California has so many flower seasons. The almond blossoms in the Spring, sunflowers in the summer. Carlsbad has the flower fields and the Californian coast has so many different blooming periods that it’s easy to catch flowers on the beach at some point in the year!
This August, my friend Gen and I took a roadtrip around Half Moon Bay on Hwy 101 to find the flowers at Montara State Beach. I wore this cute white dress from the Gal Meets Glam collection – it has pockets! – as it wasn’t too chilly.
On the weekends, this beach can be packed, especially if it’s sunny out! There is a dirt parking lot on the West side of the road that can fit a good amount of cars. If it’s full, you may have to park at another pullover area and walk down. There is no fee to park or enter the state beach.
During August, you can find these beautiful purple and white flowers dotting the upper area of Montara Beach. They are just stunning and make for great photos! August tends to be really foggy, so you can visit at any point in the day to snap a photo. If it’s clear out, I recommend heading to the beach around golden hour to witness the entire beach fill up with hazy orange light.
Montara State Beach offers some coastal trail hikes as well! You can walk among the flowers and down the coast on trails, or you can pop down to the beach if you prefer to walk closer to the water. There is the Point Montara lighthouse in the area which you can visit, or lodge at (it’s a hostel!) Beach fires and camping aren’t allowed, but your dogs are!
This portion of Hwy 101 makes for such a fun and relaxing girls day trip area to explore. Gen and I loved checking out Montara State Beach area. On the East side of the road, you can find an old white fence and wooden arch that looks like it once belonged to a ranch. Drive further North to find Devil’s Slide in Pacifica, a unique portion of road saddled between the mountain and the ocean which is only open to foot traffic. Makes for a stunning (and safe!) walk.
Have you done a girls road trip around Hwy 101? Any other gems to add to this list?
