Ventura County, one of California’s best-known areas for surfing and enjoying the sunshine by the ocean, welcomes visitors with excellent beaches. Stretching over 2,208 square miles in the south of the Sunshine State, you can find lots of Ventura County Beaches to spend a lazy day in the sun or to get involved with some fast-paced water sports.
What are the best Ventura County Beaches, and how can you make the most of this corner of paradise for your vacation? We recommend:
- San Buenaventura Beach
- Emma Wood State Beach
- Point Mugu State Park Beaches
- Oxnard Beaches
- Rincon Point
- La Conchita
- Faria Beach
- Solimar Beach
- Harbor Cove Beach
- Surfer’s Point
- Marina Park Beach
- Hobson Beach
Read on to discover more about each of them, which are the best dog-friendly beaches in Ventura County, top spots to take the whole family, and surfers’ best picks.
12 Best Ventura County Beaches
1. San Buenaventura Beach
This state beach stretches over 2 miles just on the shores of Ventura itself. It’s the location of the much loved Ventura Pier, a 1,700-foot long pier popular for picnics and lovely walks into the sea. It is also a great spot for the whole family, thanks to its playground, which boasts many kid-friendly activities.
From the beach, you can rent bikes and head south along the coast, or you can check out the Ventura Promenade along the western end for a lovely stroll.
2. Emma Wood State Beach
If you like fishing and a bit of wildlife, this is the beach for you. Situated close to the mouth of the Ventura River, this beach is next to a stretch of wetlands, tide pools, and some excellent trails in Emma Wood. There’s a bike trail for those who want to stay on dry land or numerous surfing, swimming, and surf fishing spots.
The best beach sections are at the northern end of the park but go in summer when there’ll be enough sand the whole day. In winter, high tides can flood this area. You can also enjoy a day in the sun at the southern end, around the mouth of the Ventura River, where you can walk around and see the World War II Artillery Site.
3. Point Mugu State Park
The southern point of Ventura County beaches includes four different beaches within Point Mugu State Park. Situated 15 miles south of Oxnard, this 15,000-acre park has lots of space for recreational activities and several trailheads for hiking inland, along with campgrounds and picnic areas to enjoy lunch on a beautiful sunny day.
If you visit the park, you might meet wildlife in the wooded areas, including deer, foxes, and even mountain lions. You can also often see dolphins, whales, and sea lions from the shore.
Sycamore Cove Beach
The most southern beach is located at the mouth of Sycamore Canyon and serves as the headquarters for Point Mugu State Park. There’s a lovely sandy beach to lounge on, as well as facilities including BBQs and picnic tables, restrooms, and showers.
Most visitors come here for the extensive trail network adjacent to the beach, which means it’s a quieter beach than most others.
Point Mugu Beach
Point Mugu Beach is between Point Mugu Rock and the Naval property. This Ventura County beach offers excellent views, and the rock arch at Mugu Rock is extremely popular and photographed. However, it’s also a potentially dangerous spot where high tidal waves have been known to sweep people to their deaths!
Thornhill Broome Beach
You’ll find this beach more or less halfway between Mugu Beach and Sycamore Cove Beach, in front of a long campground on the ocean side of the Pacific Coast Highway. You can camp here right by the ocean, although, be aware that you’ll also be very close to the highway.
This isn’t the most scenic spot because of the rock pile built up to prevent complete erosion of the beach. However, it’s a good base for exploring La Jolla Canyon hiking trails on the other side of the highway and camping somewhere a bit special.
County Line Beach
Just inside the lines of Ventura County, you’ll find the aptly named County Line Beach, part of Leo Carrillo State Park. The main part of the park is actually in Los Angeles County, west of Malibu, so you can keep making your way towards LA by the oceanside if you travel through this area.
County Line Beach is popular for scuba diving and surfing, as well as with fishers, but it has few facilities and is not attractive for just a day in the sun.
4. Oxnard Beaches
The beaches around Oxnard are rightfully known as some of the best beaches in Ventura County. The city is located south of Ventura along the Pacific Coast Highway, offering a little hub for exploring 5 miles of sand and sea.
Mandalay Beach
This is the northernmost beach, part of Mandalay County Park, a 94-acre home for wetlands, wildlife, and plants. You can find threatened bird species here, such as the Least Tern and the Snowy Plover.
