85 Beaches to Explore in California

This is the main hub of Half Moon Bay State Beach, is located at 95 Kelly Avenue. The beach is easily accessible with a paved ramp leading down the sand. The day-use area features a large picnic area with barbecues and restrooms with running water. The campground hosts tent and RV camping with sites offering electric hookup or dry camping.

Goleta Beach County Park offers visitors a little bit of everything, including beautiful beaches, a 1,500 ft. fishing pier and miles of paved biking trails. There are walking trails on the bluff top west of Goleta Beach Park which lead to the UCSB Lagoon and Campus Point Beach. The 1500-feet long fishing pier is a long walk in itself with views back toward the mountains.

Goleta Point is a cape in Santa Barbara County. It is characterized by a beach cliff, crashing waves, and a view of the Channel Islands. The rock formation is frequented by shorebirds. It is one of the iconic attractions in this area and also there are so many things to see and do.

Gray Whale Cove State Beach is a California State Park between Pacifica, California, and Montara, California, by Highway 1 and approximately 18 miles south of San Francisco. It features a sheltered cove surrounded by abrupt cliffs, with trails connecting to nearby Montara Mountain and McNee Ranch State Park. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Hammonds Beach is a locals beach and a surfing spot in the Montecito area of Santa Barbara County.At lower tides you can walk west (right) along the beach in front of the homes to get to Hammonds Beach. The famous Hammond's Reef surfing spot at Hammond's Beach creates a powerful right breaking wave during large westerly swells.

Haskell's beach is a great beach in Goleta that is slightly more hidden.It is nestled between The Ritz-Carlton Bacara and Sandpiper Golf Club. Soak up the sun on the sandy beach, explore the tide pools, or look for dolphins playing in the ocean.

This beach is just a ten minute drive along the Coast from downtown Santa Barbara. Hendry's is secluded by towering cliffs and a curving coastline. Surfers and children vie for territory as the waves tumble into shore. Hendry's is centrally located to a great deal of other fun.

A beautiful beach located in the south end of the peninsula that separates Channel Islands Harbor from the ocean. It is wide and about a mile long. Because of this huge sandy expanse. it is very popular among tourists and also there are so many beach leisure activities possible.

Huntington Beach Pier is one of the longest piers on the West Coast. It is well known for surfing, beautiful ocean views, and legendary bars.One of the main landmarks of Huntington Beach, also known as "Surf City, USA", the pier is the center of the city's prominent beach culture. A popular meeting place for surfers, the ocean waves here are enhanced by a natural effect caused by the edge-diffraction of open ocean swells around Catalina Island, creating consistent surf year-round.

Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a marine reserve in California on the Pacific Ocean. The reserve is a 32-acre holding which extends from Montara light station at the north to Pillar Point on the south. The reserve consists of a three-mile stretch of beach.

A is a small, picturesque cove and beach that is surrounded by cliffs. The Cove is protected as part of a marine reserve; underwater it is very rich in marine life, and is popular with snorkelers, swimmers and scuba divers.

A beautiful beach, which varies dramatically, from 300-foot sea cliffs, to rocky reefs, to secluded coves and wide golden sandy shores. Its beautiful coastal landscape makes portions of the beach inaccessible, the views are beyond spectacular, as waves and whitewater break onto rocky outcroppings, and seals and sea lions gracefully navigate safe landing onto their protected cove.

La Jolla Shores Park is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of California and an extremely popular one. It has stretches of grass, an enticing playground, a large bathroom and outdoor shower facilities, it is catered to ensuring a fun, smooth family or group outing. Due to its flourishing aquatic life and proximity to Scripps Institute of Oceanography, it is a very popular launch point for scuba divers, kayakers, stand up paddle boarders and snorkelers.

Leadbetter Beach is a City beach and park between the Santa Barbara Harbor and Shoreline Park and across from Santa Barbara City College. The Shoreline Beach Cafe offers diners tables on a covered patio or even in the sand. Outdoor showers, restrooms, a grassy picnic area combine to make this a mecca for the young and active. It is also a popular location for kitesurfers and windsurfers during the summer, when the wind is consistent.

Leo Carrillo State Beach is one of Los Angeles' most scenic beaches, with miles of sand, sea caves, and interesting rock formations.The 2,513-acre park was established in 1953. It is named for actor and conservationist Leo Carrillo, who served on the State Parks commission.

Leo Carrillo State Park is a state park in Los Angeles County. It has 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beachcombing. The beach also has tidepools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring. Giant sycamores shade the main campgrounds. The park also features back-country hiking. The 2,513-acre park was established in 1953.

Lookout Park is the main beachfront park in Summerland, located up on a bluff with a south-facing view. Summerland Beach is right below Lookout Park. The park is operated by Santa Barbara County parks and includes a free parking lot, a grass park, benches, picnic tables, BBQs, a kids playground, a volleyball court, restrooms, and the dog wash.

A beautiful protected beach in California and is a part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area. The Malibu Lagoon is an estuary at the mouth of the Malibu Creek at the Pacific Ocean and is a stop for many migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway. It has three primary surfing areas where both amateurs and professionals come to surf. The shoreline is usually triple-cornered due to the buildup of silt, sand, and cobble at the mouth of the creek.

A majestic 15-acre beachfront park in Ventura, featuring a large open grassy area for kids to play, families to host a picnic, or to just sit and enjoy the California sunshine.This park has nearly an entire mile of oceanfront that’s directly adjacent to Ventura Harbor, with plenty of beachfront land and flat sand.

This small stretch of sand on the southwest side of the Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful places in California with the massive rocks, waves crashing on the sand, and the staggering Golden Gate Bridge providing a backdrop to it all. It’s incredibly photogenic, offering spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and the Marin Headlands.