Seabright Beach always holds a special place in my heart as it's our family's comfort beach which we always go to for fun family outdoor events and a running place for my beloved puppy Butter. I like the fact that this beach is super close to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History with the giant whale (in iron) in front and the Walton Lighthouse as well the Boardwalk is just walking distance. In fact, during low tide, though not recommended, you can cross under a cave and get right onto the Boardwalk :) There are decently clean public restrooms and trash bins here, which are a plus in my opinion. The sand is in earthy yellow tones and if you're lucky, the sky looks amazingly. The waves are not too strong here either. Perfect spot for beach picnic or a simple stroll. There are so many dogs running around and everyone is so friendly. This beach is deep and spacious! There are spaces for everyone, even in the weekends. There are street parkings all around :) Love this beach and highly recommend! read more

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It's been awhile since I was last at Seabright Beach. So, as we were driving back home, we pulled off to the side and parked the car. Taking in a quick look at this beach. It was nice to see some people and dogs taking a walk on the beach or some people chilling around the bonfires. read more

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Quiet and calm beach unlike the one right by the Boardwalk that was crazy busy! We came over here seeing the boardwalk beach was total pandemonium! This one was scenic and serene. Overcast this day and about 70 degrees while Sacramento was a toasty 100+, glad we got out of town and came down to Santa Cruz. I've never been to this beach that I can recall and it was pretty clean, not a ton of people and didn't see much litter, only some coals left from BBQs. We saw a few young surfers catching the waves. A few dogs hanging with their human families and having fun. And the Walton lighthouse is at the end of the beach and it was pretty but there's no access into the lighthouse. There was a birthday party there so music was playing, a little loudly, but not too loud. Apparently this group puts on a birthday party a couple times a month. We also saw sailboats, chartered boats, and some wildlife to include seagulls and pelicans, and other birds. All in all, it was a lovely hour or so that we spent here. Santa Cruz is always a nice place to visit to escape the heat in the valley. read more

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We came here while visiting the Bay area to escape from a heat wave in the valley one weekend. The Santa Cruz boardwalk Beach was crazy busy so we drove down a bit to this beach. Kudos to my wife for always having some options so we can pivot when the original plan doesn't work out. Really we weren't going to visit the boardwalk on a Saturday in the summer, come on now. This beach is pretty chill. Mostly locals or at least bay area locals coming for the day. Not touristy like some other parts of Santa Cruz. We walked from one of the entrances (think there's 2) to the Walton lighthouse, hung out a bit, watched and listened to the waves, observed the wildlife and the ocean, and then walked back and headed "home" to our hotel. This beach is a nice way to end our day trip in Santa Cruz as part of our east and south bay weekend "vacation." read more

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A beautiful calm beach to walk and enjoy the sunshine. It's clean and there are plenty of relaxing views. read more

Here I sit at Seabright Beach, a a couple of days after Memorial Day 2025. I brought some out-of-town girlfriends here today for a random beach bonfire. It's been a perfect evening, and is turning into an glourious night. Normally I wouldn't write a Yelp while beachside but... The laaaast time I was here for a beach bonfire was Yelp's infamous Memorial Day event. I have fond tho fuzzy memories of that bonfire so I'm surely not trying to recreate it. I'm fact, today I'm just napping, noshing, and people watchin'. This is the perfect location for it. The scoop - my friends arrived around 3pm to secure the fire pit but they didn't really follow up until after 5pm. Our pit has a grill but some don't so, if you need to cook, you may wanna arrive early or plan ahead. I brought speakers but I'm enjoying the ASMR of Seabright beach... fire crackling, people sporting, music playing in the background, and of course... the waves crashing. It's very peaceful. I'd write more but... back to my chill. See ya there! read more

Seabright Beach - Fire pit with grill - not all of them have one. ;-) - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

OMG, this beach is beautiful, it was foggy in the beginning of the time that we were there and then after we waited a few hours it cleared up and the beach started to fill up, but there were still a ton of room around us, the lifeguards are there ready to save someone and we really enjoyed our time read more

Seabright Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Stopped by this beach on a little daytrip to Santa Cruz - one of the hotter days this summer (which has been unusually cold in the Bay Area). The parking situation here is like many beach cities in California: very expensive if you utilize actual parking lots (the boardwalk is a 10 minute walk away but is $35 flat rate and there are a couple of smaller lots but still expensive), or you have to settle in with driving around the small neighborhood streets to find some tight spots. Luckily, even though we came midday, we were able to find a neighborhood parking spot only 3 blocks from the beach. The beach is massive, having you walk quite far from the paved area to the ocean, and with the heat baking the sand, your feet will get toasted. On Labor Day, it was actually not super packed, being able to find a spot to lay down our stuff about 10-20 yards from the ocean. Lots of families and doggies out and about as well. Overall, a really nice beach that is a quick walk to the boardwalk attractions. read more

