon, watching for whales and harbor seals beyond the waves.

On sunny days, the flat sandbank makes the perfect ground on which to spread a blanket for sunbathing or a homemade picnic, accompanied by the gentle lapping of the tides. And though their temperature dips quite low (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit), those calm waters make for easy swimming, but very cold, conditions. Nearby, you might be able to spot birds nesting and feeding, including snowy egrets, great-blue herons, and osprey. And at the beach’s far western tip where Limantour and Drakes Estuaries empty into the bay, you can catch more seals lazing in the sun.