Beach is clean with a free parking lot just above. At the entrance there's a nice little…read moreplayground, a concessions stand with actual options beyond your standard hotdogs and burgers. We came on a cloudy day so it wasn't really crowded and we found free parking in the lot up the hill, just above the beach. The lifeguard station is right there so there was a sense of added safety as my kids learned to surf. Beach was clean, people were chill, and we'll def be back!

We came here as a family and really enjoyed it. I actually believe this beach was recommended to…read moreme, and it was everything they said it would be. The beach was nice and the water felt really good, not too cold, which made it even better. My daughter had a blast playing in the sand and just being free, and my husband loved it too, especially since it was his first time being in warm ocean water. We were able to find a spot that wasn't overly crowded, which made it feel even more peaceful and relaxing. Overall it was just a really good beach day and I would definitely come back.

I dont know if there is more that I can add about this beach, and at this point, I am still trying…read moreto figure out which beaches might be more suited to my personality but all I can say as of now is that all these beaches I have visited in SoCal specifically San Diego all seem quite top notch! Tonight, I chose to do the 4 mile run which is from Culture Brewing from Solana Beach all the up to the Kook statue and then back. Initially, I had no idea what a kook is but a local runner friend explained to me. A kook is a surfer who looks awkward while surfing. OK, now I get it. While making my way to the Kook statue, I passed by the parking lot for this beach which had a sign to designate it. This beach was pretty busy today as we are right in the middle of summer and everybody was out enjoying the weather, the beach, soaking up the rays, and water. Gosh, SoCal is really paradise on Earth! Id love to come here another day and just enjoy the beach, but tonight was also cool to jog by, the views are just amazing! I feel blessed to be able to enjoy this place and my hope is you will come to see this beautiful place, your heart will thank you!

Beautiful beach. There are some lovely sunflowers and other flowers around up top by the parking…read moretoo (which was plentiful). There's also some free parking on the street if you can find some. The beach is very nice and clean. Get out and enjoy it :)

I love running and tonight our Monday night run group had a route where we would pass this park but…read moresince I was already jogging solo and almost up to 3 miles of jogging, I took a short break & stopped here to take in how beautiful this beach park is. Its just beyond gorgeous and I know in the summer, there are concerts here (so I will come back for that). I didn't get down to the beach tonight (there are stairs down from the park) but I need to do that before summer is over. Restrooms available here too. Lovely park and there is a parking lot connected. I will definitely be back!

Been to this park a couple times .. once by myself and once with family. It's so nice here! There's…read morea small lot which makes parking kind of tricky, especially on the weekends.. however there are street parking and another lot across the street if you're lucky. There's a playground for kids to enjoy.. lots of park bathroom stalls available (with toilet paper and soap)! And the beach is only a short walking distance away. The views are spectacular and we all had a great time enjoying the scenery

It's a beautiful beach!! Beautiful view up the stairs at sunset! This a beach ,I come to when…read morevisiting the area just to stair at the view!

The Grandview stairs are unfortunately closed through May 2026…read more Posted info states: CONSTRUCTION ALERT GRANDVIEW BEACH STAIRCASE RESTORATION AND CLOSURE CLOSURE DATE: February 3rd 2026 ESTIMATED REOPENING DATE: May 25th 2026 (Memorial Day) Beach access via the staircase will be closed during this time. The majority of the parking lot will be closed 24/7 to vehicles during this time. Grandview Beach will remain open and is accessible via South Ponto Beach from the north and Beacons Beach from the south. Thank you for your cooperation and patience during the project. We apologize for any inconvenience. City Contact: Braden DeWhite Engineer - I CIP 760-943-2245 bdewhite@encinitasca.gov Contractor: HSCC 619-333-1076 NOTICE GRANDVIEW BEACH ocorporated 199% STAIRCASE CLOSED STAIRCASE IS CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. DANGEROUS CONDITIONS AT HIGH TIDE. USE ALTERNATE ROUTES FOR BEACH ACCESS. CLOSURE DATE: February 3rd 2026 ESTIMATED REOPENING DATE: May 25th 2026 (Memorial Day)

The Moonlight Beach Overlook is my favorite spot to go to. I get to watch the beauuutiful sunsets,…read moresunrises, moonrises and moonsets along with keeping up with my physical activities down on the beach like leisurely walks, yoga or running for the 5K. There's a lot more going on when I'm at this scenic blufftop overlooking the Pacific Ocean...I see picnics, volleyball games, surfing just to name a few. I just looove it! Definitely worthy of 5 stars!!