Went on a cloudy weekday, arrived at 9 am and plenty of street parking near the main entrance. The sun didn't come out until noon so it was a bit chilly. The public restroom and washing stations located to the right once you entered the main gate. It was a nice 10-15 min stroll to the Walton Lighthouse on the left (east). The lighthouse divides Seabright Beach (AKA Castle beach) from Twin Lakes Beach. It's a great place to get the ocean/beach view, as well as watching the sail boats/kayakers cruising by. read more

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Saturday, 8/05/2023 - We wanted to try a different beach from the same old Santa Cruz Beach Board Walk. So we headed to Seabright Beach. Address is 1305 E Cliff Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95062. I must say....I am so glad we did!!! So much more room, less packed, and still fun! Upon arrival.... Pros 1) free street parking! 2) sandy beach. Very nice. 3) I saw a few volleyball nets on this beach. 4) there were a lot of burnt pieces of woods on this beach. Looks like you can do night fires at this beach. But...we didn't stay late to find out. Will have to check it out in the future. 5) there is a bathroom here. But since it's my 1st time here, I'm sad to say, I couldn't find it. 6) there's 2 entrance to the beach. One entry has lots of stairs, the other is a smooth walk down. I don't know how to explain it. 7) there's a cute little light house there. But I didn't make it to the light house. I'll have to check it out next time I go there. 8) roomy with lots of room. Not so packed. Cons 1) parking is hard to find! But if you get it, it is free. 2) I didn't see any life guard where we were sitting. Not sure if life guards are supposed to be there. But there are life guard stations at this beach. An glad there are. Conclusion Oh we love this beach! We'll for sure come back to this beach. It was roomy, sandy, has volleyball nets, bathroom, free parking, easy access, no complaints! Glad we checked this beach out. read more

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The beach is so big! Great place to lay out your towels, picnic blankets or beach chairs. My family and I came here later in the afternoon today and it was a bit chilly so wear a sweater or jacket. I brought toys for the sand and sunblock, don't forget these if you have kiddos. Oh and park off third street if you want to be near the staircase. Overall we had a fun time and we'll definitely come back the next time we're here. read more

This is a stunning beach! It's the broadest beach in the area and has a lot of space. It was interesting to see all the tents, bridges, etc that people had built using driftwood. A local explained to me that this beach gets a lot of driftwood since the river brings it from the mountains and it comes back around to the beach. Today was perfect beach weather and much appreciated after a few weeks of rain and cold. The sun was out and it was pleasant enough to be out in shorts and a t-shirt. It was nice to see people playing volleyball and families just enjoying their time there. The views are spectacular and you can see the boardwalk on one side and the lighthouse on the other side. Make sure to check out the lighthouse too. read more

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Seabright isn't a top choice but it's still a decent beach. More like 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up because I'm nice. You can find parking easily on weekdays and/or off-peak seasons. Beach has bonfires if you're into that-- a little close to each other but I guess it's nice to have availability. Walk to the lighthouse all the way to the San Lorenzo river. I'd probably avoid the beach and water near the San Lorenzo river considering what's upstream, but maybe that's just me that would avoid it since I see so many people (tourists?) swimming in and around the mouth of the river in the summer. The parking area on east Cliff has really nice views and on a clear day you can see Hawaii! Just kidding, it's Monterey. But its still a nice parking area to take in the views and have a break in the day. read more

Seabright Beach - Entire view from parking area - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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i came here in August for my 19th birthday and invited my family and friends. it really hot so make sure to bring a canopy and a cooler for ice and drinks! i loved the atmosphere. i will say it gets a bit busy, so plan accordingly. they also allow bonfires as long as you use a pit and bring your own wood, so this is a great option if you want to have one (not all beaches allow fires). another thing is if you come on a hot day the sand will be scorching so make sure to bring flip flops and honestly even socks. walking on the sand barefoot while it was hot was not fun (also some parts of the sand are rougher than others since the sand grains are bigger, which can hurt). all in all, a really good and fun beach where you can spend the whole day relaxing, unwinding, doing fun activities on the shore, and swimming in the sea! coming here made me love the beach. read more

