Bolsa Chica State Beach and Park are always a nice getaway from the crazy Huntington Beach Pier area. People here are generally here to enjoy the waves, a good family time. The life guard huts have friendly staff and attentive to their post and jobs. This State Park has moved on to digital payment - you can now scan the QR code located at every lot and pay the $21 day use fee if parking inside. Note that all lots get pretty full by noon on Summer weekends. read more

+ Whoo Cali beaches! - VERY crowded on Sat evening. + Plenty restrooms, - but no handsoap. Thankfully the nice ppl near me offered some ^_^ + Good amount of showers. - My crewmates were stuck in nonmoving PCH traffic trying to get in to the parking lot for +1/2hr. - Extortionate parking @ $21 even if you're only there a couple hrs. - Very windy. You can see all the sand . Tip: Maybe better find a better beach. read more

Recently came to this beach to celebrate a friend's birthday. Given it was a Sunday, I thought it was going to be super packed, but to my surprise, parking was a breeze and it was pretty easy to find each other. The beach itself is I guess one of the better beaches in SoCal for bonfires, but idk...I can't find myself to fall in love with the beaches here. The beach I found was still pretty dirty in comparison to others I've been to (outside of SoCal, I know it's an unfair judgment). Overall, this is a decent place for those looking for a bonfire by the beach. read more

Always nice, not crowded. Pay parking through app. Limited restaurants (approximately two), but never two crowded. Perfect waves for surfers. Not a lot of cart vendors selling umbrellas, hot dogs, boogie boards (only see one- ice cream cart). No stores around too. Low key, not overly crowded like Venice/ St Monica. read more

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Such a great beach for a chill, solo day. Spent about 10 hours here by myself. Paid for parking which was relatively cheap. I think it was $10 for the day. The lot is next to the beach/sand area so it's easily accessible for those with wagons. Beach tents are allowed so long as they are open and not in the way of the lifeguards. Waves are strong here but not as bad as some of the beaches near Laguna. Got to watch some surfers and boogie boarders. There's restaurants nearby and bike rentals. Had I known about the bike rentals, I wouldn't have brought so much stuff with me. They have fire pits every couple of yards. Would be a great spot to catch the sunset. read more

Great to be here for bin fires. Come at night, don't forget hoodies, blankets, sweat pants. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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This was a very nice beach. There was no one charging parking fees. We found parking easily. The beach was clean. It was not crowded. There was showers, benches, fire pits and bathrooms nearby. There was two life guards on site. There's also a sidewalk to ride your bike, roller skates, skateboard, etc. Overall it was a very nice evening. read more

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Great beach where there are 2 stages with great music! Sea salt and Sea Legs! You pick the style of music you like. New this year 2026 is that you scan to pay. No more stopping at the little office which is nice. It's honor system now. The only downfall for this is that it's only paid parking and only 1 way in. They usually have the other entrance closed so not sure when they open. Great path. read more

Not a beach person, but will come for the shorebirds! I can spend hours here watching and photographing all the shore birds, like Black Skimmer, Snowy Plover, even Gulls. There is a blocked off area designated for Snowy Plovers. Please leave them be so they can survive in peace. When I photograph them, I sit really far away and use my long lens. They are an endangered species so please kindly help them by simply keeping a safe distance. read more

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It was nice to have the sand, breeze of ocean and great music. Hadn't been in years will definitely go back again.

We've been here many times and it's always pleasant. I believe the beach is free (if you're walking, running, biking, or skating, etc) but there's a fee for parking and camping. They are now a contactless station so no cash, only cards. Not sure if that also means venmo, cashapp, but probably not. Likely only cards. If you have a California State Parks veterans pass or one of the California State Park passes it's free. Nice :) There are bathrooms with flushable toilets and running water for washing your hands but no soap. Bring hand sanitizer. There are a couple of restaurants at the beach but I never catch them when they're open. I bring my own food anyway. There's fire pits if you're a grilling master and want to show off your skills. Or for s'mores. The sunsets are amazing. There's lifeguards on duty and I believe it's 3 miles long so it's a nice walk if you want to walk near the tide or on the sidewalk trail near parking. Don't forget to share the space as pedestrians, and bikers both use the sidewalk. Sometimes it's crowded, like during holidays. You might hear music and see people tossing around a football. Or see someone fishing, surfing, paddle boarding, or windsurfing. It's a very family friendly beach. If you have a group or large party you can reserve certain picnic areas (my daughter was in ASB in highschool and her school would do that for beach events). I plan on trying out the camping situation one day. I haven't camped at the beach before. I believe there's car camping and space for RV camping. Not sure if there's tent camping. Check the reservecalifornia website. Overall nice state beach in OC. read more

