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Bolsa Chica State Beach
Rating Details »
Categories: Swimming Pools, Beaches [Edit]
Seapoint Aveto Warner Ave along Pacific Coast Hwy
Huntington Beach, CA 92648
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
18 reviews for Bolsa Chica State Beach
Parking is $15 and they have a few lots but it can still be challenging to find parking at 1 pm...my friends went there at 6 am and there were already people there
So they have a few bonfire pits & lifeguard stations...the security is a pain in the ass...we were near a hole in the sand and he made us fill it in "now" even tho we didn't dig it....tho i gotta say u think lifeguards r juss sittin on their ass doin nothing...nope one swam out to get my boo
restrooms r nice and close
bbq grills r towards the back of beach
Beach closes at 10 pm and that's when they turn off all the lights so good luck seeing where ur walking...overall good place...security ppl r a pain in the ass
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Bolsa Chica Beach blooooowsss hard.
The only reason i gave it one star is the entrance to this freakin place is horrible if you don't get there before 10 AM.
First of all, there is only one entry gate for the whole stupid beach. The line of cars waiting to enter is like 2 miles long. If your unlucky enough like me to have the gate close on you after waiting for hours is just evil....AaarrGGhhhh...lol
The wait for the getting into this beach is worst than "The Edison" bar in downtown Los Angeles.
Went to Huntingto Beach instead and had a great time there. Take that you pretentious Bolsa Chica people:)
Came here for my nephew's birthday parties. The first thing that got me upset was the price of parking....$15.00!!! Jesus, same price as Dodger Stadium. After waiting in line to enter, I paid this guy who looked like he was dressed as a boy scout and he said "I wouldn't recommend going that way (points to the direction I need to go) there won't be any parking." I said "oh...well my party is that way so I'm just gonna try it." Boy did I score...my mom called me to see if I was there yet and I told her I was driving in and when I got near to where the party was, my mom was standing in an open parking space. SCORE!!! It pissed off a mini van full of people but oh well.
We rented one of those bikes that can fit a bunch of Mexicans on one. That was awesome....except I got stuck riding with 5 kids (ages 10-12) because I wanted a ride to the bathroom and they kept singing that song "shush girl, shut your lips...do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips" which I later joined in on. People were looking at us like we were on crack. We then decided to have a race with a bike full of 5 people....it was like it was a real thing. People were cheering us on. As we went by people I told the kiddies to stick out there hands to give people high fives, which they did.
Another thing I didn't like about this beach other than the parking...and it's probably all beaches I'm sure. THE BATHROOMS. How are you going to have sinks for people to wash their hands in but NO SOAP??? Yucky! Thank God I carry hand sanitizer with me.
Oh, and I really like the fact that the fire pits aren't miles away from the water, like Huntington Beach. And it wasn't all that crowded down near the water like other beaches...it was actually enjoyable without people on your ass and splashing you.
Turned out to be a great day/night. :-)
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Great place, time to get into beach body shape and hit the shores
enjoying a bonfire and sunset
I remember literally swimming with the dolphins when I was body boarding here several years ago and a pod came by to me, I will be honest I was scared at first because I never swam with the dolphins before like they do in Sea World but those are some friendly creatures. Have fun out there, it's SUMMER TIME
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This is the beach where I learned to surf and still is the place where I'm most comfortable surfing(though it's been a while).
The crowd is much more chill and a lot more humble than a lot of the territorial hypermasculine crowds the closer you get to the pier.
You have to feel your way around the coastline to see where the peaks are, but they're pretty consistently towards the single digit towers or further up north. The waves are great for long boarding and pretty good days it's pretty fun on a short board as well. From when I last remember, however, the crowd at Bolsa Chica has grown exponentially so be warned.
If you're not into getting wet, the running path is really nice. I used to come here and run in high school and when I'd come back from college. It's really nice to be breathing cleaner ocean air while you run and the path provides beautiful scenery. There are also a lot of water fountains just in case you forget your water bottle.
It makes me sad to see this place fall victim to corporate greed as very evident with the construction they've done to the actual beach and the huge amount of wetland reserve that is now concrete...