Seabright Beach - sunset - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Last year I came to seabright for the first time. We got there early (4:30ish) to reserve a place at the fire pit. This is necessary!! We had quite a spread. It was on this day that we invented our now famous s'mores spread. Recipe in the photos section check it out! Nearby is Days market (see my review, it's amazing place) for some snacks before the beach. Another life hack- beer in an empty Yerba bottle does not look suspicious, it just looks like a Yerba. There are white vans driving around the beach ready to pop you for drinking or smoking, so watch out for that. Make sure to wear sunscreen. This isn't specific to seabright, just a good reminder. We only get one skin people! read more

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What a great place for us a dogs. We recently adopted a rescue or did it adopt us.... Only have had her for a month and decided to do a road trip since she has become so adapted to us. Coming to Sacramento from Nevada the pup has never seen sand or ocean. Trying to expose her to new things. She had a great time on the sand playing catch. The waves had to take some getting used to. Few people did not have their pets on a leash but soon did when we explained we are unsure of our girls history and disposition with other dogs. read more

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I love this beach! Clean, plenty of nearby parking, and dog friendly. Not off-leash friendly, which is perfect for my reactive-selective dog, but you would occasionally see one or two running around. read more

Beautiful, clean beach! There's a path or open area to access the beach near E. Cliff Dr. and Cypress. There's stairs to access the beach near 1st Ave. The bathrooms are located near E. Cliff/Cypress. There was no toilet paper late in the day. Thankfully, I had napkins in my pockets from lunch. On a busy day, if you're trying to go to the beach boardwalk, from the time you exit the freeway onto Ocean Ave., to the time you find parking, it can take about an hour or more. I love being able to pull up to Seabright and find free, curbside parking. This may be our new favorite beach! read more

Seabright Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Such a nice beach! Came here with my family, had a great time. A lot less crowded than Santa Cruz! From what I've seen there's 2 ways to get down to the beach area: The stairs & A little hill that goes down They do have a life guard and they also have police patrolling the area as well. There is parking but it is limited. There's street parking for sure though - but first come first serve. There is a bathroom area- no handwashing station so be sure to bring hand sanitizer and or hand wipes! (I think there's 4 bathroom stalls I'm not sure I only seen 4 unless there's more in the back) ^ depending on where you settle down at-at the beach the bathroom might be a ways away. Be sure to bring a trash bag for all of your trash, there's a big trash bin next to the bathroom area where you can throw the bag away when you're heading out. read more

A nice beach worth going to if you want to get a fire going. There are about 10 fire pits all on the Western part of the beach. We came in November so half of them were still available when we arrived around 6PM, although I imagine you have to get there a lot earlier during busier months. There are bathrooms and lots of parking options in the residential area. The patrol cars go up and down every so often checking for alcohol that they'll make you pour out, and around 10PM they'll start kicking you out. If you park near the overlook they'll ticket after 10PM as well. read more

Seabright Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

cool neighborhood Beach. Nice overlook at the street - great place to pause for a beer and a bite from. Seabright Deli. Great spot to spend a sick day from work! read more

Seabright Beach - I dont know who Charlie Miller is but his memorial bench was a great spot to hang out and chill while eating lunch. Thank you Charlie! - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I'll be honest, Seabright is not my top choice for a beach when I want a Santa Cruz beach experience. But my boyfriend was in town and I was determined to show him all the major beaches, so we started with this one. Parking isn't too hard to find on the side streets. I've never had too much difficulty even in the middle of summer. Just remember to be careful opening your door, the curbs in this neighborhood are extra high. The beach itself is a pleasant experience. On one end is the lighthouse and old metal posts, and on the other is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I found that were a lot of rocks and shells right along where the waves break, so it was a little painful to walk along the water barefoot. The sand here is very coarse compared to the sand at the Boardwalk, and I appreciate that because it makes it easier to clean off before getting back in the car. It's a good beach and I definitely recommend checking it out if you've got the time. Also, it's never been crowded when I've gone so you can count on not ending up right up next to some other parties. read more

The servers are all very kind. My dog was allowed in the dinning room and they have two options on the menu for dogs. The cocktail, social punch and wings were delicious. read more

Nice beach with easy access from the street. There's usually street parking on the other side of the Natural History Museum.

