I'm an annual visitor. Come to Santa Cruz for the Labrador retriever summer week vacation. We let our dogs romp here 2 hours everyday. As all other reviewers say, this beach has no parking lot. You need to find parallel parking in front of a house. At the most crowded I've ever experienced I had to park on 26th above east cliff drive, a 300 yard walk to the stairway above the beach. I'm aware that this is a required dog leash law beach inside the city. I also see that all dogs here owned by locals are off leash and having a blast! Soft sand for human feet and dog paws. Medium amount of sea debris, driftwood, kelp. Not much human garbage. If you pack it in, pack it out! Santa Cruz = sun & fun at the surf. Enjoy! read more

I should have bought a lottery ticket today, I found street parking right next to the beach. This spot is more for the local residents who live nearby since there is such limited parking which is a nice thing since it does not as crowded as the others in the area. This is good size beach with stunning views! Enjoy it and clean up after yourselves please. read more

See all

I love this beach. It's the only one in SC I really like since it's generally not crowded at all. Sure, there's no parking, but walking from street parking is almost always less than a mile. And all the people that frequent this beach are always ridiculously friendly. We went last Friday and I've never seen the tide so high! There were very few spots to plant because of that, but we found one and set up camp. It was a lovely day of playing in the waves and sand. I just wish I had put on more sun screen because it was a hot one. read more

See all

Stopped here on the way back to our airbnb, thought we found a hidden gem beach but not really. this beach is not well maintained and there was many debris on the day we came. Matter of fact, there was a lot of flies because of it. Waves here are very strong so if you are looking for a beach to chill, this is not a place. read more

26th Street Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

A bit of a hidden gem! This beach is dog friendly for off leash. Not too crowded with people. Parking can be tricky since it's all street. No lifeguard towers if you hangout near 23rd street so be careful in the water. read more

26th Street Beach - Scooby enjoying the dog-friendly off leash beach! - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Persistence of childhood beach-going memories on 26th Street Beach. This wee little beach is between the beach at the outlet of Corcoran Lagoon and Moran Lake Beach. At low tide it is an easy walk between all these beaches, which is a great way to relax and explore. As a child, my family often visited Moran Lake Beach and walked through the 26th Street Beach. There is a stairway there to the top of the low bluff. From here you have a nice view of the ocean. I on my last trip, I was lucky enough to see seals and a whale feeding, which is rare and awesome. Keep your eyes and heart open on your walks here and to the neighboring beaches. There is no telling what adventures you'll have. read more

This beach is awesome so stay away! haha I guess its too late cause some San Josecean named it 26th "Street" and put it on Yelp. I come here every weekend with my dog and sometimes with my Mandolin just to chill by the ocean. Its the best beach in Santa Cruz read more

See all

I don't recommend this beach it's covered in seaweed lots of flies. Found many hyper dermic needles. Strong undertow bad for children. Basically no parking. The waves are crowded with tons of surfers. Probably the worst beach at all of Santa Cruz. Better that you go to Capitola where there's lots of restaurants plenty of parking even a wharf to fish off of. It's perfect for the kids much more gentle and very clean really free of seaweed etc. there's even showers across the street for the public and bathrooms. read more

This is over a year ago, we had been to boardwalk and looking for the only place to have a non fire. The kids wanted to light a bonfire with there girlfriends. It was a beautiful evening, almost full moon, very pretty . The wood was plentiful and the company exceptional. We all had a great time. Not much parking though! read more

26th Street Beach - Bonfire!! - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Originally came here for Save Our Shores: Beach Cleanup. I suppose this beach is also called Moran Lake Beach as well since it can connect to the Moran Lake. The beach is intimate and far away from Boardwalk so you don't have to worry about all the tourists and noise. My brother and I came here after checking in at the free parking lot across the street. The lot holds about 30 cars and has restrooms. The beach was a bit foggy when we arrived, but it was beautiful and free of people minus the surfers waiting to catch some waves. The beach is dog and bonfire friendly! Saw lots of dogs playing together and bonfires going later in the day. The beach did seem to fill up around 11-12 with people. It's a relatively clean beach, probably considering the monthly beach clean ups that occur often in Santa Cruz. The clean up was a bit bittersweet, since we had hopes of finding buckets of trash ... but we found a good portion to bring back to be recycled. Definitely going to head to this beach instead of Boardwalk or Seabright when in need of a beach day! If you bring trash in, please throw it away! Not only for future visitors, but to preserve the natural state of the beach itself :-) read more

