Beautiful spot. Could not catch the sunsetting though because of the clouds. Good place to walk. Lot of surfers, and the beach is a playground for dogs

One of our favorite place to bring our dog near the Bay Area. He LOVES running around here off leash with all of the other pups and getting full of sand and ocean water. There is sufficient parking on nearby streets, but you will have to walk a bit and go down cliff stairs in order to access the beach. The beach is straddled by a lighthouse on the left and rock arch formation to the right which gives it some character. We have also been fortunate to see some wildlife activity here such as seals swimming by and hundreds of pelicans diving for fish. There are restaurants / etc. in downtown Santa Cruz nearby, but not much right by the beach.

Santa Cruz is iconic for many things, the Boardwalk, the beaches, and of course the surfers. In line with that is Lighthouse Field State Beach where the surfers have a significant role year round. A well known spot in Santa Cruz it is where you can see the Boardwalk, the surfers and or take your dog on a nice enclosed beach. The lighthouse is a place to see and a beautiful spot.

Its a beautiful place for photographers like me. And a great place to hang out in general.

Every aspect of this beautiful is stunning, beautiful views of sunrises and sunsets.. long walks along the beach with a peaceful vibration

Beautiful and the food at Steamer Lane supply is delicious. Also the monarch butterflies are just down the trail along with natural bridges

I especially loved how I could rock climbed to natural cliffs the beach had to offer. There were natural caves in the beach as well as under these cliffs but beware as they directly decent into unknown depths of water. There is a seal rock and you can hear seals groaning and growling. The setting sun made our time amazingly beautiful. The lighthouse is another attraction I dont know has any worth for visitors except Havi it in the backdrop of your pictures.

Dogs dogs dogs! Our favorite place to bring the pup. We always have a good time watching all the puppies run around and play in the sand and surf. Just make sure to check the tides before you go since the beach gets pretty small at high tide.

I really liked this light house, just wished I could have been able to go inside.

Nice beach, nearby, easy to find parking, and very crowded.

Beach is nice but small and busy (on a sunny Saturday). Recommend for dog owners who are comfortable with lots of dogs around. Probably not the best choice for those without dogs.

Lovely walk with great views of the Pacific ocean on one side and beautiful homes on the other

Very nice walkway along the coast. Easy for bikes and wheelchairs. Fun place to people watch.

Beautiful ocean views, great walking/biking paths. Lots to keep your eyes busy and entertained. Parking can be an issue on weekends and busy days.

The Lighthouse Beach in Santa Cruz is a pretty beach area on the Pacific Coast. The Lighthouse Museum features a small surfing museum, but doesn’t open until 9 AM. There are no restrooms there, so you must cross Hwy 1 to the little store which also has public restrooms. Many pretty spots along the beach.

Nice little cove. Good for kids and waves are manageable and fun. Also amazing view of natural arches.

Off leash dog beach with lots of awesome people and even more awesome dogs!! My pup & I had a BLAST! The funky seaweed pods look like aliens & carrots & all sorts of weirdness, and people have carved some really amazing art into the rock face. Just a super fun place all around

Love this place beside Pacific beach. Sunset colours are reflected through crashing waves. Soothing & soul touching experience if you watch sun go down on western horizon of the mighty ocean. Stroll around or walk beside crashing waves, sea-surfers -all that makes a lasting impression, never ever to forget. Watch those flying sea birds, they might hover in your mind later on when you reminiscing in your distant evenings.

Love Santa Cruz! Very proud to be raised here during my adolescence years. Someday would like to come back. Healing trip 2/2020, with my dad, Linda and I. Its been 30 years since I saw them. Amazing Grace!

Beautiful spot to people watch and see some wildlife. Parking can be tricky but just be sure to read the signs!

Untouched by time and man, this natural park frames the stunning ocean views of the unique microcosm-by-the-sea.

I often visit this beach alone. When the sun sets, the lighthouse is beautiful. On Sunday nights, you will experience the amazing flame throwers & twirlers, dancing to music by the glow of the lights surrounding the lighthouse. It is SUCH a beautiful setting. The moon shines bright, casting a shimmering, silver glow across the water.

Was a beautiful day and what a great walk. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Beautiful beach with view of the lighthouse, cliffs and surfers. Lots of dogs off leash, so if you dont like dogs you might be uncomfortable. We felt like it was one of the better beaches!

