I love this stretch of beach and grassy sidewalk at 101 and Tamarack. The beautiful ocean is mermerizing and draws a crowd every single day, rain or shine, at sunset. This is doggy central - almost every person is walking a dog. The runners mostly use the beach wall below the upper sidewalk. The grassy stretch is just perfect for doggy land. Dogs have the choice of either the grass or the sidewalk, and the continuation of the sidewalk above the sand goes for about a mile to Carlsbad Village Drive. This morning was a perfect foggy day, cool after a month of untolerable heat and humidity. Walked Joey at 8 am and he got to enjoy the other doggies and do his business. The City of Carlsbad provides doggie poop bags and trash cans. Love this special place and make regular pilgrimages to enjoy the changing ocean view and sunsets. read more

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My partner in crime tells me this is her favorite beach. I can see why. Ummm, it's beautiful out here for starters. Sunsets are gorgeous. It's all pretty clean, including the available restrooms. There's paved walkway options both down at the beach & up at street level. & I have yet to see it nearly as crowded as I've seen other beaches. Parking can be challenging, but usually works out. Certainly, if i could get here more often, I would. read more

This beach is great!! It is pretty dang perfect for families. Lets start from when you first get here. There is a pay parking lot right next to the beach or you can park on the 101. We opted for the parking lot since we had our kids. Next stop the beach. It is pretty clean and was filled with a ton of families. There was lots of sand. The only reason this beach is not getting a 5 star and I am giving it 4 stars is because there is a huge shore break which made it impossible for my daughter to play in the water. If I had older kids this beach would have been perfect! read more

Tamarack State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Nice, clean beach. The tide comes up high at certain points so be mindful of what can be carried back into the ocean. Watch your snacks around the squirrels. read more

This is a beautiful beach. It is clean and the views are magnificent. I usually park on a side street to avoid paying for parking. The water is cold, so don't expect it to be like Florida. I enjoy walking by the water and watching the waves. There is also a boardwalk that is approximately three miles. Dogs aren't allowed on the beach although I always see a few. Don't forget your sunscreen. read more

Tamarack State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

The beach is clean, there's ample parking, and you can have a bonfire if you bring your own pit. Romantic place to watch the sun set. read more

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Beautiful white sand beach with lots of free street parking. You can sit in the beach wall or on the sand. Lots of portable restrooms and garbage cans so it's id very clean. Safe to go barefoot - I didn't see any broken glass! read more

This is definitely a perfect beach for the entire family. There is a small parking lot right on the beach that you have to pay to park. You can also park across the street for free and walk over. There are average beach bathrooms here as well as showers at the top of the staircase. Lifeguards are here only during the peak season. There is plenty of sand for your sun soaking needs. You will never be short of space at this beach. There is a long stretch of beach here and you have plenty of space next to you between visitors. People are all very nice here. You won't really see anyone drinking or being belligerent like some other places. The surf here is usually pretty good when there are waves. There are a lot of longboards out there on smaller days and a mix of both short and longboards on most other days. The waves can be slow and you have to work a little to catch them, but you get long rides once you are riding. Carlsbad High surf PE comes out here at like 9AM so it gets a little packed sometimes. It is definitely packed out in the water of days where the surf is good. Definitely give this beach a visit. There are a lot of food/drink sources in The Village. read more

Tamarack State Beach - Great morning to be alive! - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Been coming here after work lately to go running and it's a really peaceful beach. It's pretty quiet around 2 or 3, but if I go during the sunset, the crowd is much bigger and parking gets a bit tricky. What I like most about this beach is that it's much cleaner than the other beaches. read more

Love this beach! Went here on a very warm day to escape inland heat (San Marcos). I believe you have to pay for parking but we got lucky and were able to park on the street for free with the entrance right nearby. I definitely recommend going here on a weekday since I assume it will be crowded on weekends. Volleyball courts are accessible too and it is really clean! One thing i wish they had more of was water stations so you can wash your feet after spending a day at the beach! read more

