Rating:C
Rimmed by farm fields, marshy roads with potholes, and some homes, Zmudowski State Beach was slated for closure as early as this month, as part of the state’s austerity moves. Now, though, state officials expect a supporting organization, such as a nonprofit or foundation, will be found to help pay for maintenance and other costs.Why was the site on the list of parks to be padlocked?Speculates March visitor Lucy D’Mot on her blog:”I have to guess that Zmudowski State Beach is not well attended.No doubt the poor roads contribute to its lack of tourists.” An official told me, though, that even if it closes, die-hard users will probably be able to sneak in and keep sunbathing on the sand.
Occasional nudist activity is still reported at the beach, in the north end of the county, south of the Pajaro River, where ranger patrols and development of homes around the site have combined to make sans suit sunbathing mostly a thing of the past.Because of its remote location, the area is still sometimes called Hidden Beach.
Legal status:
State beach property.
How to find it:
Follow Struve Road from Highway 1, just north of Moss Landing, to its intersection with Giberson Road. Then take Giberson to its end, at the state beach parking lot. Hike to the north tip of the beach via the dirt access road that starts at the small lot. The beach path runs parallel to the shore, but nude sunbathers usually gather behind the sand dunes.
The beach:
No longer “hidden” (see above), the site is now ringed by houses and condos.
The crowd:
Mostly a family beach.
Problems:
Pending possible state park closure and/or reduced maintenance; rangers (keep your swimsuit on when rangers or clothed beachgoers are in the area); cold water; wind; fog; riptides.