Moss Landing State Beach is a state park on

Monterey Bay Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by ...

, in

Monterey County Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Montere ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

Description

The beach and park is about north of the city of

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...

via Highway 1, about south of

Watsonville Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, located in the Monterey Bay Area of the Central Coast of California. The population was 52,590 according to the 2020 census. Predominantly Latino and Democratic, Watsonville is a self- ...

. Among the most popular activities are offshore fishing, surfing, windsurfing and horseback riding. However, the strong rip currents make the water recreation (swimming, wading, etc.) dangerous. Moss Landing State Beach is also popular for picnicking because the dunes block out strong afternoon winds from blowing into the picnic area.

Wildlife

Moss Landing State Beach has several bird-watching spots, but the type and number of birds can vary by season. Moss Landing Wildlife Area, with access to the east of Highway 1, has ponds that are controlled by tidal gates. They are a major roost for

brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mout ...

s and also beneficial for shorebirds. Sea ducks, loons, grebes and gulls can also be easily spotted. Occasionally, there are special visitors such as Long-tailed Duck and Red-necked Grebe. Endangered species, the California Sea Otter, can be observed in the harbor channel with sometimes dozens in a raft.
D. Franklin, Via 2011

References

California State Beaches Beaches of Monterey County, California Parks in Monterey County, California Monterey Bay Beaches of Northern California {{MontereyCountyCA-geo-stub