Palm Beach & Pajaro Dunes

Palm Beach is a day use area of Sunset State Beach that has a separate entrance from the main park. The access at Palm Beach enters onto to a wide sandy beach on Monterey Bay that is backed by beautiful grassy dunes.

North and south of the park the state-owned beach continues in front of the Pajaro Dunes Resort which has condos and vacation rentals. It’s possible to walk the beach for miles in both directions.

Free parking areas can be found just outside of the state park parking lot. This beach is popular with local farming families because most of the other beaches in the area don’t have a free parking option.

To get to Palm Beach, take the Riverside Drive exit off Highway 1 near Watsonville and head west to Lee Road. Then it’s a long straight drive between farm lands on West Beach Street which leads to the parking lot. Hike up and over the high dunes to an excellent sandy strand.

Address

W Beach Rd & Rio Boca Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076

Phone

831-763-7063

Park Name

Sunset State Beach

Other Names

Pajaro Beach, Palm State Beach, Palm Beach State Park Entrance Station

Owner

State Park

Pet Details

No dogs allowed on the beach

Fees

Fees to enter park, but free along the street outside of gate

Activities

Fishing, Picnicking, Beach Walking, Beachcombing, Sunbathing

Amenities

Picnic Tables, BBQs, Restrooms, Showers, Lifeguards, Dunes

Links

Water Quality
Tide Chart
Water Temps