Embedded Files
I have reformatted the book on another web page.
The California Coast Kayak, Canoe, and Stand Up Paddle Board SUP Guide - Online Guide Book - The full text for my book is printed here. After the introduction section at the top, places to paddle are organized from north to south.
There are links to maps and web pages with pictures within the body of the book . I will be adding more links to additional maps and pages from the body of the book text later.
(c) Copyright 2011 and 2013 by Mister Dave KayakDave.blogspot.com AnOutsideGuide.blogspot.com
Kayaking and Canoeing and SUP The California Coast
Central and Southern Section
A Guidbook and detailed maps of over 40 spots to launch and paddle along the California Coast from Just North of Monterey to the Mexican boarder.
Please read disclaimer to see that we don't guarantee your safety.
Please read the Introduction for tips about paddling along the California coast. This includes specific information about the tides wind weather etc. Lots of useful information.
Places to paddle - The places to paddle are listed from north to south.
The guide book covers from the area around Montery south all the way south to Sandiego. It helps you answer the following paddling questions:
Where to kayak in central California
Where to kayak in southern California
Where to kayak in Montery County California
Where to kayak in San Luis Obispo County California
Where to kayak in Los Angeles County California
Where to kayak in Orange County California
Where to kayak in San Diego California
****
ELKHORN SLOUGH
Map of ELKHORN SLOUGH
My web page for ELKHORN SLOUGH
The Elkhorn Slough is a protected wetland with easy launching.
Paddling a kayak or canoe is the ideal way to view the many
varieties of birds that live and pass through here.
Kirby Park has a very easy launching spot with a kayak/canoe
friendly floating dock, boat ramp, and a large free parking lot.
Kirby park is reached as follows: from Highway 1 just
south of Moss Landing Harbor take Dolan Rd. east about 1.5 miles
to Elkhorn Rd. Take Elkhorn Rd. north about 3.5 miles to Kirby
Rd. which is an access road for the park.
Pastoral rolling hills and farmland provide a scenic backdrop as
you paddle in the upper portions of the Elkhorn Slough near Kirby
Park. If you pick the right day, you can start with a high tide
in the morning and paddle with a dropping tide toward Moss
Landing and then paddle back when the tide starts to rise and the
sea breeze picks up -- riding with the tide and wind back to
Kirby Park (check your tide tables).
You can also launch at Moss Landing Harbor by the lower end of the
Elkhorn Slough which has a boat launch.
****
MONTEREY
Map of MONTEREY and PACIFIC GROVE
More maps of MONTEREY and PACIFIC GROVE
Web page for MONTEREY and PACIFIC GROVE
The area around Monterey bay has some excellent scenic kayak
spots. You can either launch from the protected harbor or better
yet from several protected spots west of the harbor.
Lovers Cove is an excellent and very protected spot to launch.
There is a short ramp down to the beach. There usually is no
surf on the beach by Lovers Cove so you can also launch a canoe
here quite easily.
West of Lovers Cove very near to the Point Pinos Light House just
before the coast of the peninsula heads southwest, there is a
launch spot in a small cove between some finger rocks that can be
very protected by the large finger rocks of Point Pinos. Park in
one of the pullouts along Ocean View Blvd. a little bit (about
150 yards) west of Asilomar Ave. A small finger beach is about 3
ft. below the road here. The point can be calm and protected on
the east side while the surf 20 yards away on the west side is
huge and hazardous. On a windless December morning we launched
from here with no surf when just around the point the surf and
swell were 8ft+ (having been raised by a big storm and high winds
the day before). We rounded the point and bobbed up and down on
the giant glassy swells which provided us the opportunity of
seeing otters closer then we had ever seen them before. The
rolling swells prevented the otters from seeing us until we were
right next to them. As we reached the top of each swell we would
appear right next to otter after otter. Many of the otters
seemed quite surprised to see us bobbing with them in their water
wonderland.
The water offshore from the Point Pinos Light House is also an
excellent spot to see migrating Grey Whales that come quite near
to the shore here.
(c) Copyright 2011 and 2013 by Mister Dave KayakDave.blogspot.com
The following adds are not controlled by me:
****
BIG SUR COAST OVERVIEW
The name "Big Sur" is often used to refer to the rugged spectacular
coast between Carmel and San Simeon. Big Sur's "greatest meeting
of land and sea" provides some truly magnificent coastline for
kayaking.
The ocean along the Big Sur coast has many moods and can get wild
and treacherous with huge waves. If the sea is too wild for
paddling, don't worry, there are many excellent hikes to do along
the coast while you're waiting for the sea to calm down.
The spectacular cliffs of Big Sur make access points for
launching very tricky to find -- if you didn't have this book!
Hopefully, with the help of this book you can find some good
launch spots and enjoy some wonderful paddling along the Big Sur
Coast.
BIG SUR COAST web page - my web page with pictures of the Big Sur area.
I have a Central California picture web page with more pictures of
Big Sur and the Central California Coast.
****
BIG SUR COAST POINT LOBOS
Map of POINT LOBOS
My web page with pictures for POINT LOBOS
Point Lobos just south of carmel has wonderfully dramatic
scenery. Sea otters, seals, and sea lions abound in the water
here along with dramatic rocky cliffs and reefs. There is a very
protected launch spot at Whalers Cove and a more exposed (often
treacherous) launch spot by Monastery Beach.
Point Lobos is reached by highway 1. It is about 5 miles south
of Carmel and about 25 north of Big Sur.
