New Brighton State Beach

If you are a beach walker or like coastal bluff trails, then New Brighton State Beach is a refreshing alternative to other beach locations along the California coast.

Some of the more interesting beaches along California's beautiful coastline can be difficult to find, or are crowded, or lack basic sanitation but this beach is an exception, and you have lots of choices while you are here.

Welcome To New Brighton State Beach!

You could hike the bluff trails nestled in the Monterey Pines where you will find a number of spots that are absolutely perfect for spreading a blanket, a picnic lunch, and sipping a favorite romantic beverage while watching for migrating whales just off the shore.

If you arrive early in the day before the sun heats up, a brisk walk right near the waters edge might make a perfect beginning for your day at the beach. It's a romantic place where the challenges of daily life fade, and the sounds of the ocean often work their magic. Many wonderful conversations with those I care about have taken place here and are among those I still remember ... why not try it for yourself?

There is a wonderful and almost poetic, long one mile beach that I have hiked on many occasions. The beach is almost private at times. You may see a few joggers but most of the time it's just you and the beach.

New Brighton State Beach ... Coastal Bluffs Or Long White Sandy Beaches

View Of New Brighton State Beach From The Bluffs

Perfect Place For A Romantic Picnic In The Shade Or On The Grass!

Access To The Beach From The Coastal Bluffs

The beach at New Brighton feels secluded, and away from the noise of the city, yet open with views across all of Monterey Bay. You may see sailboats just off shore and the occasional local fisherman casting lines right from the shoreline.

If the time and weather is just right, you can even see point Pinos at the tip of Pacific Grove probably forty miles away as the crow flies. Beneath the quiet waters of Monterey Bay, lies one of only three submarine canyons that exist worldwide. 

I have been here when it's raining and foggy and on days when it was seventy two degrees, light winds and perfect ... and at most only six or seven people on the beach.

For those who love to hike in a beautiful setting this beach has a lot going for it. You could even camp in the state park and have access to this beach for days as you scout around Santa Cruz, Soquel and Capitola. Romantic opportumities are everywhere on this part of the coast!

You could begin your day in the morning when the beach is quiet and the sun is low in the sky, and when pelicans are actively diving for food just under the waves a hundred yards off the waters edge. Sometimes you can see dolphins and sea lions just a short distance out into the water.

On occasion you can find unbroken sand dollars especially early in the morning before anyone else arrives and after the tides recede.

A Five Hundred Foot Pier and A Sunken Ship

The "Palo Alto" Sunken Ship

As you hike the uncrowded New Brighton State Beach, maybe passing playful dogs and their owners, and as you continue and walk the mile just at the waters edge, your mind begins to forget it's pressing concerns.

As the sounds of the waves begins to overtake your thoughts, you might think your seeing things when all the way down the beach your eyes focus on what appears to be a sunken ship at the end of a long fishing pier that bisects New Brighton State Beach from Seascape Beach.

Take a walk out on the pier and see fisherman catching halibut where not too many years ago this part of the pier was a restaurant and amusement park created by the sinking of the "Palo Alto",  a World War One ship partially submerged here on purpose, to serve as a foundation for the newly planned entertainment venus. 

At the end of your beach walk and near a very old train trestle, you will find China Beach, and depending on the weather and your preference, you might choose to take the beach steps up to the Seacliff Trail back through the Monterey Pine forest for a dramatically different view of the local surroundings.

Or, you could retrace your steps back to the beginning of the beach trail. 

A Quiet Beach, Coastal Bluffs, Camping, And Hiking Trails

Camping Can Be Very Romantic!

If your hiking with a "significant other," New Brighton State Beach offers more to do than most of the beaches anywhere on Califonia's Central Coast.

Hiking Along The Bluffs! Perfect On A Hot Summer Day

The setting and the sounds of the ocean are a perfect setting where you can savor the view and enjoy your company ... sometimes these moments are few and far in between!

Take a walk out to the "Palo Alto" and experience it for yourself. 

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