Bonny Doon Beach
Santa Cruz, CA
Bonny Doon Beach is a short walk from roadside parking to a pocket beach, with Sharktooth Beach just next door offering a nearly identical, similarly short trail to the sand. Both are quiet, low key stops on a stretch of coast with few formal facilities.
A genuinely easy, quiet pocket beach with a similar neighbor right next door if you want options, though neither has much beyond the sand itself.
How we score beachesTry Sharktooth Beach right next door if Bonny Doon feels busy, the two share the same general stretch of coast and character.
Free roadside parking is available.
A short trail leads from the roadside parking down to the beach.
Dogs are not allowed at Bonny Doon Beach under state park rules.
Fog is common most mornings year round, typical of the Santa Cruz coast.
More Pacific Coast beaches
Zuma Beach
Malibu, CA · Pacific Coast
A wide stretch of sand backed by the Santa Monica Mountains, with reliable swells that draw surfers year-round and plenty of room to spread out even on busy weekends.
Huntington City Beach
Huntington Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Known as Surf City USA, with a mile-long municipal pier, consistent breaks for surfers of every level, and a laid-back boardwalk scene along Pacific Coast Highway.
Main Beach
Laguna Beach, CA · Pacific Coast
Tucked between rocky headlands, with tidepools to explore at low tide, calmer coves for swimming, and an arts-town backdrop of galleries and cafes just steps from the sand.