California Beaches and Piers

california beaches pictures
   
San Diego County Beach Cities  Orange County Beaches & Cities  Los Angeles County Beach Cities 
   Oceanside
   Carlsbad
   Leucadia
   Encinitas
   Cardiff
   Solana Beach
   Del Mar
   La Jolla
   Pacific Beach
   Mission Beach
   Ocean Beach
   Point Loma 
   San Diego
   Coronado
    Seal Beach
    Surfside
    Sunset Beach
    Huntington Beach
    Newport Beach 
    Balboa Island
    Corona del Mar
    Laguna Beach
    Dana Point
    Capistrano Beach 
    San Clemente

 

  Malibu
  Santa Monica
  Venice 
  Playa del Rey
  El Segundo 
  Marina del Rey 
  Manhattan Beach
  Hermosa Beach
  Redondo Beach
  Rancho Palos Verdes
  San Pedro 
  Long Beach
  Catalina Island 
 Beach List 
   1. Border Field State Park 
   2. Imperial Beach
   3. Silver Strand State Beach 
   4. Coronado Shores Beach 
   5. Coronado City Beach 
   6. Ocean Beach City Beach 
   7. Ocean Beach Park 
   8. Mission Beach
   9. Pacific Beach 
   10. Tourmaline Surfing Park 
   11. La Jolla Strand Park
   12. Windansea Beach 
   13. Marine Street Beach 
   14. Children's Pool Beach 
   15. La Jolla Cove 
   16. La Jolla Shores Beach 
   17. Black's Beach 
   18. Torrey Pines State Beach 
   19. Del Mar City Beach 
   20. Seascape Shores 
   21. Fletcher Cove Park
   22. Tide Beach Park 
   23. Cardiff State Beach 
   24. San Elijo State Beach 
   25. Swami's 
   26. Boneyard Beach 
   27. D Street Viewpoint 
   28. Moonlight State Beach
   29. Stone Steps Beach 
   30. Encinitas Beach
   31. Beacon's Beach 
   32. Ponto Beach 
   33. South Carlsbad State Beach 
   34. Carlsbad State Beach
   35. Carlsbad City Beach 
   36. South Oceanside Beach 
   37. Oceanside City Beach
   38. Harbor Beach 
   39. San Onofre State Beach
 Beach List 
   1. San Clemente State Beach 
    2. San  Clemente City Beach 
        North Beach
    3. Poche Beach 
    4. Capistrano Beach 
    5. Doheny Beach
    6. Salt Creek County Beach 
    7. 1,000 Steps Beach 
    8. West Street Beach 
    9. Aliso Creek County Beach 

           Treasure Island Beach
    10. Crescent Bay Beach
    11. Christmas Cove Beach
    12. Goff Cove Beach
    13. Irvine Cove Beach
    14. Moss Point Beach
    15. Mountain Road Beach
    16. Oak Street Beach
         Agate St. Beach
         Cress St. Beach
    17. Pearl Street Beach
    18. Sleepy Hollow Beach
    19. St. Ann's Street Beach
    20. Thalia Street Beach
    21. Treasure Island Beach
    22. Wood's Cove Beach
    23. Victoria Beach
    24.
Brook's Beach  
    25. Bluebird Beach
    26. Main Beach 
    27. Picnic Beach  
    28. Rockpile Beach
    29. Diver's Cove
    30. Boat Canyon Beach
    31. Shaw's Cove
    32. Crescent Bay Beach 

