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    Seacliff State Beach

    4.0 (288 reviews)

    Seacliff State Beach Photos

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    Beautiful!
    Lizz H.

    My personal favorite beach in the Santa Cruz region. Located in Aptos. It is not only one of the easiest beaches to access, it is typically quiet and uncrowded. That being said all Santa Cruz beaches are packed during holidays and summertime. Being a State park/beach, there is a $10 vehicle fee to enter. That seems reasonable given the amenities available once you arrive. Public parking including handicap spots, clean and maintained restrooms, some picnic tables and an easy, flat walking path along the ocean front in both directions. Walking towards the east you can, in a relatively short time, come upon a couple of nice places to grab something to eat or drink. You will not find this perk in other state parks. So if you do not have your picnic basket packed just know there are options if you get hungry. Unfortunately the long time walking/fishing pier that existed as long as I can remember is no longer. After a couple of recent destructive winter storms it was destroyed. However, the remains of the historical WWI-era, Palo Alto "cement" ship is still partially visible and continues to be the home for hundreds of pelicans and shore birds coming and going. Amusing to watch. A Museum/gift shop is also located at Seacliff State Beach. Free. It is absolutely worth visiting for both adults and kids. Volunteers who manage the museum are dedicated, enthusiastic and well-informed. Interesting information/photos about the "cement" ship too. Come 5 p.m., the locals and their dogs are exercising, running, and walking along the ocean front. However they are not driving in they are taking the hard way to the beach. The beautiful, very long, staircase you can walk down to the beach if you have the legs and breath to make it. It is amazing to watch some of them use this staircase as an exercise tool. Running up and down. Whew! And after a nice day at the beach there is yummy Marianne's Ice Cream shop and/or the famous and delicious Manuel's Mexican Restaurant waiting for you after you exit the park. Both have been delighting locals and tourists forever. Or... stay for the stunning sunset at Seacliff. You will not be disappointed.

    Jon W.

    Seacliff State Beach is a nice and chill beach in Aptos. We visited b/c we like the ocean and need to get away from the drab of the valley every once in awhile, haha. I enjoyed seeing the ocean and my kids love playing on the beach, but I wanted to highlight the Visitor Center. So Seacliff State Beach has a nice little visitor center/museum, it's small, but it's actually full of great info, and it's free. It gave me a whole new appreciation for that boat wreck (the SS Palo Alto) at the end of the dilapidated pier out there right on the beach. There was a ton of historical artifacts, documents, and pictures all providing great info on what happened, why, and how it all went down w/the SS Palo Alto. They even had a video about S.S. Palo Alto and you can look at it through the telescope. Pretty cool stuff. There were also excellent exhibits on the geology and wildlife in the Monterey Bay ecosystem in general and at Sea Cliff Beach in particular. So much to learn from this little place, my kids had a blast b/c a lot of the small exhibits were hands on. They also got a kick out of the "stuffed animals" i.e. the taxidermy of local bird which were well done and really allowed for literal close-up looks at the birds in this marine region. Neat for those of us who like science generally and marine biology and animals specifically. Finally, there's a gift shop in there too, if you want to pick up a book about this region, some souvenirs, or send a friend a postcard from your trip here and the prices were all reasonable. People who worked here were friendly, informative, and helpful. We'll plan to visit again, hopefully soon.

    Catherine D.

    What a beautiful magical beach with a ship wreck peeking out of the ocean not to far from the shoreline. Plenty of beautiful rocks and sea glass. My girlfriend found two fossilized great white shark teeth so that is cool and she found a natural sea marble just beautiful. Stayed for the sunset it was amazing. You have to come. Plenty of parking it was a 10$ fee but worth every dollar. There are restrooms. And shower

    Gladys R.

    Such a beautiful state beach. Was here for the sunset and watched the moon rise on the other side as the Sun set was such a beautiful experience. So many treasures to find fossilized great white shark teeth , beautiful sea glass and the most mesmerizing pebbles. A must come to. Will be back 10$ to get in but plenty of parking and worth it

    timothee m.

    a little piece of history with a beautiful staircase and a clean beach. I really miss the long pier they had before.

    My kids love making their own sand castles/towns, LOL
    Joyce W.

    Beautiful beach with a dock you can walk out to, but I think you can't go beyond or so because at the end of it there's a ship that collapsed, so it's a sunken ship and it's there permanently, iirc. It's still very scenic here. It's a little bit commercialized and not as natural as other beaches along the coast, but it's still very nice. There's a sea wall, to protect the town I guess. So it's not as pretty as other coastal beaches, but the ocean is still so relaxing and special to enjoy. Listening to the sounds of the waves and just taking it all in, it's truly beautiful here. It's very close to the town of Capitola, and there's lots of eateries and shops nearby. We also visited a museum (separate review), which contained all kinds of interesting artifacts about the history of this area. This is definitely an unique beach and a state treasure, my kids and husband all had a great time exploring and enjoying this beach.

    Da Kat A.

    Very nice beach. It's not too crowded. We watched sunset until dark and the view is spectacular. Dogs are allowed. There's a $10 entrance fee.

