Sunset beach has been my joy and pain.. its been my go-to spot to think, catch some sun and of course catch the most epic sunset. My poison and pain, in times of tears and joy.. walking, running or just sitting to take it all in. Where the sand meets the surf, and where the horizon touches the sky. This is where my peace is found and fulfilled. I feel a tremendous amount of relief to come here knowing that this is the same sand that once loved ones walked, many times with me. Talking, looking up at them in the sunset, and mostly in silence just to hear the rumble of waves. Even though the water had washed away the footprints we made, the imprints they made in my heart will always be there. Im surprised how i can come here and time just flies by. The sounds of the cars on pch are drowned out by the ebb and flow of the powerful and majestic Pacific ocean. As i mentioned before, do enjoy and respect. It's probably one of the best areas to remember, to be alone or if you want to chill. read more

My family and I enjoy this beach throughout the year. Can get very cold and windy, but all in all, a nice beach for relaxing and finding shells. But, we did have an unfortunate event the other day. When we were waiting in the parking lot directly behind the Jack-in-the-Box a few days ago for a parking spot. We noticed that a car with two men inside were just sitting in their vehicle, so we asked if they would be leaving soon and the men said, "Yeah, as soon as we finish smoking our weed." They were actually getting high in their car! Then, they drove! We so wished there would have been a police officer around, because driving under the influence endangers everyone. read more

Sunset beach is a hidden gem, left for the locals to appreciate. Most of the tourists are at the more popular locations like Newport or Huntington Beach. Parking can be rough sometimes during the weekends when everyone is home (residents share parking with the beach parking). But never bad enough to say screw this, let's go somewhere else. Personally, i love coming to this beach during the evenings because there's a nice breeze and I absolutely love wearing sweaters during the summer. It's also nice to come here to fish because you won't hook any children playing in the surf, and most of the birds are asleep, so it takes out the risk of hooking and possibly injuring them. However if you do this, bring a flashlight and make sure you clean up after yourself.. No one likes trash and hooks on the beach. Especially after this beach s extremely clean. read more

Sunset Beach - Beaches Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Awesome beach location. Amazing nostalgia ocean theme antique store, 14th & hwy 1. Beach not crowded, found hundreds of small sea shells...would go again. read more

Very pretty beach. If you're looking for a place that is not too crowded with a lot of beach, sun and ocean then this place would be perfect. We found free parking easily just off the beach access. It was a short walk onto the beach. read more

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As an out of towner, we were looking for a beach to take the family to. This beach was great. There were lifeguards, plenty of sand, and nice waves. There are some close restaurants as well. The water was a little chilly, but okay once you got used to it. We had fun catching sand crabs and playing in the waves. If you have very little kids the water may get a little too deep too quick, but my 7 year was just fine under our supervision. The only thing that brings this beach down from a 5 star beach is the parking. Parking was terrible. I have to park about 20 minutes away. read more

I got to the beach at 1pm on Friday the weather was very nice hot but there was a breeze so very ??? I found a free, close parking space without any trouble at all. Walked over to the beach laid out my towel ate my lunch and then tanned for about two hours. That was a little too much sun, I did get pretty burnt and it hurts but I'm glad I went. read more

This is the beach we go to just for the sake of body surfing. If you're looking for a beach for real surfing and/or that "hanging out for a whole day" experience, Huntington Beach is better for that purpose. The main drawback here is that Sunset Beach doesn't have concession stand convenience. Bringing your own food is highly recommended. But OTOH the restrooms and rinse-off stations are much nicer here, and you have a shot at one of the many close, free parking spots if you come during slightly off hours (weekdays, and after 4 pm on weekends). In general, it's much less crowded/ touristy at Sunset Beach, thanks in part to the limited beach parking. If you want to cap your beach day with a nice meal, there are many restaurants within walking distance. Don't miss out on the paddleboard rental shops across PCH if that kind of thing floats your boat ;). Be on the lookout for douchebags who set up fishing poles mere yards from where people are playing in the surf; it doesn't happen often, but when it does, you will want to move somewhere else because apparently they have a right to whatever puny, pathetic little fish they might get at this location, over your right to not get a fish hook ripping through your flesh! (Ooops, did I say that out loud? Well, like I said, it's a rarity, and chances are it won't happen to you, so don't let that keep you away. Other than that, Sunset Beach is pretty close to the perfect beach in my neck of the woods). read more

We are a big fan of this beach now. Seal beach was a pain to find parking so we went to Secret Spot to get our favorite shrimp burritos and vegan cookie than ended up going to Sunset Beach right across the way. I liked how it wasn't crowded at all but there were people enjoying the sun as well. The water was calm and very enjoyable to go in. Saw some dolphins swim by in the distance as well as saw some random fish close to the water break. Oh and if you put your feet near where the water comes in and you feel rocks moving on your toes, they are most likely crabs. I think we found our go to beach! read more