A beautifully warm March Saturday. In the mid-70's, people. My legs are BLUE, can't even call them white - so I needed a private place to unleash them and try and make them look normal again. We're talking Pete Doherty pasty- here. So I grabbed a bathing suit from Target (without even trying it on, because really folks, when you're this white, ain't nothing looking good on you), a magazine and some sunscreen. Then I grabbed my friend Annie and away we went. We cautiously approached an available spot on the sand. We looked around. No one was paying us any mind - and everyone had on sunglasses. In a flurried, frenzied swirl of activity I whipped off my jeans and quickly flopped down onto my towel - face down. Four hours later I zipped up my jeans. My legs are lookin' "alive" now and I feel certain I can wear a skirt sans tights now without scaring anyone. Mission accomplished. read more

Some things just "go" together. You know, like peanut butter and jelly or sorority girls on Halloween and fishnets. 26th street and Jenn T. belong together. Carve that shit into a tree. 26th street is the unassuming Santa Cruz beach that has somehow avoided all the loud sock-tan sporting peeps who just spent $100 bucks at Longs purchasing every neon nurf product available. Now, for parking. This is like one of those "choose your own destiny books:" 1.) There is a 30 spot parking lot just across the street. I believe its still free parking. 2.) Park at Pleasure Point in their (usually packed) parking lot, check out the surfers on the sweet outlook point, and then take a gorgeous 20 minute stroll down East Cliff Drive walking path that overlooks the ocean. Just stay on the road that lines the ocean and you'll eventually end up at 26th street. You'll know you are there when you see Moran lake park on your right and an obvious beach opening on your left. Captain obvious points to option two being way awesome. Bottom line, this place rocks my sock off, literally. read more

26th Street Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

You should know drinking is illegal here at 26th ave beach. Also if you don't pack your trash, you will be banned. Also there is no such beach as 26th street beach.....try and find it. It is called 26th Ave Beach and its only for locals..... PICK UP AFTER YOUR DOG... read more

See all

There's really strong waves here and the beach isn't that deep. We liked it because there also weren't very many people here, so it was nice for our kids. There were lots of surfers though read more

Dogs must be leashed. Not safe for dogs when high tide. (timing ;) Nicely built stairs but too steep for ol dogs. 26th AVE. & E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 *see pics* Added 9/15/2014 Label: To Review (9/15/14) read more

I read some of the review says it's off leash dog beach, so I took my dog there. Then I see a sign says " On leash all the time " it's a disappointment. But the beach is small, not many people. Not super clean bcs seaweed .... compare to other busy Santa Cruz beach, this is easier to access and walk around . read more

What an awesome "locals" beach! I stumbled across this beach while out on a run one night. It's perfect because it's right off the E. Cliff Drive. There's no stairs or rocks to maneuverer to get to the sandy area. It's right there. It's a smallish beach but since it's not in a touristy area so there's usually a spot to fit in. It's right across the road from the Moran Lake which also has bathrooms which is perfect. Also, a lot of people light bonfires here in the evenings. So during the day be careful of burnt wood, but being able to bonfire and drink on this beach is a major plus. read more

The 26th Street Beach is one of a few dog-friendly beaches in Santa Cruz. Actually two beaches separated by an outcrop, it's nearly a mile of dog running fun. Weather tends to be more foggy than Seabright, but much clearer most days than further south (Seascape, Aptos, etc.). Give yourself at least an hour to tire out the dogs and enjoy your walk on this pair of beaches! read more