Whalers Cove which is in the State Reserve is an excellent safe
place to launch -- even when there is much sea or swell
(reservations may be required, see information below). There
is a boat ramp here which is very protected. A canoe could
launch here very easily. If it is too rough or windy outside of
the cove one could just stay inside for a short paddle around the
scenic cove. Venturing outside the cove on a relatively calm
day, you can paddle either east past moss bay toward Monastery
Beach, or better yet, paddle west out toward or around the tip of
Point Lobos. Paddling west about .5 mile you pass Bluefish
Cove. About .5 mile further is Cypress Cove. As you approach
North Point near the tip of Point Lobos, be aware of the wind
direction and seas. As you round North Point and the Pinnacle,
you'll see Sea Lion Rocks ahead (.5 mile from Cypress Cove). If
the seas/surf are good size, you might want to stop here because
you may need to paddle out about .25 to .5 mile to round the many
rocks, if the seas/surf are smaller, you may be able to go
between some of the large sea stacks. From Sea Lion Rock it is
about .75 mile to the rocks by Bird Island. Rounding the rocks
by Bird Island adds another .5 mile. You're almost sure to see
many sea otters, seals, and sea lions on this scenic paddle.
Monastery Beach just north of Point Lobos often has a nasty shore
pound and is usually too treacherous to launch from. However,
occasionally when there is little or no surf, one can launch
easily from here--especially by the extreme southwest end of the
beach right next to Point Lobos where the surf is smaller and you
can park just off of highway 1 right next to the beach. We have
launched from here and paddled all the way around Point Lobos.
There were about 50 playful sealions in the water when we paddled
here--they would come up on one side of the kayak and pop their
heads out of the water and look at us--then all together, they
would all go under the water and come up on the other side--they
kept doing this repeatedly as we stopped paddling and enjoyed the
show. From the south end of Monastery Beach it's about .75 mile
to Whalers Cove--from there, you can follow the trip as I
outlined from the Whalers Cove launch.
There are many scenic short hikes to do at the Point Lobos State
Reserve. For a different view or to scout the point, you can
hike all the way around Point Lobos (which includes most of the
park's short hikes) About 6.0 miles from the entry station if you
include all the loops out onto the many rocky headlands -- this
can be shortened by skipping some of the loops.
Reservations may be required for use of Whalers Cove with a
kayak--though the published regulations covering kayaks aren't
clear, the person at the park entrance kiosk said reservations
were needed. There is a fee for entering the Point Lobos State
Reserve (Unless you have a state park pass. ) there is also a
fee for making diving reservations for Whalers Cove. No fee for
Monastery Beach.
(c) Copyright 2011 and 2013 by Mister Dave KayakDave.blogspot.com
****
BIG SUR COAST CENTRAL (CENTRAL CA COAST from South of Point Lobos to
Limekiln State Park)
Andrew Molera State Park
Pfeiffer Beach (National Forest)
Map of BIG SUR COAST CENTRAL
More BIG SUR COAST CENTRAL MAPS
My web page with pictures for BIG SUR COAST CENTRAL
This section of the Big Sur Coast has very few and not ideal
access/launch spots.
Andrew Molera State Park
-----------------------------------
At Andrew Molera State Park, you can launch by the mouth of the
Big Sur River. If the river is at a good level, you might be
tempted to float down the river instead of carrying/rolling your
kayak along the long dirt access road (you can't drive on the
road). While the dirt access road is fairly long (1/4 mile??),
it's wide and level so using wheels to roll your vessel is a good
idea.
From the mouth of the Big Sur River, you can either paddle out
where the flow of the river creates a rip current channel past the
point or you can launch off the beach south of the river mouth.
Andrew Molera State Park is located along Highway 1. Parking is
just off of Highway 1. There is a fee for parking unless you
have a state park pass.
Pfeiffer Beach
-------------------
Pfeiffer Beach is fairly exposed, but if the surf is small you
can launch off the beach here.
You can drive very near to the water at Pfeiffer Beach.
To reach Pfeiffer Beach, from highway one take Sycamore Canyon
Road (which is 1 mile south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park) to
it's end. Sycamore Canyon Road is a narrow winding road that is
hard to see from highway 1. It's about 2.5 miles to the end.
There is a fee for parking.
****
BIG SUR COAST SOUTH Near Pacific Valley
Limekiln State Park
Mill Creek Picnic Area (We launched here and went south toward
the sea stacks offshore from pacific valley)
Sand Dollar Beach
Willow Creek Picnic Area
Dirt Access Road 2 Miles South of Gorda
Map of BIG SUR COAST SOUTH
My web page with pictures for BIG SUR COAST SOUTH
The Big Sur Coast near the Pacific Valley has some of California's
most spectacular coast still in pristine natural condition. Huge
cliffs plunging into the pacific, sea stacks, towering peaks,
otters, and an abundance of other wildlife. The sea around here
can get wild and treacherous and all the launch spots here are
somewhat exposed. However, when the wind is calm and the
surf/seas are small to moderate you'll be rewarded with an
unforgettable paddle. There are also some wonderful hikes to do
in the area when the sea/surf is too rough for paddling or you
just want a break from paddling.
Limekiln State Park
--------------------------
Limekiln State Park has a beach entry in a small cove that is
somewhat protected. The beach here is quite steep so there can
get to be a shore pound if the swell is large. You can park right
next to the narrow beach so carting your kayak is very simple here.
The park is located off of Highway 1 X miles south of XX and X
miles North of San Simeon.
Mill Creek Picnic Area
-------------------------------
Mill Creek Picnic Area offers a launch spot that is usable even
when the surf is moderately large. After launching, you can paddle
either north along the steep cliff, or south towards the
wonderful sea stacks offshore from Pacific Valley and the
towering Plaskett Rocks in the distance. As you paddle south,
the sea stacks get closer and more impressive. After about 3
miles, you are amongst them. The next mile as you head toward
Sand Dollar Beach, there are many scenic coves and sea stacks.
