best beach in SoCal? (San Diego, San Francisco: hotel, live, military)

[Hawaii4evr]

Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego-gorgeous, with crystal clear, calmer waters, plus a lagoon area and very scenic cliffs with hiking trails

Coronado Beach in San Diego. Won 'America's Best Beach' last year.

La Jolla Shores in San Diego

Laguna Beach in OC

Descanso Beach on Catalina Island (LA County) for its beautiful scenery and calm, crystalline waters.

[caliguy92832]

somewhere not crowded like South Laguna Beach

[dobybud]

I live in Huntington Beach and we still have many beach areas that cater to families and many times you can find beaches that aren't that crowded, just stay away from the pier....

[NoNansea]

Beaches in California are not like beaches in Florida. So you'll need to alter your expectations.

It's highly doubtful you will find free parking at any beach on a summer day, especially on a weekend. If you know where to look, you might find a place to park in a neighborhood but often it's 1 hour parking & you'll have to carry all your stuff across the hot sand. Read the posted signs. They love giving tickets! Huntington Beach State Beach parking is $12 last I knew. Get there super early or you will wait in line in your hot car until people leave. One car out, one gets in. And you must leave by 10pm.

Water is cold. Rivermouths, especially in Seal Beach & Doheny are often polluted.

Some beaches can have treacherous conditions for small children; cliffs, strong undertows, big waves breaking on the sand or the cliffs. Every year someone gets swept off a cliff by a big wave. Not all have lifeguards.

No smoking or drinking on the beach. No fireworks. No dogs, except at the Dog Beaches in San Diego & Huntington. Not sure if they passed that no throwing a football on the beach law or not?

Bring everything you need 'cause once you get your car parked & your spot on the sand, you won't want to go get anything! Food, water, towels, camera, etc. And guard your stuff closely, or it may disappear.

[ExeterMedia]

What? Where is this magical $12 parking at every beach in OC?

I am a regular at Strands, Aliso Beach, Main Beach in Laguna, Balboa Peninsula, San Clemente, and I have never seen $12 parking as a regular beach option. If it exist in Huntington Beach, it's certainly not normal, and not even related to the OC Coastal and Parks commission, maybe just THAT city (maybe near Main St in HB?).

All of those beaches I mentioned above have "pay by the hour" machines and they are $1 per hour and the patrol stops checking past 7pm anyway. Certainly not expensive.

Also, all beaches can have treacherous conditions for small children depending on the location, not just California beaches. People get swept away all the time at American Beach in Florida, it's not a unique trait to California beaches. With little kids and bigger kids, you have to be smart and make sure they know how to handle water and not get in trouble. This is something parents are well aware of around here, and when someone gets swept away or drowns, it's usually someone who was inexperienced with open water, and acting in a manner that endangered themselves like the 19 year old kid who drowned this year in HB. For every case like that kid, there are tens of thousands every month who don't drown and enjoy the water without getting into trouble. In Dana Point, there's even a beach just for kids that is blocked by a seawall. No huge currents or anything. Kids can play safely and without worry of big waves. But hey what do I know compared to someone from "King County, WA". I only live about 25 yards off the beach here in California.

As for no fireworks, smoking, drinking, and no dogs, that's actually a good thing. Fireworks are a fire hazard, even near the beach, and most residents don't want their beaches full of cigarette butts.empty beer cans, and dog feces.

[NoNansea]

ExeterMedia- What is wrong with you? You have a problem with my giving some inside info to someone who has never been to the beach in California? Why wouldn't you want this family to have all the info they could get in order to have a pleasant time at the beach? Was anything I said untrue?

Where did I say all beaches in OC charge $12 for parking I didn't!
In HB some of the beach is City owned & run & some sections are state owned & run. Different rules. Different parking fees. In Seal Beach there are 2 parking lots at the beach. Each city/area determines their own rates.

I've been to many beaches along the Gulf of Mexico & a few on the Atlantic Ocean. I don't remember seeing anything like the cliffs in Laguna, which can be very alluring but can also be dangerous. Someone new to the area might appreciate a heads up.

I wasn't complaining about no alcohol, no smoking, etc. being banned at the beach. Again, informing someone who can benefit from knowing about this.

As for my credentials that qualify my passing along info that may help someone else, I lived in southern California from 1954 thru 2012 & frequented many beaches as my husband & both sons have been surfing their entire lives! I still own my house by the sand in Seal
Beach & visit often. Anything else wiseguy?

[ExeterMedia]

Nothing is wrong with me, I simply have a problem with people who distort the truth, people like yourself.

Where did I say all beaches in OC charge $12 for parking I didn't!
In HB some of the beach is City owned & run & some sections are state owned & run. Different rules. Different parking fees. In Seal Beach there are 2 parking lots at the beach. Each city/area determines their own rates.

Then why did you ONLY mention the $12 parking fee as if it was representative of all OC beaches? You're only clarifying now because I called you out. Cities do NOT determine the parking rates for state beaches, they have input but ultimately the OC Coastal and Parks commission determines the fee because beaches are owned by the STATE not by the city. That being said, 95% of all the state beaches in Coastal OC (notable exceptions include Little CDR beach, and Crystal Cove since their parking lots and road access actually resides on city land) have the SAME fee structure for parking lots on the beach, $1 to $1.50 per hour (if they are paid lots, many are actually FREE like the parking lots at Strands). How did you not know that? You claim to have lived here for 60 years but didn't think of mentioning it? Hmm. With few exceptions, every beach from San Clemente all the way to Seal Beach you will find the very recognizable blue and orange state beach meter with the ever recognizble "Pay Here" blue sign above it.
Seen here in Laguna Beach....