    The S.S. Palo Alto. July, 2024.
    Laura S.

    We visited Seacliff State Beach, on the Monterey Bay in Aptos, Santa Cruz, California, in early July, 2024. While a popular place for beach walking along the 2 mile beach, surfing, fishing, and sunbathing, Seacliff also includes RV facilities, picnic tables, and fire pits. There's also a Visitors Center and Park Store, where we were able to pick up pamphlets not only for Seacliff but also for other state parks in the county. The State Beach sustained damage in storms some months ago and some areas were closed for continuing reconstruction activities. The beach is also known for the concrete ship S.S. Palo Alto which lies in the water just offshore. This ship has a fascinating history. Plans for a concrete shipping fleet were born in the course of the World War One war effort when steel was in short supply. The $1.5 million order for the ship came in 1918, less than six months before the end of the war. In 1924, she was sold as scrap for the price of $18,750. In 1930, she was towed to Seacliff Beach where there were ambitious plans to develop the ship into an entertainment resort but, opening in the midst of the Great Depression, the resort failed within two years. It was sold to the State for one dollar in 1936. Today, the Palo Alto is an important sanctuary for wildlife.

    Looking North.
    Dave S.

    Long gone are the days of fishing off the deck of the Palo Alto and throwing a drop line from her pier. The days of catching a Striper from the beach are over for me also but my memories of those days and the fun times I had at this beach growing up are priceless. Living about 10 minutes away (little traffic back then) it was a local spot to fish. It's seen better days but the coast is ever changing. I'm glad to have come back and take another look. To see others enjoying the beach is peaceful and reflective. It's sorrowful to see the "cement boat " in such a state not able to even reach her. Last words...perfect memories.

    Came on a weekday in September. $10 entrance fee. Nice and quiet. Bathrooms available. Sandy beach

    An amazing local "aurora borealis"
    Lisa C.

    Im coming back to spend more time here!!! Unbelievably gorgeous beautiful sunset views and picnic area!!!

    Seacliff State Beach Labor Day Weekend '22
    John D.

    You Beach Your Life We made the rookie mistake of heading to the beach for Labor Day Weekend, and our usual spot, Manresa State Beach, was a shit-show of cars trying to get in. We dipped out and headed to "plan B" of Seacliff in hopes that it wouldn't be as crowded. Seacliff used to be my "go-to" Beach years ago, but I honestly couldn't recall the last time I visited. Seacliff is known for its giant large fishing pier and, more infamously, the capsized concrete WWI-era ship, the USS Palo Alto, that lays adjacent to it. The Good: *It's a beach! *Dog-friendly *woof* *Covered BBQ/Picnic area *Restrooms w/ sand wash station *Fishing from the pier (no license required) *Huge multi-level parking area *Great place to watch pelicans and other shorebirds do their thing. *Camping/long-term RV parking available w/ reservation. *Visitor Center (didn't visit) *Marianne's Ice Cream is adjacent to the beach! *Lifeguard on duty The Meh: *Beach is very rocky in certain areas but good for sea glass hunting. *If the bottom parking is full, and you have to park up top, then the walk down with all your stuff is quite the schlep. *$10 parking fee *Drone friendly The Ugly: *Depending on the breeze, if the wind shifts just right, you'll catch a nice whiff of the smell of all the shorebirds doody smell from the closed off section of the pier/ship. =X TLDR: Nice beach with plenty of parking and lots of amenities.

    Under the pier
    Jay P.

    Iconic 100+ year old concrete WW1 tanker ship still in the water. When we moved to the Bay Area you could still walk on it but it's sadly been battered and ruined so much it's been fenced off since 2016. The SS Palo Alto was completed in 1919 and has served as an entertainment center with a dancehall and food before as well as a fishing pier. Nowadays it's an unofficial bird sanctuary and a great place to see pelicans and seagulls if you'll brave the funky seabird smell coming from the pier. The beach is nice and has nice sand while also having some ocean-smoothed stones that we saw local rockhounds poking through, the stones are great for skipping stones if you want to see who in your group can make it skip the most. There are a lot of birds so if you go into the water I would do so far from the pier. You don't want dead bird or bird waste accidentally getting in your mouth.

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    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Seacliff State Beach

    Does anyone know how Seacliff is doing after all the rains?

    Thank you for your question! During the January storms, Seacliff State Beach sustained significant damage to the pier, day use area, and campground. Because the remaining portion of the pier was deemed structurally unstable, work to remove it began… 

    Can you walk down to the beach before it opens?

    How difficult is it to secure a first-come-first-serve site? Is there usually a line of cars before they open?

    From the couple of times I've been there these couple of months, Early and Afternoons, it has been easy to get a spot

    Are public bathrooms still open despite covid?

    When I was there in July, one out of the several was open, so probably still open.

    Is it kid-friendly?

    Yes indeed. However, it's a bit challenging for kids to swim since the water is sometimes rough. But I see some kids are having an enormous time building sandcastle, playing freeze bee catch, football passes. There is some family come in at dawn to… 

    Is there a net to play beach volleyball at Seacliff?

    No volleyball net.

    Are there volleyball nets at Seacliff State Beach?