North of Bolsa Chica and just south of Seal Beach is the tiny beachfront community of Sunset Beach. Located between the Jack In the Box at PCH & Warner and the landmark water tower house on PCH....this public beach is the poor working man's alternative to Bolsa Chica and their $10 parking fee. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: find a parking space Parking is not for the faint of heart at Sunset Beach. You must have an iron will, a steadfast determination and the patience of Job. It also helps if you roll down the windows and play some pleasant music to keep you entertained. The 45 acre beach has approximately 627 parking spaces. Meaning, for every 5,000 beach visitors there is one parking spot. (Ok, I'm not a math whiz.) Years of ditching school and dead-end jobs for a trip to Sunset Beach have taught me that a slow and steady crusing speed of 3-5 mph through the narrow parking lot is the best method to securing a spot. Keep your eyes open for that tired and sun burnt family of six....carrying chairs, boogie boards, ice coolers and towels. Then tail them until they find thier mini-van. Make sure you use the restroom in the parking lot before you head towards the beach. Don't be one of those schmucks that creates a warm swirl of ocean water in your wake. I have to swim in that water!!! Of course if you can not find a space to park there's always Bolsa Chica down the street. Make sure you bring cash. read more

Yippee! Could it be? A near-empty beach in So Cal? A beach where you could spread out and not have to worry about a family of 25 setting up shop within a few inches of you? Yes! Sunset Beach is the only local beach around that fits this description. Now I'm not the type of person that craves going to the beach, but this is one beach I look forward to going to. The beach: SB is just beach. Miles of vacant beach space for you to spread out, enjoy lull of the waves and finish that book you've been reading. It's a no-frills beach. Not a lot of distraction, which is good. There's no pier like Santa Monica or boardwalk like Venice. No food stands or bike rentals either (at least none that I've seen). No volleyball nets. No hard bodies or boobies jiggling about. Just a beach. And a lot of seemingly unoccupied beachfront property. The bathrooms are halfway decent. Parking: The parking is relatively limited, but if you circle the lot a few times you can probably find something. If you do, the parking is free and unlimited (!). If you can't find anywhere to park in the lot, there's street parking, also free but not sure about unlimited. Just read the signs. Bottom line: If you want to escape for a few hours, I'd definitely check this place out. Bring your snacks and a sweater! **I've noticed this beach gets a lot chillier than others and tends to get a bit windy. You probably won't even need your umbrella. :) read more

Two stars simply because we were able to find free parking. We are between Tower 8 and 12 (not sure what happened to Tower 10). This beach is borderline disgusting. Corona and Heineken beer bottle caps and cigarette butts everywhere.... even next to the trash can. Drinking straws, cup lids, ketchup packets, and general trash everywhere. Not sure how other reviews can say this place is clean. I'm pretty sure I'm at Sunset Beach, as that's what the signs said. Water is murky, with a lot of seaweed, sea grass, and plastic trash. The water temperature and overall weather are nice, but damn, this sure is one trashy beach. Not a fan of the drones buzzing overhead, nor people blasting their music, either. Won't be coming back. At all. Ever. read more

Beautiful hidden gem is the best way to describe this community. Quiet residential area but surrounded by some of the best restaurants and directly off PCH. I lived here for 5 amazing years when my kids were younger. I really don't want to say much more than that. I'm sure that the locals want to be able to keep their heaven to themselves. read more

Sunset Beach - Kayak and paddle boarding - Beaches Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

Sunset Strip South. Don't ever change. Sunset Beach is one of the last vestiges of an old-school Southern California beach community with class and character in it's simplicity. I love tripping around this place even though I'm not a surfer. Great pubs and restaurants, friendly, interesting people of all ages, great vibe, good food and drink and rock music is alive and well here! Don't become bland and generic like much of Huntington Beach which has annexed you. Stay true to what you have always been and fight those who may try to change that. read more

Nick H. I must say , you are everywhere!! Every time I go somewhere, I already see that you've reviewed it! LOL. =P Sunset beach is dirty!!! It has all this trash lying around on the shore... just all clumped up. Sand is not as fine here - more coarse and rough, so heed caution. You may want to bring your flip flops all the way into the water. Not a lot to see around here too. There's mention of sting rays... sting rays??? So glad we didn't run into any!! read more

Great place for water sports such as canoeing and kayaking. Very beautiful canal with beautiful views. The rentals are affordable and can sometimes be found on Groupon. read more

