Best Family-Friendly Beaches in Long Beach

Located in Long Beach in Southern California, Alamitos Park Beach is a small beach known for its very calm waters and pristine sands. 

Located in the neighborhood of Belmont Shore in the city of Long Beach, Belmont Shore Beach – also known as Claremont Beach - is a large south-facing beach that has light brown sand.  This beach is located between the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier and a street named 55th Place.  A portion of this beach is called Granada Beach – this portion recieved this name because it is located near Granada Avenue.  In addition, another portion of this beach is also named Rosie’s Dog Beach.  Belmont Shore Beach offers many amenities including lifeguards, restrooms, showers, concession stands, volleyball courts, a boat launch area, and a bike path.  It is important to note that dogs are allowed off-leash between 6 am and 8 pm in a specific part of Belmont Shore Beach and named Rosie’s Dog Beach – this portion is located along Ocean Boulevard between its intersections with Argonne Avenue and Roycroft Avenue.  It is also important to note that dogs are not allowed in other portions of the Belmont Shore Beach.

Located on the inland shoreline of Alamitos Bay, Alamitos Bay Beach - also known as West Bayshore Beach - is a popular beach with light brown sand. The water near the beach is a few degrees warmer than other beaches in the city of Long Beach. The upscale residential neighborhood of Naples is located near the beach.

Located in the southwestern part of the city of Long Beach, Alamitos Beach is an east-facing beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated between Long Beach City Beach and the Shoreline Yacht Club Marina. The water near this beach is owing to the presence of numerous ports and breakwaters along the Long Beach coastline. Alamitos Beach is not to be confused with another separate beach with a similar name called Alamitos Bay Beach which is located to the north beside the inland Alamitos Bay. Alamitos Beach offers numerous amenities including lifeguards, volleyball courts, a biking path, restrooms, showers, and water sporting equipment rental facilities. Dogs are not allowed on this beach. Getting to Alamitos Beach is easy – it is located near the intersection of Alamitos Avenue and Ocean Boulevard (which is how the beach got its name). There is a paid parking lot near Shoreline Drive. We recommend getting there early since the parking lot fills up quickly.

Located in the city of Long Beach, Colorado Lagoon is an inland saltwater lagoon that is surrounded by large parks. There are two unnamed beaches on opposing sides of the lagoon shoreline which are connected by a pedestrian bridge. It is a popular visiting spot among locals owing to its calm and shallow waters. Colorado Lagoon and its surrounding parks offer a variety of amenities including lifeguards, picnic areas, showers, restrooms, a playground, tennis lawn, and a golf course and also offer access to people with disabilities. Dogs are not allowed on the beaches around Colorado Lagoon. Getting to Colorado Lagoon is easy - it’s located at 5119 East Colorado Street. There is a free parking lot available near the lagoon at Appian Way and also at Nieto Avenue off 6th Street.

Located in the Peninsula neighborhood of the city of Long Beach, Peninsula Beach is the name of a south-facing sandy beach that borders the Pacific Ocean. This beach is not to be confused with Peninsula Bayside Beach which is another separate beach on the northern part of the Peninsula neighborhood facing Alamitos Bay. This beach is a stretch of light brown sand and has calm waters due to the presence of Long Beach Breakwater nearby. The northern part of the beach is wider than its southern part. The beach also has a boardwalk running along its length called the Seaside Walk, which was built in the 1920s and is considered to be a heritage landmark by local residents. It has a backdrop of the bright residential houses of the Peninsula neighborhood. The beach has lifeguards and restrooms on its southern end, but it does not offer any other amenities. Dogs are not allowed on the beach. Getting to Peninsula Beach is easy - it's located near the East Seaside Walk between 55th Place and 72nd Place. There is a paid parking lot available on the north end of the beach at Bayshore Playground and at the southern end of the beach near Alamitos Park while street parking is available along the side streets of Ocean Boulevard.

Located on the southern end of the city of Long Beach, Marine Stadium Beach is a long and narrow beach situated beside a marine stadium that was built in 1925. The stadium was used to organize the rowing events for the 1932 Olympics which were hosted in Los Angeles. The part of the beach present on the southern side of the marine stadium is sandy, while the northern parts of Marine Stadium Beach are rockier. Dogs are not allowed on this beach. Marine Stadium Beach does not have any lifeguards but it does have restrooms and a boat launch area. Getting to Marine Stadium Beach is easy - it's located at 5255 Paoli Way Long Beach. There is a free parking lot available near the beach.

Located near the Downtown area of Long Beach, Shoreline Aquatic Park is a grassy park that offers access to an unnamed beach on its northern side towards Queensway Bay. The beach has light brown sand, coyote bushes, a rocky shoreline, and a few palm trees. The beach does not have lifeguards, but it has picnic areas, benches, restrooms, and walking trails. Dogs are not allowed on the beach in Shoreline Aquatic Park. The beach at Shoreline Aquatic Park, located at 308 Golden Shore Long Beach, is easy to access. A paid parking lot at the nearby Pier Point Landing permits your vehicle to be parked for only 90 minutes.