If the surf is small, you can paddle inside on the shoreward side
of some of the sea stacks and explore the coves. In the coves
and around the points, there are many shallow rocks upon which
waves may break if the surf gets a little bigger, so be alert.
Off of the tip of the point just beyond the cove by Sand Dollar
Beach are several large and impressive rock islands including
Plaskett Rocks.
Mill Creek Picnic Area is located down a short access road off of
highway 1 about 2 miles south of Limekiln and 4.5 miles north of
the Sand Dollar Picnic Area. Unless you know there is a coastal
access here, you could easily miss this spot. You can drive very
near to the water here, though you need to carry your kayak over
some rocks to get to the small sandy beach to the north of the
parking area. The beach may sometimes be submerged at high tide.
The north end of the beach has an excellent rip tide channel that
allows for easy launching and landing. We were able to make
a perfectly dry launch and landing here even when the swell was
breaking a moderatly large 4 to 5 feet on the point at the south
end of the beach. On this same crystal clear windless December
day we saw 10 sea otters as we paddled the approximately 10 mile
round trip from Mill Creek around Plaskett Rocks.
Sand Dollar Picnic Area
---------------------------------
Sand Dollar Picnic Area has a beach launch spot that is
somewhat protected by a sandbar/reef that is popular with board and kayak
surfers. One major drawback to this launch spot is the long
trail and stairs down the cliff over which you need to carry your
kayak in order to reach the beach.
Willow Creek Picnic Area
-----------------------------------
Willow Creek Picnic Area (about 2 miles south of Sand Dollar
Picnic Area) is another access point to the water. You can drive
very near to the water here though the entry is quite rocky.
Dirt Access Road (Not recommended)
------------------------
Dirt Access Road 2 Miles South of Gorda. There is a small dirt
access road about 2 miles South of Gorda that you may be able
to drive down if the gate is open--or you can walk down. From
the bottom of the dirt road, you must carry your kayak across
some moderate sized bolders in order to reach a sandy beach that
is usable as a launch spot if the surf is fairly small.
Walks/Hikes: Pacific Valley along cliff, Sand Dollar Beach, Cove Just
South -- (Jade Cove?), Cone Peak. Be careful of poison oak and
ticks that carry Lime Disease.
In Pacific Valley between about .2 and .5 miles North of the
parking spot for Sand Dollar Beach there are several places where
you can walk along the cliff viewing the wonderful sea stacks out
on the ocean and the spectacular scenery. There are several sets
of entry stairs across the fence on the ocean side of Highway 1
which the forest service has installed to provide access to the
coast. Park next to one of the sets of stairs, cross the field,
and then hike along the top of the cliff enjoying the fabulous
surroundings. Cattle, including a bull, sometimes still graze in
the field here so give them a wide birth.
The trail to Cone Peak provides some spectacular views as you hike
up the steep mountain side. You don't need to go all the way to Cone
Peak to enjoy this hike. The first .5 miles provides magnificent
views as you walk higher and higher up above the coast. The hike
starts on the east side of PCH just across from the Kirk Creek
Campground which is between the Mill Creek Picnic Area and
Limekiln State Park. The drive up (or part way up) Nacimento
Road which is just North of Mill Creek also provides similarly
breathtaking views.
There are several campgrounds in this area including: Limekiln
State Park, Kirk Creek, and Plaskett Creek.
The following adds are not controlled by me:
****
SAN SIMEON
SAN SIMEON MAP
My web page with pictures for SAN SIMEON
The coast around San Simeon near Hearst Castle provides for
numerous paddling opportunities where you can observe sea caves,
sea stacks, and elephant seals.
The William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach near San Simeon
Point is an excellent and protected spot to launch. You enter
the state park off of highway one near the San Simeon Pier
(directly across from the road up to the Hearst Castle). This is
about 12 miles north of Cambria. Drive down to the lower parking
lot which is right on the beach. There are no stairs or ramps to
go down, just cross the beach and launch through the usually
small surf -- San Simeon Point protects the beach here. You can
also walk Northwest up the beach towards San Simeon Point to
launch -- right next to the point there often is no surf.
From the state beach launch near San Simeon Point you have
several paddling options.
One nice option on almost any day (even if it is windy and/or
rough other places) is to paddle west (to your right) paralleling
the beach and then paddle along San Simeon Point out toward the
end of the point. Paddle very close to the cliff and look in the
sea caves and crevases as you paddle. The water near the cliff
is usually glassy and calm even in the afternoon or when it is
windy and/or rough other places. As you near the end of the
point, there is an interesting island/rock which birds like to
sit on. Looking back to the Northeast you can see Hearst Castle
way up in the hills. If it's late winter or springtime, the
hills are beautifully bright green. If it's a calm day, you can
paddle around the point and head Northwest up the coast. If you
do decide to paddle around the point, watch for shallow reefs
near the end of the point. You may need to paddle out aways
before rounding the point (depending on the swell and seas).
Several miles northwest up the coast there are several large
colonies of elephant seals. If you're feeling very ambitious and
the sea is calm, you could paddle up towards them. You can also
see them from the shore (probably better) if you drive Northwest
on highway one a few miles and stop at some of the vista points
where you can stand on the top of a low cliff just ten or fifteen
feet above them. You can also take a nice walk along the top of
the cliff by some of these spots. Some of these vista points 3
to 5 miles North West of William Randolph Hearst Memorial State
Beach also seem like pretty good places to launch a kayak on a
calm day. Be careful not to disturb the Elephant Seals--you are
supposed to stay at least 25 feet away from them. The coast has
some wonderful rock formations and sea stacks in this area --
especially heading Northwest towards point Piedras Blancas.
