Pillar Point & Fitzgerald Reserve (Half Moon Bay)
Moss Beach / Half Moon Bay · near Half Moon Bay / Moss Beach · SF Bay Area
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Depth
- 15
- Water temperature
- 50–58°F · 7mm wetsuit
- Best season
- Low tide for pools; calm high tide for snorkel
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. James V. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach — free parking, a protected reef famous for some of the best tide pools on the California coast. Snorkeling is possible over the reef at calm high tide; the reserve is primarily a tide-pool destination. Cold, and viz is limited — a gentle Bay Area intro.
What is here
- Marine life
- Extraordinary tide pools · Rocky reef at high tide · Anemones, crabs, sea stars · Harbor seals nearby
- Features
- Among California's best tide pools · Protected marine reserve · Gentle Bay Area snorkel/exploration · Harbor seal haul-out nearby
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- No
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- snorkel
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 5–15 ft
- Intl tip
- The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Moss Beach) is primarily a tide-pool destination — come at low tide to walk the pools, or calm high tide to snorkel the reef. Free parking. Cold water and limited viz — manage expectations. Harbor seals haul out nearby (keep distance). Family-friendly. Combine with the Half Moon Bay coast and Mavericks viewpoint at Pillar Point.
The guide
The James V. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve at Moss Beach, below Pillar Point near Half Moon Bay, protects one of the finest tide-po…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Pillar Point & Fitzgerald Reserve (Half Moon Bay) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 37.523, -122.514