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San Gregorio Beach (SGB) is claimed by some to be the oldest "clothing optional" (CO) beach in the country, having been so since 1967. At over two miles in length, it is definitely one of the longest.
It is NOT the same as San Gregorio State Beach, which abuts its south end and is definitely NOT clothing optional. There is no obvious dividing line between the two... except that you'll begin to see naked people once you cross into SGB.
SGB is approximately 10 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 30 miles north of Santa Cruz on Highway 1. From where La Honda Road intersects Highway 1, entrance to the private parking area directly above SGB is approximately 100 meters north of that location. You cannot see the actual parking area from Highway 1. The entrance is a gravel road with a white cattle gate. Enter there and wind along the gravel road for about a quarter mile and you'll see the grassy parking area. The parking fee is $2.00/person with a $5.00/car minimum.
Alternatively, you can park in the state beach parking lot, which you can see from the La Honda Road/Highway 1 intersection to the south and then hike north along the beach about a quarter/half mile onto SGB. Parking costs $5/day there.
If you are "el cheapo", you can also park along the south side of La Honda Road where it meets Highway 1 for free. But you'll have to hike a fair amount to get to SGB, though, and it can be fairly dangerous pulling in/out since people tend to speed at lot in the area.
Easiest way to get to SGB from the almost everywhere except from the along the coast north or south of it is to take Highway 280 to the Sand Hill Road exit in Palo Alto, which you need to take west (away from Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). Continue along Sand Hill for a couple of miles and take a right onto Portola Road. About a quarter-mile onto Portola Road, it forks with Mountain Home Road, which veers off to the right. Stay on Portola until the first stop sign, which is where Portola ends at Woodside Road. At the stop sign, you'll need to make about a 150 degree left hand turn onto La Honda Road. BE REAL CAREFUL: this is a dangerous, dangerous intersection and you'll need to yield to all other traffic. Take La Honda Road all the way through the town of Sky Londa, where it meets Skyline Blvd. Again, BE REAL CAREFUL at this intersection as you pass through it since the traffic on Skyline Blvd. doesn't stop. Continue along La Honda Road all the way through to Highway 1.
Well, it's exactly that: "clothing optional". Most people at SGB go completely nude. Some women go just topless and some people don't go nude at all. But either way, SGB's just like most CO beaches: no one's going to care if you wear a bikini, swim trucks, just bikini bottoms or nothing at all.
I always go nude. It's a wonderful feeling, being able to walk around without a stitch of clothing on. It's also fun to know that some people are looking at your body... or shaved ass/cock/balls like mine...
Over the years, people have used driftwood logs and branches to create what look like short circular log cabins without roofs. They are great to get out of the wind (which is fairly common at SGB) and provide a little privacy. Most of them have entrances that face away from the ocean and are large enough for two people to lay out. There are probably about two dozen of these shelters along the beach, some more elaborate than others.
It's tradition that users hang a t-shirt or cloth as a flag, indicating that that particular shelter is in use.
True: most of the users at SGB appear to be gay men. But you'll all sorts of people there: men, women, families, couples (M/F, F/F, and M/M). It just appears to be a popular spot for gay men, that's all.
Public sexual or lewd behavior is illegal and if you are caught by the police, you're chances of getting off (no pun intended) are slim. But having said that, I've never seen anyone being cited for it... or even heard of anyone being cited for it. The driftwood shelters provide ample privacy for people to have sex. Also, since the beach is very long and straight, it is easy to see people coming towards you, providing time to "comply with the law".
But it is still somewhat common to see people having sex right on the beach anyway. I've seen people get blow/hand jobs, 69, rim, and fuck right out in the open and not seem to care (I've done some of those things myself). You'll see people having nude pics taken of them fairly often, too.
The extreme north end of the beach can be particularly popular for it since there are no shelters there and beach strollers often turn around long before reaching it.
For some, yes. But there isn't a real sense of "community" on SGB since people can spread out so far from each other and the shelters don't help create that sense. So people generally don't meet each other by asking to have lotion spread on them or anything like that.
But some men will cruise behind shelters and look into them as they pass, obviously looking for sex or to watch sex going on in them. Some will make a comment as they pass. A few times, men have taken a seat just outside my shelter, out of my field of view, and egged me on to masturbate for them as I lay there. So I complied....
If you aren't interested, don't make eye contact or acknowledge the person. If they ask if they can lay out in your shelter, you can always say you're waiting for a friend.
If you ARE interested, well, you'll know what to do... Ask him/her to take your pic (if you brought your camera).
