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Salt Creek Beach
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
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24 reviews for Salt Creek Beach
The view here is impossible to beat. So perfect. Bring a picnic and some wine or margaritas (in a non-obvious container that won't get you a ticket, of course).
This is a terrific beach for walking, sitting, jogging, sunning, maybe even surfing (though I don't know how yet).
However, I do not recommend swimming here. I have been attacked by huge mounds of seaweed each time I've tried. Really gross.
There is a new cafe that just opened up at the top of the hill at PCH. Can't recall the name, but I'm sure it's worth checking out next time you're in the area.
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Ramadan has officially started and I am so hungry. Fasting from sunrise to sunset can be quite tiring, but when you come to beaches like this it just clears your mind. I came here yesterday and felt so at peace. They have nice picnic tables, bbq pits and people seem to be very friendly. Everyone should come here before the summer ends! And Yes, I even wrote a few poems! Enjoy----
CONVERSATION
--------------------------
To tell each other
all they have ever seen
To show each other
All they have ever felt
To give each other
All they have ever held
To explain to each other
All they have ever known
Without Saying a Word
to each other
Is to hear the voice of God
------------------------
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This was my favorite beach to go to back in high school. It is right by the Ritz Carlton. I loved coming here as it wasn't too crowded. Also I would park on Selva and walk down the hill from there. Now they have it all fenced up so you have to take the stairs. This is a much longer of a walk now days but I'll still do it as I really enjoy this beach.
I really like the far left side of the beach. You can climb up the rocks into a cove with a tunnel. They even have a rope there now to make you climb easier. Take the tunnel to the other side and it is a whole different world. You'll see the boats at the dock down this way.
The right side where the Ritz is located and is pretty cool also. I like to climb up the rocks and just sit there and watch the waves crash up 50 plus feet.
Ah the very simple pleasures of life.
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I love this beach for many reasons. Even when the weather is overcast at Salt Creek, it's still beautiful and I've been able to take interesting looking photos. It's also right by the Ritz Carlton. Walking from the parking lot to the beach is a grassy area which looks nice for picnics or just relaxing.
When the sun is out and the temperature is just right, it's all the makings of a very beautiful day at Salt Creek beach. Now that I've written a review, I've got to take advantage of this beach. See you later.
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Okay, why do people keep referring to this beach as "secluded"? It's NOT secluded. Maybe we just went on a bad day but the beach was PACKED. It was like 80+ degrees today, though, so maybe that's why.
Anyways, the beach is pretty. Clean-ish sand, much cleaner than down in LA, clear water (i can see my toes!) that's blue rather than brown/green, and a giant sprawling grassy hill for picnics, frisbee, grilling etc. the beach is actually enclosed by this hill, making you feel like you're in your own little world. there's also a basketball court up on the hill and some bbq pits here and there.
we actually grabbed sandwiches from mezzaluna (which were REALLY good) and found a nice spot on the lawn to eat before heading down to the sand. i dont like gritty sandwcihes. the view from the lawn is fabulous. you look down into the ocean and to your left and right are these magnificent homes that have probably been featured in some movie or music video. picturesque and the perfect way to enjoy lunch on a beautiful sunday in sunny southern california.
however, CONS:
- way too much of a crowd (although this is really not the beach's fault),
- nasty dirty bathroom facilities (to be expected at most beaches),
- longass line at the refreshment stand (also to be expected).
- REALLY cold water.
- every single person here is in REALLY good shape. like, really really good shape. mostly because they're all under 20. i spent about 3 hours enviously eyeing 16-20 year old girls' bodies. sigh.
that last one probably isn't a con for most guys out there, including my boyfriend. he was eyeing the girls for different reasons. sigh #2.
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OK, so I was up in the Dana Point area for a birthday party and we were to meet at the "beach at the Ritz Carlton". I'd never been there before and found it to be a very cool beach...
There's a huge grassy area with some tables and a boardwalk/sidewalk that parallels the beach. The walk from the parking lot is down a big hill which is the biggest bummer about this beach, especially when you're done and heading back up to the car!
The beach is further down from the grassy area and is pretty secluded.. that is, not as accessible as other beaches where you can park right next to the beach, step out of your car and plop right on the sand.
Surrounded by multi-million dollar homes, this is a great place to have a picnic, hang out at the beach and dream about one day moving up in the world. There's also a snack bar between the park and the beach that serves typical beach food... a nice little addition that you don't often find these days.
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Growing up in Pasadena, when my mom said "Let's go to the beach!" that unequivocally meant Huntington Beach, which I still love with all of my heart.
