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    Malibu Lagoon State Beach

    4.3 (107 reviews)

    Malibu Lagoon State Beach Photos

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    Alisa B.

    Very refreshing area for diverse views! There's tidepools, clear water, wildlife, and soft sand. There is even a Malibu Lagoon Museum! The beach itself is a short 10 minute walk away from the parking lot, but you get a view of the lagoon as you walk. It costs $12 to park for a full day, or $3 per hour. You need a phone app to pay. KEEP IN MIND: No dogs allowed, except in the parking lot.

    Kimberley K.

    Looking for things to do ?? Look no further.... Nestled on California's stunning coastline, Malibu Lagoon State Park is a nature lover's happy place! With its fascinating history and awe-inspiring beauty, this park is the perfect antidote to boring everyday life. Be sure to check out the Malibu Lagoon Museum as well... Once upon a time, Native Americans called this place their hangout spot. The park's wetlands are bursting with more colors than a unicorn's mane. Picture vibrant flowers, chirpy birds, and waves that crash like a rock concert. But wait, there's more! Tucked away within the park lies a hidden gem known as the Adamson House... This architectural marvel is a time capsule that takes visitors on a journey back to Malibu's glamorous past. Imagine stepping into a Spanish Colonial Revival mansion straight out of a Hollywood movie, complete with exquisite tilework and stunning ocean views. Be sure to check hours and prices to get tickets to the Adamson House ..before you go. You can also get a docent led tour.. Good walking shoes are a must

    Bennette I.

    After visiting The Getty Villa we wanted to sit on the beaches of Malibu so we just started driving north on highway 1. The first state park we saw a sign for was Malibu Lagoon State Park. You can pay by the hour or for all day ($12), we paid $6 for two hours. With our beach blanket in hand, we walked the trail to the beach. It was longer than I expected but we slowly made our way towards the water. The actual sand portion is small but it does the trick. One side faces the Pacific, the other a small lagoon teaming with birds and wildlife. Lots of surfers, sun worshipers, adults and children. Being that it was during the week, it wasn't busy or too packed. There are several port-o-potty's, waste cans and a manned lifeguard station.

    Lots of rocks at low tide
    Kathryn C.

    If you are meeting people at Malibu Lagoon State Beach, be sure you meet them on the correct side of the lagoon. Don't do what I did! I parked on the south side of the lagoon, but my group parked on the north side. When I hiked along the beach to meet them, I could only cross the creek if I took off my shoes, even though it was low tide. I decided not to, and entertained myself by enjoying the pelicans, seagulls, tide pools and surfers. There were lots of rocks at the shoreline at low tide, so it didn't look like a great place to swim.

    Roshy P.

    For some reason I thought I would not be able to see any birds in late December, but I was wrong. Malibu Lagoon is gorgeous! It is peaceful and soothing! It is everything nature has to offer! Water on two sides, birds singing, mountains and sand. It was pleasantly cloudy today with lots of surfers out there. Parking was pretty easy. $6 for almost the whole day on weekdays. Many had chosen to park at the side of the road. Safe environment! Mostly families and surfers.

    Deepa N.

    Beautiful place with a quiet lagoon and beach. There's also a path which l leads to the beach. Can view lots of birds in the lagoon. There are lifeguards on duty A nice place to hang out with family and friends.

    Jo S.

    I drove by Malibu Lagoon so many times and never stopped to check it out till Saturday. There's a sign for it, it has its own lot ($12 all day) and you can walk a few trails for viewing stations, although the best view is on the bridge on the PCH. There are many birds here we haven't seen before so close, egrets, pelicans, it is a beautiful and unique spot. Bring your binoculars and a camera with a great zoom lens for great photo ops. There are some people around, some homeless people on one side, but no one bothered us. It is very peaceful and one of the trails leads you to the beach. There are many picnic benches and portable toilets so you can spend longer here. Great unique spot in Malibu, lots of nature, perfect for birds watching. Glad I finally checked it out the Lagoon is a little paradise!

    Mina R.

    Such a great location to go swimming/surfing. The whole area up and down the street is so crazy busy that the best time to show up for a good parking spot might just be early morning hours. I drove down the street in traffic for about 25 minutes til I was able to find a parking spot here. The parking area is a dirt area but is very small. Parking is $3 per hour or $12 for the day. Walk to the beach from the parking lot is about 10 minutes. The beach was packed as I expected it to be. But was still a great place to hangout and enjoy the cold waves at your feet. Love this place. Love Malibu

    Path to Malibu Lagoon
    Cesar C.

    This is a beautiful, easy walk that is suitable for everybody, regardless of age. It changes each time you walk it. Certain passageways are blocked depending on the tide, particularly when it is quite high. The small lagoon is frequented by a variety of ducks and birds, and if you walk to the end, you can see the ocean. Numerous tide pools can be seen and explored as well. It's a fantastic location to search for marine life or seashells. There is a great deal to see and appreciate on such a short stroll.

    Getting our fall fix
    Stephanie L.

