Dead Man's Beach(Deadmans Beach)

Located in the community of Shelter Cove, Dead Man’s Beach - also simply known as Deadmans - is a small beach with light grey sand and a rocky shoreline that is situated below oceanfront bluffs. A gulch named Dead Man’s Gulch is present near this beach. 

Dead Man’s Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities. However, a boat launch facility present near this beach has restrooms. Dogs are allowed on the beach. 

Dead Man’s Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, hiking, wildlife watching, surfing, and fishing. The water near this beach is extremely unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including swimming and paddleboarding as the water here has dangerous currents and strong waves. In addition, the rocky shoreline around the beach can inflict grievous injuries. Drowning-related deaths have also been reported in the water near this beach. We also recommend being careful while standing near the water in this beach as sneaker waves are known to pull visitors offshore. However, despite the risky water conditions, surfers often go into the water near this beach as it seasonally offers amazing and powerful surfing waves. If you are planning to surf here, we recommend visiting this beach during spring and autumn. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals and migrating whales. During low tide, intrepid beachcombers often comb the beach for shells as this beach offers a fantastic beachcombing experience. If you are planning to fish in the water near Dead Man’s Beach, we recommend ensuring compliance with the local fishing regulations. 

Getting to Dead Man’s Beach is slightly difficult - accessing Dead Man’s Beach requires a long and winding drive from the nearby town of Garberville which is situated along United States Highway 101. There are two main ways to access this beach - the first way to access Dead Man’s Beach is to first get to a boat launching facility named Shelter Cove Boat Ramp, which is present near 533 Machi Road and where a free parking lot is also present. During low tide, you can walk along the shoreline from this boat launch facility to access Dead Man’s Beach. Another way to access this beach is parking at an overlook present at the end of Cove Point East road.  Once you park here, you need to walk along a rough trail which offers access to Dead Man’s Beach from the blufftop area above. We recommend visiting this beach during low tide as during high tide this small beach is significantly submerged and inaccessible. We also recommend visiting this beach wearing appropriate footwear as it is known to have driftwood.

There are many attractions near Dead Man’s Beach within an hour-and-15 minute drive. The Cape Mendocino Lighthouse is a locally famous lighthouse which was originally constructed in the 19th century. While this 43-feet tall lighthouse was originally situated in Shelter Cove (which is California’s westernmost point), it was moved in 1998 to Shelter Cove. The Immortal Tree is a locally renowned redwood tree which is around a thousand years old. This tree has survived many potentially fatal events including lightning, fires, and logging attempts. This tree has also survived the devastating flood which occurred in the Western coast of the United States in 1964. This tree also has a metal fish on one of its branches, which demarcates the extent to which it was submerged during the 1964 floods. If you are looking for another attraction near Dead Man’s Beach, Benbow State Recreation Area is a state park which has hiking trails that offer a unique way to explore the vibrant redwood forests of Northern California. This state park also offers a picnicking area and a campground. In addition, portions of the South Fork of the Eel River also pass through this state park, which offers an amazing seasonal fishing experience. If you are planning to camp in Benbow State Recreation Area, you can visit the state park’s webpage on the California Departments of Parks and Recreation’s website for more useful information on the camping rules and amenities.  

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Dead Man’s Beach. Mi Mochima offers amazing Venezuelan dishes. In addition, the restaurant also serves excellent seafood and steaks. Gyppo Ale Mill offers amazing seafood, fries, chicken wings, salads, sandwiches, and burgers. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Dead Man’s Beach, Honeydew Country Store is a general store with a small deli that offers light snacks. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing burgers.

If you are looking for a hotel near Dead Man’s Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Benbow Historic Inn is 50 minutes away by car. This hotel was built in the 1920s and offers many amenities including a restaurant, a nine-hole golf course, a cocktail lounge, and access to a nearby seasonal pool. The hotel also offers a complimentary bicycle loaner facility and afternoon tea. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Spyglass Inn at Shelter Cove which offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and is located conveniently close to some of the major attractions around Shelter Cove and the Lost Coast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Dead Man’s Beach, the 2-Star OceanFront Inn-Shelter Cove offers many amenities including a restaurant and a barbecue area with picnic tables.