Another paddling option from the same launch spot at the state
beach near San Simeon Point is to paddle southeast going under
the pier and explore the sea stacks to the southeast of the pier.
If it's a calm day and the swell and surf are small, you may be
able to paddle inside towards the landward side of some of the
sea stacks.
There are also nice walks out onto the San Simeon Pier and San
Simeon Point where you can get another perspective of the area.
--There are restrooms at William Randolph Hearst Memorial State
Beach.
--There is a campground nearby at San Simeon State Beach.
William Randolph Hearst Memorial State Beach Web Site:
http://cal-parks.ca.gov/districts/sansimeon/wrhmsb486.htm
****
MOON STONE BEACH DR/LEFFINGWELL LANDING. (Near North end of dr.) (Map Complete)
MOON STONE BEACH DR/LEFFINGWELL LANDING MAP
Web page for this area by SAN SIMEON
The rocky coast and coves around Moon Stone Beach Drive and
Leffingwell Landing provides some scenic paddling oportunities.
Leffingwell Landing off of Moon Stone Beach Drive is a good spot
to launch if the surf isn't too large. There is a short ramp down to
the beach so it's easy to get your kayak to the water here. The boat
launch ramp is somewhat protected, but there can be a shore pound
if the surf gets large.
Leffingwell Landing is located near the North end of Moon Stone
Beach Drive.
****
CAMBRIA -- HARVEY ACCESS WAY
(Easy access to water and easy launch -- scenic rocks and coves)
CAMBRIA MAP
Web page for this area by SAN SIMEON
Harvey Access Way provides easy access to the water with a launch
that is often quite easy.
There are scenic rocks and coves paddling either North or South.
Paddling south, you head by Cambria Air Force Base and many of
the hills are undeveloped. It's especially nice in the spring
when the hills are green.
You can park right next to the beach at the end of Harvey. It's
about 12 feet to the water from your car.
****
CAYUCAS STATE BEACH
Cayucas State Beach often has small surf which allows for a
fairly easy launch and access to the scenic rocky coast to the
west.
Cayucas State Beach is in the town of Cayucas which is along
highway 1 about 7 miles North of Morro Bay.
You can park right next to the beach with easy access to the
water from your car near the pier. Exit highway 1 at Cayucas
Drive. Take Cayucas Drive Southwest until it ends at Cayucas
State Beach and park along Ocean Front Avenue which is right on
the beach.
The following adds are not controlled by me:
****
MORRO BAY
MORRO BAY MAP
My web page with information and pictures of MORRO BAY
The protected waters by Morro Bay provide excellent paddling
oportunities for canoists or kayakers. One can explore the many
birds found in the marshlands of the bay or paddle out to the
sandspit to look around and picnic. The large east thumb of the
bay by the south end of Morro Bay State park has the largest
marshland area where many different types of birds can be seen.
Be sure to check your tides before paddling Morro bay: 1. The
narrow north end neck of the bay can get a fairly strong current.
2. When you're out of your canoe/kayak exploring the sand spit, you
want to be careful that a rising tide doesn't sweep your
vessel away or a falling tide leave you high and dry.
While the waters inside Morro Bay are calm and protected, Morro
Bay's harbor mouth is another story. If you decide to paddle
outside of the harbor use extreme caution and be sure to check
the swell and tides. The Morro Bay Harbor mouth is one of the
most hazardous harbor entrances on the entire California coast.
Often, especially in the winter, very large waves hit the coast
here. Shallow and shifting sandbar conditions can create
hazardous situations. Sometimes, huge closeout waves break
across the harbor mouth.
The Morro Bay boat launch in Tidelands Park at the end of
Embarcadero is an outstanding free launch spot with free parking.
You can easily launch from here at high or low tide. It's only a
short paddle across the bay from here to the sandspit. To reach
the Tidelands Park, exit highway 1 at Morro Bay Blvd. and head
west to Harbor St. where you take a halfright. Take Harbor St.
until it ends at Embarcadero. Go left (south) on Embarcadero
which ends at Tidelands Park.
Morro Bay State Park also has a launch spot. Morro Bay State
Park is located 1 mile south of highway 1 on South Bay Blvd.
There are also high tide only launch spots at Baywood Park Beach
and Second Street Pier. These spots are reached from highway 1
by taking South Bay Blvd. to Santa Ysabel. They are near the
west end of Santa Ysabel.
There is also a launch spot from a small beach exposed at medium
and low tides along Coleman.
--There is a campground at Morro Bay State Park and at Morro
Strand State Beach.
****
MONTANA DE ORO
MONTANA DE ORO MAP
The waters by Montana De Oro state park often have large surf.
Occasionally, when the surf is small and the sea calm, Spooners
Cove provides an excellent launch spot for some outstanding
kayaking.
After launching from the small beach at Spooners Cove, you should
paddle west until you are beyond the finger rocks and extending
reefs on the south side of the cove. From here paddling south is
most interesting. There are many interesting rocky coves you can
explore. Between many of the coves there are finger rocks with
submerged reefs that extend further west--similar to the reef on
the south side of Spooners Cove. You may need to paddle out
around these reefs as set waves may break on them.
There are also many hiking trails in Montana De Oro State Park.
You can use the Bluff Trail to scout out the coast before you
Kayak.
--Restrooms and a campground is located here.
****
PORT SAN LUIS AND AVILA BEACH
Map of PORT SAN LUIS AND AVILA BEACH
More PORT SAN LUIS AND AVILA BEACH maps
My web page with pictures of PORT SAN LUIS AND AVILA BEACH
The coast near Port San Luis and Avila Beach offers some
spectacular coastline with easy launching.
