Laguna's Main Beach
Smack dab in the middle of Laguna Beach is Main Beach. If you drove in through the canyon, your journey will end by you either having to turn onto Pacific Coast Highway or driving right onto Main Beach (which is not legal so don’t do that). Even if you’ve never been to Laguna Beach, you’ve probably seen plenty of pictures of Main Beach as that iconic lifeguard tower sits right in the middle.
The beach itself is a nice park with grassy areas, volleyball courts, a boardwalk, playground for the children, lots of benches, and of course a beach. From Main Beach you can start walking south and be greeted with a long stretch of beach that turns into Sleepy Hollow Beach and then onto Thalia, cress, etc. This is a perfect stretch of sand and views for your morning run or evening stroll.
Information
Address: Broadway St & Pacific Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Parking: street parking in downtown Laguna, also a few parking lots. For busy summers, parking lots are up the canyon and you can use the trolley to get there.
Amenities: 2 Half Basketball Courts, 4 Sand Volleyball Courts, Boardwalk, ADA-Accessible Stairs, Marine Protected Area, Outdoor Showers, Playground, Restrooms, close to restaurants and shops
More information: City of Laguna Beach site
OC Beach Apparel and Souvenirs
Main Beach History
History of Main Beach Park, Laguna Beach’s Window-to-the-Sea
Main Beach, as it is known today, began as a bond in 1968. The city of laguna Beach purchased 1,000 feet of property stretching from the Hotel Laguna through the Boys Club for a cost of a little over $3 million. The vision of a publicly owned Main Beach Park thus began. In 1972, The 1972 Main Beach Committee recommended development as a beach park with minimum commercial activity. In 1973, Festival of Arts made a long-term financial commitment to Main Beach Park. The Main Beach Park bonds were paid for from Festival of Arts increased rent payments to the City for the use of Irvine Bowl Park. After removing structures from the site, the Main Beach Park was dedicated June 22, 1974.
The Main Beach Lifeguard Tower
One of the most iconic sites not only in Laguna Beach, but in Orange County, the Lifeguard Tower in Laguna Beach has been around since the 1930s. The structure was originally part of the gas station across the street at PCH and Broadway. It was moved in 1937 to the Main Beach park by a team of horses. It was almost torn down in the 1970s when the city needed bigger facilities to serve its lifeguards. Instead the community saved it, like it has so much of the rest of the historic sites in the town. It now serves as a secondary outpost for lifeguards, but more importantly it stands as the feature of so many postcards and art work that it serves as the inanimate ambassador of the town.
The Piers at Main Beach
Main Beach once had piers. The first built in 1896 and lasting until 1916. The pier stretched from Main Beach to Bird Rock, allowing visitors to walk across the water to Bird Rock. A second pier was constructed in 1926 stretching beyond Bird Rock. That pier lasted until storms in 1939 damaged it to the point of no return.
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