Sunset State Beach
Under $25A California state beach on Monterey Bay with pine-shaded camping, dunes, and oceanside picnic areas.

Photo: Dg251273, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
A bluff-backed Monterey Bay beach in Santa Cruz County with tent camping, fishing, and ocean views.
1445 San Andreas Road, Watsonville, CA 95076 · Watsonville, CA
Manresa State Beach sits on the Monterey Bay coast in Santa Cruz County, reached by San Andreas Road from Highway 1 south of Aptos. Visitors can walk the sand, fish from the surf, and take in views of the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Monterey Peninsula. Picnic tables line the bluff top. The Manresa Uplands campground nearby offers tent-only sites from mid-May through October. Ocean conditions can be dangerous, with rip currents and deep drop-offs, so swimming and surfing call for experience. Dogs are allowed on a leash, and drones are not permitted.
The closest stops to Manresa State Beach, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
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