    This is a wonderful, gentle walk appropriate for everyone, young, old or otherwise. Every time you walk it, it's different. Depending on the tides, certain pathways are closed off especially when it's very high. There are different ducks and birds that visit the small lagoon and if you head to the end, you open up to the ocean. When the tides are low you can walk around the homes & enjoy a gorgeous beach walk behind the Malibu Colony homes. There are also many tide pools to explore as well. It's a great place to look for sea life or sea shells. For such a short walk, there is a lot to see and enjoy. Especially during our quarantine, this is an idyllic place to walk, get some sunshine on your face and enjoy the scenery. The mountains are a constant backdrop to the landscape. Parking is $8 in the dirt lot. No special shoes needed. It's a dirt path and can be traversed in sneakers or flip flops.

    Tae Kyung Y.

    Malibu Lagoon State Beach is one of the first beach park you'll see on your drive on Pacific Coast Highway, and though it doesn't give the best views compared to El Matador or Point Dume, it's still a wonderful place to stop by on your drive. As the name of the beach states, there's a lagoon area that you'll walk by before approaching the beach and it's not much, but it's a nice little peak of the nature that Malibu has to offer. After walking around 5-10 minutes, you'll be able to see the beach which is absolutely beautiful. Not the biggest beach, but still such a beautiful beach and you'll be able to see glimpses of Malibu. You can also walk right and walk by all the multi-million dollar beach houses as well. It's a great place to see sunrises and sunsets and it's a great little appetizer before you're exposed to the rest of Malibu, where you'll be exposed to more magnificent views and vibes.

    sherry u.

    Lovely location to walk and relax; tide pools to explore. Paid parking lot; clean portable restrooms off of parking lot.

    Taylor K.

    Such a beautiful and peaceful spot when it's not too crowded. We came on Martin Luther King weekend on a Saturday and the parking was abysmal, got a spot and paid nine dollars for the all day parking. Such a wonderful little peaceful space there are plenty of picnic tables and areas to sit and watch the birds.It is nice that the spot also has beach access, there is a lot of wildlife by the lagoon particularly sea hares and lots of anemones and snails. Saw plenty of crabs and things. Pros: - great place to bird watch - picnic tables make for an easy meal space - lots of nooks and crannies to read and relax - easy beach access Cons: - parking lot is very small - crowded on weekends -many people here without masks - despite there being no dogs allowed, many people came and allowed their dogs to walk around off leash PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG HERE!! I saw a lot of dogs walking around off leash at the lagoon trampling on the wildlife and messing up the tidepools. Not only is this super harmful to the biodiversity of the area, there are plenty of places nearby to walk with dogs ( Malibu Pier, Malibu Bluffs ) . I cannot understand why people insist on bringing their dogs and letting them trample all over the small sea creatures.

    Black Sea hare!

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    1 year ago

    heads up! no dogs allowed, visited recently with my pup. traveled further up to zuma and sycamore beach for dog friendly beaches !

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    Malibu Lagoon State Beach Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Malibu Lagoon State Beach

    Have to pay to park?

    Yes, there is a State Park Ranger booth at the entrance of the parking where you can pay the fees.

    Are dogs allowed on leash?

    I saw a sign that said no dogs allowed.

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    Review Highlights - Malibu Lagoon State Beach

    When the tides are low you can walk around the homes & enjoy a gorgeous beach walk behind the Malibu Colony homes.

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    Zuma Beach  - The beach

    Zuma Beach

    4.4(517 reviews)
    8.1 mi

    Zuma has always been my tried and true. It's easy to get to, there's loads of parking, and the…read morebathrooms are pretty decent for public beach restrooms. Waves are great, lifeguards are present and plenty of beach space to picnic. There's really no bad time of year to come, though in the summer months it definitely gets more crowded. I wish there were more trash cans present on the beach part as well as some sort of food options available. I know there used to be some small food stands, but they have since closed. Love coming here with the family for a beach picnic. Love that the bathrooms have showers to rinse off after a day of playing in the sand.

    A beautiful stretch of beach that's always a must. Along the famous highway 1, it's a nice big…read morebeach thats for perfect day outing. Parking wise, there's street parking along PCH, paid parking lot on PCH, street along the beach as well as another paid lot on the beach. Depending on the time, parking is a bitch as it's always full. It's a pretty wide stretch of beach so there's plenty of spaces for laying out and so on. One side has all the volleyball court. We arrived around 11:30 and luckily found street parking along the beach. It was nice out, sunny and a good amount of people along close to the water. We found a spot and made ourself comfortable. There was a good half dozen or so school buses parked where the volleyball courts are. Either a summer camp or school is back in session and it was a beach day. The odd thing, after an hour we arrived, the clouds started to roll in. Within minutes, it went from sunshine to overcast and gloomy. Stayed like that for a good hour and half. Even looking out to the hillside, it was so gloomy that you couldn't see down the beach. When the clouds burned off, it was back to beautiful beach weather. Lifeguard towers were in full force. We did notice that security on four wheelers were patrolling. They did questioned some people. It's a beautiful stretch of beach if you haven't been. The water was beautiful and looked clean but the waves were on a different level. They were pretty massive so lifeguards were on full force. People did go in the water but not a lot. To make it more magical, there were schools of dolphins swimming close by the shore. Even more fun, you could see them basically surfing the waves. That brought everyone on their feet trying to get the perfect picture. There's a good amount of restrooms and showers. It was actually clean which is a major plus. There's also a little lagoon that's a hangout for all the seagulls and pelican. Sand was soft and hot. Beach was clean, water was clean so it's was a good experience. It's a must if you haven't been.