Although I hate to give away the real name, the beach is at the end of 26th Ave. not street. You can occasionally find parking on the streets, but not often since AirBnB came to town. There are beaches on both sides of 26th Ave. I recommend the one on the right. It's not a park and plant yourself beach, you do have to walk a bit. Dusk brings out the beach rats, so don't lean up against the rock unless you are prepared to be startled by something as large as a cat run past you in the dim light. Locals might be found on skim boards when the waves are just right, but normally you find people vacationing and staying at the copious number of rentals nearby with their family reunions, or church outings during the summer. A lagoon opens up to the beach and certain seasons may have some sudsy, smelly water meandering to the sea. When this happens there is little beach available for sunning. My recommendation is you take the Ocean St exit to the Main beach where it's easy to park and sun and enjoy the rides at the boardwalk. read more

Locals only! I was raised in Santa Cruz and have been coming here since jr high (in my 30's now). I love this beach and bring my son with me all the time. It's chill and relaxing. No vendors or shops, which is perfect. Pet friendly (don't know the official rules, but dogs are typically off leash) and a great place to hang out. read more

I have gone to this beach twice. The first time was on a Tuesday in July, I went with a group of 9 friends for my birthday. The beach is dog-friendly, and has quite a few surfers since it catches great waves. The police don't really patrol it since is is off the beaten path. So it is great if you are looking to drink on the beach and not be bothered. We had no problem parking, and there was quite a few young people. The weather was great, and we had an amazing time. However, my sisters and I went on a Sunday in August, and had such a different experience. The tide was high, and ended up flooding the beach so there was no where to lay, and parking on the weekend was next to impossible. I recommend this beach if you are looking for a beach not flooded with tourists and that is dog-friendly...just don't go on the weekends and check the weather to see if it is high or low tide! read more

26th Street Beach - 26th street beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

See all

I bring my kiddos here often, it's a secluded little beach. It's usually very clean and private, the only downfall is there is no restroom. read more

26th Street Beach - California living - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I just got married on this beach today and couldn't have asked for a better scenery! My HUSBAND, ahhhh oh my gosh, and I were very happy with the location. Will definitely be going back for our anniversaries for many years to come! read more

26th Street Beach - Love, love, love!!! - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Love this spot. Much more dog friendly. People are mainly locals and care about the beach.

This is a nice little quiet tucked away little beach that is very dog friendly. I had a great time when we went there last summer a few times and I hope to go back at least once this summer. There is free parking across the street. read more

See all

This is a clean beach. I like that there's convenient parking across the street with no charge. There's also a public shower and bathrooms in that same lot. We saw a group of dolphins while we were here, which was really awesome. The beach is a little small, but it wasn't overly crowded. read more

Locals can keep it. Tons of dirty seaweed in the water. Trash from fast food junkies all over the entrance. Unfriendly home owners. Waves were very subpar and had heavy 'seasonal' seaweed in the water. Clearly no pride of ownership. Good job, I'll never visit again. read more

One of my three favorite beaches. Not suitable for young kids though. The water can travel quite fast and splash pretty high (guess that's maybe why I like it so much!). Convenience store on the corner across the way is a great source of food and drinks for a nice day watching the surfers (cash only though). read more

It may seem trivial, but it's 26th Ave, not street. Now that I have that out of the way, my review is based on a sunset trip yesterday. Great place to catch one, it falls over The Lane, and the twinkling of west side lights soon proceeds. We dug a small pit and had a fire for a few hours. 4 chairs, a few cans of beer, a radio playing the 6:30 reggae show on KZSC, what a night. The kind of weather, night and overall feeling you see in the movies, it was perfect. Not too many people, families, locals and the ubiquitous seedy teenagers running around. This beach is nice because it isn't swarming with cops and rangers, lets keep it that way people! The first rule in life is don't be a douche bag. The guy last night lighting off quarter sticks of dynamite in the sand, you're a douche bag. Don't be that guy. If you want to take a chance and sneak in a tall boy PBR or 2, chances are if you are behaving yourself, not making a scene and not being an overall asshat, no one will bother you. Pack your trash, pack your cig butts, don't bury your fire when you're done and don't be a douche bag and ruin this beach for all of us. It's epic. Worth mentioning I suppose is the surf break here. I've never surfed here but it appears to be a short board spot only, but a beautiful break when it's on. A left and a right if I remember correctly. Expect some localism here, especially if you're a baddie. Then again if you're using this review to find a new surf spot you might want to try Cowell's or 38th Ave. read more

