francis beach

This is one of the better beaches along the coast,,Easy access and plenty of room for everyone, Picnic tables up on top overlooking the water, Great place to walk along the edge of the water,

Definitely the main beach of Half Moon Bay. Great camping, great views, and directly connected to the Coast-side Trail (7 miles total length of paved or mostly paved walking and biking trails - oceanfront). Beautiful views, very clean, very safe, very fun.

We've been camping here off and on for over 6 years, and the facilities are clean (hot showers, flush toilets) and serviced daily. The beach is just over the rise, and the ocean breeze makes for a cool (if not cold) night's camping. There are dog-friendly beaches just south of the facility, so a short walk lets you let doggie off leash to frolic in the waves.The beach grade is pretty steep, and the water is generally cold, so it is not too wee-kid friendly. Even on a sunny day, the ocean breeze is cool enough that a jacket is not uncommon to see being worn.Day parking is $10, but there's free parking a 5 minute walk further back from the beach.The campground offers both tent and RV spots, with ocean-side being a premium $50 over the regular $35. There is no power nor hookups, but I was informed they are slated for power hookups next summer. They also offer a decent dumping station with fresh water refill. Biggest complaint about RV'ing is that "reserveamerica.com" (where you have to prebook the tickets) isn't live to the campground. Depending on who you get at the admission gate, you could be stone-walled (watch out for the older woman - she seems to be the kingpin there, and kinda grumpy). We checked reserveamerica.com to find another spot for another day, but she wouldn't let us have it because she had already "printed the reserve sheet for the day", and wouldn't re-check to see that only 15 minutes later there was a cancellation that we could have had. Screwed themselves out of another rental, screwed us out of another night at the grounds because she was stubborn. Look for the fatter guy with the shades - he wasn't as nearly as technophobic, and we very nice in helping us find another days rental on a previous night. In short, they have to work on their reservation system, as there were many nights we saw empty spots on a "CAMPSITE FULL" day.There's good local food a 15 minute walk back down Kelly Avenue at "Tres Amigos" if you're too cold to cook over an open fire.

IF you want to a good beach to picnic or just take a nice walk on,,this is it,ENJOY

Francis Beach, Half Moon Bay, is the only camping on Hwy. 1 in the area; ignore the tent on your map near here..there's none. (Some State parks nearby, but availability is iffy with the state's economic situation). The beach is near downtown Half Moon Bay, so you can get groceries, eat out, etc. Try to book early.