Panoramic photo of Moonlight Beach from the public parking lot above the beach.
Moonlight Beach get's it's name from midnight picnics that happened here in the early 1900's.

Moonlight  Beach is under construction, Groundbreaking Aug 24.  Be aware that construction will be happening through May 2013.

The concession, and rentals are now CLOSED indefinitely.   

The Owens family has felt honored to serve you over the last 4 years, and hope you all the best memories at Moonlight Beach.

Please direct all questions to the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of Encinitas:

Address: 505 S. Vulcan Ave.
Encinitas, CA 92024
Phone: (760) 633-2740
Fax: (760) 633-2626

Moonlight Beach Directions
CAR: Take I-5 to Encinitas Blvd. Go West. Encinitas Blvd will turn into B Street as you cross the 101. Follow B Street west towards the Pacific. Moonlight State Beach is in front of you!

PARKING: There is an abundance of public parking located above the beach, or park along one of the local streets.
SPECIAL NEEDS: There are 3 wheelchair accessible parking spots located in the lower drop off area.  There are an additional 4 blue placard required parking spaces along B street nearby.  The beach is flat, and has a plastic wheelchair path out to the beach's point.  The lifeguard tower has a sand wheelchair.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Take our local train, the Coaster to the Encinitas transit station and walk west about five to six blocks west down to the beach. (Coaster Schedule)

Facilities at Moonlight State Beach

Some of the items that make this beach special:

Full time Lifeguards, kid's park & playground, green belt, showers, bathrooms, picknick benches, bonfire pits, volleyball courts, handicap access and concession stand.

Activities at Moonlight State Beach

Moonlight State Beach boasts picnic areas, barbecues and many flat areas that are easy to walk along. During low tide, there are wide sandy beaches for walking. Destinations from Moonlight include Swami's point to the South, or Beacon's Beach to the North.

It is safe to swim between the two flags which marks the cove. Surfing is only permitted outside of the Moonlight Beach Cove. The checkered flags show where the surfing/swimming border begins and ends. During the summer, there are Junior lifeguard programs going for teaching the kids water safety skills.

Video about Moonlight Beach

This was a contest winner, sponsored by DEMA, from the local San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas. As part of a school project, two fine young lads in the video production program produced this video about Moonlight Beach. They won 2nd place in the contest.