Cowell Ranch Beach
About
Cowell Ranch Beach is a public ocean beach in California, about 3 miles from Half Moon Bay. It sits within the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit. Restrooms are on site, and there is no fee to visit. Late summer into early fall is the most comfortable stretch. Typical averages from the nearby Half Moon Bay weather station show highs around 66°F from August through October, with only six to eight wet days a month, compared with 13 to 14 in winter. The Cowell-Purisima Trail starts about half a mile away, and the Coastal Trail is under a mile off. Farther out, the Burleigh-Murray Ranch Trail is about 2.5 miles away, and the Methuselah Trail for mountain biking is roughly 5 miles away.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Cowell Ranch Beach
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Mar–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–66°F and lows of 44–54°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Half Moon Bay, CA weather station, 3.6 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan59° high43° low
- Feb59° high43° low
- Mar60° high44° low
- Apr61° high45° low
- May62° high48° low
- Jun64° high50° low
- Jul65° high53° low
- Aug66° high54° low
- Sep66° high51° low
- Oct66° high48° low
- Nov63° high45° low
- Dec59° high43° low
Where it is
- San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Half Moon Bay, California · 3.2 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
Cowell-Purisima TrailHikingPhoto: btwashburn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.5 mi
Coastal TrailHikingPhoto: lamblukas, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.9 mi
Burleigh-Murray Ranch TrailHikingPhoto: scorpio-tiger, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.5 mi
Purisima Creek TrailHikingPhoto: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3.3 mi- Harkins Ridge TrailHikingPhoto: npdoty, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3.3 mi
- Methuselah TrailMountain biking5.2 mi
- San Gregorio CreekCanoeing8.7 mi
- Handley Rock ParkRock climbing9.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Cowell Ranch Beach
Best months: April–November. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
59° / 43°
14 wet
Feb
59° / 43°
13 wet
Mar
60° / 44°
14 wet
Apr
61° / 45°
9 wet
May
62° / 48°
7 wet
Jun
64° / 50°
5 wet
Jul
65° / 53°
7 wet
Aug
66° / 54°
7 wet
Sep
66° / 51°
6 wet
Oct
66° / 48°
8 wet
Nov
63° / 45°
11 wet
Dec
59° / 43°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Half Moon Bay, CA, 3.6 mi away at 27 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
