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Beach
Tai Power Seeff

12 Great Beaches for Kids

Sand, water, and kids—it’s a natural combination for easy family fun. This sandy dozen offers appealing, family-friendly features, such as calm water for new swimmers, tide pools for intrepid explorers, picnic grounds for family gatherings, wetlands alive with birds and butterflies, and, in some cases, concessions for full-day sustenance. Many of these beaches are state parks—be sure to check hours and seasonal facility openings before heading out.

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Curtis Brown/Flickr

Heart’s Desire Beach

Heart’s Desire Beach
Calm and shallow waters in a protected Point Reyes cove

This hidden sandy cove on the eastern side of Point Reyes National Seashore faces calm and protected Tomales Bay and the rolling hills of Marin County. Kids love the trek down through the forest, the freshwater, seasonal stream running into the bay, and the long sandy shore. Parents love the lack of waves and gentle slope into the water.

Heart’s Desire is great for wading and swimming, with bay water that, while not warm, is certainly warmer than the adjacent Pacific. Hiking trails lead to several neighbouring beaches. Note that this is a popular spot with limited parking that tends to fill up quickly on holidays and weekends—if you can carpool with other family members, do it.

Tip: Make plans to coordinate with others before you get to the park; cellphone service is spotty at best.

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Gautam Dogra/Flickr

Carmel Beach

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Carmel Beach
Stroll a white-sand crescent

With its sugary sand and idyllic setting—edged by wind-carved cypress trees and bluffs topped with quaint cottages with billion-dollar views—this roughly 1-mile/2-km-long crescent is a great place to relax and play. Kids love to build sand castles just above the surf line, or splash in the usually tame breakers (just know that the water is quite chilly—hovering just below 60°F/15.5°C, even in summer).

Carmel Beach isn’t just a paradise for people; this is a canine fun zone too—the dog-friendly beach finds owners tossing tennis balls and romping with their furry pals. It can be foggy here, especially May through August, but stick around and the sun often peeks through. Fall and winter days are often clear, crisp, and beautiful. Parking, especially during summer and on weekends, can be a challenge as the official parking lot isn’t that big.

Farther south, Carmel River State Beach is a more secluded option, with silky sand dunes and a host of seabirds, including marbled godwits, brown pelicans, tiny sanderlings, and black oystercatchers (see if you can spot their long, fire-engine-red bills).

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lillith/Flickr

Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach

Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach
Stroll, dine, and sleep on a perfect So Cal beach with an intriguing past

In 1912, an early Laguna Beach artist described the town’s rugged coastline as “cove after cove and headland after headland, golden cliffs and deep blue and purple ocean and clear emerald pools, lazy sea and pounding surf.” More than 100 years later, that’s the world you can still experience at Crystal Cove State Park in swanky Orange County. The park lies on both sides of coastal Highway 1, offering access to an idyllic beach and chaparral-clad coastal hills.

Head inland and upland on foot or mountain bike to explore trails winding into lush Moro Canyon, which turns lavishly green after winter rains, then ascend to the grassy summit of Moro Ridge to survey the coast. Make footprints in the park’s 3.2 miles/5 kilometers of perfect brayed-tan sand backed by family-friendly waves. Teach your kids the unplugged joys of kite-flying, beachcombing, and watching bottlenose dolphins leap from the water. Join in one of the park’s ranger-led interpretive programs, from full-moon hikes to bird identification to making your own jewelry from sea glass.

During low or minus tides, pay a visit to Reef Point, Pelican Point, or Treasure Cove—three access points for Crystal Cove State Marine Conservation Area, a protected underwater wilderness—to search for anemones, sea stars, and hermit crabs among the tide-exposed reef. You might even find an octopus hiding in a rocky crevice.

If all these oceanside activities leave you thinking of seafood, order clam chowder or an ahi burger with a side of beach at the park’s Beachcomber Café. The restaurant is perched on the sands of the Crystal Cove Historic District, which protects and preserves a charming collection of 46 vintage beachfront cottages. Originally built as a 1930s and 1940s seaside vacation colony, the bungalows range in size from studios to two bedrooms. Book far in advance to score one for an overnight stay. You’ll gaze out your living room window at the blue Pacific and be the first to walk the beach as dawn breaks.

Roughing it also has its merits. Pitch a tent or park your campervan just across the highway at Crystal Cove State Beach Moro Campground. The camp has 27 designated RV and trailer sites and 30 tent camping sites, plus restrooms and token-operated hot showers. For a deeper experience with nature, pick up a backpacking permit from the ranger station and hike three to four miles from the Moro Campground parking lot to one of 32 backcountry sites in Moro Canyon. You’ll need to pack out everything you carried in; these primitive campsites have only picnic tables and pit toilets.