As this is a haven for wildlife and the natural environment, the park doesn’t have a lot of facilities, except for parking for free along Mandalay Beach Road. You cannot bring dogs here, but you can enjoy watching surfers off the coast and have a lovely day in the middle of nature, as it might have been hundreds of years ago.
Oxnard Beach
Working your way south, you enter Oxnard Beach Park and then head to the seaside, where you’ll be greeted by a fully appointed beach. The facilities here include picnic tables, BBQs, restrooms, and lots of space for outdoor sports.
The park has volleyball courts and a children’s playground. Unlike other areas where Ventura beach parking isn’t plentiful, here you have two pay parking lots on South Harbor Boulevard, plus a third one at the south end of the beach.
The great thing about Oxnard Beach is that not only can you lie in the sun or enjoy some volleyball, but you also have a good choice of paved pathways to walk around, making it a very accessible beach for all visitors.
Hollywood Beach
Rudolph Valentino used to have a house next to this beach, as did Clark Gable and Carol Lombard. But, today, there are fewer Hollywood stars here and more people swimming and playing beach volleyball. This Oxnard beach is buzzing in the summer, and it’s also one of the dog-friendly beaches in Ventura County, allowing dogs on leash to join you on the sand before 9 am and after 5 pm.
Silver Strand Beach
Finally, if you’re into surfing, this is one of the premier places to practice the sport in Ventura County. This 1-mile stretch of coastline between Port Hueneme and Channel Islands Harbor attracts surfers thanks to its great waves, summer lifeguards, and free parking from sunrise to sunset.
5. Rincon Point
Famous for world-class surfing, Rincon Point can be found at the very northern end of Ventura County. It hosts annual surfing competitions and attracts surfers of all abilities. Its best facilities are at Rincon Beach County Park, and the best surfing is usually from the point into Ventura County cove.
6. La Conchita
Moving south from Rincon Point, La Conchita Beach and its adjacent town have been plagued by landslides, unfortunately. However, the mile-long sandy stretch on the shore is absolutely lovely and worth a visit.
7. Faria Beach
You can find this spot 7 miles north of Ventura at Pitas Point. It’s a small country park with camping available for tents and RVs, but no access for dogs on the beach. The best sandy spot is to the north, but it is primarily favored by surfers rather than beachgoers.
8. Solimar Beach
Getting closer to Pitas Point, 2 miles away, you’ll find the small community of Solimar. It has a narrow beach with parking along the shoulder of the Pacific Coast Highway and some good surfing spots.
9. Harbor Cove Beach
One of the most family-friendly Ventura County beaches, this one is also known as Mother’s Beach. Families with young children can play here peacefully, as the breakwaters provide a haven from big swells. You can also admire incredible views of the coastline and hills.
10. Surfer’s Point
As the name suggests, this is the part of Ventura where surfers meet up to head to the waves. It’s just near San Buenaventura Beach, really close to the city center. And, if you don’t surf, this is also a great spot to watch the surfers in action, from the beach or a bit higher up in the park, where you can rest in the shade.
Much work has gone into upgrading Surfer’s Point Park, making it a more easily accessible Ventura beach parking location. There are even surf check spots where surfers can park to check conditions before committing to stay the whole day.
11. Marina Park Beach
Another great kids’ playground beach, Marina Park, offers lots of space to enjoy for the little ones. It’s also got spots for picnics and barbecues, steps away from the scenic, sandy stretch of beach. Finally, Marina Park is one of the dog-friendly beaches in Ventura County, along with Harbor Cove, Surfer’s Point, and Promenade Park beaches.
12. Hobson Beach
Open from 7 am to sunset, this northern Ventura beach is another small stretch of coastline about 2.5 miles north of Faria Beach Park and 4.5 miles south of Rincon Point. There is a small campground, but dogs are not allowed on the beach here.
Ventura County Beaches – Enjoying the coastline in California
To review, here are our picks for the best Ventura County beaches:
- San Buenaventura Beach
- Emma Wood State Beach
- Point Mugu State Park Beaches
- Oxnard Beaches
- Rincon Point
- La Conchita
- Faria Beach
- Solimar Beach
- Harbor Cove Beach
- Surfer’s Point
- Marina Park Beach
- Hobson Beach
Whether you like surfing, beach volleyball, or enjoying nature and wildlife in beachside country parks, there’s a spot for you among Ventura County beaches. Most places allow camping, and you can head out into the hills or lounge by the ocean, or do both if you’re there for a few days!