The Pacific Coast Highway cuts between two worlds here: on the inland side, 1,300 acres of restored wetland where endangered Ridgway's rails nest in pickleweed, and on the ocean side, a wide beach that catches southern swells year-round. You'll set up your towel on sand the color of toffee, fine-grained and packed firm near the waterline, while brown pelicans skim the breakers in perfect formation. The camping spots fill with families roasting hot dogs on fire rings as the sun drops toward Catalina Island.
“One of the few California beaches where you can surf at sunrise and watch endangered shorebirds from a boardwalk by lunch.”
Credit: UnsplashBoardwalk stretching toward the sea
The surf here breaks over gently sloping sand, creating forgiving waves that reform after each section—ideal if you're still figuring out your bottom turn. Locals call the peaks near the lifeguard towers predictable, the kind of break where you can work on fundamentals without worrying about reef or rock. Between sets, you'll watch snowy egrets fish the tidepools that form near the reserve's outlet, where freshwater mixes with brine.
By late afternoon, the onshore breeze picks up and the beach empties. You'll hear the rustle of Atriplex shrubs along the dunes and the distant bark of sea lions from the harbor jetties three miles south. Walk the wetland boardwalk at dusk and count the species: curlews, willets, cormorants, sometimes a peregrine stooping after shorebirds. The refineries of Long Beach glow to the northwest, a reminder that this saved habitat exists because people fought for it.
