Emma Wood State Beach – North Beach

Located a few miles west of the city of Ventura, Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach is situated along the southern Ventura County coastline. Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach is a part of an oceanfront state park known as Emma Wood State Beach. The beach is narrow, has light brown sand, and is located near a state park campground. Parts of the beach also have rocky man-made embankments to prevent erosion.

Emma Wood State Beach – North Beach has lifeguards, but it does not offer any other amenities, so prepare accordingly.

Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach offers many fun activities including swimming, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, surfing, skimboarding, kitesurfing, camping, paddle boarding, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and sunbathing. If you are planning to go into the water near Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here is known to have strong rip currents. Depending on the time of the year, you can see a variety of animals here including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating whales. Another popular activity in Emma Woods State Beach is fishing - you can catch a large array of fish here including perches, bass, cabezon, and corbina. There are remains of a World War Two-era military installation in the southern part of the beach, which can be explored by beachgoers. Moreover, the Ventura River forms an estuary near the southern end of Emma Wood State Beach (the state park in which Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach is situated), which is a great bird-watching spot and attracts a variety of bird species including songbirds and herons.

Getting to Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach is easy - the state park entrance is located near the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway / California State Highway 1 and State Beach Access Road, which is easily accessible from United States Highway 101 via Exit-72. There is a narrow and rocky access path along with free parking spaces located north of this entrance along the Pacific Coast Highway, from where you can easily access the beach.

If you like camping, there are two campgrounds present in Emma Wood State Beach. The campground near Emma Wood State Beach North Beach does not offer any amenities other than a restroom and crudely made campfire rings, and is only for self-contained vehicles, and has no accommodation for tents. There is another campground for group camping called the Ventura River Group Camp which accommodates both RVs and tents. However, this campground does not have any amenities except a shower and a restroom. There are many attractions near Emma Wood State Beach. If you like shopping, Ventura Harbor Village offers many shopping stores, restaurants, and art galleries. Ventura Botanical Gardens feature a unique array of over 160 species of plants collected from all over the world. If you are looking for another fun attraction near Emma Wood State Beach – North Beach, Grant Park is a grassy park that offers memorable views of the city of Ventura and the Pacific Ocean. Additionally, the park also has a cross which was planted in 1782 by the Franciscan priest Junipero Serra, who had also previously established Mission San Buenaventura.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach. Prime Steakhouse is an upscale restaurant that offers excellent steaks and seafood dishes. The Taj Cafe offers excellent Indian dishes including pakoras, naan, and tandoori chicken. The restaurant was also awarded Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice award in 2020. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Emma Wood State Beach – North Beach, the modestly priced Beach House Tacos serves excellent seafood tacos and burritos.

If you are looking for a hotel near Emma Wood State Beach - North Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Best Western Plus Carpinteria Inn offers many amenities including a restaurant, a bar, a pool, a hot tub, an exercise room, and a garden. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ventura Harbor which is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in the city of Ventura and offers complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for a modestly priced hotel near Emma Wood State Beach – North Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Ventura offers many amenities including a pool, a hot tub, and complimentary breakfast.