Expert: Steve Summers - 7/3/2007

Question
Where is the cleanest and the most not crowded beach in southern California?

Answer
Hi Momo,

That's really easier said than done. The real problem lies in the fact that all the beaches are essentially connected via one small highway or access road. So, they are ALL essentially crowded. For example, Huntington Beach was the busiest place in SoCal yesterday, but PCH was gridlocked all the way from Seal Beach to Laguna. So, it didn't matter which beaches were uncrowded, trying to get there was most difficult.

When I want to get to a less-crowded beach, I've found some nice spots close to (but not technically in)some more popular beaches: South of Laguna and north of Dana Point is a good spot in OC, the north end of Zuma is also a good spot. You may also be able to find some uncrowded spots along PCH between Malibu Colony and Ventura county line.

To get away from the big crowds, I like to go up to Carpinteria. It's about 85 miles north of downtown LA on highway 101. There's a nice campground there, as well as a city beach.

Good luck,

Steve