Panther Beach

Panther Beach is a popular sandy beach north of Santa Cruz near the hamlet of Davenport. It’s part of the state’s Coast Dairies State Park land acquisition and will eventually be a California state park or state beach.

At low tide another beach called Hole-In-The-Wall becomes accessible through an opening in a rock wall on the south end of Panther Beach. This route through the arch is safe, except at highest tides or during extreme surf.  Both beaches are considered clothing-optional, but Hole In The Wall more so because of its seclusion.

The official US government name of Panther Beach according to USGS is Yellow Bank (or Yellowbank) Beach and is named for Yellow Bank Creek that curves through the sand here. A man-made tunnel through the bluff wall can be found at the back of the beach. The creek enters the cove through this tunnel.

Swimming at Panther Beach can be dangerous because of rip currents and getting onto the rocks at the north end of the beach can be dangerous due to sneaker waves and strong surf. Rock climbing is popular on some of the rocks around Panther and HITW beaches.

For access to Panther beach look for the unsigned parking lot entrance off Highway 1 about one mile south of Bonny Doon Road and Bonny Doon Beach. The trail to the beach can be found at the far north end of this lot. This steep trail to Panther Beach can get eroded and make for a difficult hike to the beach especially when it’s wet.

Address

Cabrillo Hwy
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Park Name

Coast Dairies State Park

Other Names

Yellow Bank Beach, Yellowbank, Yellow Bank Creek

Owner

State Parks

Pet Details

No dogs allowed on the beach

Fees

Free parking

Activities

Sunbathing, Beach Exploration, Rock Climbing

Amenities

Rock Arch, Caves, Creek, No Facilities

Links

Water Temps
Tide Chart