Sunset State Beach

Located near the city of Watsonville, Sunset State Beach is a large state-protected beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated below oceanfront vegetation-covered bluffs. The beach and the area above it have many amenities including lifeguards, picnic tables, barbecue spots, restrooms, and a remote-controlled glider port. Dogs are not allowed on this beach. The state beach offers access to people with disabilities.  

Sunset State Beach offers many fun activities including hiking, sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, wildlife watching, picnicking, camping, and surfing. The water near the beach is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including swimming and paddleboarding as it has cold temperatures, dangerous currents, and considerable depth. However, highly experienced surfers occasionally go into the water here as it offers thrilling surfing waves. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including seals, sea lions, dolphins, sea otters, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can view many interesting kinds of birds around the mouth of the Pajaro River near the southern end of this beach including brown pelicans, terns, and gulls. It is important to note that portions of the beach might be seasonally closed off to public access as the beach is used as a nesting ground by the Western snowy plover, which is listed as an endangered species under the federal 1973 Endangered Species Act. You can also catch many kinds of fish in the water near this beach including surf perches, sardines, and striped bass. However, if you are planning to fish in the water near Sunset State Beach, please make sure that you follow the local regulations. If you like flying remote-controlled gliders and planes, there is a remote-controlled gliderport around Sunset State Beach that can be used to launch remote-controlled gliders and planes.

The blufftop area above Sunset State Beach has a vibrant landscape and a variety of habitats including coastal scrub, woodland forests, wetlands, and coastal strands. You can explore this vibrant landscape and the amazing local flora and fauna present here. The blufftop area above the beach also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the Central California shoreline. There is also a campground near Sunset State Beach which has campsites for both RVs and tents. This campground has many amenities including restrooms, showers, fire pits, picnic tables, and barbecue spots. There is also a shaded pavilion which is available for large group-picnic sessions. If you are planning to camp or group picnic in Sunset State Beach, you can visit the state beach’s webpage on the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s website for more information.

Getting to Sunset State Beach is easy - the entrance to this state beach is located near 223 Sunset Beach Road, which is easily accessible from the nearby community of La Selva Beach via the San Andreas Road. You can park at the paid parking lot available near the state beach entrance and walk to the beach via an access trail.

There are many attractions near Sunset State Beach. Seascape Park is a six-acre neighborhood oceanfront park that has many amenities including artistic benches (created by artist Mary Fuller), a picnic area, a playground, restrooms, and a walking path. As an interesting fact, it was here that the inventor John Montgomery conducted one of the earliest high altitude flights in the history of aviation via a glider airplane that was launched from a hot air balloon in 1905. Agricultural History Project Center & Museum has interesting historical exhibits related to agriculture. If you are looking for another attraction near Sunset State Beach, The Aptos History Museum has interesting exhibits that offer a unique insight into the local history.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Sunset State Beach. Sanderlings Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing steaks, seafood, and burgers. California Grill offers amazing salads, sandwiches, seafood, pasta, steaks, and burgers. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing breakfast dishes including eggs, pancakes, burritos, and breakfast sausages. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Sunset State Beach, the modestly priced El Frijolito Restaurant serves amazing Mexican dishes which are served in generous portions.

If you are looking for a hotel near Sunset State Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Seascape Beach Resort offers many amenities including a restaurant, three pools, multiple hot tubs, and tennis courts, a golf course, a fitness center (available for a fee),  and a bike and boogie board loaner facility. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Best Western Seacliff Inn, which offers many amenities including a pool, gardens, fitness center, a coin-operated laundry, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Sunset State Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Motel 6 Watsonville, CA-Monterey Area offers many amenities including a pool, a coin-operated laundry, and complimentary coffee.