But something happened to us -- my mom & I -- in my junior year of high school; exactly what, I couldn't say. We started spending our weekends exploring Southern California; sometimes we'd drive out to the Palm Springs area, sometimes up to Ojai, or out to Ventura, or down to San Diego.
& on our way home from one of those San Diego-bound trips (or maybe on the way?) we discovered Salt Creek.
Since then, we never go to any other beach except for the surf competitions at Huntington, or if we're headed in another direction already anyway.
The view from the tunnel from the parking lot is just outstanding. One of my absolute most favorite moments EVER is standing at the mouth of the beautifully painted tunnel, staring out at the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen, as some mysterious man played the sax on the other end of the tunnel, letting it echo through & out.
The grassy hill leading down to the beach is always filled with families or groups of friends playing frisbee or picnicking or just generally enjoying a nice day at a park. & as for the beach... I love how secluded it is (thank you Ritz Carlton for cutting off the rest of the world), which is probably also helped by the fact that the parking lot only has limited space, & there's not really any other street parking nearby.
Mom & I love to watch the surfers -- it seems that no matter what time of day or year we go, there's always at least 5 of them in the water -- & just lay or sit on the sand; even on a windy day in the winter, the cliffs behind the beach break the wind enough that it's not too cold to lay out in a bikini.
I live in Florida now, & I have to say, as much as I enjoy the beaches here, there's nothing like Salt Creek.
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I can't believe I've been up and down PCH a few hundred times in my life and have never happened upon this beach. It's right past the Ritz Carlton, which I think I've actually been to, but it was probably for work and I probably didn't get to see the light of day.
Tons of body/boogie boarders, and even some surfers, although it seems to break really close to shore. The sand is nice, the water is clean and plenty of beach for a good run back and forth along the water. Paid parking is up on the hill, about a 7-minute walk away, and there's a huge grassy area where you can sit with your dogs and watch the sunset. No dogs allowed on the beach. They do have facilities and a snack shack there. Too bad this beach is so far away from me, or else I'd frequent it more often.
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Perfect beach for sun-worshippers or has a really nice grassy area with picnic tables and BB courts.
awww. salt creek beach.
ah. such fond memories.
ditching school to sit and watch the surfers.
my graduation party was there.
got many tans on that beach.
yep. definitely a great spot. :)
I love love love Salt Creek
It's peaceful, relaxing, never too crowded (compared to Laguna Main), sports a basketball court, BBQ area, nice hillside to chill and smell that fresh salty ocean breeze, a food stand and oh yeah hot chicks a plenty! :)
There is some surfing here and as usual you have to get here around 6am for the good stuff.
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The prettiest beach I've been to in a long time--secluded, gorgeous view of the ocean from the grassy knoll area. The park was great for grilling on the bbq pits and there's a basketball court too! I wish it were closer to me so I could go every weekend.
I've only been to SCB once, but I had a wonderful experience. I've been to a handful of OC beaches, but this one is by far my favorite. I just wish it was a little further north! Anyway, I went over the summer and the crowd wasn't too bad that day. We found parking pretty easily in the lot. As other Yelpers have mentioned, the walk up the hill is pretty tiring, but luckily, I went with a bunch of my guy friends, so they carried most of our belongings. ;) haha
I'm not a surfer, but I always think it's rad when portions of the beach are zoned off for surfing and swimming. The waves that day were huge! I was taken out tsunami style a couple times, so I mostly laid out on the sand.
It's a BEAUTIFUL beach with smooth sand. From what I remember (which maybe isn't much since I downed a bunch of sangria before), the bathroom facilities were relatively clean compared to other beaches. However, my cleanliness standard always drops when I'm buzzing. haha.
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I remember when I first went to SCB as a little kid. It seemed like this ocean paradise (well coming from Texas) with the most luxurious houses resting on the cliffs above the 3/4 mile stretch of the Pacific sand. Nothing has changed.
20 years later, I still love coming here to relax, clear my head, run, body surf, etc. This is a locals' beach so I would only suggest coming here for the aforementioned activities. Head down to Salt Creek when you want to go to a beach with few tourists and enjoy the nature and sounds of the ocean, not the incense stands and the puppy jugglers.
Salt Creek is also the location of the Ritz Carlton, so while on the beach you can see the magnificent buildings of the Ritz and from the Ritz you have a breathtaking ocean view.
Surf here is somewhat competitive, nothing like the wedge, but 1-2 feet larger than the average so cal waves. Surfers here are good, runners here are dedicated, tourists here are in awe, but it's all Zen.
