Save
You must be signed in to save park lists.
Your Park Lists
add New List
Add Photo
You must be signed in to add photos.
state route ranger badge
California
60

California State Parks

responsive menu icon
USA Parks
California
Southern California Region
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Bolsa Chica State Beach © Regular Daddy / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A view of the beach South from lifeguard station 23 at Bolsa Chica State Beach
Bolsa Chica State Beach © Regular Daddy / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
New camera, different view, similar content
Search
Availability
Calendars
Availability Search
BOLSA CHICA STATE BEACH
BOLSA CHICA STATE BEACH
17851 East Pacific Coast Highway
Huntington Beach, California   92649
(lat:33.6949 lon:-118.047) map location

Phone: 714-377-5691
Reservations: 714-846-3460
Bolsa Chica State Beach is a popular place for surf fishing for perch, corbina, croaker, cabezon and sand shark. Also popular is in the summer is bare-handed fishing for California grunion, a species that only spawns on sandy southern California beaches. The beach extends three miles from Seal Beach to Huntington Beach City Pier. A bikeway connects it with Huntington State Beach, seven miles south. Wildlife and bird watching are popular. Across the road from the beach is the 1,000-acre Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, operated by the California Department of Fish and Game.
History of the Area
The area was originally part of a Mexican land grant from 1834. It became popular for hunting and fishing during the late 19th century.

In early years it served as an oil extraction site until its purchase by Signal Oil Company in 1941. The company drilled wells but also preserved parts of wetlands which later formed Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve.

The State acquired this beachfront property in1960 to provide public recreational opportunities while preserving coastal resources.
It officially opened as a state park on July 25,1972 offering various activities like surfing or bird watching.

Today it is managed by California Department of Parks and Recreation attracting over two million visitors annually with diverse wildlife habitats making it significant ecological reserve along Southern Californian coast.

FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
Day-UseFishingyes
 Hiking Trailyes


Location
Bolsa Chica State Beach is located near Aliso Viejo, Anaheim and Artesia

Trails
- Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Trail: A 4.5-mile loop trail, suitable for all skill levels and primarily used for walking, bird watching.

- Harriett M Wieder Regional Park Loop: This is a lightly trafficked loop trail of approximately 1 mile that features beautiful wild flowers.

- Huntington Beach Bike Path - North to South Route: An easy level path stretching about 8.5 miles along the Pacific coastline offering scenic views of beaches and ocean waves.

- Warner Avenue Paved Pathway at Bolsa Chica State Beach: Approximately half-a-mile long paved pathway ideal for biking or leisurely walks with beachside view points

-Bolsa Bay & Mesa Trails - These are two separate trails both measuring around one mile each; they offer great opportunities to observe wildlife in their natural habitats.

-Pocket Loop Trail - At just under three-quarters of a mile this short hike provides stunning panoramic vistas over the wetlands area below it.

-Inner Bay Loop Trail - It's an easy-to-moderate difficulty hiking route spanning roughly four miles round trip through diverse ecosystems including marshes and coastal dunes.

-Warner Pond Overlook Spur- Just shy of quarter-of-a-mile long but offers excellent viewing spots overlooking Warner pond where many species can be observed from its elevated position.

-Mesa Point Outlook Hike- Short yet steep climb up onto mesa point providing breathtaking overlooks across entire reserve which spans less than half a mile total distance covered on foot

Visitor Comments, Memories and Reviews
write a review
Share On

Area Campgrounds
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort
1131 Back Bay Drive
Newport Beach, CA
949-729-3863
Orangeland RV Park
1600 West Struck Avenue
Orange, CA
714-633-0414
Golden Shore RV Resort
101 Golden Shore
Long Beach, CA
562-435-4646
Huntington By The Sea RV Resort
21871 Newland Street
Huntington Beach, CA
CC Camperland
12262 Harbor Boulevard
Garden Grove, CA
714-750-6747
Anaheim Harbor RV Park
1009 South Harbor Boulevard
Anaheim, CA
714-535-6495
Anaheim RV Village
333 West Ball Road
Anaheim, CA
Anaheim Resort RV Park
200 West Midway Drive
Anaheim, CA
714-774-3860
Nearby Hotels
Booking.com

Directions
The beach extends from Pacific Coast Highway at Golden West to Pacific Coast Highway at Warner Ave. Latitude/Longitude: 33.6603 / -117.9983.

state route ranger badge
California
60

California State Parks

X