Lighthouse Field State Beach

See the surfers, join the surfers, see the surfing museum, hit the dog-​friendly adjoining beach. Parking can be a challenge on summer weekends.

great place to watch the waves crash and splash. The lighthouse is very pretty too. good for dogs.

Stopped by to see the Monarch butterflies first. They already migrated but still i saw lots of them in the Park .Love the Beach. Very nice view. Today the weather was so beautiful. Lots of surfers in the water. It was a breathtaking view. Didn’t know that this time is best time for surfing in winter. There are so many spots to watch surfers and waves. There are some parking lots along the street so come not too late to find a spot. Great place for walk, running, biking.

Okay, I can’t speak on behalf of the beach part because it was high tide and the waves were crashing against the cliffs already! But this place is awesome if you’re a runner and want to run along beautiful coastal views, and you even get a close of glimpse of surfers trying to catch some waves. If you keep running down the path, you’ll end up at Natural Bridges Beach which is pretty cool. On weekdays, there’s plenty of parking and I was able to get a fantastic 5 mile oceanside (with no sand in the shoes shoes) run. 64 degrees in January… it was awesome! If only I lived closer, I’d definitely run here all the time.
Caution: With the high tides and the waves crashing against the cliffs, water can reach the path for surprise splashes!
Also noticed a lot of people park here to smoke trees. But hey, it’s Santa Cruz.

What can I really say, about this place?
It’s HOME… in a nutshell, it’s where I’m from and the beauty and tranquility I feel every time I’m there, engulfs my soul. I can’t believe I ever moved away, and once I move back in 2016, I will NEVER move away again!
Take time to breath deep while you’re here… smell the ocean… listen to the seagulls… close your eyes and feel the rhythm of the earth. This place is truly magical!

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Lighthouse Field State Beach is a perfect spot watching up close surfers ride out some of the biggest waves in Santa Cruz. When I do my run, I often stop by here, day dreaming, and watching these guys so relentless at the waves.
It’s a cleaner beach in Santa Cruz, there’s a surf museum right there, a park for observers… and a lot of nice surfers… I saw some pro-​surfers here as well.

My Labrador retrievers love this beach! It’s off-​leash. They get to run with lots’a canine pals until they drop from exhaustion. A tired dog is a happy dog.
Bravo Santa Cruz for allowing this beach to be dog friendly.

Went on a Wednesday at around 6 pm. The Surf Museum was closed. I found out people cliff dive here. I got a life vest and slid down a slightly steep, sandy slope to get on top of cliff but the waves were HUGE. I didn’t want to get hit by waves and crack my skull against the cliff or something so decided to go a different time when it is low tide

I’m glad there is a contained beach FOR dogs in Santa Cruz. Rio Del Mar is too big to leave dogs off leash and they create havoc there because their owners fall asleep and dogs are left roaming around. This is perfect, dogs can run and play with their owners and be off leash and everyone is happy. Well done.

Such a lovely place. I took a jog here and it was so pleasant. The weather was gorgeous and people around me chill. I wanted to see the sunset from this vantage point, but unfortunately it seems as though the sun set in another area. I «chased» the setting sun and ended up at the tip of W. Cliff Dr. only to see it set behind houses. =(All in all, a great place to relax and unwind. but not to watch the sunset!

Do you want to witness cuteness overload? It’s a dog party at this beach.
I love taking my lab retriever here and he absolutely loves it. I’ve gone here a few times (must drive all the way from SJ, I wish beaches were closer) and I’ve enjoyed this beach every time.
1. PARKING: Not too bad. Park along the street or in the various lots. People come in and out all the time.
2. DOGS: All sorts of dogs, your dog will love this beach!
3. DON’T HAVE A DOG: No problem, you can enjoy this beach anyway! I have seen many people just come to sunbathe. However, unless you are ok with dogs running all over the place, be warned that they may pounce over you as they chase after their balls or each other. If you’re looking for a peaceful place to enjoy some rays, then this may not be the beach for you.
4. EYE CANDY: If you walk on West Cliff and towards the lighthouse, there is this overlook where everyone stops to watch surfers. There are usually a lot of surfers in this area when the waves are crackin, and they are definitely a good sight to see. HAAAY.
5. Let your dog dry off by walking along West Cliff or on the lawn near the light house.
Overall, I would say this beach is a pretty neat place for you and your furry friends!

