Top 10 Best Northern California Beaches

When you think of an ideal beach, what do you visualize? A cinematic fog, roaring waves, and rugged cliffs? or do you visualize a quiet atmosphere with minimum beach combing done by your family? Whatever it might be, northern California beaches serve as a one-stop destination for all your vacation needs. 

As a resident of north California or someone who is looking to visit this amazing place, the authors of our magazine have formalized the top 10 best Northern California beaches that would compel you to fire up your car keys, load your beach essentials, and take the vacation of your dreams.

Manhattan Beach

People who have visited this beach can’t stop praising its experience. One of the major reasons is the bagpiper effect. Just when the sun is about the set you would notice that a set of bagpipes roam the beach grounds. 

Their melodious craft is incredibly soothing to the ears and would remind you about the sandy shores of Scotland. Other than that, if you are heading to the beach for amenities, we would request you take a pause and rethink your decision. to take. The amenities section is pretty bland as there is little to do other than having a specific section for golfers. 

Doran’s Regional Beach

In 1923, came out a movie which was a raging blockbuster and also brought a huge number of tourist attractions in terms of kayaking, fishing, or enjoying a picnic. Now this is the only beach in Northern California that allows setting up tents in advance and helping you extend your beach stays for days.

Capitola State Beach

Have you ever heard of a beach that had its resort in 1874? If you haven’t, this state beach is your one-stop destination. Though this beach received all the attention, it suffered its fate. During a massive storm that appeared in 2023 a lot of it was damaged in this storm but still the beach regained its glory within 2 weeks. 

Rodeo Beach

One of the best beaches for bread combers and why do we say that? We know exactly why. Multicolor pebbles present are jade, black gate, jasper, and gems. The beach is extremely good for surfers and skimboarders. boarders, the current might be an issue here. We would recommend that unless you are a pro surfer,  we advise you not to hit the beach. 

Trinidad State Beach

This state beach is loved due to its dramatic formations, sea lions, and the lovely tide it provides during the summer months. Another major tourist attraction of this spot would be the migrating gray whales that can be spotted if you are performing kayaking from June to August.

Stinson Beach

Best beaches in California like Stinson Beach come with a warning sign, why do we say that? We will tell you exactly why.   According to the insights published by Trip Savvy,  there have been quite several shark attacks in this area. 

So if you are a surfer or a swimmer please make sure that you are very careful when you dive into the sea, we would recommend not surfing too deep since it’s where the shark attacks are most prominent. 

In the case of beach amenities, the beach supports picnic tables and barbecue grills. Furthermore, if you visit this beach during summer months you will notice there are plenty of restrooms available and also cold showers that will take all your stress away. 

Glass Beach

This beach has a phoenix story associated with it. This beach rose from the ashes. We will let you know exactly why. According to Trip Advisor In 1906, this beach was treated as a trash site. Northern California beaches like Glass Beach have served as a gold mine for social media influencers because it has now become one of the prettiest beaches that Northern California has to offer. 

Just like a magical bird rising from its ashes, this beach has the same set of stories associated with it. Earlier people used to throw any plastic bottles, glass cans, and any other garbage that they could think of. By god’s grace, the sea brought back all the trash to the shore that dates back from 1906.  

People who have visited this beach found antic valuables and stole them. 

Santa Cruz Main Beach

What if we tell you about a beach that has a theme park and amusement park? Doesn’t it ring a bell and tell you that this beach would serve as a perfect family vacation beach? if the answer is yes then look no further than Santa Cruz main beach. 

Everyone who has visited this family-friendly beach in California has appreciated this beach for its incredible rides like a double shot, a Giant diaper roller coaster, and plunging that goes down to 129 feet. In addition, this beach turns into a movie theater during the summer months. 

Point Arena Public Lands

Best Northern California beaches like Point Arena have been regarded as the longest beach that has the largest coastline. Would you be surprised if we told you that this beach has a coastline of 1700 acres? 

That means you would be witnessing a historic lighthouse and staying in cottages that are prepared for guests who are interested in staying overnight. The lighthouse starts from 5 dollars and the cottage entry starts from 15 dollars. 

Mendocino Headlands State Park

Most nature lovers from all over California visit this beach site because of one singular reason known as bird watching, This area is the hub of bird watchers since it has one of the rarest batches of birds that you have ever witnessed and we are talking about hawks, cormorants, ospreys and pelican. 

Drakes Beach

The beach lights up during Labor Day. The annual sculpture contest of north California happens there and there and it brings home thousands of visitors. In addition, if you are visiting a place other than the sculpture contest then we recommend using Point Reyes Lighthouse as your secondary attraction point which has helped thousands of soldiers to have a rocky crash. 

Takeaway

We have successfully revealed the best northern California beaches that would help you get the best beach vacation of your life. The beaches revealed here are budget-friendly, have the best summer amenities available, and also have free parking space. 

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