Ragged Point Beach

Ragged Point Beach is the northernmost public beach in San Luis Obispo County, just inside the SLO–Monterey county line on the southern edge of the Big Sur coast. The beach sits at the base of a roughly 400-foot bluff below the Ragged Point Inn, walled by sheer cliffs on three sides and open to the ocean on the fourth. Access is on foot, by the Black Swift Falls / Cliffside Trail, which descends about 1.2 miles round trip with 400 feet of elevation change and passes Black Swift Falls partway down. The trail can close in wet conditions when the descent becomes hazardous.

Cobble and exposed rocky structure run along the cliff base and into the water, making the pocket beach a rocky reef biome. The narrow stretch where the swell meets the outer rocks and breaks across the cobble shore is the surf zone biome.

Hiking the trail down and back is the main reason people come here. Wildlife viewing is common from both the bluff and the beach, with migrating gray whales passing in winter. The long carry of gear up and down the cliff trail, combined with the small beach footprint, keeps snorkeling, scuba, hook-and-line fishing, and spearfishing all uncommon, and the steep descent keeps surfing rare.

Free parking is available at the Ragged Point Inn lot above the trailhead. Spaces fill on summer weekends. Hook-and-line fishing and spearfishing are legal here under standard California regulations.