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Visited the beach for the first time in many years along w/my daughter's high school marching band & color guard. We had a BLAST!! The group played many games in the water, we had an amazing array of food, the day was perfect but most importantly, we all bonded with one another. This beach was very clean, parking is within feet of the sand area so you do not have to walk far, restrooms and showers are very convenient and well maintained, beach employees were extremely friendly and helpful and the entire vibe here is positive and pleasant. This was the first time i felt was this relaxed in many, many years thanks to everything about our visit. will DEFINITELY return very soon. Two tips: 1-arrive early in order to secure a parking spot as this beach is very, very popular. The entry gates DO close when the parking is at capacity and only reopen when a select number of vehicles leave 2-when crossing the pedestrian/bike patch to use the restrooms, and/or return to your vehicle, PLEASE look in BOTH directions in order to avoid a collision w/bicyclists, scooters and/or skaters read more

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It was my first time visiting this beach m. $20 parking per regular car. The bathrooms are clean and it wasn't super crowded cuz we went early. By the time we left, people were waiting to get a parking spot. We saw a group of dolphins nearby and the view was great under canopy shade. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

Although it was challenging to get inside due to personnel not coordinating opening and closing gates, this beach is convenient, has a lot of fire rings, and better bathrooms than HB. There was a homeless person sleeping on the sand near us, but he eventually moved. If I was homeless, I'd choose the beach too. Overall, a good clean beach worth visiting. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Fire ring - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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This is a state beach, so you have to pay to enter. They have lifeguards and state park rangers enforcing the area, so be sure to follow the rules because I see them citing people -- as they should. This is a great spot for surfing, fishing, bonfires, BBQs with friends, and large group gatherings. I'm going to show you my "secret spot" at this park. Follow the video and you'll get there. It's a great spot if you're coming with kids and also want to fish. It's a well-known spot for locals who know the area, but for non-locals, this is definitely a good find. Be sure to give me a thumbs up and a compliment on this review and my video -- I'm doing this as an experiment to see how my fellow Yelp community members respond if I share something a little more private. Because honestly, I have few hidden spots at beaches and hiking trails that I don't want to get too crowded. read more

I had a reservation in the overnight campground, but we went a day early and being a holiday weekend no fire pits available so I brought our solo stove out from the motorhome and we had a beautiful fire to watch the sunset... but didn't think ahead. The stove is going to be blistering hot with no way to move it when they close up so I said I'll come out first thing in the morning. It'll still be there! The pit was gone but big big appreciation to the state parks rep because the first one I talked to said "oh that looked really nice and I wanted to save it for whoever was gonna come back" and he presented it to me with with the ashes already dumped I wish I could remember his name to post it here but hats off to you, sir!!! read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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Great people here. A little noisy from PCH traffic, but love the people here. Overcast skies in am. Nice sunsets. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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The best beach in the area with fire pits. This is a long stretch of the coastline with a bike path, ample parking (except it fills up on weekends in summer), lots of sand as it's a good walk from the parking lot to the water, restrooms every so often and probably the most fire pits in SoCal. The only parking option is the lot and no street parking is available. It's a set price ($15), so when we entered at 8pm it felt a bit steep. Lots close at 10pm. Do not stay late as they do ticket. read more

Went to meet my family here but when got there all entrances were locked . We waited for over 40 minutes until someone came and told us to leave because they're not opening the gates any time soon. My sister was in communication with me and there was still parking available and people . Which makes no sense to lock the gates. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Parking available - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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This is a pretty well maintained state beach park right in between Huntington Beach and Seal Beach. It has a nice path you can enjoy walking with dogs. Just not on the sand as it's technically not dog friendly. There are a few beach front restaurants and eateries available as well as bonfire pits and washing stations. Parking is also plenty although paid. It's best to have the state beach permit if you frequent often for surfing and otherwise. Bring lots of water for both humans and k9s as it offers zero shades. read more

Perfect wave for longboarders if you are looking to get some surfing done. Do yourself a favor and do not come here for any major holiday (4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, etc) unless you enjoy being a sardine on the beach and waiting a few hours (you read that correctly) to get in. The line to get into this beach is so long it stretches all the way to Warner Ave on busy days. Even at 6am the line is already longer than the Nile. I believer general parking is around $20 but you can get a state pass for like $120? If you plan to visit at least 6 times in the entire year just buy the pass and save yourself moneys honeys! I surfed here my entire growing up life as a shortboarder, wonder how much better I would have been if I surfed the pier or cliffs or somewhere with an actual wave lol. Meh, in another universe. read more