Another great beach to bring the dog. This beach was a bit crowded, but was a nice beach to watch the sunset. Lots of people had fires going. It had a great vibe. read more

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One of our favorite beaches in the Santa Cruz area, Seabright Beach is always a pleasure to visit! Seabright is next to a neighborhood area. There's not a ton of parking, so we usually end up parking a few blocks away in the neighborhood and walking down. Even when it's crowded, there is usually a ton of room to spread out on the beach. If you come in the morning, you can typically see/hear sea lions playing in the water. There are also restroom facilities at the top of the beach which is nice if you are looking to spend the day at the beach. Our favorite beach area -- we'll be back! read more

Super nice beach, gets very busy during the summer weekends though. It would be nice if they had more fire pits, they get filled up quickly

First time coming to the beach since COVID quarantine started! Went back in late April, it was definitely a hot sunny day because I got a little sun burnt (also forgot to bring sun screen, what a noob) It was like 75% packed because it was on a week day! It was a lovely time, because everyone is in their own space and we would wear our masks when we walk to and from the beach. But it was sooo nice to be outside and soaking up the sun. We brought a salad and sandwich to enjoy while sun bathing :) Very excited to slowly introduce the new normal. stay safe!! read more

Breathtaking and serene location to simply enjoy huge swells , crashing waves and ocean mist. Dog Friendly read more

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This beach was clean and beautiful but had A LOT of bugs flying and landing on people. There were restroom available so that and lifeguards on duty so that was nice to have. The bugs were such and iss though I don't know if I'd go back. read more

Seabright Beach - Footprints along the clean beach. - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

I love this beach! There is plenty of space to maintain distance from other groups. Restrooms are available. This beach is family and dogs friendly! read more

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There's a cliff overlooking the Seabright beach and we stood on top of this narrow cliff and the panoramic views were breathtaking. We could see a long stretch of the Santa Cruz boardwalk and the water. On a cold November day, few people were around making this beach feel very private. Nice eateries nearby too and perfect for a picnic. read more

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One of my favorite beaches between the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and the Santa Cruz Harbor. The beach is well maintained and the sand is soft. There are some plants actually growing on the sand closer to the cliffs that sometimes have a specific bird nesting in them during certain parts of the year. Bring a towel or a beach chair and watch the surf and crashing waves. It is mesmerizing and so relaxing. Always a nice walk along the along the water from the light house toward the boardwalk. There is a tunnel that the storms sometimes close that you can crawl under that leads right to the San Lorenzo River and the Boardwalk beyond. The cliffs above the beach are a great location to watch the sunset. Absolutely lovely. There are some fire pits you can use in the sand to roast marshmallows. read more

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Pretty good beach! Decent parking on the residential streets and not too crowded. It has bathrooms too!

A nice quiet spot to bring family or friends and hear just the waves as you enjoy the beauty! I highly recommend this beach over others in this area which were too crowded! read more

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Another nice beach in Santa Cruz with lots of sea glass. Beautiful waves and lots of vitamin Sea to enjoy... read more

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Great beach with lots of parking!! Bathrooms come in handy but I would bring hand sanitizer or a small soap if you can.

Seabright Beach is a beautiful beach right next to the boardwalk. During low tide, you can peak around the cliff that separates the two beaches and see the excitement that is the rides and crowds of the boardwalk. Seabright Beach is definitely a lot quieter and chill. The best thing about this beach is that you can have bonfires here! But.. you have to get there really early to claim a bonfire on the weekends. The beach also has a lot of driftwood/ miscellaneous debris everywhere, so it's best not to go barefoot around those parts unless you want to run the risk of impaling yourself with something sharp. Parking wasn't bad, but then again.. I just happened to get there when someone was leaving their street parking. Seems there is quite a bit of street parking around this beach. There are restrooms located on this beach. If you're going during sunset or after, make sure to bring a source of light! It's pitch dark in there once the door is closed. Overall, nice quieter beach to relax on. Can't wait to come back next time for another bonfire! read more

Seabright Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Nice beach, but google maps took me to an entrance that I saw a surfer use (i.e., climb over fence, walk down hill). From my vantage point, beautiful view, one of the more quiet beaches and in close proximity to the Boardwalk (well, you do have to cross a creek). read more

Seabright Beach - Beaches Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Beautiful beach, wide and clean, stairs go down from street. Can be really windy. Blowing sand with high surf. Look for Beach Warnings- to be safe! Fantastic views of SC beach boardwalk, ocean going boats and sailboats. The lighthouse is on the point. Make sure to enjoy a walk in the local neighborhood, the cottages as sweet, with lovely gardens and unique architecture. read more

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