I was driving down the coast (09-05-2013) to attend a film festival in La Jolla my board when I came across an amazing little stretch of Beach with some very nice peaks and almost no one in the water so I stopped to check it out a little further. On further inspection it was amazing to see some 'A' frames breaking with barely anyone in the water. I am without a doubt coming back to this spot soon, real soon!!!! I walked down onto the beach and I was very pleased to see how clean this beach was. The residents that call this stretch of beach home have obviously been doing an amazing job keeping their beach clean for themselves, for visitors and most importantly for those who call the Ocean home. This stretch of beach is located on Tamarack Ave & Carlsbad Blvd in the City of Carlsbad. You can park for 'free' on Tamarack Ave which is an elevated roadway above the beach which gives you an amazing view North/South along the coastline. If you want to come and relax and enjoy the sunset you can park and get an amazing view for 'free' on the benches provided that face west. If running is your thing a running / bike path is provided just adjacent to the Beach. Staircases are set up every couple hundred yards to make your way down from Tamarack Ave to the beach. After you have had an amazing day at the beach and cleaned up after yourself you can shower at the showers provided on Tamarack Ave and be on the 5 freeway headed home within minutes. If you are coming to this beach to relax, workout or surf please Be the Good. Please help the residents and those who call the Ocean home by picking up the garbage you see. It does not matter if the garbage you see is yours simply pick it up and if it is recyclable please recycle it. Help us keep the Ocean Blue!!!!! read more

Tamarack State Beach - Amazing view, amazing beach, amazing surf, amazing people:) - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Incredible beach, beautiful views and easy access. One of my favorite spots of all time. Great place to spend a day with the kids or surf some waves! There are always lifeguards on duty to keep everybody safe too! However, whenever I leave I can never get the sand off my feet. I always end up having sand stuck to my feet forever which really bugs me. 2/5 stars. read more

Beautiful beach, clean and Lifeguards close. It was busy as it was Labor Day weekend but we found parking right away(Luck) all in all fun time and very nice beach. Kid friendly and I highly recommend it read more

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I love this beach. I have fond memories and always enjoy myself when we come here. It was the first beach I came to when I came to the US. Never have a problem finding parking. Restrooms are conveniently located and the area itself is nice and clean. read more

Tamarack State Beach - Life is beautiful..... - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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The beach slopes down pretty quickly, so if you have kids, watch them carefully here. The waves (we came on a Saturday morning, around 11AM) vary greatly between strong and weak. There are flags that show where you can swim with more mild waves and red flags with strong currents. There are no shower stations for afterwards, and the beach from the parking lot to the water is quite small. However, it is LONG. Only a couple volleyball nets, but I'm not sure if it is beach property or personally set up. The parking lot is small, but people come and go fairly quickly, and costs $4 for 1H, $6 for 0-2, $8 for 0-3, and $10 for all day. Parking is also available on the streets and isn't that long of a walk. read more

Took a 90 year old relative to the beach on New Year's Day. Parked in the first disabled spot and hung her disabled parking pass on the mirror. She used her walker to get to a viewpoint and enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine for about a half hour. A beatiful sunny day! When we got back to my vehicle, there was a $71 ticket for non-payment of the parking fee. None of us knew that it was required and it was not posted in signage. Our appeal was denied, so I paid the fine, plus processing fee, total $75. This, to me, is outrageous and a disservice to the disabled community in general. Hope this review helps others who might get blindsided by this. read more

Beautiful beach. Easily accessible parking. Less crowded than a nearby Carlsbad State beach. Bring your own food and drinks as there are no concession stand or cafe nearby. read more

Tamarack State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Easy beach front parking with a restroom and showers nearby. Okay waves that are pretty mushy. Watch your little ones if the tide is high b/c the shore break will whomp em. Not the greatest place to people watch. Beware it's very crowded and touristy in the summer b/c of its visible location and close parking. Be sure to have an annual pass or by a day permit b/c they monitor the lot and are not afraid to write tickets. read more

Lovely beach! Length is great for barefoot runs. Stairs are great for cardio & nice, long paved path overlooking the beach, great for running, biking & rollerblading. Squirrels & rabbits in the bushes. We witnessed squirrel vs. rabbit battle & it was quite entertaining. Calm, relaxing & un-crowded (mid-week) & free/easy parking. ;) read more

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It's one of the great beaches the city of Carlsbad has to offer , but I'm usually at Terra Mar and it's great for surfing not overly crowded, sometimes not even crowded with no more than 9 surfers out in the line up but just a few peeps sun bathing. read more

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I have just one memory of this beautiful beach that began with a church-funded teen surfing adventure where 20+ noisy, obnoxious brats with unbridled energy hit the beach in a big yellow school bus. We stacked all our boards along the side of the bus and you know what happened next; someone accidentally tapped an end board causing all the other boards to tumble like dominos and crash loudly onto the cement. Groans, moans and curses were heard all about the camp until one of our crew shrieked bloody murder as he collapsed in the sand at the bottom of the knoll. He'd flown pell-mell over the ridge attempting to race onto the beach when his foot caught a broken beer bottle that tore into flesh and resulted in 17 stitches*. The good news was he was out of the surfing line-up leaving more waves for the rest of us. Good times at Tamaracks. Tamarack's is very typical of Socal beaches with blacktop parking, concrete restrooms and easy beach access. The waters are usually clean, clear and shark-free (usually). (Always leave the place cleaner than when you arrived, everybody appreciates it) * we're still friends read more

