It’s easy to drive by Shark Fin Cove on your way to Santa Cruz and totally miss it. From the road, you can’t see this secluded beach or its famous rock that looks like a shark fin.
But it’s absolutely worth a stop on your Pacific Coast Highway 1 road trip! I’ve been here a ton of times as I drive down to Santa Cruz, or just to Davenport to go strawberry picking (I’m also obsessed with Pie Ranch up the road from this beautiful hidden beach and find myself there often just to pie their pies).
But Shark Fin Cove is easily one the best beaches in all of California due to it’s unique rock, cool sea cave and deep cove sand beach perfect for picnics or beach bonfires at night.
If you are coming here to photograph the fin rock, you need to come at sunrise. Even though this is a hidden beach, locals on the Slow Coast love it and frequently hang out there. Plus, I adore being on the California coast during sunrise – watching the sky turn from dark to pale to hazy pink to bright blue is magical.
Last time I visited was at sunrise with my friend Justina. We left San Francisco while it was still dark and got to watch the sunrise from the beach, with nothing but the sound of waves and this beautiful, huge fin rock in our vision.
Shark Fin Cove Directions
Shark Fin Cove parking is easy. You can easily pop Shark Fin Cove into your Google Maps and it’ll take you right to the dirt parking lot off Hwy 1. If you are coming from Southern California or Big Sur, you’ll be passing through Santa Cruz first.
If you are coming from San Francisco or up north, you’ll pass through Pacifica and Half Moon Bay first.
There is a gas station in Davenport, but otherwise this stretch of road is pretty empty, so make sure you have a full tank of gas first!
Parking At Shark Fin Cove Beach
The Shark Fin Cove parking lot is pretty large and I’ve never had issues parking here.
From the parking lot, head South towards to the beach and lookout point. Like all Northern California beaches, this one has a very steep and rugged trail down to the water so make sure to wear study shoes and watch out for poison oak!
It looks steep and hard to climb back up, but it’s not too bad, I promise! I’ve done it tons of time. And it’s so worth going down to see Shark Fin cove cave, a neat sea cave that, at low tide, you can walk all the way through to the otherwise.
At high tide the water in the tunnel will fill up so it’s hard to navigate to the other side completely.
After you have you fill of beach time, make sure to do the Shark Fin Cove trail up on the bluffs! This is where most photographers come at sunset to capture that iconic fin rock photograph with hazy sunrise glow over the ocean.
It’s a wonderful trail to stroll after you take photos. I always see local joggers here and think how wonderful it is to have this as your daily view!
What To Bring To Shark Fin Cove Beach
- Sturdy shoes since the trail is steep! I like Tevas or Twoobs.
- Beach blanket if you plan on hanging out here.
- Full waterbottle
- Your camera to take tons of photos!
Keep in mind there are no facilities here, so that means no bathrooms. They also have no trash bins or drinking fountains so pack out what you need!
- Beach chairs (hard to carry up the hill!)
- Dogs
- Trash (pack it out!)
- Flimsy shoes
Things To Do Near Shark Fin Cove
I love this area of the Slow Coast, I find myself driving down here all the time. There’s tons of fun things to do in Davenport, the cute town the beach is next too, but here are my favorite stops.
Santa Cruz Boardwalk is obviously famous. It’s very retro feeling and has tons of rides, games and carnival food stops. I love riding the sky glider and seeing the beach from above!
But most of the best things are between Shark Fin Cove and San Francisco. If it’s April-June, make sure to stop by Swanton for u-pick strawberries, this is so fun and they are only $8 a pound! And then a few miles up the road, grab locally made pies, canned tomatoes, fresh produce and other goodies at Pie Ranch.
Further up the Slow Coast is Pigeon Point Lighthouse outside Pescadero, one of my favorite lighthouses in the state. The beach here is beautiful and I love visiting, especially in the winter when all the wild mustard is dotting the cliffs with yellow. Stunning against the blue sky!
If you are heading back to San Francisco, pull off at Harley Farms in Pescadero to pet baby goats and shop the best locally-made goat cheese in the entire state! I’m obsessed with this place.
Sam’s Chowder in Half Moon Bay is a must and if you’ve never stopped by the fanciest Taco Bell in the world, it’s in Pacifica right on the beach.
If you live in South Bay and are heading home through Hwy 17, the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park to see towering Redwood trees is always worth a stop.
