Salt Creek Beach – Dana Point, California: Best Beaches in California

ByLisa Dworkin Hours

Photo courtesy of Lisa Dworkin. All rights reserved.

Beach Personality: A Champagne Beach at a Rotgut Price

Salt Creek Beach

Salt Creek Beach is part of the larger Salt Creek Park, part of the Orange County Parks system. According to Orange County Parks, “Salt Creek Park provides access to 18 acres of public beaches. The park consists of (a) landscaped parking facility, sandy beaches, rocky promontories, and sheer cliffs. The original ravine canyon locally known as Salt Creek, makes the northerly boundary of the beach. Grading and landscaping have been completed in such a manner as to blend with the natural features, leaving the beach and cliff area basically undisturbed.”

The Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel is located at the southern end of Salt Creek Beach and shares its beachfront. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that luxury hotels want to be located on the nicest beaches, so when you find an expensive, upscale hotel like the Ritz Carlton sharing a public beach it’s a pretty good indicator that the beach is something special.

Salt Creek Beach is a very family oriented beach, drawing local families and visitors alike. There are many reasons families like this beach including the many amenities, the variety of beachfront and ocean activities, the clean, welcoming and safe environment, and the good stewardship of Orange County and the Ritz Carlton.

Nona Reimer, a local elementary school teacher, has especially good things to say about the Ritz’s Eco-Adventures programs. Visitors and locals both benefit from this program through educational outreach and beach maintenance.

Beach Activities:

  • Swimming
  • Boogie boarding
  • Body surfing
  • Surfing
  • Skim boarding
  • Paddle boarding
  • Tide pooling
  • Basketball
  • Lounging

Beach Amenities:

  • Public bathrooms – Yes.
  • Showers – Yes.
  • Parking – Yes, for a fee in the beach parking lot.
  • Food – Yes, at Johns Beach Café. Open from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily during the summer and weekends the rest of the year.
  • Lifeguard – Yes.
  • Dogs allowed on the beach – No, but they are allowed in the park and on paved paths.

Additional amenities – drinking fountains; shuttle to/from beach parking lot ($1 each way); handicap accessible; beach wheelchairs available; and a large park between the beach and parking lot with a lawn, grills, picnic tables, gazebos, basketball court, and benches.

Beach Rentals:

John’s Beach Café rents boogie boards, surfboards, beach chairs and umbrellas.

Directions:

Salt Creek Beach Is located at 33333 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point, California, 92629.

To many joyful beach experiences!

— Lisa Dworkin

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