Good vagrant birding spot but lots of people and dogs. has restrooms. views over the wharf and bay are spectacular

Beautiful bluffs with blooming ice plant. Fun watching surfers, super cool lighthouse with museum and little Cafe with very chill outdoor seating and the most delicious pulled pork quesadilla Ive ever had! What a wonderful afternoon!

Clean, safe, fun, great for walking around as well as enjoying the water & sand, easy, free parking when not too busy, Great, Romantic Sunsets! A little hike to public restrooms.

Beautiful! Theres a dog beach just down the stairs to the West of the lighthouse too.

Santa Cruzs dog Beach! Fun with or without four-legged friends. Just watch your step!

Nice and quiet place. Get there early for good parking.

We love bringing our funds here to run and play. This is one of the few enclosed beaches where you can let your pups of leash, and its wonderful! Just dont be afraid to get a little wet at high tide, theres only a few feet of dry sand at times.

Really good beach but I’m waiting for my puppy to grow up. There’s a lot of small aggressive dogs on and off leash that will lunge at your dog. At least in my experience. Will try again in a couple months when my lab mix is bigger and calmer.

I love wandering around the trails, there are so many beautiful trees. This is a good place to have a nice view of the sunset also. The dogs love hunting around the grasses and fields for gophers and who knows what else! Always a fun time when I come here. Just be cautious of unleashed dogs.

Beautiful spot for sunset views.

Lots of dogs off leash playing together. Great place to take your dogs and enjoy the beach!

Great place to walk along the bluff. Beautiful views. Always seems to be crowded.

Visited this place during covid time. Not a lot of people who were walking were wearing mask. Quite disappointed to see that. Else it is a great beach. I really hope that people who come out and want to spend time in beach do wear masks.

Nice beach... sand...rocks nearby where you can look at tide pools. There were also seals and otters!

Great place with tons of friendly pups. For our first chance to get our puppies out to socialize. The owners were either friendly or just state to themselves off the main area where dogs were playing. Great experience and the pups enjoyed it.

Great place to chill and watch the sunset...hang out on the beach...watch the surfers...or just take a walk along the water. There is a decent amount of parking in the park, but there is also parking around on either side. Worth a stop...and it is more accessible then the Santa Cruz Boardwalk beach

Always a good place to walk and hold hands. The surfers were killing it that day

Beautiful beach but I dont recommend trying to surf there. Its super dangerous and you might hurt yourself. Better off just watching from the cliffs.

My dog would recommend other dogs to check this place out ...

A very beautiful place to walk and relax ... beautiful landcape...

This place is amazing. It is the true definition if natural beauty and serenity, and I am always sad to leave because I know its going to be a while until I come back (I live in Austin, TX). Sure, upfront parking can be a hassle to find, but if you are clever enough, there are plenty of back streets with ample space. Its a great place to people watch, or just relax and gaze into the vast, deep blue sea and contemplate the meaning of life. This will always be a favorite spot of mine.

Nice walking trail along the ocean

My favorite place to take my dogs, plenty of other dogs to play with too much fun

Dog friendly beach, (sandy) staircase access.

Such a beautiful walk. So much to see.

Beautiful scenery and cool spot to watch the surfers.

Such a great place to sit and watch the surfers with your dog.

Great walking path along the ocean. Beautiful views with lots of places to take great pictures.

Great place to go for a jog, ride bikes or just relax and enjoy the view, the breeze and the fresh air!

What a beautiful walk around the lighthouse field state beach park. After viewing the museum you can watch the surfers or take a stroll on the beach of just sit and enjoy the fresh ocean view. Just beautiful. A must see history of Santa Cruz. Bonus its all free.

Usually a very pleasant walk. This area now attracts irresponsible people who refuse to wear face coverings, making it dangerous for the elderly. Disappointing that there are this many unpatriotic people in Santa Cruz. It is equally disappointing that there is no enforcement of the health orders currently in force. Never any law enforcement on foot in this area. Why do we fund them if not for public safety?

Great place for Sunrise/Sunset with the dogs. This is known locally as dog beach and most are off leash. I would not recommend this beach for a family picnic or any afraid of dogs.

I loved the views and rock formations here, plus there was plenty of parking available. Its breathtaking at sunset!

