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About Point Dume State Beach in Malibu, California

Big Dume Beach (a.k.a. Dume Cove Beach) is the main beach at Point Dume State Beach in Malibu. Dume Cove’s crescent-shaped beach faces southeast from the east side of Point Dume. Access to the beach is via a trail across a small bluff-top natural preserve and then down a long steep staircase.

The trails in the preserve begin at the parking lot and ascend to the high point above Point Dume, loop around the bluff, and also go directly to Big Dume Beach.

Because of the high vantage point, Point Dume is a popular whale watching spot during the gray whale migration February through April. Views from the perimeter of this high point include Big Dume Beach, Zuma Beach, and the Santa Monica Mountains.

After you descend the stairway to the beach in Dume Cove you can walk east to Little Dume Beach (one mile each way) and beyond to Paradise Cove (almost two miles each way). Along this route there are excellent tide pools if you happen to be there at low tide.

On Cliffside Drive across from address 29245 you’ll find a parking strip for about ten cars (which is limited to 2 hours and is usually full). If the Cliffside Drive spaces are taken, you can either wait for one to open or pay to park in the lot at the end of Westward Beach Road and then hike up and over Point Dume to the staircase that descends to Big Dume Beach. Direct access to hidden Pirates Cove Beach below the point is also from the Westward Beach parking lot.

Address
29245 Cliffside Drive
Malibu, CA 90265
Park Name
Point Dume State Beach, Point Dume Natural Preserve, Point Dume State Marine Reserve
Other Names
Big Dume Beach, Dume Cove
Owner
State Park
Pet Details
No dogs allowed on the beach or in the preserve
Fees
Fee for parking
Activities
Scuba Diving, Tidepooling, Beachcombing, Hiking, Rock Climbing, Whale Watching, Fishing, Surfing, Birdwatching, Wildlife Watching
Amenities
Tide Pools, Trails, No Facilities
Map of Point Dume State Beach
Malibu, US
4:17 am, March 28, 2024
temperature icon 51°F
L: 51° H: 63°
Feels like 50.81 °F clear sky
Wind gusts: 2 m/s
UV Index: 0
Precipitation: 0 inch
Visibility: 10 km
Sunrise: 6:47 am
Sunset: 7:12 pm
Humidity 95 %
Pressure1018 mb
Wind 2 m/s

Nearby Beaches

Westward Beach

0.5 miles away

Westward Beach is a long and wide beach on the western side of Point Dume in Malibu, California. Westward...

View beach

Little Dume Beach

0.6 miles away

Little Dume Beach is in a small east-facing cove near Point Dume in Malibu. It’s popular with surfers when...

View beach

Nearby Attractions

Nearby Lodging

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