Seacliff State Beach

Seacliff State Beach is a long sandy beach on the waterfront of Aptos, CA. This is a great place for sunbathing or walking the sandy shores of Monterey Bay in either direction. Seacliff State Beach has it all with a popular swimming beach, shaded picnic areas, an oceanfront campground for RVs, and a huge fishing pier to explore. At the end of the pier there is an old rotting concrete ship called the USS Palo Alto that is worth walking to the end to see. Originally when the World War I era tanker was sunk at this location it was used as an amusement venue with a dance floor, restaurant, and even a swimming pool. It’s closed to public access now, and is unsafe and overrun by smelly birds anyway.

To get here from Highway 1, just take the State Park Drive exit and follow it west just a short distance to the park entrance station. The visitor center at Seacliff State Beach has a park store plus exhibits including a tide pool tank and an aquarium.

Address

State Park Dr and Santa Cruz Ave
Aptos, CA 95003

Park Name

Seacliff State Beach

Owner

State Park

Pet Details

Dogs allowed on leash

Fees

Fee for parking

Activities

Fishing, Swimming, Sunbathing, Camping, Picnicking, Beach Walking

Amenities

Campground, Fishing Pier, Historic Ship, Restrooms, Showers, Lifeguards, Picnic Tables, BBQs, Covered Picnic Areas, Cafe, Accessible Features

Links

Water Quality
Surfing Info & Web Cams
Water Temps
Tide Chart