    33. Crystal Cove State Park
    34. Little Corona del Mar Beach 
    35. Corona del Mar State Beach 
    36. Rocky Point 
    37. China Cove Beach 
    38. Bayside Dr. County Beach 
    39. West Jetty View Park 
    40. Balboa Beach 
    41. Newport Beach
         Municipal Beach 
    42. Santa Ana River
         County Beach 
    43. Huntington State Beach 
    44. Huntington City Beach 
    45. Bolsa Chica State Beach 
    46. Sunset Beach 
    47. Surfside Beach 
    48. Seal Beach
Beach List 
  1. Descanso Beach 
  2. Crescent Beach 
  3. Pebbly Beach 
  4. Ben Weston Beach 
  5. Little Harbor Beach 
  6. Little Fisherman's Cove 
  7. Alamitos Bay Beach 
  8. Belmont Shore
      Bayshore Beach
  9. Long Beach City Beach 
  10. Cabrillo City Beach 
  11. Point Fermin Park
  12. White Point County Park 
  13. Royal Palms County Beach 
  14. Abalone Cove Beach 
  15. Malaga Cove 
  16. Torrance County Beach 
  17. Redondo County Beach 
  18. Hermosa City Beach 
  19. Manhattan County Beach 
  20. El Porto Beach 
  21. El Segundo Beach 
  22. Dockweiler State Beach
  23. Mother's Beach 
  24. Venice City Beach 
  25. Santa Monica State Beach 
  26. Will Rogers State Beach 
  27. Topanga County Beach 
  28. Las Tunas County Beach 
  29. Surfrider Beach 
  30. Malibu Lagoon County Beach 
  31. Dan Blocker County Beach 
  32. Escondido Beach 
  33. Paradise Cove
  34  Point Dume State Beach 
  35. Zuma County Beach 
  36. Broad Beach 
  37. El Matador State Beach 
  38. La Piedra State Beach 
  39. El Pescador State Beach 
  40. Nicholas Canyon County Beach 
  41. Leo Carillo State Beach 
  42. County Line Beach 
Ventura County Beach Cities Santa Barbara County Beach Cities  San Luis Obispo County Beach Cities 
  Mussel Shoals
  Seacliff
  Ventura 
  Oxnard
 
Port Hueneme
  Lompoc
  Isla Vista 
  Goleta
  Santa Barbara
  Montecito 
  Summerland
  Carpinteria 
  San Simeon
  Cayucos
  Cambria
  Morro Bay
  Los Osos
  San Luis Obispo
  Avila Beach .
  Pismo Beach
  Grover Beach
  Shell Beach
  Oceano
  Arroyo Grande
  1. Sycamore Cove Beach 
  2. Thornhill Broome Beach 
  3. Point Mugu Beach 
  4. Ormond Beach 
  5. Port Hueneme Beach Park 
  6. Silver Strand Beach 
  7. Channel Inds. Harbor Beach 
  8. Hollywood Beach
  9. Oxnard State Beach 
  10. Mandalay County Park 
  11. McGrath State Beach 
  12. Marina Cove Beach 
  13. Marina Park 
  14. San Buenaventura State Beach 
  15. Promenade Park 
  16. Surfer's Point 
  17. Emma Wood State Beach 
  18. Solimar Beach 
  19. Faria Beach County Park
  20. Rincon Parkway North 
  21. Hobson County Park 
  22. Oil Piers Beach 
  23. Mussel Shoals Beach 
  24. La Conchita Beach 

 

  1. Rincon Point 
  2. Rincon Beach County Park 
  3. Carpinteria State Beach 
  4. Carpinteria City Beach 
  5. Lookout County Park 
  6. Miramar Beach 
  7. Hammonds Beach 
  8. Butterfly Beach 
  9. East Beach
  10. West Beach 
  11. Leadbetter Beach 
  12. Mesa Lane Beach 
  13. Arroyo Burro Beach
       County Park 
  14. Goleta Beach County Park
  15. Isla Vista Beach 
  16. Coal Oil Point
       Natural Reserve 
  17. El Capitan State Beach
  18. Refugio State Beach 
  19. Gaviota State Park 
  20. Jalama Beach County Park 
  21. Vandenberg Air Force Base 
         Fishing  Access 
  22. Ocean Beach County Park 
  23. Point Sal State Beach 
  24. Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes
  1. Pismo Dunes State Vehicular
      Recreation Area 
  2. Pismo State Beach 
  3. Avila State Beach 
  4. Olde Port Beach
  5. Montana de Oro State Park 
  6. Moro Dunes Natural Area 
  7. Bayshore Bluffs Park 
  8. Morro Bay State Park 
  9. Morro Rock and Beach 
  10. Morrow Strand State Beach
  11. Morrow Strand State Beach 
        (North) 
  12. Cayucos Beach 
  13. Cayucos State Beach
  14. Moonstone State Beach 
  15. San Simeon State Beach 
  16. W. R. Hearst Mem. State Beach
  17. Arroyo Laguna Beach
  18. Piedras Blancas Beach
Monterey County Beach Cities Santa Cruz County Beach Cities San Mateo County Beach Cities 
    Moss Landing
    Castroville
    Marina
    Seaside
    Sand City
    Salinas
    Monterey
    Pacific Grove
    Pebble Beach
    Carmel-by-the-Sea
    Big Sur
   Davenport 
   Santa Cruz 
   Capitola
   Aptos
   Le Selva 
    Daly City 
    Pacifica
    Montara 
    Moss Beach 
    El Granada 
    Miramar 
   