One of the only areas you can walk dogs. Majority of dogs (and owners) are well behaved. Many if not all dogs off leash. I have one thats is great off leash and another with bad legs who wants to play with the big dogs. He stays on the leash. Beach is mostly clean so dont forget to pick up after your dog.

We stumbled across this area only because we had seen the lighthouse from the pier, and wanted to see it in person. The light house is in a beautiful setting with the surfing museum on the first floor of the lighthouse; seems apt. We saw lots of surfers offshore in full wet suits with hoods. We arrived in time to walk along the coastal foot path for a few miles at sunset: Gorgeous! I am writing this on January 20, 2020; I can only imagine what this place is like in summer!

Heaven on earth.Mother Nature streachen hear winter coat on a warm day!

Beautiful scenery. Love the lighthouse and the museum/gift shop. Great place for a nice stroll.

Great spot to watch the surfers. Tight across the street there is a great little place for Breakadillas for breakfast

Stunning views! Pretty cool to watch the surfers!

Nice sunny day with good surf!

Beautiful relaxing scenery but packed with tourist.

Nice scenic walk. Bring a jacket, its windy and chilly in July

I love this place just coz u get beautiful pic specially for pic only

A nice walk to. Restrooms nearby.

Its always been a place of beauty and just a cool spot to hang out and watch the surfers.

They have a really big open field with large red chairs that are big enough to fit at least 3 people on. It looks like a screen out of a movie. They also have a really cool visitors center that has a great description of everything you can do while youre in the area.You can even go behind the buildings on the far side and get a nice shot of the bridge looking over the highway.

My Babes and I love going here

So refreshing and beautiful. My place of peace.

One of my favorite places in Santa Cruz and West Cliff.

Beautiful views here. Great place to watch surfers.

One of the most beautiful spots in Santa Cruz, can never get enough of it!!born here raised here guess Ill die here to... Ahhhhh

Dog friendly. Little crowded but not to bad.

Lots of folks too brave in not wearing masks. They must be immune

Too many dogs.. actually its a dog friendly beach so lots of regular people with their dogs..

I like this place it remind me of a dog park But its a beach

Nice beach. Lots of dogs and good views.

Santa Cruzs heavenly beach for dogs.

Cool spot I feel blessed to be here

Amazing to see all the dogs on this beach were off leash.

Watched surfers and sea lions was nice

I just love this place! Popular spot to watch surfers riding the waves. There are some parking lots, so there are a few spaces. There are also a few benches and a small restaurant to grab a quick-bite.Come and soak in the sun, and enjoy the vibes of Santa Cruz!

Beautiful here, really great cliffs and during my visit there were lots of surfers so I definitely enjoyed watching them catch some waves in the Pacific. Walking around the paths near the beach was especially enjoyable because lots of people bring their cute and friendly dogs so it’s like a dog show with ocean views.

Great spot to walk up over the beach and access surf areas. Wide ocean views. Paved path good for running, biking, etc. Great for kids. The lighthouse is now a surf museum too. I was able to see a nice sunset over the water here!

If youre visiting Santa Cruz, you should see this part of the city. The view from here is amazing!

Walked 3 dogs. Weather beautiful

This is a beautiful park with an excellent view of the lighthouse and the surfers in the ocean. I see people being their dogs to play a lot of the time. The full moon view is simply gorgeous!

A trip to the bay is not a trip to the bay if I dont visit the lighthouse and the wharf.You can see whales (in season) off the shore right from the light house and then go grab dinner at the wharf at Riva Fish House.

Great place to take the family

This is one of my favorite places on the entire planet. It was the most beautiful fall / winter day Ive seen in a long time. I think the pictures say a lot. It was warm outside, and a slight mist from the fog who made the entire scene blissful and captivating.

Amazing panorama! Great place to walk, bills, watch surfers, eat lunch.

A great place to visit and explore. Very family friendly.

Fun educational place to take the family to learn about our coastal heritage

We went during the week and low tide. We brought our newly adopted dog. She did well with all but a couple dogs and even they werent a problem. There were a couple tag alongs. The beach was pretty clean, only a couple stray. Please watch your dog and pick up after him/her.

Good beach for the kids and dogs.

Great place to just watch the waves, walk and people watch.

Love watching the dogs run and play