Whenever I visit one of my very good friends in Encinitas, this overlook is the first place I come…read moreto. There are a only a handful of parking places but I always seem to get lucky, score a perfect spot and it's free. After the long drive from home, I can get out of the car, feel the fresh ocean air, stretch and take in the views of the mighty Pacific Ocean. My visits vary from 30 minutes to a couple hours. I just need enough time to unwind from the drive, meditate and relax. What a stress reliever! TIP: Sunsets are epic from this overlook!

For the people who don't like beaches with stairs...just don't go there. The name of the beach says…read moreit all. I think it was my first time ever yesterday and I enjoyed it to the max. Parking was not an issue and the streets nearby the beginning of the stairs are gorgeous, well maintained, safe, flowers and surf boards as decor. Even pink quartz on the pavement. Yes, that kind of level. The stairs were not an inconvenience for me but I. My case I wanted to make it a workout so in fact was perfect. By the time I made it to the steps I had already collected a mini flower bouquet and felt delighted just being there. Beautil long beach and not overpopulated. Everyone looks fit and happy. All was great.

A must stop if you are in the area. There is limited parking at the access, but we had no trouble…read morefinding a spot on a Friday morning in November. My husband surfed here almost 50 years ago, so was a trip down memory lane for him. Quite a few steps to the beach, but you get a great view from the overlook so the steps are optional. Very cool surrounding neighborhood, too.

Gorgeous beach! So many good surfers to watch and it's kept clean. An amazing local find.0read more

"Out of water, I am nothing..." - Duke Kahanamoku…read more Duke's quote also explains why, at any given time, there are so many people in the awesome line-up at Pipes Beach. Whether you surf, run, bike, or just want a chillaxin stroll or picnic along the sand, this place ROCKS and was one of the first places I began surfing regularly since moving to N. County from UTC almost a decade ago. Before moving, I asked a few of my bros where to surf up there and they were all like, "Pipes, Pipes, Pipes..." and I was all like "Bong?" j/k The bluff above the beach sports a paved trail along Hwy 101 where you can run or walk from Encinitas to Cardiff and back. There's also a bike lane too! One funny thing about weekend warrior surfers is that many don't want to walk very far to catch a wave. With Pipes all you have to do is park on the spaces to the west side of 101 or along the dirt road to the east of it (make sure you don't block the white lines marking the bike lanes and BE CAREFUL opening you car doors!!!). The beach is about a hundred feet down the steep paved main entry path or you can access it via the wooden steps leading from the San Elijo campgrounds. If you like a reef break, head south along the beach towards Cardiff while north you'll find solid beach and combo breaks. There's tons of fun-in-the-sun stuff to do on the beach but be careful about leaving your unattended picnic baskets out, otherwise the squirrels and seagulls will go to town! I once had a squirrel chew through my entire backpack looking for the bag of peanuts I left inside! The only restrooms to be had are also on top of the hill and they keep the showers very well maintained. When the surf cooks the line-up here gets packed but you can almost always find a pocket somewhere to catch a wave. Just don't turn all aggro on your fellow surfers since no one owns the ocean, okay? Just think about what Duke would do!!!

Camping at Carlsbad State Beach is unmatched…read more This campsite offers the best of both worlds: city life + beach life. It sits right on the ocean bluff with two sides, bluff-side (oceanfront) and streetside. Obviously bluff-side is preferred, but staying on the streetside is still a treat. A few things I love about this camping experience: - They allow all forms of camping. Tent, RV, van, etc. - The site has clean bathrooms and warm showers. Just be sure to purchase tokens at the front for the shower. - Dog friendly! You can bring your pet along but they must be on leash and aren't allowed on the beach. - Carlsbad has the most captivating sunsets, and if you're lucky, you'll even see a few dolphins. Truly the most memorable 32nd birthday activity with all my favorite people.

Carlsbad is a beautiful city with a lot of nice restaurants and little shops so I opted to try the…read morebeach here today rather than Oceanside where I usually go. I lucked out and found a super close parking spot in the neighborhood across the street. The beach itself was VERY short compared to sand length at other beaches so people were almost on top of each other. There was a pretty intense drop off about half way down the sand so it limited space for people to put down their stuff and lay out. I'm not sure how normal it is at this spot but there was a TON of rocks. It was way too much to be able to enter the water without having them beating your feet and ankles. My friend was bleeding after trying to check out the water. The surf was also a little intense that day so I'm wondering if that had any effect on the rock situation? This was a very clean beach with restrooms at the bottom of the ramp from the street so it did have that going for it but we decided to leave and head for a beach where we could safely go into the water that day. I'll have to come back another time to get a better idea.