26th street beach can be considered as a hidden gem that is mainly known by locals, surfers and hardcore beach bums. I've been going here for almost 20 years. I am a total surfer guy (although, I may not look the part) and I must say the breaks are pretty nice. Halfway down the beach there is a huge boulder underneath the water to create a nice break. Careful, as some newbies do not know about the boulder and they have wiped out on top of it. *ouch* There is a great left and right, given on which way the swell is coming from. On average, it's been about a 5'-6' range front-side but I have been there when it's hit double overhead. Yes, this place does pump out some big waves if you're lucky. Obviously, this varies depending on the season. Now, for you beach lovers who enjoy lying out and getting a tan . . . you will love this spot. 26th street beach has a rock wall all the way down the beach and there some little coves for you and your friends to lie out and hide from the wind. It's great. Fellas, I've been there a few times when the girls are topless . . . yes, topless and lying on their back. It does get crowded in the summer so try to get there early to find a good spot. 26th street beach has a limited space for parking. In the same parking lot, there are bathrooms as well as a shower (which is located on the outside). I've had some great times here at 26th. The ride home was the best as you get to cruise past Pleasure Point and check out the beautiful view as you say good bye to the wonderful ocean. Either you're a surfer, tourist, beach lover or someone who just loves to visit a wonderful beach, I highly recommend 26th street beach. The summer days are fabulous as it gets super hot and the water cools you down perfectly. The people are all nice and there are lovely restaurants for you to eat at. Now pack your towel, sunscreen and head for 26th street beach already! Happy Riding! read more

Just stay away if you're not a local, being from Watsonville and Scott's valley peeps aren't welcome either :)

How can you give a beach in Santa Cruz less than five stars? This beach is scenic and has a good view of the boardwalk in the distance. There is a surf break that is popular with the locals but not too busy. Public parking across the street. Good place to go treasure hunting after a storm. read more

This beach is off the beaten path and doesn't have the boardwalk feel of the main beach in Santa Cruz, but the beach is small so there isn't a lot of room to spread out. It is dog friendly so we brought our dog with us. We went on a Saturday and had trouble finding parking. After we finally found a spot, we noticed the beach was crowded but set our blanket down near some other people. A group of people started playing a game of volleyball near us and the ball kept getting hit near our blanket. Also, the tide was high and the water turned the beach in to a lake, so we had to pack up our stuff in a hurry and leave. Needless to say, this wasn't relaxing. After all of that trouble, I think I'll just go to the boardwalk next time. read more

More of a local beach, not crowded whenever we go here. Perfect place to tan! The sun get's really good attention here when it's out because you know Santa Cruz is always a hit or miss with overcast. Bunch of locals playing volleyball last weekend we came here. I like going here with my boyfriend, lots of room to just chill and relax. You kinda got to park a bit further but we've never paid for parking to get to this beach. read more

A classic surfing spot and plenty of beach. Small parking lot and restroom/shower across the street. A really popular spot.

This beach is very small and separated into two segments: a north and south segment. It's pretty difficult to reach the south segment if you park at the north, so be ready for a hike if that's the best parking you can get. The parking wasn't great from what I saw; all spaces were metered for an hour or two (minutes in the downtown shop area a block away), so be ready with some quarters. The shop area is very nice and the people are friendly. I found a surf shop a couple blocks up that had a nice selection of beach chairs, in case you like to lounge in style. Did I mention the beach is hella small? read more

I love this beach! It's not too crowded and the atmosphere is super chill! Its pet friendly, and parking is not too bad if you get here early! read more

Really cool beach, but the shore break can be dangerous at times...keep an eye on your kids.

Parking, bathrooms, locals, skim boarders, whales, dolphins, sea glass. Secluded, kid and dog-friendly. Yay!

Lot's of people are getting jumped here, especially if you look like you're from out of town. I'd avoid this beach and stick to the safe ones. I live a few miles away and I'm not comfortable going here anymore. read more