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Huntington State Beach
Category: Active Life Beaches Beaches [Edit]
21601 Pacific Coast HwyHuntington Beach, CA 92646
(714) 536-1454
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
67 reviews for Huntington State Beach
67 reviews in English
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Review from Jeremy C.
Beverly Hills, CA
If you don't like HB.... You suck!
Prob my favorite beach to hang out at. I love the vibe here. There is free parking but I won't tell you where because I don't want you parking there when I go. :) -
Review from Monique H.
Phoenix, AZ
I've been going to Huntington Beach every couple of years since childhood, being that it's the closest beach to Disneyland. It's always a good time here, clean, nice people and the beautiful ocean of course.
Parking has gone up quite a bit. A two hour permit was $3, now it's all day for $15. -
Review from Tuan D.
Beautiful Saturday, azure sky, California sun, stretch of baked golden sand, crashing waves, 85 degrees subtropic weather, salty breeze of the ocean, distant cries of the seagulls...there's no such thing as too much satisfaction. When you're here, you've got nothing to worry about, except for the exorbitant parking price of $15 per vehicle.
There's something exuberating about asking for the time from a group of middle aged women hanging out on their beach chairs sipping large cups of questionable liquid and their answer was "It's party time"!
If only life's a beach. -
Review from Troy H.
Bonfire and beach! Yeeessssssssssssssssssssss! This was awesome. We all met up for an experience this event. This was a great place to host, since we all love this beach. Brian B hosted this event. We had everything from Baca Ball, vollyball, to some great grillin. The weather was great, Being 114 in the San Fernando Valley, this was the most logical place to be. At night was even more awesome because it was Bon Fire time. I broke down an old table (Aka dropped it from the patio, then broke it down), and purchased a packet of firewood from Ralph's, (yes, there is a huge firewood place down the hill from us, but Ralph s was sufficient), to fuel the fire. Smores galore baby! It was a great time. Food, drinks, and some other group around us had some back issues so they were getting there herb on :).
Great beach, great waves, great weather. Only advise, get there early to avoid the $15 parking, but sometimes its the best place to park when you have coolers and wood to haul up to the beach. Get there early anyways to get a great spot in the $15 area. -
Review from Tammy G.
Huntington Beach, CA
State Beach is a nice clean beach. Yes, it does get crowded during tourist season, but we have to move over and let vacationing people enjoy the beach, too. State Beach is from Beach Boulevard N to the river jetties, and, if you are not between these 2 spots - you are not at State Beach. I notice several photos on this page are actually of City Beach - by the pier. You know you are at State Beach by the TAN lefeguard towers. Does this matter? Only if you are telling people where to meet you. City beach has blue guard towers, but if you don't live here, you may not know there is a difference. Again - if you are trying to get a group to meet at the beach - the right beach is key. Give directions by beach and tower number, and you will not waste time being lost.
Parking is 10$ at the StateBeach lot - this is NORTH off of Beach Blvd at the sea. It is cash only, but you may come and go. The City Beach lot is the one SOUTH off of Beach Boulevard - this one is 15$ a day. This one takes credit cards, but you can not leave and return. Residents can buy annual passes to either beach lot.
State Beach has fire pits for bonfires - just about my favorite thing. It is roomy for kite flying, has a nice bike, walking path that ties all of the beaches together, has concessions, rentals, restrooms, and a small convenience store. In the busy season - if you want a fire pit, you MUST go early! That also goes for great parking spots. Remember we are a travel destination, and we have many people who enjoy the beaches each Summer. On off season, this place is like a private backyard that is miles long - ENJOY!!
I love living in HB. If I want a bonfire, but not much is going on downtown - I choose State Beach. If you are wanting to attend the US Open of Surfing, or most other HB events - you will want to be sure to go to City Beach - the one with the pier off Main Street, and the blue towers. It is a long walk from State Beach to the pier, if you are lugging gear.