    No nets

    Are dogs allowed leash or off leash?

    All dogs are required to be on leash, 6' or shorter.

    Is there street access at all for my older parents to get to the beach compared to the stairs?

    Yes there is street access. When they pay for parking they can drive down the hill and park beach front.

    Can doing small fireworks at there?

    No they don't allow fireworks here. It's a state park .

    View All 15 Questions

    Review Highlights - Seacliff State Beach

    I have alot of fond memories of Seacliff Beach & miss fishing from the cement boat, but it's cool it's still there!

    Mentioned in 15 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    SeaCliff Mini Park - Seacliff Mini State beach sign with the SS Palo Alto in the background.

    SeaCliff Mini Park

    4.3(6 reviews)
    0.6 mi

    Since I am one of the folks that takes care of this little slice of heaven, here is some…read moreinformation about the spot. It is an overlook of Seacliff State Beach. You cannot reach Seacliff State Beach from the Mini Park. There is a trail nearby between Seacliff and Aptos Creek you can use to reach the beach. It is called the Moosehead trail and there is a dirt parking lot next to it so you can leave your car. The mini park has benches where you can sit and enjoy your coffee or your meal. During the Covid beach closures this area became very popular with families who came to picnic in their pick up trucks and watch the sunset. It is very very popular at sunset. There are no trash cans. Please pick up after yourself and leave it the way you found it. The neighbors clean up after visitors so anything you can do to help is most appreciated. Same with cigarette butts. Many visitors stay in their car to eat or conduct business and enjoy the view. It is a great place to pull over and use your phone or check the surf. Although the property straddles Seacliff State Beach and the County right of way, the Seacliff Improvement Association built the park in the 1970s and maintains it. We often receive donations from grateful visitors while we're cleaning the park. We are so grateful! If you are interested in helping support our work here, you can make a donation to our PayPal link: www.seacliffimprovement.org Please make a note that your donation is for the mini park and we will use it to continue beautifying it. Enjoy!

    Overlooking the Monterey Bay, SeaCliff State Beach and the Cement Ship this mini park has to have…read moreone of the best views in the area. The city of Monterey to the South and Capitola to the North. Seagulls and pelicans floating by while dolphins, sea otters and seals swim just off shore. People sit in their car, walk along the side walk or sit on the bench to take in the view or people watch. I head their to see what the waves look like, if the tide is in or out and to see how the fishing off the pier looks. This is the spot to sit and lookout onto the wonderful world of Monterey Bay Area and the ocean.

    Photos
    SeaCliff Mini Park - Sign, seagulls and a sunken ship.

    Sign, seagulls and a sunken ship.

    SeaCliff Mini Park - Sunset

    Sunset

    SeaCliff Mini Park - Seacliff Mini Park,most amazing views of ocean aboveSeacliff State Beach,&Cement Ship! The zip code says "Aptos",but this is "Our Seacliff!"

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    Seacliff Mini Park,most amazing views of ocean aboveSeacliff State Beach,&Cement Ship! The zip code says "Aptos",but this is "Our Seacliff!"

    New Brighton State Beach - Beautiful and best of all no people.

    New Brighton State Beach

    3.8(240 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    One of my favorite beaches and campgrounds. Gets very narrow when the tide is in. Has interesting…read morefossil cliffs on the western end. Waves are gentle and relatively safe. Not the most accessible, however. Very steep concrete steps at one end, lower steps at the other, both in moderate disrepair. Wildlife includes sea otters, sea lions, various seabirds. Staff at the kiosk were friendly, helpful, and welcoming.

    Somewhat selective enforcement of camping rules. As a result our camping trip ended before it even…read morebegan. So last year my wife was diagnosed with cancer, so this year we decided to make the annual group camping trip a little easier by renting an rv. We rented a camper and arranged to have it dropped off to the campground, something the company had done regularly in the past. Unfortunately, a few weeks earlier, New Brighton started somewhat inconsistently requiring tow vehicles to be present at the campground at all times. I say inconsistent as it seems there are many campers at sites without tow vehicles present, and I am not sure why employees of the RV company we used, Alfredo and Roberto, had the lady at the gate so upset with them when so many other local campers seemed to have no issues. This afternoon, when Roberto was trying to drop off our camper at our campsite, she got so upset she threatened to call the police on him. I have some theories as to what might motivate the inconsistent treatment of visitors but I won't speculate openly. At any rate, with the camper denied entry, we dropped off our food at the campsite, which looked well maintained, and locked it in the generously sized bear locker for our friends before regrettably heading home - our weekend trip ending before it started. If you plan to camp here you should either plan to have your tow vehicle never leave, bring a drivable RV, or hey, maybe just not get the rules enforced on you because you were luckier than Alfredo or Roberto.

    Photos
    New Brighton State Beach - Engagement Session | 1985Luke Photography

    Engagement Session | 1985Luke Photography

    New Brighton State Beach - Engagement session |1985Luke Photography

    Engagement session |1985Luke Photography

    New Brighton State Beach - Engagement Session | 1985Luke Photography

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    Engagement Session | 1985Luke Photography

    Seacliff State Beach - parks - Updated August 2026

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