Regional Guide · 82 beaches
Pacific Ocean Beaches
Pacific coverage runs the full US West Coast — San Diego's warm-water beaches (La Jolla, Coronado, Pacific Beach), Orange County's legendary surf (Trestles, Huntington, Doheny), Los Angeles's iconic strands (Santa Monica, Venice, Zuma, Manhattan, Hermosa), Santa Barbara and the Central Coast (Pismo, Avila, Cayucos), the Bay Area (Stinson, Half Moon Bay, Ocean Beach SF), Oregon's rugged coast (Cannon Beach, Ecola, Newport), and Washington's Long Beach Peninsula and Olympic coast. Water runs cold north of Point Conception and rough year-round — the Pacific is a working ocean, not a wading pool.
Current Conditions
Average water temperature: 66°F
Across 82 monitored stations on the Pacific Ocean.
When to Go
Southern California: year-round, peak June–October. Central/Northern California: July–September for the warmest water (still chilly without a wetsuit). Oregon/Washington: late July through September for the warmest days, though the water rarely climbs out of the 50s.
Watch Out For
Rip currents are constant — only swim at lifeguarded beaches and obey flag warnings. Sneaker waves on the Oregon and Northern California coast are deadly; never turn your back on the ocean. Water is cold enough year-round that hypothermia is a real risk without a wetsuit north of Santa Barbara.
California · 51
All California beaches →Santa Cruz Main Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Carpinteria State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Refugio State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Capitola Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Moonlight Beach (Encinitas)
Ideal for swimming.
Oceanside Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Cardiff State Beach
Ideal for swimming.
Leadbetter Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Natural Bridges State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Carmel Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Newport Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Del Mar Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Seal Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Glass Beach (Fort Bragg)
Great day for photography.
Pacific Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Santa Monica State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Morro Bay (Morro Strand State Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Pfeiffer Beach (Big Sur)
Great day for a beach walk.
La Jolla Shores
Ideal for a beach walk.
La Jolla Cove
Ideal for a beach walk.
Mission Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Torrey Pines State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Laguna Main Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Crystal Cove State Park
Ideal for a beach walk.
Huntington Beach (Surf City USA)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Venice Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Baker Beach (San Francisco)
Great day for a beach walk.
Will Rogers State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Carlsbad State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
San Clemente State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Doheny State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Long Beach (Alamitos Beach)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Redondo Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Hermosa Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Ocean Beach (San Diego)
Ideal for a beach walk.
Point Dume State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Imperial Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Avila Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Ocean Beach (San Francisco)
Great day for a beach walk.
San Onofre State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Coronado Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Pismo Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
El Matador State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Zuma Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Leo Carrillo State Park
Great day for a beach walk.
Cayucos State Beach
Ideal for a beach walk.
Half Moon Bay State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Monterey State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Pacifica State Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Stinson Beach
Great day for a beach walk.
Oregon · 17
All Oregon beaches →Pacific City Beach (Cape Kiwanda)
Great day for a beach walk.
Bandon Beach (Face Rock)
Decent day for photography.
Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park
Great day for photography.
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
Decent day for photography.
Harris Beach State Park
Great day for photography.
Cape Lookout State Park
Skip the beach today.
Gold Beach (South Beach Park)
Skip the beach today.
Heceta Head Beach (Devils Elbow)
Skip the beach today.
Ecola State Park
Skip the beach today.
Yachats State Recreation Area
Skip the beach today.
Nye Beach (Newport, OR)
Skip the beach today.
Cannon Beach (Haystack Rock)
Skip the beach today.
Rockaway Beach
Skip the beach today.
Seaside Beach (Oregon)
Skip the beach today.
Nehalem Bay State Park
Skip the beach today.
Manzanita Beach
Skip the beach today.
Hug Point State Recreation Site
Skip the beach today.
Washington · 14
All Washington beaches →Cape Disappointment State Park
Skip the beach today.
Long Beach (Washington)
Skip the beach today.
Ocean Shores
Skip the beach today.
Twin Harbors State Park
Skip the beach today.
Westport Light State Park
Skip the beach today.
Pacific Beach State Park
Skip the beach today.
Kalaloch Beach
Skip the beach today.
Ruby Beach
Skip the beach today.
Rialto Beach
Skip the beach today.
First Beach (La Push)
Skip the beach today.
Second Beach (La Push)
Skip the beach today.
Third Beach (La Push)
Skip the beach today.
Shi Shi Beach
Skip the beach today.
Hobuck Beach
Skip the beach today.