Some other bit of advice - for safety: Tell your children to memorize the nearest guard shack by number - and place a certain umbrella where you are at. Kids drift when playing in the ocean - and get lost easily. They are confident to find you if they know to go back to a cetain tower and find your umbrella - or a kite tied to your chair, etc. Also - lifeguards are experts at the conditions - if they advise to move to a certain area - please do. And LASTLY never let your children dig a hole that they can get into, or someone else could. People suffocate in these holes by getting crushed more often than you think. Be safe, and have fun!Listed in: The Places I go to play
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Review from Steve T.
Cupertino, CA
Nice and clean beach.
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Review from Lisa C.
Love this beach! It's clean. The people are friendly. There are police patrolling the beach, while the lifeguards make sure you're safe in the water. Aside from surfing and swimming, there are plenty of volleyball courts if going in the water is not your thing. Or rent one of the bikes and cruise up and down the boardwalk. Feeling hungry? Stop by one of the many stands and grab yourself a quick bite or ice cream. There's something for everyone!
This place would have been a 5 star if it weren't for the $15 parking fee. Ouch! -
Review from Joey Y.
Definitely one of my favorite spots in SoCal. I used to live nearby and would bike here almost every other weekends to enjoy the sun, people, and various events. I miss biking here now that I live in Oregon but I have the Gorge.
Although there are many, many, many (too many) people here on weekends, I still find this beach to be fun and alive. Just make sure you go here early to secure a bonfire pit if you are planning to go during weekends. Also, the $15 parking fee punches my wallet in the face. -
Review from Cassy H.
Summer time in OC means beach days. Hello to bikinis and swim trunks.. hello to families with their kids building sand castles, teenagers and their raging hormones, couples romancing each other on the sand while glancing out at the Pacific Ocean, girlfriends who want to work on their tan and perfect sun-kissed skin, bros who are surfers or playing some sort of beach volley ball/soccer, etc.. All this and more is happening at Huntington Beach and probably any other beach around SoCal.
Some advice: parking near the beach is $15, which I think is just too much, so my friends and I parked around the neighborhoods near Magnolia St. It's free and only unavailable on Tuesdays due to street sweeping. The walk to the beach from the neighborhood takes maybe 5 mins and you save $15... definitely worth it. Also, bring your own food/snacks/drinks, there's a vendor at the beach that sells hot dogs, nachos,etc,... but I think it's over priced and cash only. So, why not stop by TJs on your way to the beach, grab some healthy snacks that way?
Alrighty, thanks Huntington Beach.. I'll be back to get my tan on. I love how vast and endless your shoreline is... and the feeling of sand in between my toes and the ocean breeze on my face.. :o) -
Review from Elijah Q.
Hacienda Heights, CA
The Beach itself is a 5 star.....but why the 3 star?
First of all the scoundrols....charge 15 DOLLARS.for parking.SERIOUSLY.
You would think with all that money for parking they could afford to put LIGHTS in the bathrooms..those bathrooms are useless..after sun down.
I feel bad for the women.
Also..another thing..is no drinking on the beach..why not?Also they close at 10 pm.Why...do they need to add more water to the beach or more sand..????
THE MAN...has ruined this beach...no lights in bathrooms,early close.no drinking,high parking price....
The beach itself is awesome..fire pits...at night..is what keeps you late.
If your ok with high parking,no lights in bathrooms...early close..then hey this is your beach..if not park outside....,use the bathroom early..and
take all that you can...cuz they kick you out at 10pm -
Review from kim t.
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Haven't been in huntington beach in forever cuz it was always it's my family's backyard. But i was happy to find that it is a relaxed atmosphere full of good looking body posers and a vibrant village which seems to have doubled in size since the time i came there. Parking is a buck fifty per hour on meters or $15 daily.
If you're looking for people watching while catching a tan and maybe have a nice happy hour, i recommend this place. Come during the week during the summer, it's less crowded. -
Review from Peggy S.
Los Angeles, CA
This place was pretty nice cleaner air and water than the beaches close to my house in LA. Funny enough, the sand seemed cleaner too haha..
The people that I went with actually ended up leaving to go over there too late so by the time we got there the parking situation was a NIGHTMARE! Lines for miles to get into a lot. We ended up finding some street parking and walking..
Next time we better get off our butts sooner and hit the road early to get some easy parking. -
Review from Henry S.
