San Buenaventura State Parks on the Beach - Guide to San Buenaventura State Beach

San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura, California (in Ventura County)

San Buenaventura State Beach is a beach located in Ventura, California. It is located on Pedro Street, off of the 101 Freeway.

This beach consists of a 1,700 feet (520 m) pier that has a snack bar, restaurant, and bait shop. People often come to this beach to surf, swim, and picnic. Biking is also done here and there are bike trails that lead to other nearby beaches.

Several special events take place in this place, such as the Pirate Festival, triathlon, and volleyball tournaments.Beach condition advisory: This past winter, storms and high waves eroded much of the sand on the beach at this park, exposing cobble rocks, particularly south of the pier. The beach area with the most sand is next to the main day-use parking lot.

Birds of San Buenaventura State Beach

This beach features swimming, surfing and picnicking. The beach has two miles of sandy beach, sand dunes, picnic sites, a parking lot, a snack bar and a beach-equipment rental shop. Bike trails connect other nearby beaches. The beach is the site for a number of special events, such as the Pirate Festival, triathlon, and volleyball tournaments. A 1,700-foot pier has a snack bar, restaurant and bait shop.

Buenaventura Trail in San Buenaventura State Beach

Picture of Buenaventura Hiking Trail San Buenaventura State Beach

From Marina Park to the Ventura Pier is 4 miles round trip.
When you walk San Buenaventura State Beach, you realize that this park didn't simply happen, it was designed-obviously during the state park system's pre-poverty era. Instead of the grungy tables stuck in the sand found at many beaches, San Buenaventura features wide, green picnic areas. It boasts volleyball nets, a fitness trail and even a pier.

The state beach offers plenty of room for all the popular beach activities: swimming, surfing, cycling, fishing and picnicking. It's one of Ventura County's safest spots for a swim because the sand slopes very gradually into the ocean.

Although San Buenaventura's sands are easily accessible (Harbor Boulevard extends along its inland border), the low sand dunes fringing the state beach give it a feeling of isolation from freeway traffic and sounds of the nearby city.

This San Buenaventura stroll begins at Marina Park, a family-friendly enclave perched just up-coast of Ventura Harbor's west channel. A little sandy beach, grassy hillocks and wooden windbreaks encourage spreading out the beach blanket and relaxing awhile. Children enjoy playing on the sand-locked, two-masted San Salvador, a boat load of fun, with plenty of places to climb.

Directions to trailhead: From Highway 101 in Ventura, exit on Seaward Avenue. Head briefly coastward and turn left (south) on Pierpoint Boulevard. Drive 0.7 mile to the boulevard's end and Marina Park.

The hike: From Marina Park, walk out to the end of the jetty, observe the many boats entering and leaving Ventura Harbor, then head up-coast. You can look across the harbor channel at an inviting sand strand, the southernmost segment of San Buenaventura State Beach.

The first mile of beach is fairly narrow and stabilized by a series of rock groins extending offshore. Houses line this length of shore. The second mile of beach, which sweeps toward Pierpont Bay and the Ventura Pier, is wider.

Stairs lead from the sand up to the Ventura Pier. The original pier was built way back in 1872. Today's recreational pier has a restaurant and a gift shop. Stroll past the anglers and enjoy great views of the coast and islands, as well Ventura and its mountain backdrop.

If you want to extend your outing, promenade Promenade Park, which begins near the foot of the pier. You can continue to the Ventura County Fairgrounds or even the Ventura River.

Location of San Buenaventura State Beach

The San Buenaventura State Beach is located at 34°16'03"N 119°16'43"W. The San Buenaventura State Beach is in the city of Ventura. The entrance is on San Pedro Street off Highway 101. San Buenaventura State Beach can be contacted at (805) 968-1033.

Here is a driving map to San Buenaventura State Beach.

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Here is a detailed list of other state beaches of California besides San Buenaventura State Beach.