Bolsa Chica
Popular for surf fishing (perch, corbina, croaker, cabezon and san shark). Summer time is great for bare-handed fishing for California Grunion. Three miles from Sunset Beach to Seapoint Avenue with a bike-way connecting it to Huntington State Beach. Wildlife and bird watching are also popular. |
Carpinteria Beach
Offers a mile of beach for swimming, surf fishing, exploring tide pools and camping. |
Crystal Cove
Home to famous cottages, you'll also find 3.2 miles of beach and 2,400 acres of undeveloped woodland. Popular for hiking and horseback riding. The offshore waters are designated as an underwater park. |
Doheny
Camping available in the southern area (with some campsites only steps away from the beach) and day use in the northern area, where there is a five-acre lawn with picnic facilities and volleyball courts. Surfing is popular and surf fishing are popular. |
EL Capitan State Beach
Sandy beaches and rocky tide pools. It’s a perfect setting for swimming, fishing, surfing, picnicking and camping. A stairway provides access from the bluffs to the beach area. A bike trail connects the park with Refugio State Beach, 2.5 miles away. |
Emma Wood
Popular for swimming, surfing and fishing with catches including perch, bass, cabezon and corbina. The Ventura River estuary is at the mouth of the Ventura River at the southeast end of the park. It attracts a variety of wildlife including raccoons, songbirds and great blue herons. Dolphins are occasionally seen just offshore. The park also features the crumbling ruins of a World War II coastal artillery site. The offshore Channel Islands can be seen from the beach. Family camping for self-contained vehicles only and group camping is available at Ventura River Group Camp. |
Gaviota State Beach
Popular spot for swimming, picnicking, surf fishing and camping, despite high winds that often blow through the area. A pier on the west end of the beach is used by anglers, and scuba divers and surfers use a boat hoist on the pier to access the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. |
Jalama Beach Santa Barbara
98 campsites all overlooking the ocean or beachfront. Each site has a picnic table and BBQ pit, with hot showers, restrooms and water nearby. 29 sites offer electrical hookups, and dump stations are available. |
Leo Carillo
1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. The beach also has tide pools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring. Giant sycamores shade the main campgrounds. The park also features back-country hiking. Nature walks and campfire programs are offered and a small visitor center has interpretive displays. During the summer, children's programs are available. |
McGrath
Great bird-watching with the lush riverbanks of the Santa Clara River and sand dunes along the shore. A nature trail leads to the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve. Two miles of beach provide surfing and fishing opportunities, however, swimmers are urged to use caution because of strong currents and riptides. The park offers campsites by the beach. |
Oceano Dunes
3,600 acres off road area is among the most popular and unique of California State Parks. The 5 ˝ miles of beach open for vehicle use and the 1,500 acres of sand dunes available for off highway motor vehicle recreation are attractions for visitors from throughout the United States. |
Pismo Beach
Attractions include hiking, swimming, surf fishing and digging for the famous Pismo clam. Largest colony of monarch butterflies in the US. |
Point Mugu
Llocated in the Santa Monica Mountains this park features five miles of ocean shoreline, with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks and a few native walnuts. There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails. |
Refugio
Excellent coastal fishing as well as trails and picnic sites. Palm trees planted near Refugio Creek give a distinctive look to the beach and camping area. A bike trail along the beach bluff connects the beach with El Capitán State Beach 2.5 miles east. |
San Clemente
Dramatic setting and invigorating air raises your energy level and state of mind. The mile long beach stretches between the curling ocean surf and the foot of a steep bluff. The park attracts water sports enthusiasts. |
San Elijo State Beach
Located on the San Diego Coast, San Elijo State Beach offers swimming, surfing, showers and picnicking. The narrow, bluff-backed stretch of sand has a nearby reef popular with snorklers and divers. |
San Onofre
3,000-acre scenic coastal-canyon park includes three distinct areas: San Onofre Bluffs, San Onofre Surf Beach, and San Mateo Campground. San Onofre Bluffs offers camping and day-use parking along Old Highway 101 adjacent to the sandstone bluffs. The beach below is popular with swimmers and surfers with six rugged dirt access trails cut into the bluff above. All campsites include a fire pit and picnic table. |
South Carlsbad
Beach features swimming, surfing, skin diving, fishing and picnicking. The large bluff-top campground is very popular, especially in summer. Stairs lead to the beach. |