Long Beach, CA
Great Surf City Beach.
Bonfire pits off PCH and Magnolia entrance charges $15 per vehicle.
Opens til 10pm.
Parking on main street and at the beaches til midnight. Prices varies depending on how long you stay. Overall a clean and crowded beach.
The pier has a Ruby as well.
US OPEN COMING SOON. -
Review from Jeanette H.
South Gate, CA
Love coming here! Been coming here for years and still love it like the first time :) Its a great beach, always clean (for CA standards lol), full of people (good and bad), normally peaceful and full of bonfires! Parking sucks, its $15 to park in the beach lot and its packed. Come early because it gets full by the afternoon (worse the closer you get to the pier area) and then I'm not sure where you have to park but you gots to go elsewhere lol.
Also, if you want to get a bonfire, you gotta get there early. We did it last month and our friends got there by 10am and they got one of the last ones. FYI, make sure you DON'T bring alcohol as well or at least conceal it really well. There is a LOT of police around here. They pass by frequently on ATV's. -
Review from Mary J.
I thoroughly enjoy Huntington Beach for many reasons:
1. The vast expanse of sand and shore. So much area for picnicking and laying out on the sand. Albeit, San Diego has a gorgeous view of the cliffs and a rocky tidepool, yet Huntington Beach has about 20 times more sand than San Diego Beaches (Thanks to El Nino back in the mid to late 90's)
1.5 (All that sand area plus that ocean breeze makes for PERFECT kite-flying conditions. :D )
2. Fire pits a-plenty. My friends and I planned a barbecue, not really knowing what to expect in terms of securing a pit for our own. We feared the worst, as we arrived there; on a Saturday afternoon around 3:30pm. We were relieved to find many vacant pits, a short walk from the parking lot. Very convenient because we had a ton of stuff to unload.
And, for being a Saturday at 3:30pm, there was ample parking! We parked in the first lane facing the boardwalk. (Sweet)
3. The Huntington Beach-- Magnolia Entrance-- is where we went. I like it because it has a small convenient store that has an ATM and extra firewood... in addition to bike rentals, sundries, etc. I saw a bike available for rental for a group of 12 people... ridiculously awesome!! So want to rent that baby out next time.
4. It never ceases to amaze me seeing the large flock of birds flying around the shoreline, a hundred or so. I love it!
Cons
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1. There is a PARKING FEE and it is a whopping $15 (for a compact car or truck). And they take CASH-ONLY. Fortunately there was that ATM by the entrance.
**Rant** That's the annoying thing I've noticed about OC beaches, almost every one I've been to requires payment for parking. WTF! I miss San Diego and it's free parking. Grrr.
2. Bathrooms are NASTY. It's not surprising, I guess. It's a public beach restroom, I shouldn't expect The Ritz.
3. Watch for glass shards around the fire pits. No bueno.Listed in: .:*.ROTD's.*:.
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Review from Donna s.
San Francisco, CA
Its a beautiful day. The sun is out the ocean is blue and just forget about it as i check my tan lines. I am in awe of the surfers here. I practically drive off PCH on my way to Yoga watching them on a good surf day. You can see for miles here. Literally miles. The energy is infectious. It draws you out of the house, out of the car and make you want to move. If you love the outdoors this is the place to be. It can be crowded on a summer week end, so bring your good mood with you. I will repeat. i might even scatter my ashes here Umph. dont tell anyone though -:)
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Review from elvia j.
Huntington is a good choice to visit the beach if you are from out of town. It's clean, safe and easy to access. The parking close to the pier is a flat rate of $15.00 a day so I suggest spending some time in Huntington.
Aside from the $15.00 lot you can also park at a meter, which has a time limit (2 hr.?) -
Review from Giao T.
Great beach to spend a hot summer day with friends and family. I've been coming here forever!! Use to spend my summers at Redondo and Hermosa, but the drive out that way has become longer and the parking much harder. One bad thing and the only thing I can think that's a negative is the cost of parking. $15 to park on the state side and I think $12 on the city side.
