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Beach

Thornton Beach

California

About

Thornton Beach is a beach within the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit, about a mile from the community of Broadmoor, California. Late summer into early fall is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show September highs around 65°F with lows near 55°F and only about one wet day in the month. Winter brings highs near 59°F and roughly 11 to 12 wet days a month. Esplenade Beach, a campground about 3 miles away, is the closest neighbor. The Old Guadalupe Trail and the Saddle Loop Trail are both within about 3 miles. Climbers can head to Main Cliff Band, roughly 4.4 miles off.

Beach Details

Parking

None at the access

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.

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Location

Thornton Beach

California

Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata

Facts about this place

When to go

Best time to go: Feb–Nov. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 60–66°F and lows of 47–55°F.

Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the San Francisco Oceanside, CA weather station, 2.2 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.

  1. Jan59° high46° low
  2. Feb60° high47° low
  3. Mar61° high48° low
  4. Apr60° high49° low
  5. May60° high51° low
  6. Jun61° high53° low
  7. Jul62° high54° low
  8. Aug64° high55° low
  9. Sep65° high55° low
  10. Oct66° high53° low
  11. Nov63° high49° low
  12. Dec59° high46° low

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Broadmoor, California · 1 mi

Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places

Conditions

Active alerts for Golden Gate National Recreation Area as of Oct 9, 2026:

Source: NPS Alerts API

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)