4.5 stars. Growing up, this was always our second go-to beach (Sunset Beach is my goat) but the first when it came to bonfires. (Just a heads-up: the pits fill up fast on weekends, so plan accordingly.) Recently went back and figured it was finally time to write about it. Major nostalgia seeing my little cousins dig for sand crabs, of course I jumped in, couldn't resist. Some things just hit different. It wasn't crowded when we went, but it can get packed, especially in peak summer. I like setting up between towers 23 and 24, close enough to everything, not too chaotic. One thing I've always appreciated is how short the walk is from the parking lot to the water. No 10-minute treks through burning sand here. Bathrooms are a plus. There's even a little bar and a stage not too far if you're in the mood. Parking is $20 (card only, no cash), and the line to get in can look like a nightmare but in my experience, it moves pretty quick. Plenty of seaweed this time of year (July), but overall the beach is clean, chill, and still has that laid-back OC vibe. read more

It's a beautiful Orange County beach! The sun, sand, and beautiful music of those waves! What's not to love! read more

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I do for the activities. But u cant sleep here its like ur on a freeway. Racing all night..scary to think about it It never gets quiet. And its not a campgrounds its a parking lot. read more

4.5 stars My go to beach when I want a relaxing day. I love the fact that the walk from the parking lot to the water is so close. Whenever I am there I can see my car from where is it on the sand. - parking can get crazy on peak days / weekends + bathrooms tend to be fairly clear + not a long walk from parking lot + plenty of fire pits + volleyball nets - food/drink stands aren't open everyday + pretty clean beach read more

Beach Day and Bonfire! Summer is in full swing and a visit at Bolsa Chica State Beach made for a perfect summer beach day with friends. Bolsa Chica has over 200 fire pits! Though that seems like a lot; they are first come, first serve and they go fast! My friends showed up before 6am to snag a pit and there was already a line. Speaking of lines; one should also be prepared to get in line to enter the beach itself. Sometimes there is no line but when there is; you can get stuck on PCH for quite some time. We waited in line about 30 mins but I had friends who waited over an hour. Once you get in parking is $20. The wait and parking fee is worth it though as a beach day here is pretty fun. From enjoying the water, to playing games on the sand to watching the sunset and finally enjoying a bonfire with some smores and hot dogs; it really does make for a perfect summer day. I've always thought Huntington Beach is beautiful and I'm so happy to have been able to experience another part of Surf City here at Bolsa Chica State Beach. read more

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The campground is a parking lot but it is on the ocean. The ocean view is enough to come here over and over. Bathrooms are clean. Another bonus is the camp store and the live music on the weekends at the snack bars. read more

On a hot week in October, we decided to escape from the valley and go to our favorite beach. Bolsa Chica has been our go-to for a long time. We enjoy the less crowded vibe that you won't get next door at HB. There is camping for the overnighters and a great walking/biking path that is super busy all year long. It's always easier to go here and we've enjoyed having day excursions and bonfires at night. I highly recommend it here. It's pretty clean and super family friendly. The walk from the parking lot to water is not too bad, when comparing next door beach's walk. This is just to note especially when you are trying to drag umbrellas, chairs and other goodies closer to the water. Also, you can take your dogs for a walk on the path but they are not allowed on the sand. *Another reason to avoid Huntington Beach: Holiday weekends, and planned events. This weekend was the air show, a great family outing. Unfortunately, HB and PCH have lately become an active haven for people to turn the place into a political warzone. It's just tacky. Can we just have the beach back people? Go home, or just enjoy the beach for what it's for. Beach, sand, and fun in the sun. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Nice day in October - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

too windy today, didnt catch any fish. very disappointed please do something about this

This is nice beach with lots of fire pits and bathrooms. The beach itself is unique because once you get to the sand, it is a very short walk to the water- unlike at Huntington Beach, for instance. The beach was quite clean here too. Keep in mind, if you arrive after noon, especially on a weekend, the line to get into Bolsa Chica is literally miles long. On Saturday, 8/3/24, I waited 3 hours to get inside and meet with my family. I'm not exaggerating- it was at least 3 hours. Turns out, they close the gates periodically throughout the day. What's interesting is that they don't have any electronic traffic signs to notify people when the gates have been closed. After waiting an hour, you start to think, "well, I waited this long... what if I leave now and the line starts picking up?" While I waited, I saw people leave their cars and climb the fence (both over and under) to get to the bathrooms. I was so desperate to go to the bathroom that I seriously considered just putting my car in park and hopping the fence too. Make sure to show up extra early if you plan to come here on a weekend! If you go early, you can claim a fire pit and find a spot for your camper. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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What can I say, this is my go to beach when I want to have a gathering and stay all day to enjoy an amazing bonfire night. I would say you have to get there early or else you will be in line for at least an hour just to enter. We got there around 5am and the line was already forming. We were about 20th in line. Our friends got there around 9 and waited a long time just to get in. Upon entering gate, I would recommend driving down to end because everyone tries to go to the first lots and you don't want to fight to get a pit. Lifeguards are on location so that is a plus if you have kids or anyone who wants to catch some waves or just swim in the water. Beach itself is pretty clean too so a great place to hang out for the day. Looking forward to summer again to come back and enjoy the sun and water! read more

