Regional Guide · 81 beaches
Pacific Ocean Beaches
Pacific coverage runs the full US West Coast — San Diego's warm-water beaches (La Jolla, Coronado, Pacific Beach), Orange County's legendary surf (Trestles, Huntington, Doheny), Los Angeles's iconic strands (Santa Monica, Venice, Zuma, Manhattan, Hermosa), Santa Barbara and the Central Coast (Pismo, Avila, Cayucos), the Bay Area (Stinson, Half Moon Bay, Ocean Beach SF), Oregon's rugged coast (Cannon Beach, Ecola, Newport), and Washington's Long Beach Peninsula and Olympic coast. Water runs cold north of Point Conception and rough year-round — the Pacific is a working ocean, not a wading pool.
Current Conditions
Average water temperature: 69°F
Across 81 monitored stations on the Pacific Ocean.
When to Go
Southern California: year-round, peak June–October. Central/Northern California: July–September for the warmest water (still chilly without a wetsuit). Oregon/Washington: late July through September for the warmest days, though the water rarely climbs out of the 50s.
Watch Out For
Rip currents are constant — only swim at lifeguarded beaches and obey flag warnings. Sneaker waves on the Oregon and Northern California coast are deadly; never turn your back on the ocean. Water is cold enough year-round that hypothermia is a real risk without a wetsuit north of Santa Barbara.
California · 50
All California beaches →Santa Cruz Main Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Refugio State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Avila Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Carlsbad State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Oceanside Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
San Clemente State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Doheny State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Laguna Main Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Crystal Cove State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Point Dume State Beach
Ideal for photography.
Leadbetter Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Huntington Beach (Surf City USA)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Capitola Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Moonlight Beach (Encinitas)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Santa Monica State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Cardiff State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Carpinteria State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Imperial Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Natural Bridges State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Newport Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Pismo Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Ocean Beach (San Diego)
Great day for a beach walk.
Long Beach (Alamitos Beach)
Ideal for photography.
El Matador State Beach
Ideal for photography.
Leo Carrillo State Park
Ideal for photography.
Hermosa Beach
Ideal for photography.
Redondo Beach
Ideal for photography.
Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur)
Great day for a beach walk.
Zuma Beach
Ideal for photography.
Carmel Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Morro Bay (Morro Strand State Beach)
Great day for a beach walk.
Venice Beach
Ideal for photography.
Glass Beach (Fort Bragg)
Great day for a beach walk.
Mission Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Del Mar Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Coronado Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Pacific Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Baker Beach (San Francisco)
Great day for a beach walk.
San Onofre State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Seal Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Will Rogers State Beach
Ideal for photography.
La Jolla Shores
Great day for a beach walk.
La Jolla Cove
Great day for a beach walk.
Ocean Beach (San Francisco)
Great day for photography.
Stinson Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Monterey State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Pacifica State Beach
Great day for photography.
Cayucos State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Oregon · 17
All Oregon beaches →Pacific City Beach (Cape Kiwanda)
Great day for a beach walk.
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Great day for a beach walk.
Ecola State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Cannon Beach (Haystack Rock)
Great day for a beach walk.
Gold Beach (South Beach Park)
Great day for a beach walk.
Seaside Beach (Oregon)
Great day for a beach walk.
Yachats State Recreation Area
Great day for a beach walk.
Heceta Head Beach (Devils Elbow)
Great day for a beach walk.
Rockaway Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Harris Beach State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Bandon Beach (Face Rock)
Decent day for a beach walk.
Cape Lookout State Park
Decent day for a beach walk.
Hug Point State Recreation Site
Decent day for a beach walk.
Nehalem Bay State Park
Decent day for a beach walk.
Manzanita Beach
Decent day for a beach walk.
Nye Beach (Newport, OR)
Decent day for a beach walk.
Washington · 14
All Washington beaches →Third Beach (La Push)
Great day for a beach walk.
Cape Disappointment State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Ocean Shores
Great day for a beach walk.
Long Beach (Washington)
Great day for a beach walk.
Shi Shi Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Pacific Beach State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Rialto Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Hobuck Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Twin Harbors State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Westport Light State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Second Beach (La Push)
Decent day for photography.
Ruby Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Kalaloch Beach
Decent day for a beach walk.
First Beach (La Push)
Decent day for a beach walk.