Monarch Bay Beach

Monarch Bay Beach is a public beach below a private beach club in the gated community of Monarch Beach in Dana Point, CA. Monarch Bay Beach Club is the beach access for the land-locked Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club (formerly known as Monarch Beach Resort).

The beach club has a parking lot and a luxurious facility on the beach for its members and the resort guests. For the rest of us who want to walk on the beach, there is a public parking lot at Salt Creek Beach Park next to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel. This is a popular park with a wide sandy beach at the bottom of the hill.

As you walk north on the sand from Salt Creek Beach the crowds thin out and it becomes a peaceful stroll. Salt Creek flows through the sand near the Beach Club sometimes, but most of the time it pools up behind the beach. Birds are a common sight at this lagoon and on Monarch Beach.

North of the Monarch Bay Beach Club the beach becomes a narrow boulder field, but there is a small sandy beach beyond the boulders that is worth exploring. It’s a serious endeavor to reach this beach a quarter mile away, but there are caves in the rock walls to discover. Fishermen on the point beyond the beach are usually the only ones crossing this long stretch of boulders. The wet part of Monarch Bay Beach is public (the area below the mean high tide level) so anyone can get there from Salt Creek Beach if they want to explore toward the point.

Address

500 Monarch Bay Dr
Dana Point, CA 92629

Other Names

Monarch Beach

Owner

Private Club

Pet Details

No dogs allowed on the beach

Fees

Fees for parking at Salt Creek Beach lot

Activities

Sunbathing, Beachcombing, Scuba Diving, Beach Walking, Birdwatching

Amenities

Private Beach Club, Caves, Lifeguards, No Public Facilities

Links

Tide Chart
Water Quality
Water Temps