The pier and downtown is a great way to spend an afternoon strolling to take in the sights and enjoy the company of others. Plenty of restuarants and bars and the locals are all friendly. I does get pretty crowded when there's an event going on such as the nationals surfing championship. But, like bad television programming, put up with it or go to another beach.
Portions of the beach have firepits and it's really fun to stay late into the evening and have a bonfire. Fair warning: it's crazy if you go on the 4th of July! Druken madness and the po-po are out in full force. Plan on 2 hrs just to leave the city limits with the amount of cars on the road.
There's also the widely popular dog beach that's off leash. If you have dogs and have never been here, then make it a point to go. It's a great day for you and your k9!! -
Review from thomas t.
Long Beach, CA
Overrated and over crowded. Too much policing, too many ghetto people here. You can't even ride your bike on the beach trail without someone walking in front of you or even police watching out for bikes going faster than 5MPH. This beach is a huge cash cow for police. (Sorry, but I'm not too find of police in general) The sand there is disgusting, don't be surprised if you get your foot cut on something buried. What really angers me is how people all of a sudden become complete snobs and act like they own the beach, pfff, please!
Go further south and hit up the beaches for a good time. -
Review from Jackie B.
I love bonfires. Huntington Beach always seems to have open fire pits, so I'm a fan! HB isn't my favorite beach, but it does the job. The pier nearby doesn't really compare to the one in Santa Monica. Parking is $15. Street parking isn't a bad walk, but 25 cents pays for only 10 minutes of parking time!
It's great for kids and big parties. If you're having a bonfire, bring lots of blankets... it gets cold! And bring music, it can get eerie without it. There is ample room for beach volleyball, throwing around a football, running along the water or boardwalk.
Also there's a dog beach down the coast, not too far away from here!
It "closes" at ten, but I've been there later before and (while they do attempt to chase you down and away) you can hang out after 10pm if you're parked on the street. :) -
Review from Tiffany P.
Arcadia, CA
Like it here but parking is a nightmare on the weekend.
$15.00per. -
Review from Dupree J.
Cypress, CA
Nice beach. Moderately clean compared to the other beaches of OC. Opens pretty early, but really sucks that it closes at 10. So early. But wow strongly recommend if your going to have a bonfire.
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Review from Sean B.
You know, unless a beach has something that 'pops', it's just hard to get excited about it. A few beaches that I particularly like have something unique about them. Santa Monica beach has the famous pier, the one you see in all the movies, and that's sort of fun. Will Rogers Beach has a good looking, athletic crowd. Daytona Beach in Florida has hot motorcycles. Most beaches in Mexico have cheap margaritas. Waikiki beaches have warm beautiful blue water and, well, Hawaiian guys. Black's Beach is clothing optional so you can see all kinds of goodness (and quite a bit of badness, selective eyesight is important).
Huntington is... um... well... it's clean enough. It's nice enough. There's parking, though it's not cheap. People are... okay. But nothing... jumps. Except for proximity to Sharkeez, and I'm not sure that's enough to make it worth a drive. At the end of the day, it's a generic nice SoCal beach... and I'm just not sure I can name anything more special than that. -
Review from Kevin D.
Claremont, CA
It's the beach! What's not to love?? It's a nice sandy beach without any rocks or cliffs in sight. This is the beach I grew up with so it is always my first choice when I invite friends out for a nice beach BBQ/bonfire. Like most beaches they have equipment rentals, fire pits, showers, snack bars etc.
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Review from MahaKali S.
Chicago, IL
Santa Monica has nothing on Huntington.
The beach is beautiful and there's really just something for everyone.
There's Ruby's on the pier, for the * ahem* "vintage" crowd, along with fishing.
There's tons of surf, and surf shops. Shopping and eats of all kinds. And a plethora of pleasant, and happy locals and tourists.
if you've not gone yet, you're missing out. -
Review from Chris B.
Huntington Beach, CA
This is my beach. After I divorced (the last time....long story) I moved to the condos right on the sand just north of the pier for about 2 years. It was an awesome time in so many ways. Now for the last 2.5 years I'm up main street about 4 blocks so while not as close....it's only a 10 minute stroll to the sand.