Looking to get married by the Lighthouse?! I highly recommend it! It is a public park and you will need to get a permit from the city. You cannot beat the view! Here is my tip for brides and grooms:
Be aware of the placing of your ceremony set-​up (arch, chairs, etc.), something I didn’t even think to ask our rental company — Eventscapes. The day before our wedding, there was another wedding at the same spot, and their set-​up was very close to the railing along the ocean and public sidewalk (facing the Boardwalk) which I believe prevented the public from walking behind the arch during their wedding (not sure if that was an Eventscapes wedding).
The next day at our wedding, our set-​up was farther back and facing about 45 degrees to the right of the Boardwalk) and we had dozens of people in the background of our ceremony and photos. Of course, it is a public park, you can’t ask people to leave the area.
In fact, there was a lady with a drum and sound system singing to the whales (I’m not kidding) all during my husband’s vows. Thankfully, when some of my guests approached her asking her to consider lowering her voice during the vows, she did… but not before she banged the drum very loudly. We can only look back and smile about it now. :)

Bring food and cute dogs will come up and let you pet them.
There’s a secret cave to sit in where the waves will blow right over you without getting you wet. If you find it, you’ll know!

I love this beach! There are always people there, but it never gets overly crowded.
It is THE dog beach in Santa Cruz, but owners are incredibly responsible both about their dogs’ behavior and cleaning up after them.
It’s just far enough north to have the cleaner water from being before the wharf and river in the southward current.
One of my most memorable experiences here was being startled by a small (8 – 12 pound) dog flying through the air. When it landed, it turned around and ran toward a big (~150 pound) dog that grabbed it by the back of its neck with its mouth and began to shake it. I was kinda scared. The big dog then let the small dog go and it went flying 10 – 15 feet through the air, only to repeatedly return for more.

This place is dog heaven. We went on Saturday and the beach was just full dogs and happy owners. It’s in a nice little cove and seemed to be pretty sheltered from the wind.
My only gripe is technical: When we followed the map on Unilocal to get here, it took us to the actual Lighthouse Field and not the beach. We parked and had to walk a quarter mile to the beach, only to find a parking lot right there on the water. So don’t do what we did.

If you’re looking for a place to run the pups, grab a windbreaker and come on down to Lighthouse Field State Beach. It’s fairly clean, seaweed free and there are interesting rock formations and tidepools to keep the kids busy.
We were there on a (lucky) sunny day, but most days on the west side will be chilly and windy, so bring a jacket! Low tide yields a wider beach and one your dogs will love.
Toward the west end (the «right» end) you’ll see a natural bridge that’s interesting to go thru. Have your slo-​mo video running to get the funniest ever vids of your dogs!

There is more to this park than just an awesome beach, the area just across West Cliff drive is also part of the park. There are walking trails and benches and it’s a popular spot for locals to take a walk away from the more crowded West Cliff Dr. I like to chill on the benches and play music with my friends… The beach is awesome too, it’s super dog friendly (off leash) and the views of the lighthouse and natural bridges are awesome! The only drawback is its smack dab in the middle of tourist country. Finding parking can be an adventure of it’s own but if you can manage to do so, it’s a great place to take your doggie for a romp in the sand!
Tell all the people you want about this beach, chances are they already know. This secret has been out a long time!

Parking tip: park in the neighborhood behind the field (Pelton Ave.) and enjoy a pleasant stroll through the open space. There is a very nice sidewalk that extends from Natural Bridges S.B. through Lighthouse Field S.B. to the Municipal wharf, take your time to walk along the cliffs and enjoy the place. Lighthouse Field State Beach contains some cool attractions: surfers catchin’ waves at Steamer Lane, the old lighthouse (which houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum) and the Surfer Bro statue… not to forget the natural beauty of the cliffs and ocean. Fun to people watch too — yes, they come from all over to check this place out! Enjoy!

Beautiful spot in Santa Cruz. When I’m running on West Cliff Drive, I always make it a point to stop and enjoy the scenery. You can watch the surfers catch waves, sea lions swimming by, dogs playing on the beach, and just everything. They have a cool surf museum to check out, which I have yet to go in. Parking can be a problem depending what time you come by. More spots when you drive north away from downtown on West Cliff Drive.
Love running along here.

It’s absolutely beautiful — that’s for damn sure — but it’s crawling with dogs. Ugh. No thanks!
If you wanna avoid the canine invasion, just stand at the top of the cliffs and take it all in instead of venturing down to the actual beach.