Also, the prices to get into the beach are sky rocketing... while I gave it four stars, it's because that was the Bolsa Chica beach I remembered from when I was younger. I often find myself too afraid to go back and would rather cling onto really good memories of how it was back in the day.
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Bolsa Chica is a great place to go with a group, swim, and hang out all day. Be sure you grab a firepit. Once the sun sets, you can spend the evening hanging out all night at your personal bonfire. It's epic. Do me a favor though, if you see a white guy in matching pink speedo and sumbrero, offer him a hot dog. I'm hungry!
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We did a bonfire with our friends at the beach, and had as awesome time. Here are some tips for you to make it an enjoyable evening.
1. This will be an all day thing. If you plan on having a bonfire during a weekend, you must arrive early. We had people arrive about noon, and they saved space and hung out at the beach.
2. The booze- be easy, this is a family beach, and if you do decide to drink, keep it on the down-low. Patrols were frequent. We opted for blue cups and lots of stealth bottles.
3. Parking is a deal at $10, I recommend carpooling
4. The days are warm during the summer, but as soon as the sun sets, it gets pretty cold. I took my snuggie, and it rocked!
5. The beach is pretty clean, trashcans are plentiful.
Fond, fond memories of entire summers spent here as a kid. I was such a lucky little SoCal kid and didn't even know it. A great place too Boogie board, eat junk food, sleep in the warm sand, or dig giant holes down by the water, which was what my brother and I liked to do. One time we got so deep, probably 4-5', that we found long pink worms about 3' long. Pretty weird. It you stay into the evening, stake out a fire-pit and have a bonfire! Mmm, S'mores. A great place to grow up, I just wish I used more sunscreen so I had less shoulder freckles.
This past fine Saturday, I fished the surf at Bolsa Chica for the first time this year, which meant I had to purchase my new fishing license and salt-water enhancement stamp...about $50 for that...friggin BS!
I also bought a new-fangled lure that everyone is slamming fish with...that sumbitch was $22! I decided as I was casting it in the surf that if it broke loose, I would free-dive the entire beach til I found it. Fortunately, not only did I NOT lose it, but I caught a halibut on it! But it was short, so I released it.
Here's another little tip when you hit Bolsa Chica: If the place seems packed when you drive through the toll gate, head south until you come to the last 2 lots before the jetty...usually plenny parking available.
As usual, the ten-bajillion cats on surfboards, and 20 of them actually SURF.
It was such a nice day...I even got some of my color back after this long brutal winter. I would have been much more tan if those chicks that were jockin' me woulda got the hell outta my sun. Remember the recent study? Bitches dig fishermen MORE than they dig surfers. Furthermore, I'm taken...sorry Sugarteets...you ain't gotta go home, but you gotta get the hell up outta here!
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12/4/2007
A recent survey found that bitches dig fishermen MORE than SURFERS...can you believe that?! I guess… Read more »
I had such a blast year at Maria O's birthday bonfire. It was so nice and relaxing to just hang out on the beach and watch the sunset. It does get cold at night, but nothing a snuggie can't fix! Daniel O. is right that you gotta be sneaky with the alcohol, but we had no problem drinking the entire night and not getting caught. The only downside to doing a bonfire is that you do have to get there early to claim your spot. I think it's worth it though because you'll have a whole day and night of bonfire fun! They kick you out by 10 PM, which kind of sucks, but just means you gotta go yo drink on early. I definitely want to plan a bonfire for this summer. It was such a blast and different from what we usually do on a Saturday night.
After paying $10 to park next to this beach I decided to check it out. (They have like 500 spots, kinda expensive?)
Walking barefoot towards the beach isn't recommended because of the wood chips/litter that infest the walk area.
For future use: bring slippahs
I also read that the main center has wi-fi which is pretty cool. Forget the umbrella also it won't last in the wind here. I saw a couple running all the way back to the parking lot to get theirs that was cart-wheeling away.
Not the best beach I've been to by any means, but it's very long and open to bonfires until 10pm. Have at it!
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I love coming here to surf. Not incredibly crowded. Decent waves.
A stingray ATE the shit out of my friends foot here. Watch out when the temps rise.
