Harmony Headlands State Park

Located to the north of the town of Cayucos, Harmony Headlands State Park is a 784-acre large and less popular state park. The state park has a rock-and-sand beach near its northern shoreline. This beach is situated below steep oceanfront bluffs and has sparse amounts of vegetation along the bluff sides. The state park area near the beach also has unique sandstone cliffs which display a pockmarked pattern due to weathering.

The beach in Harmony Headlands State Park does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so prepare your visit accordingly. However, the blufftop area near the beach has a restroom.

The beach in Harmony Headlands State Park offers many fun activities including hiking, wildlife watching,tidepooling,and sunbathing. Recreational aquatic activities including swimming, surfing, and paddleboarding are unsafe in the water near the beach in Harmony Headlands State Park as the rocky shoreline around the beach can inflict grave injuries. The water near the beach is home to many animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). If you like birdwatching, you can watch many rare birds on the beach and the surrounding areas including brown pelicans and black oystercatchers. The blufftop area above the beach offers an Instagram-worthy view of the rugged state park coastline. The state park area around the beach has hiking trails via which you can explore the interesting flora and fauna present in the state park’s various habitats including grasslands, coastal scrubs, wetlands, and ponds. Harmony Headlands State Park is home to many animals including frogs, lizards, snakes, raccoons, coyotes, mule deer, and the rare southwestern pond turtle. However, we recommend being careful during hiking as the area around the hiking trails is known to have ticks.

Getting to the beach in Harmony Headlands State Park is easy - the trailhead for the two-mile-long Headlands Trail, which is the state park’s main hiking trail leading to the beach, is easily accessible via Pacific Coast Highway / California State Highway 1. There is also a paid parking lot near this trailhead. If this parking space gets filled up, there is also a free overflow parking lot nearby. However, since the hiking trail leading to the beach is known to pass through tick-infested areas, we recommend being careful. In addition, we also recommend being careful while accessing the beach as the bluff sides around the beach can be steep and rocky.

There are many attractions near Harmony Headlands State Park. The Cayucos Pier (also known as Cass’ Wharf) was constructed in the 19^th century by Captain James Cass, the founder of the town of Cayucos. This iconic Cayucos landmark has benches and offers marvelous views of the Cayucos shoreline, the distant Morro Rock, and the Pacific Ocean. In addition, this 950 feet-long pier is a very popular fishing spot - you can catch a large variety of fish in the water near different sections of the pier including walleye, surfperch, rockfish, bonito, barracuda, and Boccaccio. In addition, fishing on the pier does not require a fishing license and the pier also has lights for night-fishing sessions. The end of the fishing pier is a great spot for catching sharks including soupfin sharks, horned sharks, and angel sharks during the night. The Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History offers interesting exhibits on the local biodiversity, geology, and cultural history. If you are looking for another attraction near Harmony Headlands State Park, Art Center Morro Bay displays interesting artworks. In addition, the center also hosts artistic demonstrations by regional artists and organizes art classes for children and adults.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Harmony Headlands State Park.  Port House is an upscale restaurant that serves amazing seafood and steaks. Duckie’s Chowder House offers delicious sandwiches and seafood. In addition, the restaurant is famous for its amazing clam chowder. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Harmony Headlands State Park, the modestly priced Cayucos Gas Mini Mart - Deli offers delicious Mexican dishes including burritos and tacos.

If you are looking for a hotel near Harmony Headlands State Park, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Cayucos Sunset Inn Bed & Breakfast offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, afternoon wine, and snacks, a DVD library, and spa services. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Estero Inn that offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and passes for nearby wine tasting sessions. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Harmony Headlands State Park, the modestly priced 2-Star Beachwalker Inn & Suites Cayucos offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, a patio that offers views of the ocean, and a barbecue area.