Beach cleanups cancelled due to COVID-19 regulations BUT you can still volunteer for our Street to Beach Cleanups program. Check it out!

About Tunitas Creek Beach:

Tunitas Creek Beach is a wide and long beach next to Highway 1 a couple miles South of downtown Half Moon Bay. There are two ways to get to the beach: the first one is by using a rope, it will help you go down the bluff, the second one is walking on a trail that goes under the highway and along the creek. During high tide or after some rain, the path can be very slippery and you will need to walk across the creek, so make sure to wear proper shoes. Once you reach the sand, the view of the bluff is astonishing!

Site Captains: Meet Brandy Chenoweth and Benjamin Rankin from Santa Cruz. These amazing people joined us in August 2015 after our second emergency cleanup at Tunitas. Brandy and Ben created the TLClocals, an organization dedicated in bringing Tunitas Creek Beach to its pristine state and helping the local community.

About the Cleanup:
Time: Please visit TLClocals to know the schedule
Where to Meet: Please visit TLClocals to know the meeting location.
Parking: Currently parking is free along Tunitas Creek Rd. though Parking Restrictions are in the works we will have permitted allowances for Volunteers during our 4th Sunday clean-up hours.
Cleanup Areas: Volunteers will clean up the side of the parking lot above the trail as well as the beach, trail and creek.
Supplies: Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own buckets and reusable gloves. Extra gloves, buckets and specific tools to bring the trash back up will be provided while supplies last. Because we are never sure of the weather, make sure to bring extra layers, a hat, sunblock, water (reusable bottles) and snacks.
Litter: Tunitas Creek Beach is being heavily polluted by weekly visitors, so expect there to be extensive amounts of small to large trash along the creek and on the beach. Your volunteer efforts go a long way at this location. We most commonly see food and beverage containers, diapers, a large variety of plastics and abandoned clothes and camping equipment. People also bury their trash in the sand so be careful digging out glass bottles and other sharp objects. 
Restrooms: There are no Restrooms at Tunitas Creek Beach, so use other facilities before arriving.

Beach cleanup in partnership and organized by TLC Locals.

Special Regulations & Precautions:
Dogs: Dogs are allowed off leash. Please don’t allow dogs off leash that aren’t well socialized and be responsible, pick up your dog waste.
Wildlife & Habitat Protection: Protections and effects of recent heavy pollution and sanitation issues are currently being evaluated for wildlife native to the creek and beach. There has been an increased die off of local shore birds and heavy over fishing and poaching of crabs.
Clothing: Sturdy and comfortable shoes are highly suggested, as parts of the trail can be quite slippery and there is a lot of broken glass in the sand on the beach. There is also a lot of poison oak on the side of the trail, so make sure to wear long sleeve shirt and pants.
Fires or BBQ grills and glass containers: Prohibited on beach.
Camping: Not legal on State beaches.
Fireworks: The use of fireworks is restricted on State beaches.
Others: There are no sanitation / waste management services; it is critical visitors pack out what they pack in.

Be sure to read through the Cleanup Guidelines before heading out.
More questions? Read our Beach Cleanup FAQs.

Make a Contribution to the Cleanup here:

Read About the Team in Action: Check out the Tunitas Creek Beach Blog.

Please visit TLClocals website to know more about the time and location.