The path to the beach was completely breached and people were climbing on slippery rocks on sidehills (with kids and stuff in hand) to reach the beach. Is this normal here?

Also that water looked rancid dead fish and trash and smelled like their porta johns were leaking into that water

The water by those rocks was about 4-6 inches deep. It was incredibly easy to just walk through. 2 steps in the water and you're walking on flat rocks to get through the rest of the path. I know that doesn't answer your question, but figured people reading might be scared off.

Hi Raghunath, Thanks for your question! San Gregorio Creek runs right through San Gregorio State Beach. Therefore, the ease of beach access depends on the water levels of the creek, and this can change at any point in the year. When the entrance station is staffed, we warn folks of the difficult access due to creek blockage. However, it is quite common to have to wade through several inches of water to access the beach. If you're looking for a beach with easy access year round, we would recommend Pomponio State Beach (1 mile south of San Gregorio State Beach) or North Pescadero State Beach (about 3 miles south of San Gregorio). All of these beaches require the same $8 regular day-use fee, but the fee covers same-day entry to all State parks! Have a great day!

Lucas, Thanks. I agree that's an alternate workaround. Getting into water and walk will be easy if our hands are free. But, people with little kids and those with elderly can't really make it. There is also stuff that we carry to beach. I saw many struggling to get through, so I wanted to check if this is usual here or just something that's seasonal