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Vadim Kurland/Flickr

Natural Bridges State Beach

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Natural Bridges State Beach
See a stunning rock formation, and spy monarch butterflies

With its signature natural bridge standing just offshore capped by dozens of flapping and squawking pelicans and cormorants, this waterfront parkland makes a lively and beautiful destination. Add nearby grasslands with trails snaking through tall milkweed plants that naturally attract more than 100,000 monarch butterflies each year (usually October through February) and you’ve got a junior naturalist’s delight.

"Kids can spend hours just peering down at the pools, waiting for some interesting sea creature to dart by."

Natural Bridges also has great tide pools filled with colorful sea anemones, sea stars, hermit crabs, and other fascinating finds. Kids can spend hours just peering down at the pools, waiting for some interesting sea creature to dart by. The fine sand is perfect for building a waterfront masterpiece, and the breezy, wide-open space is usually a great spot for flying kites. Picnic on the beach, or use grills in a setback area nestled among eucalyptus and pine trees.

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Damian Gadal/Flickr

Arroyo Burro Beach

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Arroyo Burro Beach
Live like a local at this popular and friendly waterfront gem

The special kid-friendly appeal of this beach, also known as Hendry’s Beach, goes beyond the picturesque setting. Besides the safe swimming, beginner surfing, and chance to cast a line, there are trails to explore and a Watershed Resource Center with educational programs that highlight the importance of protecting California’s beaches and shoreline.

After playing on the brilliantly sunny sand for a bit, take a break in the shady picnic area and playground. Mom and Dad can make a note (and maybe a date) to come back for a visit to Boathouse Restaurant for a Blood Orange Margarita or a Honeycomb Mojito, followed by ultra-fresh seafood.

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Crissy Field by Tai Power Seeff

Crissy Field

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Crissy Field
Nab world-class Golden Gate Bridge views from this combo beach, park, wetland, and picnic area

At Crissy Field in San Francisco, outdoor playtime never stops. Joggers and bicyclists cruise along the water’s edge of San Francisco Bay. Dog owners fling tennis balls into the bay, and retrievers fetch. Kids play tag and turn cartwheels on grassy lawns or tug on colorful kites flying in the Golden Gate winds. Kiteboarders and windsurfers take off from the beach to catch that same relentless breeze. Expert surfers ride the waves underneath the Golden Gate Bridge at adjacent Fort Point.

It’s hard to believe this sprawling waterfront playground was a 1920s Army airfield. Today Crissy Field is one of the most popular attractions of the Presidio of San Francisco, a section of Golden Gate National Recreation Area that spreads across San Francisco’s northwest edge. The vistas alone are priceless—the Golden Gate Bridge’s orange towers frame San Francisco Bay in glorious Art Deco splendor, and visitors have a front-row seat for watching sailboats and freighters chug under its span and into the bay.

Rent bikes and ride trails between Marina Green and Fort Point, or along the level Golden Gate Promenade, enjoying front-row views of waves and water. Watch egrets and herons dip their beaks into the reclaimed tidal wetland at Crissy Marsh. Defy gravity at the House of Air trampoline park, set inside a former biplane hangar. On Sundays in summer and fall, food trucks set up shop along the waterfront, making impromptu picnics easy. Year-round, you can recharge with a sandwich, coffee, or hot cocoa (and stock up on park souvenirs) at the Warming Hut, tucked inside a 1909 building that was once an Army supply shed. (Insider’s tip: Stop at nearby Torpedo Wharf to snap an epic selfie.)

Nearby, take a stroll on Baker Beach’s mile-long sand for a different angle on that beautiful orange bridge. Or reserve in advance to pitch your tent at Rob Hill Campground, set atop a hill overlooking Baker Beach and the breathtaking Pacific. Bring the whole clan—two group campsites can hold up to 30 people each. Campers have access to fire pits, restrooms, picnic tables, and plenty of ambience—from the dependably salty air to foghorns, hooting owls, and city lights. (Need gear? Rent some at the Crissy Field’s Sports Basement.)

