Right Beaches › California › Santa Cruz
Bonny Doon Beach
4.6★ · 164 Google ratings · Santa Cruz, California
✓ Short walk
At a glance
Parking
Reported adequate
Access
8am to 8pm
Walk
100 ft · under a minute
Restrooms
None reported
Water
62°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Length
450 yd of shoreline
Sand
175 yd from the water to the back
Crowds
Quietest Sun 8am
Map of Bonny Doon Beach
Guide
Good to know
Visit for seclusion and quiet
This cove rarely gets crowded even in summer, making it ideal if you want to avoid packed beaches.
Know about the northern nude section
The north end is clothing-optional; a large rock separates it from the main family area, but be aware before arriving.
Experienced swimmers only in water
Multiple people have been swept out to sea here; only enter if you are a strong swimmer familiar.
Prepare for steep beach access
A large sand dune and sometimes a seasonal stream crossing make getting down moderately difficult; it's a workout back.
Conditions
How it is right now
Air
64°F · overcast
Water
62°F · modelled, no buoy nearby
Waves
4.8 ft · 11 s apart
Wind
1 mph from the WSW
Shelter
Onshore · wind blowing straight in off the water
UV index
7 peak today
| Time | Tide | Height |
|---|---|---|
| 06:32 | High tide | ↑ |
| 09:16 | Low tide | ↓ |
| 16:18 | High tide | ↑ |
Last updated Sep 4, 5:36 AM.
Crowds
When it gets busy
| 8a | 9a | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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QuietBusy
Practical
Plan your visit
📍 North Pacific Ocean, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
🌊 Water 100 ft away, under a minute walk
Nearby
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Questions
Common questions
How far is the walk to the water at Bonny Doon Beach?
100 ft in a straight line from the listing to the mapped shoreline, under a minute. Soft sand and dune make the real walk longer than the straight line.
Does Bonny Doon Beach have restrooms?
No restrooms are mapped within 600 m on OpenStreetMap. That means nobody has mapped any, which is not the same as there being none.
When is Bonny Doon Beach least busy?
Google visit patterns put the quietest hour at Sun 8am and the busiest at Thu 6pm.
Measured from OpenStreetMap, public aerial imagery and live conditions data, and counted from visitor reviews. Every source, in full.
