Half Moon Bay State Beach

Pilarcitos Creek (Spanish for: Little Pillars or Pillaries Creek) is a 13.5-mile-long (21.7 km) coastal stream in San Mateo County, California, United States, that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and descends through Pilarcitos Canyon to discharge into the Pacific Ocean Half Moon Bay State Beach. The Pilarcitos Creek watershed is a significant area of ecological, cultural and economic diversity. It is a source of clean drinking water for residents of the central coast and San Francisco Bay Area and supports several natural-resource based economies – including agriculture and recreational tourism. The watershed is also experiencing increased competition for water between agricultural, domestic, recreational, commercial and environmental uses.

Frenchmans Creek is a 4.4-mile-long (7.1 km) stream in San Mateo County, California. Locks Creek is its largest tributary.

Naples Creek is a stream in San Mateo County, California, United States that rises on the western slopes of the Santa Cruz Mountains and discharges to the Pacific Ocean. The specific point of discharge is onto Naples Beach, a unit of the Half Moon Bay State Beach. This watercourse runs through the city of Half Moon Bay, which municipality has planning jurisdiction over the creekside area within its city boundaries. In the Open Space Element of Half Moon Bay's General Plan, Naples Creek is designated to have significant wetland and riparian zone biotic resources.The city of Half Moon Bay is proposing a trail along Naples Creek to expand on the recreational use of this natural resource. The area near the Mouth of Naples Creek is already in public ownership and is traversed by the coastside public trail along the low-lying blufftop. Further upstream along the banks of Naples Creek, the lower reach banks are in public ownership as within the right-of-way of Guerrero Avenue resources. The city recognizes the entire riparian area as an important open space resource and is considering re-zoning to open space the entire passage of the stream through the Half Moon Bay.

Poplar Beach is a beach located in and operated by the city of Half Moon Bay, California. It lies at the end of Poplar Street west of State Route 1. Located roughly a half mile south of Half Moon Bay State Beach, Poplar Beach allows horses and leashed dogs. It is close to a residential area, and there are no fireworks or beach fires allowed. Poplar Beach is open until sunset and is free to the public (though the nearest parking lot is metered). The Coastal Trail links Poplar Beach to Half Moon Bay State Beach along the top of a bluff with scenic views of the Pacific Ocean and the Mavericks surfing location to the north. This hiking trail is also open to horses and dogs.

Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, United States, approximately 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of San Francisco. Its population was 11,795 as of the 2020 census. Immediately north of Half Moon Bay is Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea. Half Moon Bay is known for Mavericks, a big-wave surf location. It is called Half Moon Bay because of its crescent shape. Originally an agricultural outpost to Mission San Francisco de Asís, the town was founded in the 1840s first as San Benito, and then as its Anglo fishing community grew, it was renamed Spanishtown. In 1874, it was again renamed Half Moon Bay. After rail and road connections in the early 1900s, the town grew. The foggy weather of the coast made the town a popular destination for booze-running during Prohibition. The city's infrastructure is heavily integrated with the coast, including the Pillar Point Harbor, major roads, and the fire department. The economy of Half Moon Bay is dominated by a handful of businesses, the biggest of which is the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay which employs 500 people and is a major source of property tax and tourism income for the city. Because of this geography, a 2022 study found that the city had over 123 buildings vulnerable to sea level rise.

Half Moon Bay High School is an American public high school located in Half Moon Bay, in San Mateo County, California. It is part of the Cabrillo Unified School District.

Miramar (Spanish for "Sea View") is a district located within the city limits of Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, California. Miramar Beach is located at Miramar. The east side of Highway 1 and north of the middle of Mirada road is in unincorporated San Mateo County.

Arroyo de en Medio (Spanish for "in the middle creek") is a 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) coastal stream in western San Mateo County, California. Arroyo de en Medio rises on the western slopes of Montara Mountain and discharges to the Pacific Ocean at Half Moon Bay at the location of the unincorporated community of Miramar at Miramar Beach. The watershed of Arroyo de en Medio consists of relatively permeable sandy soils capable of significant recharge to its aquifers, which supply considerable potable water to the local area. Arroyo is Spanish for creek; de en Medio means literally "of in between" but a closer more functional translation may be in the middle.

Miramar Beach is a sandy beach in western San Mateo County, California. Miramar Beach is one of the numerous beaches on Half Moon Bay, a Pacific Ocean embayment noted for its surfing and extensive visitation. The marine terrace above the beach itself is situated approximately eight meters above mean sea level, and on this terrace is positioned the small unincorporated community of Miramar, which is a residential setting that also has several coastal visitor serving uses such as restaurant and lodging facilities. A stream named Arroyo de en Medio discharges onto Miramar Beach into the Pacific Ocean. Access to Miramar beach from State Route 1 requires a turn west on Magellan Avenue, then left on Mirada Road. A public trail lies along the blufftop spanning three miles of coastline from Miramar to the city of Half Moon Bay; this trail affords sweeping marine views and good birdwatching.

The Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival is an annual festival held in the coastside community of Half Moon Bay, California for one weekend during pumpkin harvest season. It is one of the oldest and largest local festivals in California. Proceeds go to local civic causes and to the beautification of the downtown area of Half Moon Bay. There is no admission charge for the event.

The Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society is an oceanfront non-profit music venue located at the Douglas Beach House in Half Moon Bay, California. The venue was founded in 1964 by Pete Douglas and is now run by his daughter, Barbara Douglas Riching. Pete Douglas moved to Half Moon Bay in 1957. He purchased a beer joint and ran it as the Ebb Tide Cafe. The society's name came from an informal party hosted at the Ebb Tide Cafe in 1963. While Pete and his guests danced to a Bach Brandenberg Concerti, others lit dynamite nearby on the beach. A guest suggested they call themselves the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society and they incorporated under that name soon afterwards. Today a member-supported non-profit, the Bach has hosted performances for more than fifty years, often featuring jazz musicians visiting the San Francisco Bay Area on larger tours. Musicians who have performed at the Bach include Duke Ellington, Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie and Etta James. The Bach is listed in the DownBeat 2024 International Jazz Venue Guide as presenting "world-class jazz in an intimate setting with stunning views of the ocean."

The Community United Methodist Church is a historic United Methodist Church in Half Moon Bay, California. Originally the Methodist Episcopal Church at Half Moon Bay, it was built in 1872 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.The building is 30 by 50 feet (9.1 m × 15.2 m) in plan and has with 20 feet (6.1 m) tall side walls.It was damaged by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which shook it off its foundation.