Beach and Ocean Motion Picture Locations
All of the beach locations would be great for maritime films, beach and surfing films and background scenery shots.
Name: Leo Carrillo State Park
Features: Tide pools, coastal caves and reefs are featured at Leo Carrillo. Large sycamore trees shade the main campgrounds and add to the scenic views.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) 43 miles ~ Drive Time 50 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=616
Name: Point Mugu State Park
Features: Point Mugu State Park, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, features five miles of ocean shoreline, with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks and a few native walnuts. There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) 52 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=630
Name: Point Dume State Beach
Features: Point Dume features headlands, cliffs, rocky coves and vast beach access. The beach is presently operated by Los Angeles County, which also operates Zuma County Beach. These facilities are noted for swimming, surfing, scuba diving and fishing. Point Dume is a perfect place to watch for California gray whales during the December - March migration period.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 35 miles ~ Drive Time 44 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=623
Name: Malibu Creek State Park
Features: Just 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the park features hiking, fishing, bird watching and horseback riding opportunities. There are 15 miles of streamside trail through oak and sycamore woodlands and chaparral-covered slopes. The park has been used to film numerous movies and television shows such as M*A*S*H.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) 25 miles ~ Drive Time 40 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=614
Name: San Onofre State Beach
Features: San Onofre has great surfing breaks and palm frond palapas gazebos on the sand.
Trails with bluff backdrop and uninhabited feel of these off-the-beaten-track locations. Trestles Beach give its world-wide recognition as one of the premier surfing spots in the continental US. The beach features 3.5 miles of sand beaches and includes a marshy area where San Mateo Creek meets the shoreline and Trestles beach.
Travel: From John Wayne Airport (SNA) Santa Ana 31 miles ~ Drive Time 43 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=647
Name: San Simeon State Park
Features: This park contains three preserves that feature and protect archeological and natural sites. The park also features trails and unobstructed views of the ocean and the coast.
Travel: From San Luis Obispo (SBP) Airport 39 miles ~ Drive Time 45 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=590
Name: Torrey Pines State Beach
Features: This beach features 4.5 miles of beaches and offers scenic views of red-hued bluffs and sand. It stretches from Del Mar past Los Peñasquitos Lagoon to the base of sandstone cliffs at Torrey Pines Mesa. Torrey Pines has frontage on the ocean to provide swimming, boating, fishing, and other beach-oriented recreational activities.
Travel: From San Diego International (SAN) Airport 19 miles ~ Drive Time 29 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=658
Name: New Brighton State Beach
Features: The beach features a grove of Monterey Pine and Coastal Live Oak nearby as well as a campground on a bluff overlooking the northern Monterey Bay.
Travel: From San Jose (SJC) Airport 36 miles ~ Drive Time 48 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=542
Name: Crystal Cove State Park
Features: Crystal Cove has coastal bluffs, sandy beach and rocky cove areas, beach trails and paths. The park features the 12.3 acre of the Crystal Cove Historic District which features 46 rustic coastal cottages built in the 1920s and 1930s and is one of the last remaining developments on the coast from the early 20th century. Filming in the Historic District is limited to low intensity production activities due to historic preservation concerns.
Travel: From John Wayne Airport (SNA) Santa Ana 15 miles ~ Drive Time 29 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=644
Name: Doheny State Beach
Features: Doheny has palm trees along the beach and views of the harbor and headlands.
Located in Orange County this beach features camping in the northern part of the beach and day use in the Southern Part. There is also a palm frond roof palapa which is a gazebo type structure on the sand that capture the Southern California beach lifestyle.
Travel: From John Wayne Airport (SNA) Santa Ana 24 miles ~ Drive Time 35 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=645
Name: Bolsa Chica State Beach
Features: This beach is another Southern California favorite and is connected to Huntington State Beach by a bike way. Bolsa Chica is also known for its surf fishing.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 35 miles ~ Drive Time 41 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=642
Name: San Buenaventura State Beach
Features: Often called "Ventura State Beach" it offers swimming, surfing and picnicking. The beach has a 1,700 foot pier and has two miles of sandy beach, sand dunes, picnic sites, and a beach-equipment rental shop. Bike trails connect other nearby beaches. Ventura State Beach is the site for a number of special events and is in the city of Ventura, California.
Travel: From Los Angeles (LAX) Airport 72 miles ~ Drive Time 1 hour, 13 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=600
Name: Sonoma Coast State Park
Features: Sonoma Coast State Park one of California's most scenic attractions. Within the park is a series of beaches separated by rock bluffs and headlands, extends 17 miles from Bodega Head to Vista Trail located 4 miles north of Jenner. The park includes: Bodega Headthe rocky headland that forms the entrance into Bodega Harbor; Goat Rock, near the mouth of the Russian River, known for its scenic shoreline; Shell Beach a favorite location for beachcombing and tide pooling; Duncan's Landing, an early-day landing for loading small coastal ships with lumber and food products; Portuguese Beach & Schoolhouse Beach, with beautiful sandy beaches surrounded by rocky headlands; and Salmon Creek Beach,
where a lagoon forms as sand closes the mouth of Salmon Creek.
Travel: From San Francisco (SFO) Airport 90 miles ~ Drive Time 2 hours, 10 minutes
Website: http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=451