As you paddle here, the rolling hills--green in the spring or
late winter provide a wonderful backdrop behind the rocky shore
and cliffs.
To get to the Port San Luis and Avila Beach launch spots, get off
highway 101 about 6 miles south of San Luis Obispo at San Luis
Bay Drive or 2 miles northwest of Shell Beach at Avila Road. San
Luis Bay Drive runs into Avila Road. Avila Road soon becomes
Avila Beach Drive.
To reach the Avila Beach launch spot, turn off to your left on
Front Street which is 2.25 miles from the freeway. Take Front
Street to the beach parking lot.
To get to the Port San Luis launch spot, stay on Avila Beach
Drive. As you drive with San Luis bay to your left, you'll soon
see the sign and ramp for the Old Porte Beach Launching Access.
The Old Porte Beach Launching Access is about 3.25 miles from the
freeway.
The Old Porte Beach Launching Access is a super easy place to
launch and is free. At low tide, you can drive right down a ramp
onto the beach here (At hightide it's just a very short boat ramp
that you need to go down). Even on days when the surf is
pounding outside the harbor, it's fairly easy to enter the water here.
One can easily launch a canoe here on most days. There are also
other pretty good places to launch a little bit further west up
Avila Beach Drive but not quite as easy for getting your canoe or
kayak from your car down to the beach and into the water.
Avila Beach just to the East of Port San Luis is also fairly
protected and offers easy entry through usually small surf. The
surf is usually smaller towards the Northwest end of the beach.
When I was last at Avila Beach, the parking lot was torn up and
oil contamination in the soil was being cleaned up.
Paddling to your left down the coast (East to South East) toward
Shell Beach from either Old Porte Beach or Avila Beach, you reach
some beautiful towering cliffs called Fossil Point (1.25 miles
from Old Porte Beach, .25 miles from Avila Beach). You can
paddle fairly near to the cliffs as the water gets deep in front
of them. There often is some interesting backwash off the
cliffs. As you pass fossil point, there is then a cove to your
left, if you paddle into this cove, be carefull of some reefs
where sneaker waves may break (especially just southeast of
Fossil point). As you paddle further, you pass another point and
a small secluded bay (Mallagh Landing) that is almost hidden.
This beach is quite protected and often is a good spot to stop
and land for a break.
From Mallagh Landing you can paddle as far as you like down the
coast. Shell Beach has many scenic sea stacks. You can even do
a one way two car shuttle ending at Shell or Pismo Beach. Be
sure to check out were you are going to land. See the "SHELL BEACH
and PISMO BEACH" section of this book for more information.
Other paddling options include: Paddling inside the harbor west
toward the breakwall. After passing the Port San Luis Pier, the
last 0.5 mile is quite scenic -- you can paddle very close to the
steep cliff that rises above the bay. There is a very nice
secluded beach nestled against the cliff right before the
breakwall. Landing on this beach is usually very easy, however,
if the surf is extremly big and wrapping around or breaking over
the breakwall, the end of the beach furthest away from the
breakwall is the best spot to land.
When you reach the breakwall, another option is to paddle out
around the break wall and then North up the rugged coast. The
end of the break wall and the coast going North are quite exposed
to wind and swell, but very beautiful.
--Bathrooms Just west of the Old Porte Beach Launching Access.
--Avila beach has restrooms and outdoor showers.
****
SHELL BEACH and PISMO BEACH
Map of SHELL BEACH and PISMO BEACH
More SHELL BEACH and PISMO BEACH maps
My web page with pictures of SHELL BEACH and PISMO BEACH
Paddling below the cliffs by Shell Beach there are some very nice
sea stacks and rock formations. Often times, the surf is small
here and you can paddle very near to the cliffs and sea stacks.
Shell Beach has a very protected launch spot in a small cove at
the bottom of a long set of stairs at the end of Pier Avenue
(along Ocean Avenue between Cliff Avenue and Windward). Even when
the surf is fairly large, the launch here is pretty easy.
Unfortunately, you need to carry your kayak down a long set of
stairs.
There is also a wide access trail from Spyglass Park at
the end of Spyglass and access stairs off of Ocean between Vista
Del Mar and Placentia --these spots are only be usable for
launching when the surf is small. The Spyglass launch is also
only usable at high tide as a rock shelf is exposed at low tide.
Pismo Beach can also be used for launching and landing when the
surf is small. It's just a short paddle north from Main Street
in Pismo Beach to the scenic cliffs and sea stacks by Shell
Beach. There is a short ramp at the end of Main Street where it
is very easy to get your kayak to the water. The beach access is
also quite easy at several spots south of Main near the Pismo
Beach Pier.
****
SANTA MARIA RIVER MOUTH WETLANDS/NIPOMA DUNES PRESERVE
There is a moderately large wetland area by the mouth of the
Santa Maria River. Paddling a canoe is a great way to see the
numerous birds that live in the wetland area. Depending on the
river level and tide, you may even be able to paddle up a few
miles up the river.
You can access the wetlands from the Guadalupe entrance to the
Nipoma Dunes Preserve. From highway 1 in Guadalupe, take main
steet west until it ends at a beach parking lot. From the
parking lot at the beach you can cary, drag, or wheel your vessel
about 50 yards Northeast across the sand to a good spot to launch
in the wetland.
You can also launch a kayak in the ocean here if the surf is
small, although it's just a long beach that isn't that
interesting unless you paddle quite far to the south towards
Mussel Rock and Point Sal. However, the coast along this area is
almost totally undeveloped.
Walking along the pristine beach here a low tide is very
enjoyable. You can also climb the 450 foot Mussel Rock which is
the highest sand dune on the west coast.
