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History

William Randolph Hearst memorial State Beach is located in northern San Simeon, California directly below Historic Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo county.  William Randolph Hearst State Beach or as it is locally known “The Cove” was once home to the Hearst Family newspaper empire, and was the hub of Trade and shipping in the area. Before the 1800's the land was known to be inhabited by the Chumash. However the known written history of this beach begins way back in the mid-1830's when mission San Miguel was built, and by the early 1850's a small Portuguese whaling village had been built on the peninsula jetting out into the sea. Over the course of ten years, the small village managed to hunt down some three hundred and seventy whales though records of what type of whales was not kept it is assumed the majority of the whales were gray and humpbacks as these are the whales that are commonly spotted in the area. This village was short lived, because only ten years after it was built a severe drought caused the town to move to find fresh water. George Hearst Bought nearly fifty thousand Acres establishing the ground work for Williams Empire. The Hearst Family owned all the land as far as the eye could see from their castle until the early 1950's when the family donated a huge section of land to the state and sold miles of shore line to be used for public use. If you visit the beach today the pier George Hearst build in the 1800’s no longer exists, but a new on was built in the 1900’s just a few hundred yards down the beach that now stands in its place. now the beach is a California state beach.

The Cove

Recreation

William Randolph Hearst memorial State Beach is a quiet place with an abundance of wildlife and nature that can be easily viewed.  The beach has a variety of outdoor activities including, kayaking, kayak surfing, paddle boarding, slack lining, hiking, fishing, and swimming. though kayak surfing is becoming more popular along the beach the water is mostly shore break and therefore it is difficult to surf on a normal surfboard. Located on the beach is a small kayak, Sea For Yourself Kayak Outfitter, shop which provides kayak, paddle board, bike, and other beach gear rentals. The most popular is the kayak tour nearly every day around ten a group of people can be seen launching through the waves and embarking on a two and a half hour tour lead by local business owner, Cubby, who has spent nearly ten years exploring and researching the cove and its history. The beach has more than initially meets the eye. Sights Include caves underground, beaches, arches, and an abundance of wildlife. different types of wildlife that can be seen in the cove over a year include but are not limited too, Gray whales, Humpback Whales, Bottle nose dolphins, sea lions, harbor seals, elephant seals, otters, and northern fur seals. fishing from both the pier and by boat is also popular and common fish that are targeted here include but are not limited too rock fish including Ling cod, cabezon, vermilion rock fish, and gopher cod. Other fishes include halibut, thresher sharks, smelt, surf perch, and the occasional sting ray. There is also a peninsula that jets out into the ocean which is still Hearst property today, but they do allow visitors to hike the path all the way out to the ocean. Just above the beach in the upper parking lot, there is a discovery center which provides information about the history and the local wildlife. Picnic tables, barbecue grills and restrooms are available.This day use area offers 24 picnic sites, 150 parking spaces, restrooms, water faucets, barbecue grill stands and easy beach access. Recreational activities include picnicking, swimming, fishing, boating, kayaking and sunbathing. There is a kayak and boogie board concession in operation with equipment for rent. The beach is day use only there is no camping allowed, and the gates will be closed just after the sun down. 

The Beach today

Today William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach is a quiet beach that has an abundance of wildlife and nature that can be easily viewed. On any given day you can expect to see people kayaking or paddle boarding on the calm waters of the cove, or fishing the kelp beds. the beach is divided into two sections from the parking lot down to the water is all state owned and maintained beach, but the other half of the beach all the way to the peninsula is private property still owned by the Hearst family today. although it is private property the Hearst Family still allows anyone to came and enjoy the beach. The mission is still standing today along with the Hearst warehouse, and Sebastian which is now a small grill serving all grass-fed Hearst beef, but used to serve as a small general store in the 1800's. There are also two newer buildings on a small kayak rental shop, and the other a small nature and historic museum or discovery center. another common thing to do at the beach is to hike the point. San Simeon point which is still Hearst property today is covered in trees, and has small trails that go out along its edges to its point where on a clear day you can see the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse tower which was built in the 1870's and is still in operation today 

Climate

San Simeon has a mild climate, but fluctuates day to day. during the summer the temperatures could be in the nineties, or as low as the fifties on any given day. during the winter the weather is usually mild with temperature hovering between the low forties and high sixty's. on average San Simeon see's only around twenty inches of rain a year. most day start with a layer of fog that burns off by mid morning. once the fog has burned off the historic Hearst castle can be see on top of the water.