Half Moon Bay 
    1. Willow Creek Picnic Area 
    2. Jade Cove 
    3. Sand Dollar Picnic Area and 
    Beach 
    4. Mill Creek Picnic Area 
    5. Kirk Creek Campground 
    6. Limekiln State Park
    7. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park 
    8. Partington Cove 
    9. Pfeiffer Beach 
    10. Andrew Molera State Park 
    11. Garrapata State Park 
    12. Point Lobos State Reserve 
    13. Carmel River State Beach 
    14. Carmel City Beach 
    15. Fanshell Beach 
    16. Moss Beach 
    17. Spanish Bay 
    18. Asilomar State Beach 
    19. Lover's Point 
    20. Shoreline Park 
    21. Macabee Beach 
    22. San Carlos Beach Park 
    23. Monterey State Beach ("Willows 
    on the Bay" unit) 
    24. Del Monte Beach 
    25.Monterey State Beach (Sand 
    Dunes Drive unit) 
    26. Monterey State Beach Seaside
    27. Marina State Beach 
    28. Salinas River State Beach 
    29. Moss Landing State Beach 
    30. Zmudowski State Beach 
  1. Palm Beach 
  2. Sunset State Beach 
  3. Manresa Uplands 
  4. Manresa State Beach 
  5. Lundborgh Beach
  6. Rio Del Mar Beach 
  7. Seacliff State Beach 
  8. New Brighton State Beach 
  9. Capitola City Beach 
  10. Hooper Beach 
  11. Key Beach 
  12. Pleasure Point Beach 
  13. Moran Lake Beach 
  14. Corcoran Lagoon Beach 
  15. Sunny Cove 
  16. Lincoln Beach 
  17. Twin Lakes State Beach 
  18. Seabright Beach 
  19. Main Beach 
  20. Cowell Beach 
  21. Steamer Lane 
  22. Lighthouse Field State Beach 
  23. Its Beach 
  24. Mitchell's Cove 
  25. Natural Bridges State Beach 
  26. Wilder Ranch State Park 
  27. Four Mile Beach 
  28. Red, White, and Blue Beach 
  29. Laguna Creek Beach 
  30. Yellowbank Beach 
  31. Bonny Doon Beach 
  32. Panther Beach 
  33. Davenport Beach 
  34. Davenport Landing Beach
  35. Scott Creek Beach 
  36. Greyhound Rock Fishing
       Access 
  37. Waddell Creek Beach
    1. Ano Nuevo State Reserve 
    2. The Fist 
    3. Gazos Creek Access 
    4. Pigeon Point 
    5. Bean Hollow State Beach 
    6. Pebble Beach 
    7. Pescadero State Beach 
    8. The Gulch 
    9. Pomponio State Beach 
    10. San Gregorio State Beach 
    11. San Gregorio Private Beach 
    12. Martin’s Beach 
    13. Cowell Ranch Beach 
    14. Pelican Point Beach 
    15. Francis Beach 
    16. Venice Beach 
    17. Dunes Beach 
    18. Miramar Beach 
    19. El Granada Beach 
    20. Pillar Point Harbor 
    21. Mavericks 
    22. James V. Fitzgerald Marine 
    Reserve 
    23. Montara State Beach 
    24. Gray Whale Cove State Beach 
    25. Pacifica State Beach 
    26. Rockaway Beach 
    27. Sharp Park State Beach 
    28. Esplanade Beach 
    29. Thornton State Beach 
San Francisco County Beach Cities Marin County Beach Cities Del Norte County Beach Cities
     San Francisco     Dillon Beach 
    Marshall 
    Inverness 
    Point Reyes Station
    Olema 
    Bolinas 
    Stinson Beach
    Smith River 
    Crescent City 
    Klamath