Sunset Beach - Senset beach canals - Beaches Near Me - Sunset Beach, California

What knocked this beach down 4 stars is that despite it being a public & very nice beach, it is still HOMOPHOBIC (go figure it's Orange County). I came with a friend on a whim and we didn't have board shorts or swimming trunks so we got in our underwear (mind you we still had tank tops on). After an hour a lifeguard comes up to us saying: "I've had complaints that two guys were in their underwear. You need to put pants back on, it's not that kinda beach." I didn't want problems so we put our pants back on...what I found stupid was that 10 minutes later the lifeguard packed up his shit and left. My friend and I weren't doing anything inappropriate, maybe the ocasional leg wrap, but nothing obscene or disrespectful. This is absurd. I regret not having defended myself and saying anything in return. Of course, I'll be back - not very soon, though. read more

Sunset Beach is very nice and clean especially compared to Huntington Beach. Its surrounded by beach homes. The downside to the location is lack of parking for the public and you can't have a bon fire as there isn't a bon fore pit read more

You out of control yelpers! I just think you like to read your own reviews 1. There are NO life guards until summer 2. What are we supposed to do? stand there and tell you how NOT to pick up your feet when walking in the water? (Sting ray Shuffle) 3. When was a beach held accountable for sea life? STOP sea life you can't live in the ocean! 4. YES we have our sewage run into the ocean, what is the matter with you people!? 5. Orange County maintains this beautiful beach, its called government cut backs, so sorry you can't have the luxuries that you were used to. 6. DON'T VISIT! If your going to complain, we are not metered like every other beach..... 7. It windy because we are on the coast! It's funny what people complain about and wrongfully rate! I love my home called Sunset Beach and the people in it! CHEERS read more

Today Historic Sunset Beach Walking Tour. Twenty historic sites outlined in brochure and narrated by sunset resident / guide. The oldest built in 1905 , most others built in the 20's. read more

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:) i love sunset beach Not everyone knows about this small stretch of beach like Bolsa or Huntington. We usually hang out here late at night to decompress and chill. It's usually deserted since you're not even supposed to be there... it doesn't help there are groups of teenagers getting fucked up and being loud. read more

A definite change from the overcrowded and dirty shorelines of Santa Monica and the like.. Sure, parking was difficult (even though we got there kind of early.. 11am) and they don't didn't allow us to set up our BBQ grill to make food (so we ordered some pizzas.. lame), but the weather was nice, there was plenty of space and I was there with a great group of people. It also helps when the beach doesn't have an overabundance of jerk off "bros" and "bro-hos." Recommendations: Come early to find that ever elusive parking spot.. Warnings: Bring food, cuz you can't grill there.. Oh and be on the lookout for the beach NARCs, they'll be on the lookout for alcohol! read more

Sunset is the girl next door/little sister to her sorority queen/big sister Huntington Beach. I am hesitant to write this review because I want to keep this secret gem all to myself. // Directions // You can find this beach along PCH with Seal Beach street to the north and Warner Ave to the south. There's parking all along the coastline in the small street running parallel to PCH between PCH and the beach itself. Sunset also has decent street parking in the entire area, and it's never a far walk to the beach. The water is nice - not enough for surfers, but practical for small kids. The crowds consist mostly of socal locals and families. I didn't see a lot of facilities and courts, which explains why all the hot bodies flock to Huntington for their active sports, instead of the casual vibe at Sunset. The sand was fine, though a little course, but much better than the ashy sand in Long Beach. I didn't notice as much litter as other people are talking about. read more

Great spot for my kids. Awful parking though. Was open, not too crowded. Great weather. No crazy behavior from people. Bathrooms close by. Great walking and bicycling area. read more

The first reason to go here is because parking is free! Those ten or so dollars can be spent at Jack in the Box walking distance away. Whatever it is you spend it on, parking is free! Second, the sand is void of any typical debris that other beaches around the area tend to have. Such as balloons, used condoms, dead babies, and so forth. The shore break isn't too big and it is typical to have little kids or beginning surfers or bodyboarders be at this beach for this reason ( myself included ). The locals are really friendly, especially the surf instructors that I tend to bump into. The wash off station is near by so you don't have to walk for along period of time with sand in inappropriate places and have sand rash. Not a pretty picture people. This place is great! read more

Haha I like this beach! There was like nobody around, which means you get the whole beach to yourself! Ok there might be a few people here and there, but it was a nice change from your usual busy and bustling beach. I guess the lack of people really affected the cleanliness of the place because I saw literally no trash! It was just beautiful fluffy untouched sand all around. One thing that I did notice were all the off shore drilling platforms. I don't think I've ever seen any before at a beach. There were 7; kinda seemed surreal. read more

An amazing beach! This is a very comfortable and quiet place to listen to the waves and feel the warm sun on your skin. There is usually a smaller crowd then most beaches in Socal and it is extremely clean! I am not a person who is known for laying in the sand and soaking up the sun but we have been to the beach many times just to do that! read more

