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Willow Creek, United States

Stay in San Simeon: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of San Simeon

Watch this spot We email you when Willow Creek is worth the trip.

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California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Willow Creek

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces W (263°), so it takes swell from the W. The wind blows offshore from the E (83°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–8 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves moderately: 10 m deep about 200 m out (1 in 21). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 12°C in April, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 16°C in September, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). For intermediate surfers the best month is usually August, with about 3 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Simeon. Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot.

Water about 15°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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Book the trip

From Chicago: about 8 h 15 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to MRY, direct.

    See flights ORD → MRY · Skyscanner from about £225 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 45 from the airport to Willow Creek.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Nearest beds: San Simeon, 42 km (about 1h 15 by car)Ad

    No town with beds to book is nearer Willow Creek: plan on the drive each day you surf.

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay in San Simeon, 42 km away on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in San Simeon · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Simeon · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Willow Creek on Google Maps · Directions

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Forecast

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct435 ft9 scrumbling318kJ20°C
Mon 19Oct226 ft9 smushy501kJ16°C
Tue 20Oct155 ft10 shollow427kJ16°C
Wed 21Oct345 ft9 scrumbling286kJ17°C
Thu 22Oct394 ft8 smushy137kJ17°C
Fri 23Oct395 ft6 smushy161kJ16°C
Sat 24Oct216 ft7 smushy302kJ19°C
Sun 25Oct243 ft7 smushy106kJ17°C
Mon 26Oct376 ft7 smushy278kJ14°C
Tue 27Oct465 ft7 smushy245kJ16°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 1h 45 by road. About 8h 15 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Willow Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 10 s, wind 3 kn (5 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Willow Creek

    Best 17:00 to 20:00 local time: 5 ft at 9 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Willow Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 8 s, offshore wind.

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Willow Creek

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 5 ft at 6 s, wind 3 kn (6 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Nothing worth paddling out for: the best window scores 32 of 80.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to MRY, then 1h 45 by road. About 8h 15 door to door

The trip from San Simeon, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,020–£1,845 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to MRY, estimated from distance and season, 1 airline on the route, with a hold bag£225–£465
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,020–£1,845

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Places to eat near San Simeon

Within 2 km of the town centre, listed by how complete the listing is (website, opening hours, cuisine) and whether two sources name it. Not a judgement of the food: we have no reviews. Listings © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Overture Maps Foundation. Credits

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Nearest beds: San Simeon, 42 km (about 1h 15 by car) · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.