Sunset Beach

The sunsets are awesome Great walking trails plenty of free parking at California dreaming here surfing is easy access great for hanging out on the beach

Came here just before sunset and it was a beautiful view. The parking is free and the restroom is too and not as dirty as most beaches. There was only a few groups there but they were far away from us.

This is one of our favorites when we are at Huntington Beach. Parking is free but limited. Mostly locals but due to parking we never see thw crowds luke HB.
Nice year round and not a bad beach break for surfing.

Sunset Beach in Hawaii is known for surfing. It’s located on the North Shore of Oahu (my island), but I don’t go there because the water is rough and dangerous.
Sunset Beach in Southern California is relatively calmer. There were challenging waves and I was still able to swim… meaning that it wasn’t flat and the water was not freezing! Sand quality is fine. …It sticks everywhere. When you change clothes, you wonder where it came from and how it got there! LOL! There are pieces of seashells scattered all over. .just dig through and you may find a sand dollar!
The parking was free in the late afternoon. .just waited for someone to leave. The shower was convenient. .just push the button because it seems to be on a timer. Restrooms are available.
Thanks to LA Elite Unilocaler, Chel, for the great review and beautiful photos of this place that I had bookmarked! Mahalo also to LA Elite Unilocaler, Tim, for being an accommodating chauffeur (I had to drag him to the beach. .heh heh heh)! Appreciate you both for your Aloha Spirit!

Beautiful, small and residential. Always clean, and people are out here all times of day and nights

Sunset Beach is so awesome that people are hesitant to write five star reviews and give it attention. The small stretch of beach north of the touristy and bro-​heavy Huntington Beach is like a sleepier, more adult Seal Beach, the perfect beach town bordering north, almost island-​like between beautiful wetlands, with the underrated Bolsa Chica for beach fun, the harbor area for kayaking, a weekly farmers market, and a weird but striking tower landmark that serves as a beach bum’s Eiffel. I’ve never felt comfortable in the bars there (Turc’s, Mother’s) other than the sorely missed Nadine’s Irish Mist pub, but Sunset Beach has some of my favorite restaurants, including Harbor House, Himalayan Grill, Pelican Isle, Daimon, Super Mex, Brix, Taco Surf, Captain Jack’s, Schooner at Sunset, and Don the Beachcomber, all of which I have reviewed. Along with Seal Beach and Naples, Sunset Beach is one of the three places I would live if I won the lottery… until then you can find me in the ghetto.

Definitely didnt come here for swimming. My intentions were to see a sunset and a sunrise for my overnight visit.
I have frequent this beach numerous a times like my other so cal beaches around me. But I ended up here on labor day weekend because it was close to home.
The sand is over populated by seashells. Some whole some not. It’s not as crowded. And my visit to sunset beach served it’s purpose.
Just needed to get away from reality and create a new world even for one day, one night. This helps me step outside of my world so I can have a better view. And it did.
It’s a place to take long walks on the dry and wet sand. It’s a place to take in the fresh air and blow out all the toxins in your soul. It’s a place where you can dance to your favorite slow jams under the moon light being caressed by your bodyguard=) It’s a place two people can just hold each other and listen to the amazing waves crashing in. And it offers a pretty sunset indeed.
I was thankful for a special person who was able to accompany me on my overnight getaway. He crossed several county lines to be with me. That says alot in Chel’s world. It really does. So salamat!
#Leos#@#heart

The perfect beach. Found this hidden gem on our way to Huntington. Decided to hang around this beach instead because there was free parking, a shower, and a moderately clean bathroom. The beach was nice and quiet. Wasn’t crowded which made it even better.

Sunset beach is a hidden gem, left for the locals to appreciate. Most of the tourists are at the more popular locations like Newport or Huntington Beach. Parking can be rough sometimes during the weekends when everyone is home (residents share parking with the beach parking). But never bad enough to say screw this, let’s go somewhere else.
Personally, i love coming to this beach during the evenings because there’s a nice breeze and I absolutely love wearing sweaters during the summer. It’s also nice to come here to fish because you won’t hook any children playing in the surf, and most of the birds are asleep, so it takes out the risk of hooking and possibly injuring them. However if you do this, bring a flashlight and make sure you clean up after yourself. No one likes trash and hooks on the beach. Especially after this beach s extremely clean.

Very calm & relaxing beach. Easy to find parking along PCH if you come early enough on busy days. Mostly families here & a great place to relax overall. The bathrooms are usual «beach» bathrooms. Sand, dirt, empty alcohol containers (for those who pour their alcohol into their disguise containers for the beach), vomit, diapers etc.