This is usually my go to beach- for everything. Hanging out, swimming, getting exercise or checking out the sunset on the cliffs. Miles of sand and fun waves.. There is a ton of street parking and a pay per day lot. Heck you can even park your motor home on the street and stay a few days. I've even seen people BBQ and set up huge breakfasts here. Not to mention if you want to join a Christian worship, you can come here Thursday after work and find a group to sit around a campfire with. Don't get it mixed up- there are NO bonfire pits so you'll have to bring your own fire. The boardwalk stretches from Cannon to to Carlsbad Village before you hit the shops. If you want to run it, it's a total of 3 miles there and back. Bring the kids to this beach. Bring the family, neighbors, friends, whatever! Perfect for huge groups!! Surfers- grab your boards. Waves are great here. read more

sandy salty sunny serene cool water crashing waves breezy best friends hot blazing sun vast peaceful warm sand crazy currents thankful blessed LONG LAZY NAPS ON THE BEACH! read more

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Tamarack Beach is easy and parking is free in the neighborhoods. Lifeguards are not only professional but friendly! This beach is simply the best. read more

I wish I could give it less than one. Unfortunately, it looks like photos don't copy in. August 5, 2014 Open letter To: City of Carlsbad City Hall 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Dear City of Carlsbad. My husband and I are residents of Carlsbad. We work, shop, dine and use our recreation facilities here in Carlsbad. Over the last year, we elected to start going to Carlsbad beaches more frequently. We'd gone to the strand in Oceanside routinely, but decided that it would be nice to go closer to home. Over the last 6-8 months, we have witnessed some disturbing things at the beach at the end of Tamarack, which is now called Tamarack State Beach, I guess. I would like you to know of several recent incidents that are quite alarming to not only Residents, but the Tourists who tend to frequent this beach, as well. 1. About 2 months ago late in the afternoon, there was a dead seal on the beach when we arrived. There was a cone near it, so I knew the lifeguards knew about its existence on the beach. We were there for about an hour, and then the tide began to rise, washing the seal nearer to where we were sitting. The stench of it became quite strong, and my husband went to talk to the lifeguards in the tower nearest to the jetty (also closest to where the dead seal was). My husband asked if there was something that could be done about removing it from the beach, and the lifeguards told him "no." When we could no longer stand the stench of the dead animal, and as it continued to approach our location, we gathered our stuff to leave. Obviously we were not the only people offended by the smell/sight of the dead animal, and seeing that the lifeguards were not going to do anything about it, some people on the beach grabbed the dead animal by a rope and drug it out into the water beyond the jetty. 2. There is a continual problem with surfers (and skim boarders) mixing with swimmers. The flags to separate the two areas on the beach will be present, but it is never enforced by lifeguards. We have witnessed several children hit by boards, as well as several very close calls. While I understand that this should be a parent's responsibility to police where children are involved, I also feel that lifeguards should be enforcing the separation rules for everyone's safety, and they are not. 3. Graffiti is quite an ugly issue on this beach. I understand that you cannot keep people from doing it, but for goodness sake, CLEAN IT UP! People have taken what looks like charcoal, and written profanities (among other things) all over the seawall. Evidently when people saw that it was not cleaned up, people thought that it must be acceptable, and more appeared. Now the entire length of the wall is covered. Oh then this kind of stuff appears on the bathroom walls. 4. The last thing on today's list is the restrooms. Being that they are public restrooms, everyone visiting Carlsbad might be likely to use them. This is for sure a lasting impression about the City of Carlsbad, when they leave. The bathrooms, are so atrocious, it's embarrassing. Here it what it looked like on June 22nd. I have witnessed drains back up, trash, toilet paper, etc. The bathrooms stink. There is never any toilet paper left, no soap in the containers, etc. Very unsanitary. This is what it looked like on July 23rd. Last night the drain was back up, and the puddle was so deep, that when a gal went to step beyond it, the water (or whatever it was) covered her entire shoe. It was completely unusable. So I decided to walk to the next bathroom (the one by the light on Pine) and guess what? SAME THING! This is what it looked like last night. That was the final straw for me. I have tried to get over the lazy lifeguards, the graffiti, and the unclean, unsanitary bathrooms, but last night was just too much. I hope that you will take this constructive criticism to heart and get it together at Carlsbad/Tamarack State Beach for the sake of Carlsbad Residents, as well as visitors. As for me and my husband, we are never going there again. We'll go back to Oceanside. Best Wishes, Cynthia Scott, a very concerned and dissatisfied Resident. read more