****
POINT SAL (Road was washed out durring El Nino and has not
been reopened)
****
JALAMA COUNTY PARK
The surf
(Checked this out -- surf often large)
The surf at Jalama County park is often very big. The beach is
very exposed to swells here.
If the surf is small, however, the scenic undeveloped coast here
can provide some excellent paddling.
From the fee parking lot that is right on the beach, it's very
easy to get your kayak to the water here.
Even if the surf is small, there's almost always some waves to
paddle through when entering the water.
****
GAVIOTA STATE BEACH
(Camped here -- can park near beach for launch. Try paddling
up toward the Ranch and Point Conception)
From Gaviota State Beach one can paddle west along the Holister
Ranch towards Point Conception.
You can park right next to the beach for easy access to the water
with your kayak. The surf is usually fairly small on the beach
here so the the launch is usually pretty easy.
--Restrooms and a campground is located here.
****
REFUGIO STATE PARK
Refugio State Park has an easy beach launch. Normally in the
summer there is no surf here and one could easily launch a canoe.
Even in the winter, the surf is is usually small here. There is
a fee for entering the park here (unless you have a State Park
pass). You can park right next to the beach and only need to
carry/wheel your canoe or kayak across the beach to the water.
Going Northwest up the coast the cliffs are fairly interesting
and at medium through low tide, there are some small beaches to
land on for a break.
--Restrooms and a campground is located here.
****
EL CAPITAN STATE BEACH
El Capitan State Beach has some fairly interesting paddling which
is similar to Refugio. There is a fairly easy beach launch. The
launch and access to the launch spot aren't quite as good as at
Refugio.
--Restrooms and a campground is located here.
****
GOLETA SLOUGH -- GOLETA BEACH COUNTY PARK
(Checked this out -- Popular with kayakers, launch for ocean
or slough)
Both the slough and ocean here are popular for paddlers.
The slough has numerous birds and is good for canoeing.
The ocean here is scenic, especially in spring when the mountains
behind the city are bright green.
At the southeast end of the parking lot, there is a ramp that
goes part way across the beach toward the water in the slough.
This is a very easy place to carry and launch a canoe for
paddling in the slough. If you are going to paddle in the ocean,
you can also launch from the same spot or just launch from the
beach North West of this spot. The surf is usually small here so
the launch is normally quite easy.
****
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA -- Malaga Cove, Bluff Cove, Point Vicenty,
Marine Land, Royal Palms Beach.
My web page for the PALOS VERDES PENINSULA
The coast by the Palos Verdes Peninsula provides a scenic rocky
coast line escape very near to the hustling LA Metropolitan area.
While the coast is very scenic, the coastal access to launch
spots is somewhat difficult at all access points except for Royal
Palms Beach.
Malaga Cove
-------------------
Malaga Cove has a steep paved ramp that leads down to a rocky
shoreline where it is possible to launch at higher tides when the
surf is small. Further down the access ramp turns to dirt and
leads to sandy RAT beach (named either to refer to young surf
rats or as the acronym 'Right After Torrance'). The lifeguards
won't let you launch after they arrive in the morning. Because
of the north facing direction of the coast here, in the summer
the surf is usually small. Paddling west from here, you get
scenic views as the Palos Verdes cliffs rise higher and higher
above you.
Bluff Cove
---------------
Bluff Cove or "The Cove" as some people refer to it has a very
long trail which is wide (it used to be a dirt road) most of the
way down to the rocky beach. The section at the very bottom end
of the trail is narrower because it gets washed out periodically.
If you have sturdy wheels on your Kayak, you can roll it until
you get to this narrow section of trail.
Once you get down to the water, the launch which is protected by
a reef is very easy. There is a channel through the protecting
reef to get to the water outside the reef. However, in the
winter, if the surf is big, the channel will get closeout sets
which break in it.
In the winter, Bluff Cove is very popular with board surfers.
Give the surfers plenty of room. And unless you are an
outstanding kayak surfer, you shouldn't ride waves where board
surfers are surfing. On small days when there aren't board
surfers around, it's a good place to kayak surf on the long
gentle rollers.
In the summer, Bluff Cove's North West facing direction means there
usually is almost no surf here, though at low tide, you may find
some very small waves that are fun to play on or learn kayak
surfing.
From the launch spot at Bluff Cove you can paddle to the south
west (left) side of the cove out through the channel to the open
ocean. There is also a smaller channel toward the right side of
the cove.
Once outside Bluff Cove's protecting reef you can paddle
southwest (left) down the coast or northeast (right) up the coast.
Paddling south, you pass below towering cliffs. After paddling
about 1.5 miles, you pass the remains of the ship the Dominator.
You then go around Palos Verdes Point and reach Lunada Bay which
you might want to paddle into and explore. Resort Point is the
next point south. You can paddle further south towards Point
Vicenty.
Paddling north from Bluff cove is also an interesting trip. Flat
Rock Point is the prominent point you'll pass in about .25 mile.
Beyond Flat Rock Point you view the city and beaches in the
distance and parallel the rugged cliffs of the peninsula.
Point Vicenty
-------------------
A long trail leads down to the shore here.
Royal Palms Beach
---------------------------
Royal Palms Beach has fairly easy access to some wonderful
paddling. Palos Verdes' rugged rocky coast, tall bluffs, and
rolling hills are very beautiful.
Royal Palms Beach is probably the easiest place on the whole
Palos Verdes Peninsula to access the ocean with a kayak.
There are several spots to launch from here. Which is best
depends on the tide, surf size, and swell direction.
You can park very near to all the launch spots.
****
HUNTINGTON HARBOR
Huntington Harbor has several convenient places to launch. Along
with the yachts and canals between the large houses, some of the
nearby large wetland reserve is accessible for exploration at a
relatively high tide.
--A campground is located at Bolsa Chica State Park.
