Located in the Westside area of the city of Santa Cruz, Lighthouse Field State Beach is actually the name of a state park managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and is situated adjacent to two bluff side beaches. The state park is comprised of two major parts. The northern portion of Lighthouse Field State Beach is a large grassy walking park, one of the last open oceanside forelands in urban California, that is situated in the north of West Cliff Drive. The southern portion is a rocky sandstone blufftop area which is called the Lighthouse Point (also known as Point Santa Cruz) as it features Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse and the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum – and is also has a paved esplanade running to its west which is popular with bikers.
There are two beaches adjacent to Lighthouse Field State Beach - one is located to its south just across West Cliff drive and is known as Its Beach and another is situated east of the state park and is called Steamer Lane. The park and the adjoining beaches usually don’t have any lifeguards, although Steamer Lane often sees lifeguard deployment during high surf conditions. However, the park and the beaches have many amenities including showers, restrooms, walking trails, picnicking areas, and drinking fountains, and also allow pets on a leash. The park and the beaches are easy to access - they are located at 701 West Cliff Drive. There are a number of free parking lots along West Cliff Drive and Lighthouse Point, from where you can access the state park and the stairs leading down to the adjacent bluff side beaches.
