Bring your jacket, leave your dog at home, and come to watch the mesmerizing waves at the Marina State Beach. Parking is free, though the lot is small, so you may have trouble finding a space at the more popular times, which tend to be around sunset on weekends and holidays. The parking lot is situated on a coastal dune, so you need to walk down a sandy slope to reach the water and then back up to return to your car.
Between the parking lot and the water, there are three weathered picnic tables situated in the sand. There are also restrooms near the parking lot.
You really don’t want to bring your dog to this beach, even if you’re the type to ignore the rules. There’s a rip tide that can wash a dog — or a small child — out into deep and cold ocean waters. So caution your children and keep them close. Enjoy the surf, but stay on the sand unless you know what you’re doing.
If you come in the morning, you can sit in your car and sip hot coffee while watching and listening to the surf below. If you’re up for a walk or run along the ocean, there are miles of water-packed sand. You might see a fisherman or two surfcasting, and you might find some beach glass or pretty shells. Later in the day, you may see hang gliding or kite flying. This beach also has become a popular place for radio-controlled gliders. There’s almost always a steady breeze blowing in from the ocean here. This makes the Marina State Beach great for wind sports, and it’s also why you want to bring a jacket.
The dunes above the beach are home to a variety of native plants and animals, some of them rare or endangered. Just before the entrance to the parking lot, to the left you may be able to access a trail (recent conditions permitting) that lets you to enjoy great views while walking along the high dunes parallel to the beach. It’s about .6 miles round trip if you walk to the end of this trail and then return via the beach. The trail was originally designed to provide an easy walk along wooden boardwalks and sand ladders, but the winds and shifting sands make these difficult to maintain. The California Department of Parks and Recreation no longer lists this trail, so you may find that parts of it have been reclaimed by the wild dunes.
If you walk in the dunes, be aware that you are not allowed to damage, interfere with or remove any plants, animals, natural objects or cultural artifacts that you may encounter. Take away photos and memories. Leave behind only footprints in the sand for the winds to sweep away.