Also seen here in Dana Point....


Yet you didn't mention that? Instead mentioning some off-hand, non-descript $12 parking in Huntington beach? The parking structures in HB don't even charge a min-$12 charge, none of them. Pier Plaza in HB charges $1.50 an hour, Main Promenade Lot is actually FREE for the first 30 minutes. Again, you claim to have lived here for 60 years and claim to own a home in near by Seal Beach and didn't know this?! HMMM. So where is this magical parking place for $12 that you chose to singularly mention in HB when there are literally half a dozen cheaper alternatives?

I mean, just admit it man, there's a lot wrong with your post. It's inaccurate and almost laughable. You should just delete it and start over. Here are a few gems:

- Bring everything you need 'cause once you get your car parked & your spot on the sand, you won't want to go get anything! Umm no. Not ALL California beaches have parking lots far from the sand (Aliso Beach, Baby Beach, T-Street in San Clemente, Balboa Peninsula, and many more. People go back to their cars to get stuff all the time. No one carries everything on the first trip unless they have just a bag full of stuff. That's was a lie/inaccurate.

- And guard your stuff closely, or it may disappear. You make it sound like theft is a common problem at OC beaches. It's not. Yes it happens, but it's not like you leave for a minute and your beach towel and sun tan are gone. Huntington Beach, and Laguna Beach have the highest incidents of personal property theft statistically (both touristy areas of course), and they are still far below the CA average. Dana Point beaches it's almost non-existent. Also anyone who has actually spent time at the beaches here know most theft actually occurs in the parking lot, NOT the beach itself where literally a 100 people could finger and identify you. Another example of your inaccuracy.

In Seal Beach there are 2 parking lots at the beach. Actually there are 3. 1st Street, 8th Street, and 10th street. The parking is metered at $1.50 per hour ($3.00 for 2 hours) with the ever recognizable pay stations seen all over OC. The best part of this inaccuracy is that you actually "claim" to own a home in Seal Beach, yet didn't know or failed to mention the above. Interesting!

I lived in southern California from 1954 thru 2012 & frequented many beaches as my husband & both sons have been surfing their entire lives! I still own my house by the sand in Seal
Beach & visit often. Anything else wiseguy?

Wow. You claim to have lived in SoCal for nearly 60 years (on the sand no less, surfing the whole time) but didn't know that most metered state beach parking is $1 to $1.50 per hour? That's strange and highly unlikely. Almost as unlikely as someone who claims to live "by the sand" in Seal Beach but didn't know there were actually THREE beach lots in Seal Beach with metered $1.50 per hour parking. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

If you don't want to be called out, then don't spread half-truths and inaccurate generalizations, especially when you live in King County, Washington, and are talking to people who actually live on the California Coast. Pretty sure we have much more daily experience with the beaches here than you do all way in King County. I'm also sure the people in the Seattle forum would just LOVE your input on the "awesome" beaches there. Here, not so much, especially if your input is going to be grossly inaccurate generalizations that anyone could simply make up.

[NoNansea]

You have a listening /reading problem. You are also delusional & arrogant. You're not truly representative of people in southern California & I hope the OP can look beyond your negative, confrontational, bullying approach to people you don't even know.

[ExeterMedia]

Originally Posted by NoNansea

You have a listening /reading problem. You are also delusional & arrogant. You're not truly representative of people in southern California & I hope the OP can look beyond your negative, confrontational, bullying approach to people you don't even know.

Have fun in King County!

[NoNansea]

To the OP:

Let me try again.

The beaches in California are pretty clean. I don't think that will be an issue for you.

Crime at the beaches probably amounts to property crimes. Theft in particular. While not prevalent, you would just need to use common sense. Don't leave valuables in plain site. Lock your items in the car instead of leaving them on the beach unattended.

Almost all beaches are family friendly. You might want to avoid the Dog Beaches if you don't have a dog or a family member is afraid. But those are few & far between. There used to be a few nudist beaches here and there, but I believe they are no longer tolerated.

The beaches I can think of that are difficult to get to are primarily along the coast in parts of central/northern California. They are beautiful, remote and usually not populated, but you would have to get to Highway 1 which is often over mountain passes in those areas and can take hours to cross. Southern California beaches are easy to get to, but traffic can be an issue especially on a summer weekend.

The State beaches (called State Parks) have day use fees. The current fee in Huntington Beach State Park for example is $15 a day. You can go on the website & it will tell you all the information regarding each state park. www.parks.ca.gov

My personal suggestion to you would be to look into Santa Barbara. It is north of Los Angeles and just a lovely community and beach. Santa Barbara has miles of beautiful, clean beaches with lots of family activities. There are accommodations from expensive resorts on the sand to quaint, affordable motels a few blocks from the beach.

If you go to southern California and if your children are not yet school age, I further suggest you travel in September. There will be a lot less people on the beaches as school begins either in late August or very early September. Also, accommodations might be more available.