   (Del Norte is northernmost county)

 Beach List 
    1. Burton Memorial Beach 
    2. Fort Funston Beach 
    3. Ocean Beach 
    4. Lands End Beach 
    5. China Beach 
    6. Baker Beach 
    7. North Baker Beach 
    8. Crissy Field
    9. Marina Green 
    10. Aquatic Park 
 Beach List 
    1. Kirby Cove 
    2. Bonita Cove 
    3. Rodeo Beach 
    4. Tennessee Cove 
    5. Muir Beach 
    6. Steep Ravine Beach 
    7. Red Rock Beach 
    8. Stinson Beach 
    9. Bolinas Beach 
    10. Agate Beach 
    11. Palomarin Beach 
    12. Wildcat Beach 
    13. Kelham Beach 
    14. Sculptured Beach 
    15. Santa Maria Beach 
    16. Limantour Beach 
    17. Drakes Beach 
    18. Point Reyes Beach South 
    19. Point Reyes Beach North 
    20. Abbotts Lagoon 
    21. Kehoe Beach 
    22. McClures Beach 
    23. Marshall Beach 
    24. Hearts Desire Beach 
    25. Shell Beach 
    26. Alan Sieroty Beach 
    27. Lawson's Landing 
    28. Dillon Beach
Beach List    
   1. High Bluff Beach 
    2. Wilson Creek Beach 
    3. Enderts Beach 
    4. Crescent Beach 
    5. South Beach 
    6. Beachfront Park 
    7. Pebble Beach 
    8. Point St. George 
    9. Lake Earl Wildlife 
    Area Beaches 
    10. Kellogg Beach 
    11. Clifford Kamph Memorial Park 
    12. Pelican State Beach 
Sonoma County Beach  Cities  Mendocino County Beach Cities  Humboldt County Beach Cities
  Sea Ranch 
  Jenner 
  Bodega Bay
    Westport 
    Ukiah 
    MacKerricher State Park 
    Fort Bragg 
    Caspar 
    Mendocino & Little River 
    Albion 
    Elk & Point Arena 
    Gualala & Anchor Bay
    Trinidad 
    McKinleyville 
    Arcata 
    Eureka
    Loleta
    Ferndale
    Honeydew & Petrolia 
    Shelter Cove
  1. Doran Beach Regional Park 
  2. Campbell Cove 
  3. Westside Regional Park 
  4. Bodega Head 
  5. Bodega Dunes 
  6. South Salmon Creek Beach 
  7. North Salmon Creek Beach 
  8. Miwok Beach 
  9. Coleman Beach 
  10. Arched Rock Beach 
  11. Carmet Beach 
  12. Schoolhouse Beach 
  13. Portuguese Beach 
  14. Gleason Beach 
  15. Duncan's Landing 
  16. Wright's Beach 
  17. Shell Beach 
  18. Blind Beach 
  19. Goat Rock Beach 
  20. North Jenner Beaches 
  21. Russian Gulch 
  22. Vista Point 
  23. Fort Ross Reef 
  24. Fort Ross Cove 
  25.Timber Cove 
  26. Stillwater Cove Regional Park 
  27. Ocean Cove 
  28. Gerstle Cove 
  29. Stump Beach 
  30. Fisk Mill Cove 
  31. North Horseshoe Cove 
  32. Black Point Beach 
  33. Pebble Beach 
  34. Stengel Beach 
  35. Shell Beach 
  36. Walk-On Beach 
  37. Gualala Point Regional Park 
    1. Gualala River 
    2. Fish Rock Beach 
    3. Schooner Gulch Beach 
    4. Bowling Ball Beach 
    5. Moat Creek Beach 
    6. Arena Cove Beach 
    7. Manchester State Beach 
    8. Greenwood Creek State Beach 
    9. Navarro River Beach Access 
    10. Albion Flat 
    11. Van Damme State Park 
    12. Mendocino Headlands
         State Park 
    13. Russian Gulch State Park 
    14. Caspar Headlands State
         Reserve 
    15. Caspar State Beach 
    16. Jug Handle State Reserve 
    17. Noyo Harbor 
    18. Glass Beach 
    19. Pudding Creek Beach 
    20. Virgin Creek Beach 
    21. MacKerricher State Park 
    22. Seaside Creek Beach 
    23. Chadbourne Gulch 
    24. Wages Creek Beach 
    25.Westport-Union Landing
        State Beach 
    26. Usal Beach 
    27. Little Jackass Creek Beach 
    28. Bear Harbor Beach 
    29. Needle Rock Beach 
    30. Jones Beach
    1. Dead Man's Beach 
    2. Shelter Cove 
    3. Little Black Sands Beach 
    4. Black Sands Beach 
    5. Mattole River Beach 
    6. Centerville Beach Co. Park 
    7. Crab County Park 
    8. South Spit & Jetty 
    9. Samoa Dunes Rec. Area 
    10. Mad River Beach C. Park 
    11. Clam Beach County Park 
    12. Little River Beach Co. Park 
    13. Moonstone Beach 
    14. Luffenholtz Beach 
    15. Baker Beach 
    16. Indian Beach 
    17. Trinidad Head 
    18. Trinidad State Beach 
    19. College Cove 
    20. Agate Beach 
    21. Big Lagoon County Park 
    22. Dry Lagoon 
    23. Stone Lagoon 
    24. Freshwater Lagoon 
    25. Redwood Creek Beach 
    26. Orick Fishing Access 
    27. Gold Bluffs Beach 
    28. Carruthers Cove Beach 
 

