Perhaps the best tide pools in Northern California are located at MacKerricher State Park. There, you’ll find rich marine life tucked away in little pockets of water. Follow the boardwalk out to Laguna Point until you reach the stairs leading down to the bluff. And naturally, the beach here has no shortage of tide pools. You’ll find beaches, bluffs, headland, dunes, forests, and wetlands at MacKerricher State Park in Mendocino. If you visit during the warmer months, watch out for the pesky migrating jellyfish-they sting. Chase NorCal swells, hone your surf skills, and go tide pooling all in one day at this top San Francisco Bay Area beach. Head to the southernmost part of the beach to encounter isolated rock pools home to different kinds of crabs and sea anemones.īesides awesome tide pooling, Pacifica State Beach is also a favorite destination among surfers, especially those who are just starting out. Pacifica Tide PoolsĪlso known as Linda Mar State Beach, this beautiful coastal destination is a top kid-friendly California tide pooling spot with a rich habitat. And if you think this beautiful beach looks familiar but can’t put your finger on it, you might recognize it from the opening scene of Memoirs of a Geisha- several scenes were filmed at the bluffs, directly overlooking the beautiful reserve. Look for sea urchins, anemones, hermit crabs, and numerous other sea critters at this coveted Northern California tide pool hot spot. The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve consists of a three-mile stretch of beach, tide pool habitat, marsh, erosive bluffs, clifftop trails, as well as cypress and eucalyptus forests. Approximately 20 miles south of San Francisco, this reserve protects and preserves the complex yet fragile community of sea animals along the Moss Beach coast and beyond. The best area to find tide pools in Moss Beach is at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve located just north of Pillar Point Harbor and Mavericks.

Tidal pools east coast