Beach to Brew Times 2

Beach Hiking Between Breweries in North San Diego County

Nothing represents North County San Diego better than a walk on the beach and a stop at a local brewery—or two. For a classic brewery-to-beach-to-beach-to-brewery trek, we’ve brewed up a 5-mile round-trip that highlights the best of funky NoCo seaside towns Leucadia and Encinitas, so you can wet your whistle and your feet along the way.

Park on the street at the Saint Archer Brewing Co. taproom in Leucadia, appropriately located next to a “Welcome to Leucadia” mural. Maybe start with something refreshing, such as the famous blonde ale, a gose, or a Tropical IPA, before heading west on Jasper St. Turn left at Neptune Ave., which lands you at the cliffs of Beacon Beach. Switchback your way down the picturesque path to the shore, kick off your shoes, and head south.

It will be 2 miles before you reach the final beach. Enjoy the serenity of the beautiful coastal stroll, passing by scurrying sandpipers, sandstone bluffs, alluring private staircases (avoid eye contact if allergic to envy), and surfers searching for the best break. At the halfway point, you’ll pass by Stonesteps, the second of three public entryways to this pristine stretch of sand. Finally you reach Moonlight State Beach, an amenity-filled shoreline power center, with plenty of volleyball courts, palm umbrellas, restrooms, concession stands, and a spanking new marine safety center.

Head to the Moonlight Overlook and continue south on Moonlight Lane for more coastal vistas at D Street Viewpoint Park. (To the south is famous Swami’s Beach, inaccessible by sand from here.) You are now in Encinitas; to reach the next brewery, go east on D Street to the Coast Highway. Culture Brewing Co. will be across the street on your right. If you’re hungry, nearby Taco Stand serves up fantastic fish tacos. Culture Brewing has plenty of great options (we love Keyhole IPA, a hoppy, grapefruity masterpiece), but the free pretzels and natural, marine-inspired setting seal the deal for a perfect post-beach stop.

You can take the Coast Highway all the way back to your car, but we recommend turning left on B Street and stopping at Dave’s Rock Garden, with its hundreds of individually painted rocks set among bright succulents. From here, walk down to Moonlight and take the beach route back to your car, or stay for sunset. Gnarly, dude!

To get to Saint Archer Brewing Co, take the I-5 to the Leucadia Blvd. exit, heading west. After 0.3 mile, turn right onto Coast Hwy. 101 and find street parking near the intersection of Jasper St. (the brewery is on your left). No dogs on the beach or in breweries.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Serene Las Gallinas

    A serene stroll alongside marshland, passing ponds and grasses frilled in seasonal wildflowers, with Mount Tam a beacon in the background … how nice. As part of the esteemed Bay Trail, San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Valley Birding Loop and Wildlife Ponds comprises about 3.5 miles of wide-open trail.

    View
  2. Paint Brushy

    This time of year you’ll have good reason to head for the hills—the electric-green rolling hills of Brushy Peak Regional Preserve in Livermore. This 4.5-mile loop hike is like stepping into a plein air painting.

    View
  3. Sponsored

    2025 POST Wildflower Walks

    Get flower empowered! POST’s complimentary 2025 Wildflower Walks guide blooms with the best places to see a variety of florals across the Peninsula and South Bay this spring.

    View
  4. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Weekend in Reno Tahoe

    Weekend plans? Reno Tahoe! Just a few hours by car or a short flight away, Reno Tahoe springs to the moment with great ways to combine adventure and relaxation in its beautiful mountains-meets-desert setting.

    View
  2. Hiker walking along the North Bluff Trail on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

    Purely Wild

    Channel Islands National Park lives up to its nickname as “North America’s Galapagos.” This less-traveled national park is an undeveloped and isolated series of five dramatic and distinct islands reached by boat. Hike the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz.

    View
  3. Woman hiking the South Kaibab Trail in the Grand Canyon

    Truly Grand Day Hike

    One of the best spring day hikes in the Grand Canyon? See layer upon layer of the park’s grandeur—including the river—on this 3-mile (one-way) journey to Skeleton Point via the South Kaibab Trail.

    View
  4. A woman stands amid an array of yellow and purple flowers at Descanso Gardens in Los Angeles

    Petal Paradise

    Tulips, lilacs, and daffodils—flower power is in full bloom at Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Sprawling across 150 acres surrounded by mountains, the gardens are putting on their best show right now.

    View