Moonlight State Beach
Encinitas, CA
Free; lot parking
By Simir Shah
★★★★★4.7(2,806 Google reviews)
What parents say
AI summary of 5 Google reviews — not a first-hand visit. How we write these
Playground, volleyball courts, fire pits, clean restrooms and a concession stand; reviewers call it well set up for families and consistently crowded. The parking sits above the beach, so it is a walk down and a climb back up carrying everything. Arrive early to get a space at all.
Family-favorite cove beach with lifeguards, a playground, volleyball, fire pits, and easy facilities. The name dates back to early Encinitas residents who gathered here for moonlit picnics on the sand, and today it serves as headquarters for the city's year-round lifeguard service and Junior Lifeguard program. The coastal-themed playground includes climbing structures shaped like sails and surfboards.
Good for
- Ages 0–2
- Ages 10+
- Works for a wide age range
Happening near here
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west of I-5 on, Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA
Map
Tides today
Next low tide
2:47 PM
0.1 ft
Next high tide
8:16 AM
5.7 ft
Predictions from NOAA · La Jolla station
What visitors say
- Elizabeth Grange★★★★★
Beautiful shallow beach with plenty of sand. Room to spread out if you don’t mind walking the coast a bit. Can be crowded directly at moonlight beach entrance area. Lifeguards were on duty until 6pm or so. I like that I could walk into the ocean waves quite a distance without it getting too deep. Center moon beach entrance has places to wash sand off your gear, body or feet. I saw bathrooms, benches, playground and a fire pit. Kid friendly tide pool offset away from waves.
4 weeks ago
- Sherry J★★★★★
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We stopped by Moonlight State Beach while spending the day in Encinitas, and it was the perfect way to start our morning. We arrived around 9:00 a.m. and had no trouble finding parking. Instead of heading down to the sand, we found a bench overlooking the beach and just took in the view for a while. The air was warm with a cool ocean breeze, and people were already setting up their spots for the day. Listening to the waves roll in while the birds flew overhead made it such a peaceful and relaxing way to spend the morning. I was so busy enjoying the moment that I forgot to take many photos until later (always a good sign! 😊). Even from the overlook, the views were beautiful, and it's easy to see why this is such a popular beach. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in Encinitas.
2 months ago
Showing 2 of 5 Google reviews · Read them all on Google Maps
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