Life's a Beach! Public Beaches Spanning From Carpinteria to the Ventura Harbor

The beaches of Ventura County have something for everyone, be it the sand (case in point shown above), the ocean breezes, surfing, sandcastles, volleyball, sunning, picnicing or just chilling out to the sound of the waves. Here we have compiled a listing of beaches just north of Ventura County in Carpinteria down the coast to the Ventura Harbor. In a separate post we highlight beaches stretching further down the coast through Oxnard, Channel Islands Harbor, Point Mugu and Malibu.

Carpinteria State Beach is a mile long beach for swimming, surf fishing, tidepool exploring and camping. Dogs are allowed only at picnic area. The park originally opened in February 1932! There are 4 campground areas with 216 family campsites and seven group campsites available. Seals and sea lions can be seen in the area December through May, as well as an occasional gray whale. Tidepools contain starfish, sea anemones, crabs, snails, octopi and sea urchins. Exit the 101 at Casitas Pass Road, go west to Carpinteria Avenue, make a right at the signal; then turn left on Palm.  The beach is at the end of Palm Avenue. Address is 5361 6th Street, Carpinteria. Call 805.968.1033 or visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=599.

Tar Pits Park in Carpinteria provides hiking and biking trails and a few benches, but no other park amenities.  Access to the park is very remote and it is suggested that you enter from the State Beach campgrounds or beach area.  The Carpinteria Harbor Seal Rookery can be reached by following trails east of the park. Here you will see tar oozing out of the hills...so watch where you step! The Carpinteria Tar Pits are one of the five natural asphalt lake areas in the world! Visit www.carpinteria.ca.us/parks_rec/park_system.shtml for more information.

Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve is 53 acres of open space situated overlooking the Pacific Ocean is a series of walkways, trails and open space for ocean views, whale watching and fresh air. There are restrooms and I believe parking is free. This is not a beach for hanging out on the sand. Visit www.carpinteria.ca.us/parks_rec/park_system.shtml for more information. Take the 101 Freeway to Ballard Avenue in turn towards the ocean.

Rincon Beach Park is near the Ventura/Santa Barbara County line just a few miles east of Carpinteria. Just take the Bates Avenue offramp off the 101 Freeway to the ocean and on the right you'll find plenty of free parking and easy beach access, with picnic tables and restrooms. Run by the County of Santa Barbara. No parking fees! Yeah! Just steps to the south of Rincon Beach Park is Rincon Point, known as one of the best surfing spots in the world. There is separating parking there and restrooms.

Mussel Shoals is a small beach community in Ventura with around 50 homes. There are about a dozen public parking spots along Old Pacific Coast Highway, paralleling the 101 nea

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Sea Breezes, Views, Picnics and a Mermaid at Soter Point, Marina Park in Ventura

Dedicated in 2011, Soter Point at Marina Park in Ventura consists of a shaded picnic area, benches, attactive landscaping and a 15 foot mermaid statue. Soter Point is the result of a private/public partnership between local Ventura residents and the City of Ventura.

The inscription on a plaque on the Mermaid of Soter Point tells the story:

This stunning landmark overlooking the Ventura Harbor represents a trailblazing cooperative effort to beautify our community through private citizens working with public agencies. Andy Soter developed and landscaped the area in memory of his daughter Andrea, a successful and much admired investment manager. The mermaid sculpture and its foundation were donated by Russian emigrants Alec and Tatyana Benke, as an expression of love for their new country, America. Samuel Povar created the first collaboration of this nature in 2007 as a tribute to his late wife Orianna and worked tirelessly to make this Marina Park project a reality. And, the Ventura City Council and the Coastal Commission gave their enthusiastic blessing. Now Povar, Soter, and Benke, all Ventura residents, hope to inspire others to use private capital along with public cooperation and support…to envision something beautiful and make it happen.

Soter Point is located at the southernmost point of Marina Park, a short walk from the main playground area of the park. With beautiful views looking out toward Ventura Harbor and picnic area with cooled by sea breezes, Soter Point does not Disa-Point.

Bench faces south toward Ventura Harbor Village

Make a Splash: Stay Healthy Under the Sun and In the Water This Summer

Make a Splash!

Stay healthy under the sun and in the water this summer - a reminder from the CDC

As schools let out and summer approaches, remember to stay healthy and safe under the sun and in the water. Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the United States, and melanoma is the most deadly kind of skin cancer. Just a few serious sunburns at any age can increase a person’s risk of skin cancer. We all share the water we swim in, and each of us needs to do our part to help keep ourselves, our families, and our friends healthy while swimming.

