Recreation SoCal Beaches

With more than 31 miles of multimillion-dollar coastline, there are enough beach destinations in LA to fill eleven seasons of "Baywatch." So if you're looking for somewhere to lug the kids, surf the waves, spike a ball or see some hot bronzed bods, there's a stretch of wet sand with your name written in it.

Leo Carrillo State Beach

While kids explore the tidal pools, coastal caves and reefs in one of the park's summer programs, parents can sneak away to reenact that scene From Here to Eternity. The park also has campgrounds and hiking trails, but if you want to bring Fido, remember to keep him on a leash.

Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach

Most people know the three small cove beaches—El Matador, La Piedra and El Pescador—that fall under this one name. All have short dirt trails and/or staircases that lead to sea caves, rocky reefs and clean sand. The waves are gentle enough for inexperienced swimmers, and hidden enough for the occasional nudist (mostly at El Matador).

Zuma Beach County Park

One of the city's most popular sandy spots, this 2.8-mile stretch of sand is favored among families; teenagers dig the bodyboarding ops. The beach offers plenty of space to spread out, and the snack shops (corn dogs, anyone?) and bathrooms are plentiful.

Point Dume Beach

Although this is a family-friendly beach, actual families with all those toys and tots aren't usually up for long walks through the sand, so there are a few nooks and crannies where solitude seekers can tuck away. Nudge nudge, wink wink.

Malibu Lagoon State Beach

Surfers, sunbathers, birdwatchers and nature lovers flock to this beach just north of the Malibu Pier. Sitting with the surfers means escaping the screams of bratty rugrats, with the added bonus of watching the hotties change out of their wetsuits.

Will Rogers State Beach

Well known for its gay-friendly area cheekily nicknamed "Ginger Rogers Beach," this section of sand is a break from the usual Santa Monica Pier-adjacent beach business.

Santa Monica State Beach

This may not be the cleanest of the bunch, but it has the most to do for people of all ages. There are bike-rental shops, hot dogs, volleyball courts, not to mention the Ferris wheel rides and cotton candy at the pier. And if you just want to catch some rays, there's plenty of room for that, too.

Venice Beach

To many, the draw here is the infamous boardwalk—where you can pick up three-dollar sunglasses and watch street performers walk on glass. But there is plenty of surf, sand and pavement for swimmers, fishermen, picnickers, drum-circle hippies, skateboarders, rollerbladers and cyclists.

Dockweiler State Beach

Despite the smokestacks across the street and the planes flying overhead from LAX, Dockweiler remains popular because it's one of the few fire-friendly spots in LA, so you can grill burgers between catching waves—just try not to end up with a "sand"wich.

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Manhattan Beach

This beach is popular with both locals and residents of the neighboring "beach" cities (Redondo and Hermosa), which gives it an in-your-own-backyard feeling—but it's not your backyard, so keep that top on.

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Hermosa Beach

This "beautiful" beach is considered California's birthplace of surfing. Today it's full of young, tan surfer chicks and dudes that look like they stepped out of a Billabong catalog— kind of makes you feel like you're on an episode of "The OC."

take your dog up around Ventura Beach, its great

Posted 03/27/08 10:15AM PDT by matt

I'm looking for dog beaches or somewhere fun to take the dog.

Posted 03/08/08 02:55PM PST by Sally Hamill