****
UPPER NEWPORT BAY
My web page for UPPER NEWPORT BAY
Upper Newport bay is a protected wetland which is excellent for
both canoeing and kayaking.
Gliding along on the water here it's possible to get within a few
feet of many of the wide variety of birds that live here.
The best place to launch is North Star Beach by the Newport
Aquatic center which has free parking and free launching from the
beach. You can also use the dock at the Newport Aquatic Center
for a small fee and rent canoes and kayaks.
Other spots to launch nearby are the Newport Dunes (fee for
parking and rental kayaks available) and off of back bay drive
(free parking but only good to launch at a fairly high tide).
The afternoon onshore sea breeze blows up the bay and normally
calms down in the evening so I like to paddle here starting at
North Star Beach in the late afternoon and head up the bay with
the wind at my back and then paddle back in the evening around
sunset when the wind has died down and the water has glassed off.
The current from the tides normally isn't as big of a factor in
paddling here as the wind is, but if you can time the incoming
tide with your trip up the bay and the outflowing tide with your
trip back, it makes the paddle that much easier.
--A campground is located at Newport Dunes.
****
NEWPORT HARBOR/CORONA DEL MAR/CRYSTAL COVE
Map of NEWPORT
Newport Harbor has many places where it's fairly easy to launch a
canoe or kayak. The parking at many spots is free, though
sometimes it's hard to find an available spot so you may need to
drop off your canoe or kayak and park aways from where you launch.
You can either stay within the harbor or paddle outside the
harbor.
If you paddle south east outside of the harbor you will go past
the beautiful cliffs and rock formations of Corona Del Mar
including Arch Rock -- a natural bridge of rock. Further south
you will pass another arching rock and then reach crystal cove
state park.
The place to launch inside the harbor which is closest to the
harbor mouth is the small beach by Shell Street on the Corona Del
Mar side of the harbor. From Bayside Drive, take Fernleaf to
Ocean, turn right on Ocean. At the first street you come to
(Dahlia) turn left and drive down to Shell Street at the
bottom of the hill. Drop off your gear with your kayak or canoe
at the bottom and park back up along Ocean or Dahlia where
parking is available and free.
A nice feature about this paddle is the fact that you can launch
from a protected harbor and in a fairly short distance be out on
the ocean seeing some wonderful scenery.
Paddling South towards the harbor entrance from the beach by
Shell Street, you pass some big rocks that jut out of the water
and inspiration point to your left above. You then paddle along
the jetty -- If you stay on the far lefthand side (out of the
main traffic lanes), you won't have to cross the main boat
channel when you exit the harbor to head down to Arch Rock. Its
about one third of a mile to the harbor entrance from the beach
by Shell Street.
Once you are beyond the jetty and outside the harbor, you can see
Arch Rock about two thirds of a mile in the distance down the
coast. Be careful and alert to the boat traffic here.
You often can hear playful sea lions on the bell buoy straight
out from the break wall. It's about a .15 mile paddle out to the
bell buoy from here. By the bell buoy you can get an excellent
close up view of the sea lions. If you decide to paddle out to
the bell buoy, be cautious with the boat traffic -- especially on
crowded weekend afternoons.
Instead of paddling straight towards Arch Rock from the bell buoy
or end of the jetty, it is more interesting (and safer) if you
paddle towards the Corona Del Mar Beach and then paddle along the
coast as you head down to Arch Rock.
Once you reach Arch Rock, the second arch is about a quarter mile
further. About 200 yards beyond the second arch is Crystal
Cove State Park. If the surf is small, you can stop on the beach
and relax or picnic. Be careful of submerged and partially
submerged rocks if you land here.
At Crystal Cove, the coast gets more open with more beach and a
little less rocky. You can continue down the coast along the
open bluffs as far as you like. You can also launch off the
beach here at Crystal Cove, although you'll have to enter through
the surf (usually not too large but often larger then Laguna).
Also there are many submerged or partially submerged rocks here
,you must pay to park (unless you have a State Park Pass), and
it's a long walk from the parking area to the beach. The best
launch here is reached from the Northwest most parking area. A
bike/pedestrian trail goes all the way to the beach and there are
no stairs (It's best to have wheels for your kayak).
****
LAGUNA BEACH
LAGUNA BEACH MAP
Laguna Beach has many coves and wonderful rock formations which
are beautiful to paddle by. Normally the surf is smaller in
Laguna than at other surrounding areas which makes the beach
entries required here fairly easy on a day with no major swell.
You can paddle along the rocky coast and land in a secluded cove
for lunch. The City of Laguna Beach is kayak friendly, it's
legal to launch and land on any of the beaches.
The diving and snorkeling can also be excellent in Laguna, I
often snorkel from a kayak here.
Crescent Bay / Seal Rock / Emerald Bay / Cameo Cove:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The access to the beach at Crescent Bay is either via a long ramp
at the end of Cliff Drive (good if you have wheels for your
kayak) or a shorter series of stairs off Circle Way. Parking by
either of these spots is free although convenient spaces are
often taken -- especially on summer afternoons.
If there is no major ocean swell, the entry from the beach is
pretty easy.
About 200 yards from the beach, Seal Rock usually has many
Sea Lions on and around it. Paddling near it you get an
excellent view of the Sea Lions -- often barking at each other or
frolicking in the water. Watch the Sea Lions here for a while
before paddling further.
Paddling northwest from Seal Rock, you paddle along the rocky
coast with its high cliffs. At lower tides, a seal or two often
rest on some smaller rocks along here.
After passing a small cove, you reach Emerald Bay. Even on
summer days, you seldom ever see people on the beach here. You
can stop for a picnic here or at Cameo Cove around the next point
where you'll see people even less often.
