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Coastal Access Program

California Coastal Act, Section 30001.5 states:

“The legislature further finds and declares that the basic goals of the state for the coastal zone are to: . . .

(c) Maximize public access to and along the coast and maximize public recreational opportunities in the coastal zone consistent with sound resources conservation principles and constitutionally protected rights of private property owners.”

Public Access Program

Report: Status of Vertical Accessways in Northern California Acquired by California Coastal Commission Actions 1973 to 2015 (September 30, 2016).

Report: Status of Vertical Accessways Acquired by California Coastal Commission Actions 1973 to 2011, December 2011. [30.6 MB PDF]

Read individual sections of this report:

Table of Contents and Introduction [2.2 MB PDF]
Chapter 1: San Diego County [6 MB PDF]
Chapter 2: Orange County [4.3 MB PDF]
Chapter 3: Los Angeles County [10.5 MB PDF]
Chapter 4: Ventura County [1.5 MB PDF]
Chapter 5 :Santa Barbara County [1.8 MB PDF]
Chapter 6  San Luis Obispo County [4.5 MB PDF]

This report was presented to the Coastal Commission at the January 12, 2012 hearing, agenda item Th5.

See the video of the staff presentation.
(In the right frame, click on the video icon for item 4, allow it to load fully, then use the slider to scroll forward to 01:08:00.)

See the slides of the staff’s PowerPoint presentation.
Please note: the resolution of these slides is much better than in the video, so you may want to listen to just the audio while viewing the PowerPoint presentation.

See related news articles:

Assessing blocks of beachfront in Malibu

Beach Access Advocates Decry Delays to Malibu Beach Plan

Beach access bingo -- The wet sand belongs to all Californians, but that doesn't stop homeowners from playing games to bar visitors. [editorial]

Public Access Action Plan
The first comprehensive review of the State’s Coastal Access Program, the California Coastal Commission, was published in June 1999. It identified the key issues that affect the public’s ability to use and enjoy the coast for recreation, and determined its three top program priorities:

Publications - Coastal Access Guides

The Coastal Commission publishes the California Coastal Access Guide with information on more than 850 public access sites along the entire 1110 mile long coast.

Book Cover of Beaches and Parks from San Francisco to MontereyWe have also published regional guides for Northern California, South Central California, and Southern California; see our Experience the California Coast Series.

The latest volume in this series is now available!  This volume, Beaches and Parks from San Francisco to Monterey, includes  Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey Counties. Take a peek at the introduction  and then find out more!

 

Also online: Orange County Beach Access Map.

See other available publications.