I'm a beach walker, close enough to the water, but not enough to get wet in the surf type. This is my family's favorite beach. It is probably the closest to us. I started coming here before they started charging for parking in the small lot. Just park alongside the street and save yourself some money. I love that the city is restoring the native vegetation along the banks. It is a beautiful sight...although a work in progress. But natives like to take their time and they are tricky to transplant so I give them a lot of credit for their efforts. Not to mention starting this project in the midst of a historic drought. This beach is close to restaurants. A very pretty stretch of the coast and just perfect for an evening stroll with the kids. Enjoy! read more

Spacious, clean & not as crowded as La Jolla & anything south of that. I enjoyed all of the little eateries nearby & it was a breath of fresh air from all the overcrowding down south. I grew up in south county SD so coming up to this beach was a relaxing experience --- mainly because parking isn't as much of a nightmare here. read more

This beach was a great find. We came early and watched a lot of surfers. Hung out all day and more people joined but not too many. It was a Monday after all. Great food down the street as well. We were able to leave our stuff and come back no problem. Highly recommended! read more

Much different from the Oceanside pier especially since I didn't have to pay for parking. This beach reminds me of Redondo beach. The way you can drive down a residential street and see the ocean. You can then pull over and park for free and take in a beautiful sunset as I did tonight. The people walking their dogs and exercise is just what I'm use to and I really enjoyed the ambiance. Will be back if I'm ever in Carlsbad. read more

I really luv this beach. Not usually crowded. It is always awesome to just come and sit on the rocks or the sand and listen to what the ocean has to say ... read more

Tamarack State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This beach has to be one of my favorites - the parking isn't plentiful but it is close to the shore. The beach is clean & not nearly as crowded as some of the others I've been to. read more

Tamarack State Beach - By the shore at Tamarack Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Beautiful quiet beach. Stayed nearby for a business trip but managed to squeeze in a beach visit as well. Parking is ample and easy to get to. read more

It's okay if you are just wanting sand and water. If you want anything "fancy" like accessible parking or a shower to clean the sand off of your feet, you'll need to look elsewhere. read more

This beach has a small parking lot that charges by the day. There is a lot of street parking nearby to avoid the fees. There is a restroom that is open most hours. It does tends to get dirty during the summer season. There are water stations to wash sand off and recycling bins nearby. This area gets really crowded during the summer. There are other beaches that are less crowded nearby. Waves can get busy during times of swell but lifeguards are there during the busy season. read more

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I did not spend much of the day at this beach. I can only review this for the 6am walks that I love to take with my coffee on the beach. It was perfect! Long stretch of beach that was empty. Some people jogging up top side and a few surfers/kayaks out in the water but otherwise it was me, my coffee, the sand and the waves on the shore. Wished this was right by my house. I could do it daily. Easy free parking on the street that early. Saturday was a bit more crowded. read more

Rocky, not that clean and not much parking. Play area a little worn as well. Not the best beach for kiddos but would be fine for older kids and teens. read more

Fantastic place to walk around, play in the water, & soak up the sun! There is street parallel parking or you can park in the state parking lot for a fee. There are an assortment of fees 0-1 hour etc. Some people have posted pictures of the fees already ~so go & take a peek at those. Lots of nature to be seen from people walking their dogs, squirrels wondering around, & to pelicans and seagulls flying above. We live in such a beautiful area go out and enjoy it. read more

Tamarack State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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My home beach I come here almost daily. I don't know what other reviews negative comments are about, the beach is gorgeous, filled with nice people and there are showers at street level. Parking isn't great but if you go east a block or two it's not hard to find a spot for free. read more

Long long long stretch of beach. Plenty of surfing and spectators. People biking, walking, running, skating, pushing strollers. Lots of attractive people young and old of all races creeds and religions. Great Times! read more

Great beach with a walkway from Tamarack to Oak, restrooms, showers, actual lifeguards on duty, and steps away from food/shops. Look for the red and yellow banners that divide the beach from swimmers and surfers, not just for the hell of it, but because of the tow. So if you have kids, stick to the swim side (closer to Tamarack). read more