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Dave Lauridsen

Coronado

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Coronado
Explore the Del and get a dose of small-town charm

Like an island getaway a stone’s throw from the city, the appealing island community of Coronado feels like a private enclave wrapped with perfect beaches, including ultra-family-friendly Coronado Beach. Besides those soft sands, the island’s crown jewel is the Hotel Del Coronado, built in 1888 and topped by russet red, castle-like turrets. Explore the lobby and grounds on your own, or join a guided tour offered by the Coronado Historical Association; docents share tidbits on the Del’s remarkable history and guest list (including Marilyn Monroe, who starred—alongside the hotel—in the 1959 comedy Some Like It Hot). The Del also serves a sumptuous Sunday brunch, and the Babcock & Story bar is fine for sipping a craft beer with views of the Pacific. Not far from the Del, the Loews Coronado Bay Resort sits on its own 15-acre peninsula and is known both for its water sports and for being especially dog-friendly.

The diminutive island, reached by the arching Coronado Bridge, is easy to explore by bike. Rent one from Holland’s Bicycles to pedal past elegant oceanfront mansions and tended gardens, or visit Orange Avenue, lined with shops, restaurants, galleries, and theatres. More shops and art galleries are located at Ferry Landing, and restaurants like Il Fornaio Coronado and Peohe’s have expansive views of San Diego’s downtown skyline across San Diego Bay.

Travel tip: Traffic on the San Diego-Coronado Bridge can get thick, especially on summer weekends. Flagship Cruises will ferry you from Ferry Landing, across the Bay to the Embarcadero. Water taxis are available too.

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awnisALAN/Flickr

Silver Strand State Beach

Silver Strand State Beach
An aquatic playground in protected waters

The great wide blue and pounding surf of the Pacific on one side; a sweet curve of sand around warmer, calm waters on the other. And in between, plenty of run-around room, a chance to try surfing, or build a bonfire on the beach with your family.

Kids love splashing around on Silver Strand’s calm San Diego Bay side, known as Crown Cove. On the Pacific side, Coronado Surfing Academy gives lessons on the how to hang-ten on usually friendly breakers.

Note that access to the bay side is through pedestrian tunnels; be prepared to carry your gear from the large parking area to that beach, if that’s where you want to spread out. Once there, pavilions, grills, picnic tables, and fire pits are available. A beachside cafe opens on summer weekends; you can also rent boogie boards to keep the kids happily splashing for hours.

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Marcela Valladolid on Great Places for Kids in San Diego
Celebrity chef Marcela Valladolid dishes on where she takes visiting family and friends when they visit San Diego.
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Dave Lauridsen

La Jolla

La Jolla
Find something for everyone in this multi-faceted seaside jewel

Although technically part of San Diego, the community of La Jolla feels like a destination unto itself: You could easily spend a few days in this enclave and get a full Southern California experience—along with a walkable village of hotels, shops, and cafés that possess a sophisticated vibe.

For starters, La Jolla (pronounced la HOY-uh) has a prime perch on San Diego County’s coastline. Located about 20 minutes north of downtown, La Jolla is home to the wide, white-sand beaches of La Jolla Shores, with surfing, snorkeling, and made-for-sunset firepits, as well as an adjacent playground for kids. Head out onto the waters with one of the local operators, like La Jolla Kayak or San Diego Bike and Kayak Tours, and paddle or snorkel among La Jolla’s marine denizens, from colorful garibaldi to (harmless) leopard sharks. To see more aquatic critters while on land, explore the Birch Aquarium, affiliated with the renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography, or stand along the sea wall at a beach known as The Children’s Pool, and watch a large community of seals lounge, bark, and tend to their cubs. 

The seals live right next to the heart of La Jolla, the hilly village areas known as The Cove and Bird Rock. The ocean is still in plain view amid the shops, eateries, and places to stay—like La Valencia Hotel, the Mediterranean-style “Pink Lady” that once hosted World War II soldiers about to ship out, as well as Hollywood A-Listers like Gregory Peck. Shop in the upscale boutiques along Girard Avenue and Prospect Street, or dine at beloved George’s at the Cove, farm-to-table WhisknLadle, colorful taco haven Puesto, or seafood-rich Nine-Ten.

Don’t miss the cultural stops, too, like the La Jolla branch of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Warwick’s (the nation’s oldest family-owned bookstore), or the local art galleries such as Legends Gallery, where you can see out-of-the box paintings by the late Theodore Geisel, the longtime La Jolla resident better known as Dr. Seuss. (Insider tip: Look at the unique flora around La Jolla to see what may have inspired Seuss’s whimsical plants and trees).