I liked this beach very much. The waves and water were perfect for boogie boarding for the kids. The parking was free and it was pretty chill. Not 5 stars because there was a decent amount of trash on the beach, but other than that- would def go back! read more

I do a lot of walking in the greenbelt area. I drive over with my dogs from Seal. But today I went from the cliffs above the Wetlands to the beach itself. Sunset is huge and pretty quiet. It's been windy at most of the beaches lately, including this one . It's not fair to criticize the beach for trash. Not the beaches fault . It's the people who do not pick up their stuff. Pack it in, pack it out . Also, it never hurts to pick up a empty potato chip bag that someone else left and put it in a trash can. I envy the people who live facing the ocean, beautiful mixture of homes. read more

SoOoOoOoOoOothing. Love me some Sunset Beach. Right off of PCH, problem free parking and metal detecting, treasure hunting conventions on the weekend. read more

Super cool beach on summer weekdays. On the weekends, the crowds can be kinda special ed. You know, the lame guys that drag their screaming girlfriend into the water in some weird mating ritual that only they, and the cast of Jerry Springer understand and then proceed to play football because they're secretly afraid of the ocean and the deep ends in pools. Parking is limited, which holds the crowds to a manageable level. Not the best beach, but an ok beach. read more

This is a much more chill beach than Huntington. Mostly I think because there's not a lot of parking and no fire pits. But if you're looking for just a chill day with few people, this is your nirvana. The water isn't super clean lol. When I last went there was like glittery specks in the water. I don't know if it was natural or man caused but it was like I was swimming in glitter lol. There's not a lot of parking. Like a one way street of parking. read more

Parking -If you come on the weekends or any major holidays parking will be a bit of a hassle because the parking lot is very small and crowded Beach -The beach is very clean and at times very spacious. The only draw back is that it has a lot of shells and what not so bring shoes. Recommendation -I really like sunset beach overall and it's a nice place for a romantic date read more

I stayed here for the first time and really loved it. I was looking for peace and quiet and that's exactly what Sunset Beach offers. If you want to get away from all the noise and tourists, this is the spot for you. And if you have a car, you can easily drive into Huntington and visit the pier and all the shops, and then use Sunset Beach as your "home base" during your vacay. I stayed in a cute local hotel and mainly just stayed right there and went out to the beach every day to just soak in the beauty. My only minor complaint is that in the afternoon it got VERY windy. I was there in late September. I don't know if that's the norm or if I was just unlucky. But on two days by around 4 pm, I basically had to go back to my hotel room, because it was just toooooooo windy. But there were a lot of sail surfers out on the water which was really fun to watch, even in the wind! Anyway, you might want to check out the weather reports and make sure you are going at a time with optimum weather. I will definitely be back, it's a great spot. read more

This is a great beach for people who can live without local shopping, restaurants and free activities such as volleyball nets. We stayed at a hotel right off the beach, so parking wasn't an issue, but for those who are driving, parking can be a huge issue as there isn't much. I was reading other reviewers say the beach was dirty, but the days went it was very clean. The waves can be a bit rough, and going out far isn't recommended for younger kids or inexperiences swimmers. I visit the beach every year, and really enjoy going out far, but you can't do that at this beach because the undercurrent is too strong. I've visited Coronado, Mission, New Port, Huntington, etc and this was the only beach I can remember having to tell myself to be careful going out too far. Even just going out a relatively short distance can be a bit of struggle. Perhaps it was just a time of the year/day which had extra strong undercurrents. Overall this is a great beach and I definitely plan to return on my next vacation to California. read more

What is there to review about a beach? There sand, salty waves, and, well, thats it. Actually I do love this beach, usually never crowded though parking is a little tough in the surfside community. There are bathrooms by parking but its a short walk from the street over the sand to the water. I like to surf out here. Nothing big, but enough space for me to suck and not get laughed at. Some great memories here, makes me yearn every time I pass by. Rumpelstiltskin. read more

The props: -good wind for kites & to cool you off from the sun -okay parking (not that I need it) -not too crowded -late night drunk swims = fun -cures hangovers lol I heart sunset beach! read more

I enjoy watching the kite surfers, and I love the community here. Any local beach has a spot in my heart - and this one surely does.

I used to come here all the time, come here to swim and play some volley ball. But now, let me tell ya, They took out all the showers in the parking lot, we had to learn that the hard way. They got a new sewage drain installed there, so look at the nice murky dark brown water. its just like long beach, could have been a good beach, but now its just a dump. It is also very windy here. I suggest go an extra mile and go to corona del mar or newport beach. this place is good for reading, or a sun tan because its almost always empty now. read more

My husband and I went for the day and had a BLAST! Super clean beach with easy parking access! Would definitely recommend the drive to the beach!!! read more