To help protect yourself and others from disease and germs, here are a few easy and effective steps to take this season:

• SEEK shade- especially during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight are the greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America.
• PROTECT your body- wear clothing that protects the skin such as a wide-brimmed hat to shade the face, head, ears, and neck; and wraparound sunglasses that block as close to 100 percent of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays as possible (sunglasses safeguard the eyes from UVA and UVB rays, protect the tender skin around the eyes from sun exposure, and reduce the risk of cataracts).
• APPLY sunscreen- sunscreen with sun protective factor (SPF) 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Remember to reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, and toweling off.
• CHECK pools– before getting into the water, check the pool to see if it is at the proper chlorine level (1–3 mg/L or parts per million [ppm]) and pH (7.2–7.8) to maximize germ-killing power.
• KEEP the poop and pee out of the water while swimming- don’t swim when ill with diarrhea; chlorine and other disinfectants don’t kill germs instantly; mixing of chlorine with pee and sweat uses up the germ-killing chlorine in the pool and creates those chemicals that sting your eyes and make you cough.
• DON’T swallow the water you swim in.

Enjoy your time outdoors and in the water, and take steps to be healthy.

Here are some great outdoor activities in and around Ventura County this summer:

Beaches spanning from Carpinteria to Ventura

Beaches spanning from Oxnard to Malibu

4th of July festivities and fireworks

Water parks, splash pads and community swimming

Summer concerts in the park

Compilation of Public Beaches Spanning From Oxnard to Hueneme to Malibu

In a separate post, we highlighted beaches ranging from Carpinteria down south to the beaches at the Ventura Harbor. This is the 2nd installment of local area beaches that stretch from McGrath State Beach on down to the beaches gracing Malibu. We hope these compilations prove useful in guiding you to all the oceanfront fun Ventura County and adjacent areas have to offer!

McGrath State Beach has 2 1/2 miles of beach that is great for walkers, sunbathers and surf fishers. Swimming, surfing, and water sports are discouraged because of rip currents. McGrath also has a campground with 174 sites, restrooms and coin-operated hot showers. Make reservations by calling 800.444.7275. There's also a .2 mile nature trail through jungle-like vegetation along the banks of the Santa Clara River. McGrath is 5 miles south of Ventura off the 101 freeway via Harbor Boulevard. Visit parks.ca.gov/?page_id=607 or call 805.968.1033 for more information. Parking is $10 as of August 2012.

Mandalay Beach Park is 94 acres of undeveloped beachfront land located south of Reliant Energy's Mandalay Generating Station. The natural sand dunes and the wetlands ecosystem are recognized for their important natural value and houses several threatened bird species. This is a passive, natural open space park with no support facilities. The sandy ocean beach and adjacent coastal dunes are available for public day use only. The beach is managed by the County of Ventura on behalf of the California State Parks Department. Located at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and 5th Street in Oxnard. Visit www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=609.

Oxnard Beach Park has one of the best kids' play areas around town, restrooms, lots of grass, and easy access to miles and miles of beach. The sand dunes are really large in Oxnard. The park is located at 1601 S. Harbor Boulevard. More info at www.visitoxnard.com.

Hollywood Beach is a great spot for swimming, sunning and viewing the Channel Islands offshore. Free public beach volleyball courts, public restrooms on the north end of beach, on-street parking and lifeguards on duty between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Located right next to Channel Islands Harbor off of Harbor Boulevard.

Silver Strand Beach is a 1 mile long sandy beach about 150 yds in width. It is capped by the north and south jetties, which both have small parking lots, one next to San Nicholas Road, the other next to Sawtelle Avenue. Free parking from sunrise to sunset and limited restroom facilities. The coast is a sandy bottom beach break which can sometimes feature rip tides and an undertow. Lifeguards on duty every day during the summer months. Accessed via S. Victoria Avenue. Visit bit.ly/OyXoQE for more information.

Hueneme Beach Park is 50 acres with picnic tables, barbecue pits, walking paths, a 24-hour fishing pier, sand volleyball courts, Surfside Seafood snack bar, lifeguards and restrooms. Beach parking lots and Surfside Drive parking is $2 per hour or $8 for the day. Visit www.ci.port-hueneme.ca.us/index.aspx?NID=926 for more information. Located at 550 E. Surfside Drive, Port Hueneme. Take the 101 to Los Posas, go south, veer right on Pleasant Valley Road. Turn left on Saviers then right on Hueneme Road, then left on Surfside Roa

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Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Sundial Memorial at Hueneme Beach in Port Hueneme

Just 25 miles west of Thousand Oaks is Hueneme Beach Park, a beautiful 50 acre park on the beach with a fishing pier, bike/walking paths, volleyball, picnic tables, BBQ pits, the Surfside Seafood snack bar and more.

24 hour fishing pier at Hueneme Beach ParkOne other feature at Hueneme Beach is the Alaska Airlines Flight 261 Sundial Memorial that commemorates the 88 passengers and crew who lost their lives aboard Alaska Airlines Flight 261 near Anacapa Island on January 31, 2000. The flight was en route from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to San Francisco and Seattle.

