Locals my age still refer to this as “A” Beach, short for Atascadero State Beach which is what it was called until some time in the 90s. My high school was on this beach (a rare and cool thing, a school on the beach) and for both PE and track practice I was sent (along with my classmates) to “run to the rock” or the dreaded “run to Cayucos pier.”

Beach notes: Full of sand dollars right now. Also saw a baby/juvenile gull, several curlews, and gangs of dowitchers, and a couple whimbrels. Also four horses, an egret, four dogs (prohibited on this beach), one kite, two people playing in the waves, and two people digging something up (i think just sand, alas) with a shovel where the water was meeting the beach.