California's Secret State Beach Just Outside San Francisco Has Crystal-Blue Waters Hidden Behind A Cliffy Trail

It's hardly a secret that Southern California has some of the best beaches around. The region's balmy temperatures and glittery golden shores, which draw millions upon millions of beachgoers each year, are certainly a testament to that. But the beaches up north can definitely hold their own against any of their southerly counterparts. In fact, they entice visitors with something even better: miles upon miles of secluded stretches of sand. If this sounds like your type of beach experience, you'll want to venture about 10 miles south of Daly City, an underrated coastal city hidden in San Francisco's shadows, where you can find one of the Golden State's secret strands: Gray Whale Cove State Beach.

Spanning only about 800 feet, this cozy patch of coastline boasts pretty grand views. It's tucked away behind a dramatic wall of grassy, lofty cliffs, but a steep stair-laden trail will get you down to the white sands and emerald blue waters below. As you probably gathered from its name, the state beach is a great place to go if you want to spot a school of gray whales, which pass through the area each spring as they make their annual migration up north to the chilly waters of the Arctic to feast. 

The small strip of sand just a 26-minute drive south from San Francisco is also known as the Devil's Slide — a nickname that eludes to the wind-sheltered beach's positioning in an area that has experienced significant cliff erosion over the years. Despite the hellish moniker, one Tripadvisor reviewer said he felt like he was in heaven here, calling it "[one] of the most beautiful beaches in Northern California." Even by the name Devil's Slide, this cove definitely deserves a spot on the list of the most incredible California spots to visit.

Alas, the list of nicknames continues. The northern part of Gray Whale Cove State Beach, which is flanked by rocks, is known locally as Edun Beach. If you didn't catch it, that's "nude" spelled backwards. As history goes, the 1960s saw a surge in public nudity across the San Francisco Bay Area, and although nudity is largely illegal across California state parks, in recent years, the Edun section of the beach is still known to be clothing-optional. So, you may want to think twice about visiting if you have little ones in tow.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's cover the basics: Gray Whale Cove State Beach is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to sunset and dogs are not allowed. The beach is located on the west side of Highway 1, also known as Cabrillo Highway, while the parking lot (and porta potty) can be found across the road to the east. You'll have to play a bit of frogger to carefully cross the highway on foot, so be extra cautious and keep looking both ways as traffic moves rather quickly. Once you dart across Highway 1, you'll find the steep path and stairway that descend to the beach. If you don't plan on showing excessive amounts of skin, be sure to veer left once you reach the bottom, otherwise you'll end up in Edun. Bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and snacks, this isolated beach lacks both shade and concession stands.

There are miles of trails off the parking lot, including the Gray Whale Cove Trail, which snakes down the coast for just over 2 miles roundtrip. The nearly 3-mile out-and-back Devil's Slide Trail also lies to the north of the beach near an old World War II military bunker.