Mission Beach
San Diego
 


Carpinteria SB

   


Children's Pool
La Jolla Beaches

 


Silver Strand State Beach

                 


Moonlight State Beach

 


Pacific Beach
San Diego

 


Rockaway Beach
Pacifica

 


Huntington City
Beach

 


Southern California Beaches

                 

Beaches - continued from top.  One type of cell is defined by a long stretch of coastline that begins at a headland and terminates in a submarine canyon, such as at Mugu Canyon in Ventura County and La Jolla Canyon in San Diego County; another cell type consists of a large river delta bounded on either side by rocky headlands, such as at Humboldt Bay; a third type of littoral cell is defined by a crescent-shaped by downcoast of a promontory, like Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County; and a fourth type of cell consists of a rocky headland downcoast of a beach where waves break in a line parallel to the shore, as at Ten Mile Beach in Mendocino County. Finally, lagoons and closed bays with restricted tidal flow create a fifth type of littoral cell, such as Bolinas Bay in Marin.  

Characteristic differences between Northern and Southern California beaches depend upon the directions of prevailing wind and upon local coastal geology. Along California's north coast, cove or pocket beaches are common where the granitic and basaltic rock that composes the sea cliffs has been sculpted by prevailing northwesterly winds and battered by high energy waves over millions of years. In Southern California, beaches often consist of long ribbons of sand interrupted by widely separated rocky points. The bluffs of easily eroded shales and sandstones that edge the coast here continuously crumble away, creating on even coastline over time.  

Some beach types are found along both Northern and Southern California coasts. Narrow cove beaches like those at Laguna Beach in Orange County form where the coast is composed of conglomerate rock and hard sandstone; even when exposed to direct wave attack this rock type is highly resistant to erosion. The narrow beaches formed within there coves often lose all their sand during winter storms, exposing the underlying cobbles, as at Boomer Beach, south of Point La Jolla in San Diego County. Barrier beaches and sand spits are also present along the coast at river mouths, bays, and lagoons; examples are Silver Strand Beach in San Diego, Zuma Beach in Malibu, and beaches at the Smith, Salinas, Pajaro, and Santa Maria River mouths.  

Beaches vary in color according to the mineral content of the sand, which is also a clue to the origin to the eroded sediments that make up the sand supply. Eroded shale cliffs create the charcoal gray beach sand at Shelter Cove in Humboldt County. North of Humboldt Bay, the coarse sands of Agate Beach are multicolored agates that have been ground and polished by the surf. Ground quartz and feldspar mineral make up the white beaches of Carmel, while a few miles to the north in Sand City, amber colored sand indicates the presence of iron mineral. Close inspection reveals that white sand beaches are mosaic of pale quartz grains, pink, green or white feldspar and flecks of black mica.  Beaches are inhabited by a variety of invertebrates and insects.  More

 

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