If you want shops, restaurants, boardwalks and piers, this beach is not for you. Just move along and leave the parking spots for those of us who just want beach and surf.

Yippee! Could it be? A near-​empty beach in So Cal?
A beach where you could spread out and not have to worry about a family of 25 setting up shop within a few inches of you?
Yes! Sunset Beach is the only local beach around that fits this description. Now I’m not the type of person that craves going to the beach, but this is one beach I look forward to going to.
The beach:
SB is just beach. Miles of vacant beach space for you to spread out, enjoy lull of the waves and finish that book you’ve been reading. It’s a no-​frills beach. Not a lot of distraction, which is good. There’s no pier like Santa Monica or boardwalk like Venice. No food stands or bike rentals either (at least none that I’ve seen). No volleyball nets. No hard bodies or boobies jiggling about. Just a beach. And a lot of seemingly unoccupied beachfront property. The bathrooms are halfway decent.
Parking:
The parking is relatively limited, but if you circle the lot a few times you can probably find something. If you do, the parking is free and unlimited (!). If you can’t find anywhere to park in the lot, there’s street parking, also free but not sure about unlimited. Just read the signs.
Bottom line:
If you want to escape for a few hours, I’d definitely check this place out. Bring your snacks and a sweater! **I’ve noticed this beach gets a lot chillier than others and tends to get a bit windy. You probably won’t even need your umbrella. :)

So gross ! I’ve lived here for about a year and a half, sitting on the beach as I type this and it is completely trashed. Not only that but don’t plan on laying out for more than 5 minutes without being swarmed and attacked by tiny little flies. Resilient fuckers so annoying they will not leave you alone. If you plan on a visit bring bug repellent and stay away from the heaps of seaweed & trash covering the sand.

I liked this beach very much. The waves and water were perfect for boogie boarding for the kids. The parking was free and it was pretty chill.
Not 5 stars because there was a decent amount of trash on the beach, but other than that– would def go back!

It was Memorial Day weekend. Warnings of high traffic, oversold hotels, too many tourists, and many headaches were given. We were dreading the worst.
But here at Sunset Beach, there was none of that!
It ended up being vast stretches of sand, beautiful and warm, with barely a soul on it. The houses lined up peacefully behind us as we walked past a small group of fishers, a few family with children, and a couple adults tossing a frisbee.
When we sat down, we were not even close enough to anyone to hear our conversations.
It was a perfect day at the beach.
As we lay there, letting the waves kiss our toes, we looked up to see dolphins jumping out of the water! They were playing with each other, racing and darting back and forth. It was quite a magical scene.
I’ve been to Huntington Beach before, but it was a nightmare with parking and crowds. I will definitely go to Sunset Beach from now on!

SHUFFLE YOUR FEET! Great beach but beware sting rays! while I was at the lifeguard post after being stung, 5 others were stung. Very painful experience!

What a lovely beach, like other reviews it’s not very crowded and is great nearby beach for seashell collecting. My five year old had a blast picking up whatever washed up by the shore, even found a few sea glass pieces. Perfect for those who like «long walks on the beach…»
Parking was fairly easy, maps pretty much helped us where to turn and BAM parking was right in front of us.

We are a big fan of this beach now. Seal beach was a pain to find parking so we went to Secret Spot to get our favorite shrimp burritos and vegan cookie than ended up going to Sunset Beach right across the way. I liked how it wasn’t crowded at all but there were people enjoying the sun as well. The water was calm and very enjoyable to go in. Saw some dolphins swim by in the distance as well as saw some random fish close to the water break. Oh and if you put your feet near where the water comes in and you feel rocks moving on your toes, they are most likely crabs.
I think we found our go to beach!

Quiet. Spacious. Perfect. Any day is good day here.
SB is one of those beaches where the typical beach scene consisting of hard bodies, boobies and sun worshipers are non-​exisitent. Thank goodness. Its a beach that summons the surf, impeccable waves and wispy ocean breezes. Good times are definitely to be had. Not into swimming or surfing? SB is perfect for walking on the sand, seashell collecting and sandcastle building. bring the kiddos!
Perks: Great dining, bars, cafes and shopping around. Beach is fairly clean and has cool views of Long Beach and Huntington Beach if you look around.
Downsides: Parking is rough — not too many public parking spots, also street parking can be difficult. Be cautious.
OverALL: Fun. FUN.Fun. Spend the day. Build a sandcastle, and catch a wave!

I would love to love this beach but it is just always covered in trash. Covered. Poor beach. There are lots of trash cans but alas, the people don’t care.
Free parking. Easy access and a ton of sand.