Some must-stops in La Jolla stretch beyond the Cove. The Marine Room, in La Jolla Shores, offers incredible “high tide” brunches and dinners where the tall waves crash into the giant windows as you eat. To the north, tee off at Torrey Pines Golf Course (which will host the U.S. Open again in 2021), next to the sumptuous Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Or, go see a future Broadway hit at La Jolla Playhouse, located on the University of California San Diego campus. Co-founded by Gregory Peck in 1947, the theater has been the birthplace of a long list of crowd-pleasing and Tony Award-winning hits, from The Who’s Tommy and Thoroughly Modern Millie to Jersey Boys and Come From Away. Come for one of its Page-to-Stage performances to watch (and offer feedback on) works still in progress. You can even bundle in a dinner of fresh seafood or a Kobe burger at the theater’s on-site James’ Place, helmed by acclaimed sushi chef James Holder.

Another great option: Hike the ocean-view trails at the Torrey Pines State Nature Reserve, under the shade of the rare, long-needled pine trees that are common in this little pocket of the Golden State.

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Santa Monica Pier & Beach

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Santa Monica Pier & Beach
A 1909 classic and golden sand

Take a stroll along Santa Monica’s signature pier at sunset, that enormous sun sinking into the Pacific, and you’ll probably wonder if it can get much better than this. But wait; it can. Right here. First, there’s an amusement park—perched right on the pier—called Pacific Park, with not-too-scary roller coasters and classic carnie rides that make a nice mix even for little ones. Then there are incomparable views from atop the pier’s solar-powered Ferris wheel. On weekends, you can join free historical walking tours to learn more about the pier, which dates to 1909. And then there are those simple pleasures—a creamy thick shake, a simple necklace of seashells—at snack shacks and trinket shops lining the pier. And there are the local fishermen adding color to the scene; hang out for a while and you’re bound to hear some good yarns and watch some slippery fish reeled in. Find out what those fish might be by heading under the pier (directly below the turn-of-the-20th-century wooden carousel), to the inviting Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, with some 100 species of fish and aquatic animals, and lots of family-friendly educational displays.

And then of course, there’s the beach, a broad expanse of pale yellow sand lining the coast for 3.5 miles/5.6 kilometers. For the complete beach treatment, explore the ocean atop a paddleboard (various rentals and lessons are available) or go VIP with your own Perry’s on the Beach Butler service. 

 

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Santa Monica Pier Area/Ocean Ave
The landmark Santa Monica Pier, soft, sandy beaches, miles of bike paths, and the sunlight-bathed eateries and hotels of Ocean Avenue add up to a quintessentially California scene.
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Kodiak Greenwood

East Beach & Stearns Wharf

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East Beach & Stearns Wharf
Stroll along Santa Barbara’s historic waterfront

Besides being Santa Barbara’s most visited landmark, Stearns Wharf brings new meaning to fresh seafood—fishermen drop off their daily catches at the harbor just down the road—and ordering a round of authentic fish-and-chips is a must. Take in the view at the pier from the historic wharf, which was built in 1872, before letting the kids visit the many shops to pick out favorite trinkets and souvenirs.

Join the locals and rent bikes to pedal along the famous beachfront, or pose for selfies in front the iconic dolphin statue at the base of the pier. This is also a great place to try standup paddleboarding, with rentals available from various companies, including Santa Barbara Adventure Company, which also offers guided kayak trips. East Beach is perfect for families—the sand is soft and inviting, and the surf is gentle. It’s also the spot to come if you’re into art; local artists show and sell their works here on Sundays.

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Santa Barbara Magic
Explore the magic and luxury of Santa Barbara, the American Riviera.
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Rebecca Stunell/Alamy

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

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Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
Spend the day at this seaside charmer

A wide beach and splashable waves are always inviting; add a colorful boardwalk with rides, games, and music—well, how can you say no? Not many people do—this popular waterfront boardwalk is a summertime ritual for countless California families, a wonderful way for you to relax and play just like the smiling locals. While there are countless attractions lining the historic boardwalk, the big star is the Giant Dipper, a burly wooden coaster first opened in 1924 and generating screams, squeals, and squinched-shut eyes for decades.

These days, it’s not the only thrill ride in town; the boardwalk also features the 125-foot/38-metre-high Double Shot tower for heart-in-throat adrenaline lovers. For tamer rides, especially for little ones, take a spin on the painstakingly restored 1911 Looff carousel (yes, that’s real horse hair in the tail of your painted steed). A noisy but fun indoor arcade offers laser tag, mini-golf, skee-ball and countless video games. Peace out with a ride above it all in the overhead Sky Glider funicular (providing GoPro-worthy views of the beach, rides, and Santa Cruz Mountains. On Wednesdays in summer, stick around for free outdoor movies on the beach; and on summer Fridays, for free concerts.