Pistachio Beach
About
Pistachio Beach is a public ocean beach on the California coast, about 4 miles from the town of Pescadero, within the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit. It is a place to visit on foot rather than in the water: swimming is not allowed here. Late summer into early fall is the most comfortable time to come, with typical highs around 71 to 72 degrees in August and September and only about three wet days a month. Those figures are typical averages from a nearby weather station at San Gregorio. Winter is cooler and wetter, with highs near 60 and about 13 wet days a month from December through February. There is no fee to visit. Dogs are not allowed on the beach, so leave pets at home. Several trails lie close by. Wilbur's Watch Trail is just over a mile away, and the South Butano Fire Trail and Año Nuevo Trail are both about 3 miles off. Pescadero Creek, roughly 8 miles away, offers canoeing.
Beach Details
Swimming
Not allowed
Dogs
Not allowed
Parking
Available
Fee
Free
Restrooms
None
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Pistachio Beach
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Jan–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–72°F and lows of 40–52°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the San Gregorio 2 Se, CA weather station, 8.5 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan60° high40° low
- Feb60° high41° low
- Mar61° high41° low
- Apr62° high43° low
- May64° high46° low
- Jun67° high48° low
- Jul69° high52° low
- Aug71° high52° low
- Sep72° high49° low
- Oct69° high45° low
- Nov63° high41° low
- Dec59° high40° low
Where it is
- San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Pescadero, California · 3.8 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
Wilbur's Watch TrailHikingPhoto: bgwashburn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.2 mi
South Butano Fire TrailHikingPhoto: dbaron, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)3 mi
Año Nuevo TrailHikingPhoto: dbaron, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)3.3 mi
North Butano Truck TrailHikingPhoto: Cloudforest, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3.4 mi
Candelabra TrailHikingPhoto: ray_explores, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3.7 mi- Pescadero CreekCanoeing7.9 mi
- San Gregorio CreekCanoeing9.4 mi
- Big Basin State ParkRock climbing10 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Best time to visit Pistachio Beach
Best months: March–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
60° / 40°
13 wet
Feb
60° / 41°
13 wet
Mar
61° / 41°
12 wet
Apr
62° / 43°
10 wet
May
64° / 46°
6 wet
Jun
67° / 48°
4 wet
Jul
69° / 52°
3 wet
Aug
71° / 52°
3 wet
Sep
72° / 49°
3 wet
Oct
69° / 45°
6 wet
Nov
63° / 41°
10 wet
Dec
59° / 40°
13 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at San Gregorio 2 Se, CA, 8.5 mi away at 275 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.