So, I guess this is home. And I like it. HB used to have a well deserved rep for roided out, tatted up, tweaked out bullys. I used to see em all the time. Got in a couple of chestbumping scenerios a couple of times. THAT was the only bad thing about HB.
Now?
To be honest I can't remember the last time I saw one. Yeah, I know they're still out there.....but I'm thinking that the worst maybe have been incarcerated or lost their lame low paying jobs and had to move out of their shared apartments and back to mom and dads......or something.
I like the beach.....it's always reasonable clean. Theres plenty of bathrooms and fast food close by. (Alltho I suggest hitting subway on PCH on the way in) if nachos and iffy hotdogs are your thing. There does tend to be a LOT of 909'ers and non locals......but I suspect that's the case with any socal beach in the summer.
After living here for so long....I've found I tend to prefer the non summer months anyways for being downtown. But that's just me.......... -
Review from Rachel G.
Alameda, CA
Great place to have bonfires! There are a lot of pit areas to have a bonfire, which is great. This beach is clean and there's a lot of open area. So if you decide to have a bonfire, you can leave all your stuff at your pit, and there's more than enough room on the beach to have a football game going or something.
I've been here a few times, and there are days the beach is crowded, but that's usually depending on the weather. It's also a great place to boogie/body board. The only downside is, when it gets extremely windy, it's almost impossible to get your fire going unless you block the wind, but that all depends on how you start your fire. -
Review from Nick H.
I pretty much like to surf northside. The State beach is great. I just like City better by the pier.
Parking is hard and expensive.This is a let down. The weekends suck. This beach is a great option on a weekday if you want to take off or have the day off. You can find a spot to yourself and chill.
Just an FYI.. I am pretty sure the State Parks pass works here. I used to have a State Park pass for mountain biking at Chino State Park and they accepted it here. It is probably the same case.
I also read a few reviews on here and am in total agreement with one of them. .Here is the tip.. Jeans, belts and tennis shoes are a no no in the ocean. It looks weird and is even dangerous. You can buy some cheap trunks at one of the local stores or go to walmart or something.
In any regard, the stretch of beach from Newport up to Sunset is probably the nicest in the US (other than Hawaii..especially if you like surf. If you are a regular in the area, you will start to see many of the same faces. Friendly people.
Just a tip..the portion where the river enters may be a bit warmer, but it is usually the most polluted area..especially after rain.
Huntington State Beach....another reason the OC is the best place to live. -
Review from Sylvia K.
I love this beach! Plenty of parking that isn't far from the shore so you don't have to lug your stuff very far.. Very clean and they allow you to bring your dogs. The dogs all play very nicely together, on and off the leash, with no problems that I've ever seen. Helps everyone be more social.. Great place to meet people!
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Review from Kelie H.
Nice beach, we had a good time here. Parking was on the spendy side but we prepared for that being tourists and all. If I were local, I would probably be pissed about it.
One funny and memorable incident- we were down by the water when i noticed a flock of seagulls (real ones, not the band) congregating by our towels. I remembered my BF left a full bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos over there and thought maybe they were trying to figure out how to get it open.
No, they didn't need to figure anything out. They all grabbed a corner and ripped the bag open to shreds, gobbled up the Cheetos and flew away. Took maybe 2 seconds for the entire thing to happen. I laughed so hard at those Cheeto-stealing seagulls.
We would definitely visit again. We just wanted the sand and the ocean, didn't care too much about the frills. -
Review from freshta m.
Garden Grove, CA
HB rocks -
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Review from Kellee N.
Anaheim, CA
Pretty much my favorite beach. Not sure if it's because I grew up coming here every weekend, but that might play a huge part.
The weather here is always nice, and even when it's cloudy it's pleasant to drop by.
There's a ton of shops, vintage stores, and restaurants down Main Street - they've got Starbucks, Color Me Mine, Shabu Shabu, Sushi, the Electric Chair, and 25 Degrees (which is an AMAZING burger joint).
There's lots of volleyball nets and a nice grass area where people chill with their dogs. The pier is a pretty nice pier compared to others, and the Ruby's on the end actually isn't an old shithole. I love this beach. -
Review from Gary M.
