Coastal treasures
The summer months bring a lot of people to California’s coastline. Here’s a look at some of our state beaches and network of Marine Protected Areas.
Before 1927, no comprehensive plan existed for preserving California’s recreational, natural and cultural treasures. By 1959, the California State Park System was composed of 150 beaches, parks and historic monuments, which covered 615,000 acres. But now there are 280 state park units, over 340 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage, 15,000 campsites, 3,543 miles of non-motorized trails, more than 637 miles of motorized trails, 3,195 historic buildings, and more than 11,000 known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites in California’s State Park System.
The state has many beautiful state beaches. Many have campgrounds and some require entrance fees. To reserve a campsite, please visit reservecalifornia.com, or call 800-444-7275.
Once owned by oil tycoon, Edward L. Doheny, the first beach property was donated for public use in 1931 as California’s first-ever state beach. In 1963, it was officially given the name Doheny State Beach, and is about 254 acres.
Seacliff Beach — also called New Brighton State Beach — in Santa Cruz came in 1933 and San Clemente State Beach was not far behind and has been a California State Beach since 1937.
The Doheny State Beach campground, will remain open through at least the end of 2026. A temporary closure is anticipated sometime between 2027 and 2029 to allow for campground construction and improvements.
San Onofre State Beach is one of California’s most popular beaches and hosts almost 2.5 million visitors per year and it is one of the top five most-visited state parks in California. Gov. Ronald Reagan established San Onofre State Beach in 1971. The state beach has three distinct areas: the San Onofre Bluffs, the San Mateo Campground and the San Onofre Surf Beach.
The longest state beach in the state is Pismo State Beach, which stretches approximately 17 miles long and fronts the towns of Pismo Beach, Grover Beach and Oceano in San Luis Obispo County.
Earlier this year the English travel website Hand Luggage Only rated California’s beaches. Here are their top 10:
- Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur
- Capitola Beach, Santa Cruz
- Stinson Beach, Marin County
- Coronado Beach, San Diego
- La Jolla, San Diego
- McWay Cove, Big Sur
- Leo Carrillo Beach, Malibu
- Newport Beach, Newport
- Huntington Beach
- Venice Beach, Los Angeles
California’s network of Marine Protected Areas
California’s Marine Life Protection Act became law in 1999 and was implemented regionally from 2004 to 2012 through an inclusive public-private partnership that involved stakeholders, science advisers, natural resource managers and policymakers. The MLPA called for a scientifically designed network of Marine Protected Areas, which by 2012 included approximately 16% of state waters in 124 Marine Protected Areas, 59 of which are fully protected no-take Marine Protected Areas along California’s more than 1,100-mile coastline.
California created the country’s first underwater park, the Point Lobos State Reserve in 1960.
While State Marine Park is one classification of MPA in California, most of the MPAs in California are not parks. Marine Protected Areas often protect representative habitats as opposed to the unique landscapes protected by parks.
Fishing and the take of marine life such as shellfish or seaweed is allowed in about half of California’s Marine Protected Areas. Each type or kind of Marine Protected Area has different regulations.
Most of the state’s Marine Protected Areas stretch along the state’s coastline, with the exception of Mono Lake, D.L. Bliss, Emerald Bay-Lake Tahoe and Lake Perris, which are inland preserves.
Learn more at: wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/MPAs
Sources: California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Marine Mammal Commission, California Ocean Protection Council, californiampas.org, California State Parks