Moonlight State Beach
400 B St
Encinitas, CA
The heart of Encinitas at the beach, a wide golden cove named for moonlit picnics, with fire pits, tide pools, and the volleyball courts where the two-man game grew up.
Moonlight State Beach is where Encinitas comes to the sea. Tucked at the mouth of a canyon in the middle of town, it is a wide, gentle cove of golden sand framed by low bluffs, an easy stroll downhill from the surf shops and cafes of the historic Coast Highway. Families claim it for the day with umbrellas and coolers, kids poke through the tide pools at the north end, and when the sun drops the fire pits flicker to life along the sand.
The name is older and sweeter than the beach's fame suggests. In the early 1900s local families would haul picnics down to the shore and eat by the light of the moon, and the name stuck. A century later Moonlight is both a classic California day beach and a small piece of sports history, remembered as one of the places where the two-man beach volleyball game grew from a pastime into a real sport.
What Guests Love
- A wide, gentle family cove with lifeguards, fire pits, and shady picnic areas
- Sand volleyball courts on the beach where the two-man game found its early home
- Tide pools at the rocky north end that come alive at low tide
- Sunsets and evening bonfires, a nod to the moonlit picnics that named the place
Worth Knowing
- It is one of the most family-friendly beaches in the area, with restrooms, showers, and a playground near the sand
- Parking fills fast on warm weekends; arriving early or later in the day helps
- Fire pits are first come, first served, so claim one early if you want an evening bonfire
- Tide pooling is best at low tide at the north end; step gently and leave the creatures where they live
Details
Encinitas, CA
Learn about Moonlight State Beach
Moonlit picnics and a beach town's beginnings
The story behind the name reaches back to the earliest settlers of Encinitas. In the years around 1900, families would wash their laundry in nearby Cottonwood Creek and, while it dried, spread picnics on the sand and linger into the evening under the moon. Those moonlit gatherings gave the beach its name and made it the social center of the young town.
As Encinitas grew in the 1910s and 1920s, Moonlight became a genuine destination for North County. A landowner built a bathhouse, boardwalk, and dance hall, and people came for outings, social events, and even horse races on the sand. The beach has been the town's front porch on the ocean ever since.
A cradle of beach volleyball
By the middle of the 20th century Moonlight had picked up a new claim to fame. In the 1950s sand volleyball courts and fire pits were added, and the beach became a hotbed for the fast, two-person version of the game. Local players and touring pros alike gravitated to its courts, and Moonlight took its place among the Southern California beaches where competitive two-man volleyball was forged.
Those courts are still busy today, and on a warm afternoon you can watch pickup games rise and fall on the sand while the fire pits wait for evening. It gives Moonlight a lively, sporty energy on top of its easygoing family charm, a beach where you can just as easily nap under an umbrella or dive into a match.
A day at Moonlight
Moonlight is built for an easy beach day. There are lifeguards in season, restrooms and outdoor showers, a playground, and shaded picnic tables set back from the sand, which makes it a favorite with families and anyone who wants comfort with their swim. The gentle cove is good for splashing and bodysurfing, while the rocky north end holds tide pools worth exploring at low tide.
Come early on a summer weekend, because the parking fills fast, then stay through the afternoon into the evening. Claim a fire pit, watch the sun sink into the Pacific, and light a bonfire the way the town's founders lit their picnics more than a century ago. Downtown Encinitas is a short walk up the hill for a meal, so it is simple to fold Moonlight into a full, unhurried day at the beach.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Encinitas
Swami's Beach
About 1 mile
A world-famous reef surf break below the Self-Realization Fellowship gardens, with tide pools and clifftop ocean views.
San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve
About 3 miles
A coastal wetland preserve with miles of trails and superb bird watching where the lagoon meets the sea.
Encinitas Historic Coast Highway
About 0.5 miles
The walkable downtown strip above the beach, with the landmark boathouse buildings and vintage La Paloma theater.
Cardiff State Beach
About 3 miles
A long, mellow beach just south, popular with beginner surfers and known for its sunset stretch along Highway 101.