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I used to live in walking distance from this beach. It is BEAUTIFUL no matter what the weather. It's a little bit of a hike down to the water, but so worth it because it deters a lot of ginormous families and tourists. You do get a decent number of rich obnoxious families because of the Ritz, but it's not too bad.
Surfing: Don't longboard here, you'll look lame. Honestly, if you're not a local, this isn't the best place to surf because the surfers here tend to be fairly possessive. Go to down to San Onofre for long boarding or up to a smaller beach in Laguna like Thalia St. for short boarders.
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My favorite Orange County beach when it comes to playing in the waves. I could either swim or float in this water for hours. The water also seems crystal clear on a sunny summers day... much clearer than in north county, making the drive all the way down here completely worth it...Its also a great spot for a big group trip and there's always people playing volleyball and working on the tan... I recall there's a pretty legit snack bar so don't worry if you're not organized enough to pack snackies.... Its raining in SF as I write this, but I'm just trying to imagine that I'm riding Salt Creek's waves right now...
It's like being in middle school again, except everyone is wearing bikinis talking about how fat each other are again...
If no one is there, this is a great beach...I used to live across the street and enjoyed it often...but once summer comes around stay away.
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This is my favorite beach in south Orange County, but I don't come as often as I used to...because of the hike back up the hill. What seemed annoying when I was 25 seemed impossible when I had little kids, and just an awful lot of effort now that I'm over 40. However, it's still beautiful and worth it in the end.
The sand is soft, light, and fine. The boogie boarding is amazing. Plenty of beach to lounge on, and bathrooms nearby. There are even tidepools to the south worth exploring and looking for treasures. The park above the beach is perfect for picnics, basketball, and even a clam bake (not in the sand but on the grill). Bring a cooler on wheels, and pack lightly.
There is a bathroom at the top of the hill, and a place to rinse your feet. Parking is a bear in summer, but fine the rest of the year.
wow this place is amazing and such a wonderful place for a get together w/friends and family.. just went for my birthday bbq this past weekend! It was crowded...Please be sure to get there early if you want a grill and tables..We got there at 7am, but there were people there since 5am!! Definitely worth it though.. the view of the ocean, the nice manicured lawns..the only thing that's yucky is the bathrooms, next to the snack shop..
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I walk here a lot from my place. The view is great, and I haven't seen it crowded yet - but there are always tons of surfers. I think it is pretty private & the houses around this beach are amazing to look at!
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I have very mixed feelings about Salt Creek Beach...
I used to frolic here in the surf when I was 5 and plop my ass in the sun here in high school...
I don't mind walking DOWN the hill from the parking lot with all of my stuff in two but WOAH Nellie! The hike back up is a doozy! (Don't attempt if you have a heart condition!!)
It's a great place to chill on the grass with a picnic (also great to go ice blocking in the middle of the night so long as you don't get caught...something I again, did in high school lol)...I don't recommend doing this after the age of 18 or if you don't want to suffer the ramifications of getting caught ruining the grass!
The Ritz Carlton is just above the beach...nice to walk through.
You can walk to either Monarch Beach to the north or to the Strand to the south (I'm sad about all the houses that popped up near the Strand and how they chopped up the last remaining untouched land in the area!!)
Not a big fan of the damn flies who like to congregate around the occasional washed up mounds of seaweed on the beach....ick.
Not a bad place to bring out of town guests for a try at surfing (so long as they don't piss off any of the local high schoolers...it's their "turf" first. lol)
Parking is pretty easy...pay stations abound.
You can walk to a Starbucks.
The beach is kid friendly, has bathrooms and a snack bar.
There are plenty of nicer beaches both to the south and to the north in terms of clarity of water and sand.
Pick yer poison! Great beach over all...just depends on what your looking for.
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Kudos to those who have reviewed Salt Creek Beach before me. I agree with everything written. My folks live in walking distance to this great beach. There's everything you need...a primo surf spot (according to my surfer friends), picnic area, walking trail, amazing scenery (of course I'm referring to all the hot OC chicks...haha), and huge, silly houses and the Ritz. It's a really nice spot. I'm glad I know it's there.
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The view...amazing, the water...powerful and a great workout...the people...crowded and too young and kinda annoying. If you go in the afternoon this is a great place. I still go, but you gotta just expect a very young crowd and the kids that parents dont even hang out with, they just drop them off for the lifeguards to watch. But regardless its a beautiful fun beach.
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This beach is beautiful. The beach is just down from the Ritz and offers breathtaking views, plus you can look up on the amazing houses lining the coast. The beach is small so you get a little crowd but even on Labor Day weekend with 80 degree weather there is space for everyone. The jogging along here and up the canyon is perfect for anyone new to the area.
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