Shamel Park(Shamel Community Park)

Located next to a beach in northern Cambria, Shamel Park –which is also known as Shamel Community Park - is a grassy six-acre park with access to a large beach with brown sand. The beach near Shamel Park has sparse amounts of vegetation and the southern part of the beach is rocky. 

While the beach does not have lifeguards, Shamel Park has many amenities including a seasonal pool, picnic tables, barbecue spots, restrooms, showers, a horseshoe court, a kids play area, and a gazebo. 

The beach near Shamel Park offers many fun activities including swimming, horseshoes, tidepooling, beachcombing, rockhounding, sunbathing, surfing, bodysurfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, bodysurfing, boogie boarding, kayaking, canoeing, wildlife watching, boating, and picnicking. If you are planning to go into the water at the beach near Shamel Park, we recommend being careful as the water here has strong and unpredictable rip currents. The water here is home to many animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). The southern part of the beach has tide pools that can be explored during low tide and which are home to many animals including crabs, sea anemones, and sea urchins. Shamel Park is popular among families as it has picnic tables, a play area for children, and it also offers an incredible Instagram-worthy view of the Pacific Ocean.

Getting to Shamel Park is easy - it is located near the intersection of Pembrook Drive and Windsor Boulevard, where there is a free parking lot, from where you can easily walk to the access stairs leading to the beach. Since the beach has pebbles, it is advisable to wear proper footwear. 

There are many attractions near Shamel Park. Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery offers an interesting and memorable opportunity to have an up-and close encounter with a large colony of elephant seals. In addition, the nonprofit organization Friends of the Elephant Seal has a visitor center that has interesting exhibits on the local fauna and also has a gift shop. The Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument is set in a palatial estate that was formerly the home of the famous newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst. The site features Hearst Castle, the businessman’s lavish mansion which also has interesting art galleries, historical exhibitions, a visitor center, and a gift shop. If you are looking for another attraction near Shamel Park and the adjacent beach, Piedras Blancas Light Station is a historical landmark that has a lighthouse and offers interesting tours about the role of lighthouses in maritime navigation.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants near Shamel Park. Sea Chest Oyster Bar is an upscale restaurant that is set in an idyllic New England-style building and offers excellent seafood. Indigo Moon offers excellent steaks, rack of lamb, pork chops, pastas, and a variety of excellent seafood including fish and chips, salmon tacos, and scallops. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Shamel Park, the modestly priced Main Street Grill offers excellent seafood and barbecue dishes including hot dogs, burgers, barbecue pork sandwiches, and fish and chips.

If you are looking for a hotel near Shamel Park, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Blue Dolphin Inn presents incredible oceanfront views and also serves complimentary breakfast. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Pelican Inn & Suites which offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast, a pool, a hot tub, a gym, and complimentary tasting passes for nearby wineries. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Shamel Park, the modestly priced 2-Star Creekside Inn Downtown - Cambria offers many amenities including flower gardens and a complimentary breakfast on weekends.