Beautiful, deep & wide beach with great lifeguards, but WATCH OUT FOR STINGRAYS Visited this beach as out-of-towners from the East Coast in early September. Overall, it's a very nice beach with good parking, clean bathroom facilities, and plenty of helpful lifeguards for the time of year. I learned just how helpful the lifeguards were when I got stung by a stingray on my foot after being in the water for just five minutes. Turns out I was far from alone--there were at least 15 other people receiving treatment at the same time (soaking the stung body part in extremely hot water for 90 minutes!) while I was being treated. The lifeguards said stingray stings are common here, and that many people had required treatment over the past few days. It would have been very nice to receive some kind of warning from the state park staff, who were happy to collect $15 for parking but didn't give any notice about what is apparently a very common hazard. Many people walking or riding by on the nearby sidewalk, seeing us all soaking our feet, offered sympathetic encouragement--basically saying, "Been there, done that. Glad it's not me today." I would go back to sit on the beach, but I would not enter the water again without heavy water shoes or boots!!! read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Foot in HOT water treating a stingray sting!! - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

There's only 1 entrance. Too popular for all that. Get it together Bolsa chica staff. read more

I have lived in Huntington Beach for 12 years now. I love our State and City beaches. I have walked the whole stretch from the river mouth to dog beach over and over again. It is my personal little slice of paradise. This summer, my friend and I, decided to expand our horizons. We went all the way up to Bolsa Chica State Beach. My eyes have been opened! I think it may be even better as a pure beach experience. First, it is less crowded, second it is a less exhausting trudge across the sand to the water. The parking is easy, and there are inviting looking restaurants/venues that I have not tried yet. So let's review; Same sun Same waves Same lifeguards Less crowded Easy water access Bolsa Chica is a winner! read more

The place is clean and the parking so convenient. I walk along the beach with my little doggy in the mornings , when a need a break from the noisy city. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

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The place is basically a glorified parking lot with water and electric. At 2 am, our Class A neighbors starts up his loud generator. Mind you... generators are not allowed. (Only in emergency reasons between 10am -8pm) We thought they were leaving. Well at 3:30am still running. I finally knocked on the door. Dogs barking. No one answered. There is no numbers to call. Finally at 4am... I had to call the non emergency police department thru the state park app. At 4:50am... police show up and generator was turned off. We went to the campground host. He said we lost power. We never lost power. NO ONE LOST POWER. So the Camp host was very unprofessional and lack of concern for all campers!! Never again! DO NOT RECOMMEND:( read more

I had no idea there was an ecological reserve right by Huntington Beach. Came here on a field trip for my ornithology class, and it was very neat to see so many bird species roaming around. Parking is pretty limited in the reserve area, but the space itself is very large and quiet aside from the occasional loud vehicles passing by. It is a great place to jog/walk or just relax and bird. read more

I wanted to say THANK YOU to the two lifeguards who very gently rescued the Pelican today. I saw him there struggling and then the female lifeguard drove by and noticed him too. She got out to see if he was ok. Immediately could see he was not ok and called for backup. The guy came with the crate and the pelican walked over to them! When they tried to get him, he tried to fly away but of course could not. They didnt lunge at him or scare him but instead ever so gently continued their rescue mission to get him into the crate towards help. THANKS FOR LOOKING OUT FOR OUR BIRD FRIENDS! read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Lifeguards Saving Pelican - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

It is one of my favorite places for a day at the beach and making smores over the bonfire In the end, it was a great day. So if you are trying to get a bonfire pit of your choosing, you have to get there at opening, and it's usually along line to get in by 7am. All the pits are taken because its the only way you can get a bonfire on beach here if you using pits dont risk digging a hole ine sand might get you kicked our or fined alao no alcohol allowed they will kick you spot as well be safe leave the beach better than you found it take all your trash. read more

Bolsa Chica State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Huntington Beach, California

This place has turned into a zoo. Got here early to get my fire pit. 30-40 person family showed up and threw their stuff within 5 feet of my fire pit. 10 foot would have been doable! So lesson learned stale it out! read more