Montebello, CA
So this beach is a great beach, well maintained, good crowds, fire pits, clean restrooms at least for guys, and all lot of cool events are held near the pier. But I guess you want to know why the 3 stars instead of five. Well it is $15 for parking and that bums me out also the fire pits are first come first serve so you have to arrive at the crack of dawn. When there is an event here or even just weekends this parking situation gets insane by noon. Also the water is a long walk away from the car so bring sandals on hot days. So as an overall score I give it a high 3 star.
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Review from Michael W.
La Verne, CA
Pretty nice beach.
You get the shops nearby and theres a lot of parking. I was surprised how much parking actually.
You can people watch and theres some entertainers on the boardwalk.
I dont think we can beat Hawaiian beaches though -
Review from Nicole A.
Costa Mesa, CA
I'm partial since I work here; but really, it's a great clean beach. It's from Beach Blvd south to the river jetties. Love to bring my girl down to HBSB for some kite flying and milkshakes!
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Review from Renee S.
A wonderful day with a great friend at the beach on my last day of vacation. I truly live in paradise well 30 minutes away but still, I'm just sayin'.
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Review from KC O.
Sunset Beach, CA
SCENE: 6AM JULY 18...KC STANDS ON BEACH WITH BOARD UNDER ARM SURVEYING THE CARNAGE FROM LAST NIGHT'S TYPICAL TRASH DUMP FROM THE INLAND EMPIRE. LIKE IRON EYES CODY FROM THE PSA'S OF THE 70'S, A TEAR ROLLS DOWN KC'S CHEEK:
http://www.youtube.com...
5 Stars from Labor Day to Memorial Day.
1 Star from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
KC's home surf break is Brookhurst. Depending on the year, the conditions of the sand bars usually bring solid surf from River Jetties to Stacks. Generally speaking, the same respectful people surf these breaks. It is illegal to boogie board Huntington State Beach which sucks because KC loves laughing at those barnys from Rosemead, Lomita, Riverside, etc.
Why one star during the summer?
The inland heat brings the 909/310/626 crowd to our shores. These fools roll in with their jeans, XXXL white t-shirts, shoes n socks and either a Raider, Laker, USC or Dodger hat.
I'm a fan of tourism because it brings commerce to the city but these deadbeats aren't contributing anything but the trash they selfishly leave behind. -
Review from Dani S.
Rowland Heights, CA
Dude, where else in the world do you get to see such an absurd number of HOT, toned, tanned, surfer boys! Now, I'm a sucker for "money-makers" on a guy, and there's definitely not a lack of that here!
Seriously, this is a community beach with lots of friendly people, who also happen to be very good looking. If you are lucky, you get to see the life guards do their morning jog along the beach and it really does look like Bay-watch. Did I mention people are good looking??
Be prepared for some major eye-candy! -
Review from Teresa P.
La Habra, CA
A friend was having a BBQ here, so Mr. P accompanied me on the long drive down. GMIT had vanished somewhere with her uncle, so sorry, she didn't partake of the adventures.
We arrived around 5 pm. Parking is $15, no matter what time of day it is.
My friend hadn't managed to snag a firepit, so she'd set up her own BBQ, and was grilling spicy chicken and Korean BBQ, She'd also brought fried rice and glass noodles. Best beach food ever.
Since I was going to the beach, I'd put on my two-piece, and was ready to sit on a blanket in the sand in just my bathing suit. It was COLD! I ended up putting on three layers from my car's hoodie stash. Then my friend wanted me to go get in the water. Mr. P went with me to the water's edge. Mr. P avoided the waves, but I let them wash over my feet and legs. The surf was very rough, and if I surfed, I probably would have loved it.
I give it 3 stars for the $15 parking and the scary-potties. Newport Beach, just a bit further south, is a better and cheaper beach experience for me. -
Review from Sovannary O.
Seattle, WA
Gorgeous. But I've seen better. It was WAY to crowdy when I went, but I guess that's my fault for going on a Saturday. I really liked this beach because there's SO much to do, sadly I had a very short period of time to do anything. Next time I come back, I'd want to spend a whole day here to just explore.
