Sunset Beach

Santa Cruz County

Sunset Beach, Santa Cruz County, California
Sunset Beach, Santa Cruz County, California

Sunset Beach

Santa Cruz County


Sunset State Beach

Sunset Beach is known for its long sparkling beach stretching north and south along Monterey Bay. A 200-foot-high sand dune bluff overlooks the beach, offering great vistas of the beach and ocean. Popular visitor activities include walking or jogging, playing in the waves, relaxing in the sand, picnicking, and playing sports. Lifeguards are on duty during the busiest season.

Sunset State Beach, Santa Cruz County, CA


Into the Surf

Many visitors take right to the water, enjoying boogie boarding, skim boarding, and swimming. Dangerous rip currents at Sunset warrant caution. It is not the best swimming beach for young children. Experienced surfers venture out to ride the waves.

Caution: Check with rangers or lifeguards that conditions are safe for your planned activities.

Sunset Beach, Santa Cruz County, CA



Wildlife

Sunset Beach is a great place to watch for bottled nosed dolphins through summer and fall from one of the overlooks on the bluff. A pair of binoculars is a good item to add to your beach bag. Gray whales are most often sighted from mid-December through mid-April. Humpback whales, blue whales and killer whales are sometimes seen during this same migration period. Also keep an eye out for sea otters. For bird watchers expect various shore birds, white tailed kites, western snowy plovers, and red-tailed hawks.



Nearby Beaches

Sunset Beach adjoins Manresa State Beach to the north, except for short section by the Monterey Bay Academy. Walking through is not a problem. Manresa had a nice campground and a beach similar to Sunset Beach. To the south is Pajarao Dunes, a private development featuring ocean-front and ocean-view townhouses, condos, and houses. Many are available as rentals.

Food and Supplies

Other than nearby firewood vendors, there are no stores or restaurants close to Sunset Beach. For those things you will need to drive about 5 miles back to Watsonville.

Snowy Plovers

Western Snowy Plovers nest, raise their young, and pass the winter in the foredune area of Sunset Beach. The nests are directly on the beach sand. Posted Plover nesting areas must not be disturbed.

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Ocean Safety

California State Parks and Recreation cautions that "large surf, cold water temperatures, backwash, sudden drop-offs, pounding shorebreak, and dangerous rip currents can turn what seem like safe activities such as playing near the surf line, wading, or climbing on rock outcroppings, deadly." Learn more about ocean safety at CA State Parks: Ocean Safety