The Memorial features a 36-foot diameter concrete plaza with a curving sand wall and seating area and a raised sundial in the center. The monument was designed by by well known Santa Barbara sculptor James “Bud” Bottoms. The sundial’s bronze dolphins and triangular blade (gnomon) cast a shadow on the 20-foot diameter dial face oriented to Pacific Standard Time. Names of each of the victims are inscribed on individual bronze plates mounted on the perimeter of the dial.

The crash site is located between the mainland at Port Hueneme and Anacapa Island, one of the smallest islands in the Channel Islands chain, 14 miles offshore. Families of the lost passengers and crew dedicated the sundial as both a memorial to their loved ones and a work of public art in gratitude to the residents of Port Hueneme for their compassion and tireless assistance in the recovery effort. This is a touching and lasting tribute to those who lost their lives on this flight.

Access the Sundial Memorial from Hueneme Beach parking lot B off Surfside Drive near the gazebo.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ABOUT BEACHES SPANNING FROM CARPINTERIA TO MALIBU!

Mugu Rock at Point Mugu

Point Mugu is an unincorporated part of Ventura County that is derived from the Chumash word Muwu, or beach. Other than the Naval Base, probably the most well known fixture in Point Mugu is the Mugu Rock. Mugu Rock is a large rock formation that was formed when Pacific Coast Highway was built and cut through the mountain that now resides on the other side of PCH. Before PCH was built, a road went around the rock, where a chain link fence has been placed keep people away from this hazardous area adjacent to the Pacific Ocean.

Mugu Rock is located just a few miles near the northwest tip of PCH before it veers north towards Oxnard. It is about a 10 mile drive from the Camarillo Premium Outlets and about 20 miles from the heart of Thousand Oaks taking either the 101/Lewis Road route or the slightly slower, curvy and interesting Potrero Road route.

Professional landscape and wildlife photographer Greg Clure of Newbury Park has shared a couple neat images facing Mugu Rock from the south. Visit Greg's website at www.gregclurephotography.com for more of his outstanding work.

And here is some

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The Giant Sand Dune on PCH Across From Thornhill Broome Beach in Malibu

After two decades of living in the Conejo Valley and driving PCH countless times, I've always rushed by the gigantic sand dune located on the east end of Thornhill Broome Beach in Malibu but never actually stopped by to inspect it. With the urging of my 6 year old, we decided to check it out over Labor Day weekend.

Driving north up PCH, you'll see the sand dune on the east side after passing by Sycamore Canyon/Sycamore Cove Beach and before the reaching the entrance to the Thornhill Broome Campground.  CLICK HERE for more information about various beaches in Malibu.

Park on the shoulder off of PCH. There's plenty of room, though you may be partially parked in the sand. You can also park on the beach side of PCH but rather than taking your life in your hands jaywalking across PCH, you're better off parking on the mountain side of the highway.

The mysteriously large sand dune is the result of "Aeolian transport," or the wind's movement of particles, in this case, sand. Quite steep this hill is, but your effort will be rewarded with some beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. Plus, you get a nice birds eye view of Mugu Rock.

We noticed that the southern-most portion of the sand dune see

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Sand Sculpture Contest at the 2012 Hueneme Beach Festival Was a Hit!

The 14th Annual Toni Young Hueneme Beach Festival took place the weekend of August 18-19, 2012. I had the opportunity to beat the Conejo Valley heat and head out to the festival on the 19th. What a treat it was!

While not the largest festival around Ventura County, the Hueneme Beach Festival sure is one of the more engaging and relaxing festivals around town. Like other festivals, there were vendors, a fun car show (lots of low-rider cars on display), great entertainment and family fun with games and rides.

View of the Hueneme Beach Festival from the beach.

To top it off, the 4th Annual Sand Sculpture Contest was a blast! As you can see below, competitors carved away as we watched them work their magic in the sand. With the Hueneme Beach Pier in the backdrop, attendees were able to enjoy cool ocean breezes while gazing upon these master sandcrafters.

The Hueneme Beach Festival generally takes place the 3rd weekend of August each year. The event is now dedicated to Toni Young, former Port Hueneme Mayor and city councilman for 16 years, who passed away after a sudden illness in December 2008. This is a wonderful event in her honor and definitely worth going out of your way for. Visit www.huenemebeachfest.org for more information.

View of sand sculpture contest participants from the Hueneme Pier.

For information about public beaches spanning from Santa Barbara to Malibu, click here.

Beach Views at Mussel Shoals in Ventura

Driving the 101 through Ventura towards Santa Barbara, we all pass through Mussel Shoals and see the man-made Rincon Island off in the distance, but we're usually either rushing through to get to our destination and stuck in traffic! So we decided to stop by and actually check out the beach in person.

Mussel Shoals is a small beach community with around 50 homes. There are about a dozen public parking spots along Old Pacific Coast Highway, paralleling the 101, The Cliff House Inn is a quaint hotel with spectacular ocean views. Dine at their Shoals restaurant and relax with the waves breaking on the rocks below.

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