Thornton State Beach(Thornton State Beach, Thornton Beach Vista)

Thornton State Beach is a dog-friendly beach and offers very few amenities including benches and an overlook platform.

There are many fun activities at Thornton State Beach including swimming, hiking, fishing, and beachcombing – but be careful because the beach gets wet during high tides. Please carry a coat while heading here as it can be windy, foggy, and cold.

Thornton State Beach has a free but small parking lot that is located at the west end of John Daly Boulevard on Highway 35. The bluffs over Thornton State Beach have been eroding and there is only one safe way to get to the beach. You can walk three-fourths of a mile north from the lot to the Mar Vista Stables where you will find a wide trail that leads directly to the beach.

If you are looking for attractions near Thornton State Beach, there are many within a 35-minute drive. Floating Taj Mahal or The Taj Mahal Houseboat was built by Bill Harlan and features marble floors, a wine cellar, a top-level solarium for meditation, and a sauna. The Marin Headlands Art Institute is an arts organization that hosts an internationally recognized artist-in-residence program and offers tours and exhibitions. Named after naturalist John Muir, Muir Woods National Monument is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is home to 240 acres of redwood forests. Another great attraction near Thornton State Beach is Mooncow Bay, a historical landmark that is a fantastic place to click Instagram-worthy pictures and picnic or camp.

If you get hungry, there are many restaurants within an eight-minute drive of Thornton State Beach. Naan ‘N’ Curry is an Indian restaurant serving paneer tikka masala, Palak paneer, mutter paneer, aloo vindaloo, dal makhani, and mixed vegetables. If you’re looking for a Japanese restaurant, Tani’s Kitchen offers tonkatsu, donburi, noodle soups, kitsune, sushi, and curries. Another good restaurant near Thornton State Beach is Burma Café, a Burmese restaurant featuring tea-leaf salad, samosa soup, dry noodles, white rice, mohinga, and kausuetho.

If you are looking for a hotel near Thornton State Beach, you can drive 12 minutes to the upscale Pacifica Beach Hotel that features a pool, restaurant, bowling alley, and hiking and windsurfing tours. The 2-Star Americas Best Value Inn San Francisco Pacifica has a bowling alley, and if you are looking for another affordable hotel near Thornton State Beach, the 2-Star Royal Inn is a 10-minute drive from the coast and 1-mile from interstate 280.