Coast Dairies State Park
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About

Coast Dairies is a series of undeveloped “pocket beaches” on Santa Cruz County’s rugged North Coast. The beaches, which can be challenging to access, are tied together by the California Coastal Trail, which runs along the top of the bluff. The beaches are: Sharktooth, Bonny Doon, Yellow Bank, Laguna Creek and Panther.

The informal parking area at Panther/Yellowbank Beach will temporarily close beginning on Aug. 19 for approximately six months during construction of the North Coast Rail Trail. Pedestrian access to Panther/Yellowbank Beach from this area will also be limited during construction.


Operating Hours

Day-Use Area 8 a.m. to Sunset


Directions

The state land spans across a 5-mile segment of Highway 1 north and south of the small town of Davenport in Santa Cruz County. All the beaches are a short drive west from Santa Cruz and just over an hour from the South San Francisco Bay Area.

Check the Santa Cruz METRO schedule for public transportation options.


Things to do

Beach Area

Explore tide pools and rock formations. Surfing and kite boarding are popular at these beaches.

Trails

Hike through dunes and wetlands, enjoying the view.


Fees and Passes

Parking is free.


Services

There are no facilities.


History

Coast Dairies State Park is in the unceded homelands of the Awaswas-speaking Ohlone Tribe known as the Uypi, who stewarded these lands since time immemorial. Centuries of colonial violence led to the removal and displacement of the Uypi. Today, their descendants continue their stewardship and presence here, in partnership with State Parks.

The 5 miles of rocky shoreline was privately owned for generations since the Respini and Moretti families founded Coast Dairies and Land Co. in the 1860s after emigrating from Switzerland. The nonprofit Trust of Public Land purchased the property in the late 1990s with help from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation after a Los Angeles developer proposed building 139 luxury homes there.

The coastal lands west of Highway 1 were donated to California State Parks in 2006. Farmers continue to lease land on the bluffs, where they grow fava beans, artichokes and strawberries. The Coast Dairies land east of Highway 1 is now preserved as the Cotoni-Coast Dairies National Monument, an onshore unit of the California Coastal National Monument, that is being managed by the Bureau of Land Management.


Regulations

  • Dogs are not allowed.
  • Fires are not permitted.
  • Alcohol is not allowed on the beach or in day-use areas.
  • A fishing license is required.

Recreate Responsibly

Before you visit, check the Recreate Responsibly page to protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these measures during your visit.


More Info

(831) 423-9703

Hike
Surf
Swim

Plan Your Visit

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Events at Coast Dairies State Park