Leo Carrillo State Park – North Beach
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About Leo Carrillo State Park – North Beach in Malibu, California
North Beach at Leo Carrillo State Park is a wide family-friendly and dog-friendly beach in western Malibu. It has a large linear day-use parking lot right on the beach for easy access. North beach is about a half mile long and is great for beach walking, but it has a lot more to discover!
In between North Beach and Leo Carrillo’s South Beach there is a rocky area known as Sequit Point which has tide pools, rock arches, and sea caves to investigate. This is a unique natural place for kids to explore with their parents, just be sure to visit at low tide, and always be watching the waves just in case. If you happen to be here in the spring, get up onto the bluff and look out into the ocean for gray whales that might be passing by.
North of North Beach the state beach continues to Staircase Beach, a narrow beach that is more remote and popular with surfers.
Dogs are allowed on North Beach as long as they are on a leash. Just don’t venture into the Sequit Point area as everything south (east) of Lifeguard Tower 3 is closed to dogs.
Leo Carrillo State Park has a campground with 130+ spots that can be booked through ReserveCalifornia’s website. The Nicholas Flat Trails takes off uphill from the campground for those that want to go hiking. An old road known as the Yellow Hill Fire Trail is shown on the park map, but we’ve found it to be too overgrown to be worth trying.
To get to North Beach, enter at the main entrance for Leo Carrillo State Park, pay the required fees, and follow signs that lead under Pacific Coast Highway to the parking lot. Free parking for North Beach can be found along PCH west of Mulholland Highway. Steep trails and a long set of stairs descend to the beach from the highway.
The park is named for Leo Carrillo, an actor who was on the California State Beaches and Parks Commission in the mid-1900s. His efforts helped the state set aside coastal lands like this for public enjoyment.
- Address
- 35000 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90265 - Phone
- 310-457-8144
- Park Name
- Leo Carrillo State Park
- Other Names
- Heavens, Sequit Point
- Owner
- State Park
- Pet Details
- Dogs allowed on leash on the beach north of lifeguard station 3 (not allowed on backcountry trails)
- Fees
- Fees for parking (free spaces on shoulder of highway)
- Activities
- Hiking, Biking, Fishing, Scuba Diving, Whale Watching, Swimming, Camping, Tidepooling
- Amenities
- Campground, Lifeguards, Restrooms, Showers, Picnic Tables, Caves, Rock Arches, Tide Pools, Accessible Features
Nearby Beaches
Leo Carrillo State Park – South Beach
0.5 miles away
South Beach at Leo Carrillo State Park is located at the mouth of a creek that flows out (rarely)...
Leo Carrillo State Park – Staircase Beach
0.5 miles away
Staircase Beach is a little-used area within Leo Carrillo State Beach in western Malibu. Surfers are the main visitors...
County Line Beach
1 miles away
County Line Beach is just inside Ventura County and very near the border with Los Angeles County in western...
Nearby Attractions
Solstice Canyon Hiking Trail
9.6 miles away
Hiking the Solstice Canyon Trail takes you up into the Santa Monica Mountains from Dan Blocker Beach (Corral Beach)....
Malibu Creek State Park
11.9 miles away
About six miles inland from the beaches of Malibu you’ll find Malibu Creek State Park. This park is a...
Nearby Lodging
Malibu Country Inn
6.4 miles away
A short walk from the beach and surf, the scenic Malibu Country Inn provides the luxury of sand and...
Malibu Vacation Rentals
7 miles away
Renting a vacation home in Malibu is one of the best ways to stay and enjoy this stretch of...
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Reviews
We enjoyed the arches by the beach. Lots of little pockets of sand to discover around the point.