San Mateo County beachgoers will gain more than half a mile of new coastline when San Gregorio Ranch opens to the public on Wednesday, July 29, expanding San Gregorio State Beach by more than 50%.
The Peninsula Open Space Trust, known as POST, purchased the 238-acre ranch in April for $10 million. The property sits at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 84. POST plans to donate it to California State Parks later in 2026, but visitors won't have to wait for the paperwork. Under an interim agreement between POST, State Parks, and the nonprofit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks, the ranch will function as an extension of the state beach starting July 29.
"San Gregorio Ranch has been a beloved beach property on an informal basis for decades, and State Parks is grateful for POST's partnership in helping make it a permanent feature of the beachgoing experience on the San Mateo County coast," Chris Spohrer, State Parks Santa Cruz District superintendent, said in a July 14 press release.
The park will be open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Visitors will find a new trail connecting the ranch to the existing state beach, an improved access road, a parking area with a kiosk, portable restrooms, and a beach access trail. Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks will handle day-to-day operations, including visitor services and entrance fee collection.
POST raised more than $16 million total to cover the purchase, maintenance upgrades, and an endowment for long-term land management and trail planning.
The property features flat-top bluffs with sweeping Pacific views and a narrow, driftwood-dotted beach below. Its terrain rises from sea level to 500 feet. The ranch also contains one of the region's largest stands of American dune grass, a native species that stabilizes dunes and prevents erosion, and provides habitat for California red-legged frogs, California king snakes, and acorn woodpeckers.
Beyond beach access, the acquisition could improve safety. According to POST, the stretch of Highway 1 next to the ranch has been the site of multiple pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in the past decade. The organization's ownership creates an opportunity to eventually route the California Coastal Trail through the property and off the highway.
POST has held a conservation easement on the ranch since 1996, when the prior owner donated it to protect the land's natural and recreational values. The April purchase secures that protection permanently.
The expansion aligns with Gov. Gavin Newsom's April 2026 "State Parks Forward" initiative, which set a goal of growing existing state parks by 30,000 acres by 2030.
How to visit: San Gregorio Ranch State Beach opens Wednesday, July 29, daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Access information is available at thatsmypark.org/parks-and-beaches/san-gregorio-ranch-state-beach.
