Twin Lakes State Beach

Twin Lakes State Beach is a sandy beach on the east side of the entrance to Santa Cruz Harbor. The main beach access in Twin Lakes State Beach is along East Cliff Drive between 5th and 9th Avenues in the Live Oak area of Santa Cruz. At the harbor entrance there are sand volleyball courts plus shops and restaurants that overlook the beach and the jetty.

This state park extends for one mile along the Santa Cruz waterfront shoreline including the beaches on both sides of Santa Cruz Harbor – Seabright Beach, Harbor Beach, and the beach in front of Bonita Lagoon (aka Black’s Beach).

At 9th Avenue there is a freshwater lake called Schwan Lagoon (or Schwan Lake) across Cliff Drive that is good for bird-watching. This inland park has trails for walking and viewpoints over the lake. For trail access you can find parking and the trailhead at Simpkins Family Swim Center / Live Oak Community Center (979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz). More parking can be found at the south end of El Dorado Avenue near Edmar Lane.

A few parking spots for the main part of Twin Lakes State Beach are provided at 9th Ave but they fill up quickly. Street parking spots in the area are permit only on weekends so at those times it’s probably best to park at Santa Cruz Harbor Beach and walk south to this spot rather than risk a parking citation.

Address

E Cliff Dr and 9th Ave
Santa Cruz, CA 95062

Park Name

Twin Lakes State Beach, Schwan Lake Park

Owner

State Park

Pet Details

Dogs allowed on leash

Activities

Swimming, Sunbathing, Picnicking, Birdwatching, Bonfires

Amenities

Restrooms, Showers, Lifeguard, Lagoon, Fire Pits, Wetlands

Links

Water Quality
Surfing Info & Web Cams
Water Temps
Tide Chart