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    Zuma Beach  - Fancy car meet up vibezzzzz va-Roooooommmmmm

    Fancy car meet up vibezzzzz va-Roooooommmmmm

    Zuma Beach  - Chasing sunsets!

    Chasing sunsets!

    Zuma Beach  - Ahhh My Goodness!!!

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    Ahhh My Goodness!!!

    El Matador State Beach - Sunset through the rocks

    El Matador State Beach

    4.4(514 reviews)
    11.1 mi

    So be warned that parking is limited and also expensive, even if you want a quick little stop. We…read morewent super early on a week day so there was no one else there. Also the porta potty had no toilet paper. So not sure what the parking fees are upkeeping. Anyway, the beach itself is really pretty. The walk down is a little touch with stand on a steep slope so you have to be careful. But it's worth it for the views. It's a very romantic spot.

    El Matador Beach is truly one of the most beautiful spots along the California coast, and it never…read morefails to impress. Walking along the sandy beach, surrounded by dramatic rocky cliffs and sea caves, feels like stepping into a postcard. The ocean views are breathtaking, the sound of the waves is calming, and there are so many little hidden nooks to explore. It is also an amazing location for a photo shoot if you have a permit, with the cliffs, natural arches, and golden sunsets providing endless opportunities for beautiful shots. The only reasons I gave it three stars are practical. Parking is expensive, which can be frustrating when all you want to do is enjoy the natural beauty. If you want to do professional photography, you also need a paid permit, which adds to the cost. On top of that, there are lots of stairs to get down to the beach, so it can be challenging for anyone with mobility issues or small children. Despite these drawbacks, I keep coming back because the scenery here is truly unmatched. Whether it's strolling along the sand, exploring the rock formations, or just sitting and enjoying the view, El Matador Beach captures the essence of California's coastline. It's a stunning, iconic location that I would recommend visiting at least once, just be prepared for the stairs and parking fees.

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    El Matador State Beach - Rocks and birds

    Rocks and birds

    El Matador State Beach - Rocks

    Rocks

    El Matador State Beach - Cool rock structure

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    Cool rock structure

    Lechuza Beach - Gorgeous!

    Lechuza Beach

    4.1(52 reviews)
    9.3 mi

    Absolutely stunning beautiful Beach. Many beautiful rocks and the sand is super soft and a…read morebeautiful off-white color. I usually carry my wagon with me with blankets and pillows and the necessities so after observing how many stairs there were to get down to the beach decided to go elsewhere. But if you have very little to carry, I recommend this stunning beach. Not too crowded at all.

    There seems to be a ton of misinformation regarding this beach. Perhaps the MRCA which owns and…read morecontrols it should do a better job of signage and use instructions. First, read the California law on beach's. Not all beaches are public. The public may walk below Ho tide line- which basically means wet sand but above that may be private property and trespass laws apply. Don't believe it? The Malibu sheriffs will explain it quickly. The entrance at East Sea level IS a private road and gated community. Pedestrian beach access was granted but if you attempt to drive through and park you will be towed. It is a very long walk to LaChuza beach at this entrance. You will pass a sign half way telling you that entrance is a Private beach ( above hi tide line) so walk alllll the way down to the end to the stairs. If you decide to stop on the lawns for lunch and photos you are trespassing. The stairs and entry at Broad beach road is the best access. Parking is limited on broad beach and if you block a driveway or lawn, or litter you will be cited buy the Sheriffs. LaChuza has strict rules about use: Only service animals on leash. The MRCA rangers Will cite you. No alcohol. No smoking or drugs. No fires. Closed at 8:00. If you chose to use the stairs , the beach is at the bottom to the RIGHT. The beach area to the left is Private above the high tide/ wet sand and you will be tresspassimg and they will call the police. LaChuza looks lovely but it can be dangerous. No life guards. No toilets. If you pee or poop-you will be fined. The water is so nice- sometimes but there are strong currents and rips and NO life guards. Very Rocky with many submerged jagged rocks. In winter when the sand is low the water has many mor obstacles- wires- pipes- concrete pilings that can be dangerous. Swimmer beware. During hi tides sneaker waves cover the beach sending all your stuff to Japan. How do I know? I go knocked down and swept out by one. During hi tide the waves cover the entire beach. There are better beach options like Zumba or Leo Carrillo.

    Photos
    Lechuza Beach - Happy people

    Happy people

    Lechuza Beach
    Lechuza Beach - Exceptional sunset

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    Exceptional sunset

    Malibu Lagoon State Beach - beaches - Updated May 2026

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