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This particular beach has some sentimental value to me. It's the beach where I spent much of my senior year in high school. I spent so much time here that I almost didn't graduate and I look so dark in my senior picture that you can only make out my teeth and the whites of my eyes.
It was appropiate that I came here to celebrate my last day of summer. After an extended leave from work I was ready to return to my corporate cubicle but I needed some time in the sun. Parking is $10 which seemed like a lot to me. They also do not accept ATM cards so bring cash!
If you arrive early enough you can set up near a fire pit and stay well into the evening. The beach closes at 10pm. If you like to travel light, park near the far end of the beach that is close to Jack in the Box. When you get hungry or thirsty walk on over and pick up some cheap fast food.
The water is clean, the waves are gentle and the life guards are on duty. Keep an eye on the seagulls and put all your food away...those guys are sneaky.
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I believe this beach to be one of the best in Southern California. The great thing about it is that its pretty clean and if you are near the main beach center, you can get free WIFI. So for all those busy people needing a vacation, this is the beach for you.
Parking is about $10, and thats about it, as you ca easily find parking in the many parking lots. At the same time the beach feels safe with the constant patrol of life guards and police officers.
They do not allow burning of pellets but people get away with it. Though I suggest heading to the local store prior and picking up some firewood with some ice for the day. Next I want to talk about the fire pits. Many people would say the fire pits are hard to acquire, but for the last 10 times I went were plenty after 11AM, and I was still able to find an open pit. For best pit access, I suggest setting up as early as the beach opens.
Sadly closing time is at 10PM, and it almost feels like they push you out. A word of advice if you are going to drink on the beach! Have a designated driver for each car, as the beach patrol like to call the cops and have them pull you over as soon as you leave the beach gates.
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Since this is a state beach, it does tend to be a cleaner one as compared to other beaches around the area ..I won't name any names, haha. I like coming here whenever I want to be by the ocean and read a book or enjoy the sun. It doesn't get too crowded for most of the time so it's a nice relief from the beaches where its overcrowded. Theres plenty of parking avail. ($10) or if you can find free parking, even better =) and if you're hungry its right across from some gas stations and little shops so you can grab a snack and take it back to the beach and have a picnic or something. The water is pretty nice here and the waves can be pretty decent as some people come here to surf and boogie board as well.
One of the better beach spots for beach bums =)
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Though, I'm not a HUGE beach fan... I have decided that I love Bolsa Chica. The waves are tiny, the water appears clean, plenty of room to post up on the sand, parking is plentiful (though it costs $10).
After researching a bit about it... I learned that Bolsa Chica offers free WIFI!!!!!!!!! I don't know of many people that bring their laptops to the beach, but what a great amenity.
It does get kinda cold, so make sure you bring a little something to keep yourself warm after the 4pm hour.
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i went here for a labor day bonfire and surprisingly the beach wasnt overly crowded. i figured that since it was the "end of summer," people would flock to the beach, but bolsa chica can handle the crowds. there is ample parking and it's pretty close to the sand and bonfire pits. this definitely comes in handy when you have to carry all of your beach equipment from your car. parking is steep at $10 but what's even worse is that they still charge this amount as late as 9pm at night which sucks for any late-comers b/c the beach closes at 10pm haha...so come early enough to get your money's worth!
the beach is nice and there are plenty of waves for surfing, boogie boarding, skim boarding attempts...but the sand is dirty and there's tons of debris in it...not only seashells but also lots of garbage and junk...be careful when walking on the sand...it's probably safer to wear your flip flops instead of going barefoot. there is a lot of security patrolling the beach so alcohol needs to go in party cups and hide your dogs since they're not allowed on the beach ;) also, security is generous enough to give you a whole 5 minutes to pack up and leave before all the lights go off on the beach haha...so be forewarned if you have tons of stuff to clean up. bathrooms are relatively clean and are walking distance from the bonfire pits. this is def a great place to hang out with friends and just enjoy the scenery.
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I biked here yesterday to meet up with a friend... never been here before during the beach season... I haven't been in the water all year, so it was nice to jump in and get worn out by the waves...
