Gray Whale Cove State Beach, State beach near Half Moon Bay, United States

Gray Whale Cove State Beach is a 3.1-acre cove between Pacifica and Montara, just south of Devil's Slide along Highway 1. A strip of dark, wet sand meets churning surf, with a tall rocky bluff on the left and a jagged rock formation on the right. Trails from the cove connect to Montara Mountain and McNee Ranch State Park.

Gray Whale Cove State Beach became a California state park in 1966, when the 3.1-acre site was established between Pacifica and Montara along Highway 1. The park lies just south of Devil's Slide, and offshore the Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point State Marine Conservation Area protect ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

The name comes from the gray whales that pass offshore on their seasonal migration, visible from the bluffs and the sand. The cove lies just south of Devil's Slide, and the adjoining Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point conservation area protect the ocean wildlife around it.

The 3.1-acre park sits beside Highway 1 just south of Devil's Slide, about 18 miles south of San Francisco between Pacifica and Montara. Trails from the cove connect to Montara Mountain and McNee Ranch State Park. Offshore, the Montara State Marine Reserve and Pillar Point conservation area protect ocean wildlife.

The white sand originates from nearby Montara Mountain's granite rocks, which have broken down over millions of years into the fine grains underfoot. This connection between mountain and beach reveals how the coastline constantly reshapes itself.