Seacliff State Beach
State Park · Aptos, California
Seacliff State Beach is in Aptos, on the north shore of Monterey Bay between Santa Cruz and Watsonville. A long sandy beach sits below sandstone bluffs, and the bay's cold Pacific water gives it fog, surf and a steady onshore breeze. Its best-known feature is the SS Palo Alto, a concrete ship from the 1920s that was grounded off the beach and used as an entertainment spot, then became the end of a fishing pier. Call it the concrete ship: it has long been broken and unsafe to board. The pier and campground have suffered storm damage and closures (confirm current status), and the bluff campground has offered RV sites (confirm). Santa Cruz and Capitola are minutes away. Expect crowds on sunny summer weekends, cold water, rip currents and winter surf. Seacliff is a place to walk, fish, watch pelicans and enjoy the bay, not to swim comfortably in the cold season. Confirm access, fees and hours first.
State Park Dr, Aptos, California, 95003, United States
Seacliff State Beach has generally been open daily from around sunrise to sunset for day use, with a paid entrance at the main lot - confirm the current hours and fee with California State Parks. The fishing pier, when open, has kept its own daytime hours and has been closed for repairs after storm damage, so confirm its status before you plan around it. Campground check-in and check-out follow reservation rules, and camping has been affected by winter storms and bluff work. High surf, coastal erosion and tides can close parts of the beach, and the stairs and ramps from the bluff may be closed for safety, with little warning.
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