Paddling to the point beyond Cameo Cove, you get a nice view up
the coast to Crystal Cove State Park or back down the coast to
Seal Rock. The paddling distance from Crescent Bay to this point
is about 1.5 miles. Off the end of this point there is a
mostly submerged shelf rock which you normally can either
paddle inside of or outside of if you decide to paddle around
the point.
****
LAGUNA BEACH (Continued)
Main Beach /Divers Cove / Fishermans Cove Boat Canyon / Santa Ana Cove
/Crescent Bay / Seal Rock:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laguna's Main Beach has metered parking spots right next to the
beach and it's often very easy to launch your kayak here. The
only problem is the parking spots are often taken and the meters
go for a maximum of two hours. If you get here very early in the
morning, though, you can get a parking spot and get in a paddle
before the meters are enforced (8:00 am). After parking, you can
carry or roll your kayak the short distance to the edge of the
boardwalk and lower it easily over the edge of the boardwalk or
carry it down about four steps to the fairly narrow beach.
Divers Cove and Fishermans cove also have access / launch spots
and are alternative launch spots for this paddle. However,
getting your kayak from your car to that water is a bit more
difficult at these coves than by the Main Beach. Divers Cove
has a ramp down to the beach. Fishermans Cove (also known as
Boat Canyon) has some stairs to the beach. While getting to the beach
is a bit more difficult, the Northwest end of the beach at Fishermans Cove is
one of the most protected launch spots along the Laguna cost.
Even when the surf is up at other places, the launch from
Fishermans Cove is usually easy.
You can scout out all the above launching spots by walking along
the scenic path that goes along the cliff top for about .75 mile
between the Main Beach and the stairs to Fishermans Cove.
The scenery going Northwest from the Main Beach is very
spectacular with the many little coves you'll want to explore as
you paddle here. You soon pass Bird Rock and a little cove.
Next you round the point to Divers Cove. Then there is a
slightly submerged shelf rock that you may want to go outside of
as you paddle to Fishermans Cove, Santa Ana Cove, and Crescent
Bay. You'll want to explore Seal Rock before you head back.
It's between 1.25 and 1.5 miles from the Main Beach to Seal Rock,
depending on how far you paddle into the little coves you pass on
the way.
Brooks Street:
--------------------------
The surf entry here is often a little bit harder than at Crescent
Bay or Main Beach. Paddling south from here provides some
outstanding scenery.
Brooks Street has a short series of stairs for accessing the
water.
Victoria Beach:
-----------------------------
Paddling either North or South from here there is great scenery.
However, the steep beach here can often have a nasty shore pound
which makes the entry more difficult then Crescent Bay or Main
Beach.
Victoria Beach has a ramp to the beach which you can use to wheel
your Kayak down to the beach. The ramp is located at the end of
Victoria Drive.
Aliso Beach:
------------
At Aliso Beach, you can drive right up to the beach for easy
access to the water. However, the surf is often a bit larger here
then at other places in Laguna. From here you can enjoy
wonderful scenery paddling either south towards Three Arch Bay or
north towards Goff Island.
****
SALT CREEK
Salt Creek Beach Park has meter parking and a fairly long ramp
down to the beach. The surf here usually breaks a little ways
from shore and when no major swell is present usually isn't too
powerful.
The best place to launch is a bit further North up the beach from
the ramp. You can go North following the lower paved path that
parallels the beach.
From Salt Creek Beach Park, you can either paddle north past
Three Arch Bay or South around Dana Point. Both directions have
beautiful scenery and are worthwhile.
****
DANA POINT HARBOR/DOHENEY BEACH/DANA POINT
DANA POINT MAP
Dana Point Harbor has a very easy launch spot from a sandy beach
where there is free and pay parking. You can paddle around the scenic
harbor with it's pretty cliffs and also paddle out of the harbor
around Dana Point.
The west end of Doheney Beach provides a good launch spot through
surf which is usually very small and week in power. It's a
shorter paddle from here around Dana Point.
When you get in the open ocean on the south side of the
breakwall, the swell can get pretty powerful -- you can see why
the Dana Point area used to have a great surf spot before the
harbor's break wall was built.
****
LA JOLLA
LA JOLLA MAP
La Jolla has some beautiful steep cliffs to paddle along and
caves.
The boat launch on the beach at the end of Avenida De La Playa
is a good and popular place to launch.
The surf is usually small by the boat launch -- especially in the
summer since it is protected from the south swells that come
during the summer months.
The surf here is popular for kayakers to play around in. Even
though the surf is usually small here, it breaks a little ways
from the shore, so you can ride the waves.
Paddling south from the boat launch, you paddle over or outside
of some reefs -- depending on the swell size and tide. If the
surf is large, these reefs are popular with board surfers, please
respect them and give them wide birth.
If the tide is high and the waves aren't too big, you can paddle
very close to the steep cliff a little further south. Hundreds of
cormorants perch on the cliff. You can also walk along the top
of this high cliff after you are done kayaking for a different
perspective of the beautiful cliff -- turn off of Torrey Pines
Rd. on to the appropriately named road Coast Walk. The road dead
ends. Park and then walk.
Paddling west along the base of the cliffs, you soon pass the La
Jolla Caves. With high tide and small surf, some folks paddle
into the largest cave.
A little further west, you pass La Jolla Cove a little cove
popular with swimmers, snorklers, and divers -- be careful not to
run into any of them. This little cove is quite protected
(except on a north swell) and is another place where you could
launch or land. There are stairs going down to the cove here.
It's often hard to find a parking place near here.
As you swing out and round the point, the swells are often
larger and you usually need to paddle farther from shore. Paddle
as far south as you like. Return back the way you came.
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