Point Dume State Beach

One of my personal favorite beaches on the westside. Semi-​hidden-​ish, costs $ 14 to park, crowds are less at this beach than the others in the surrounding area. Sand is absolutely clean, no seaweed, no black tar under your feet, just absolutely beautiful, relaxing and so picturesque.

First time visiting Point Dume this weekend and although it was wonderful, parking is practically non-​existing. We parked 15 minutes away and once we got to the beginning of the trail, it’s another 10 minutes down. The stairs are sketchy because some of them are rusty and falling apart. Once you get to the bottom you have to cross several rocks before reaching the sand so definitely not stroller friendly. The beach itself is nice because it’s not so spread out and not a lot of people are there but like I said public beaches should have accessible parking, hence why I knocked off a star.

All three stars are for the views. Parking up in the reserve are atrocious. Waited for one of 10 spots but the views and the history are worth the wait. And the cries of the sea lions below will melt your heart.

Awesome beach, great little spot with beautiful scenic views and clear blue ocean. Parking can get hectic in the summer months, but right now this is the perfect little beach spot if you are looking for low crowds for maximum relaxation.

This is breath taking. The sound of the ocean, waves and nature will always get a 5 star! You can’t really put a rating to nature. Nature just is… it is not prejudice, bias, or have poor customer service…

Beautiful Beach, clean with clear water. Limited parking and a bit secluded so it is always really nice, especially on weekdays — hardly anyone here. There is also a fairly tall rocky ridge on the beach that stretches out to the water. If you go to the top (there is a trail) you have an amazing vantage point up and down the coast line. Beautiful view.
If you are a rock climber there are fixtures drilled into the rock to anchor in. The main side is a 5.8 so it is good for beginners however you can find some up to a 5.9+ if you are more experienced.
On the other side of the ridge there is a small cove that is very secluded and nice if you can get down to it *DANGEROUS* so be careful if you try.
I go here all the time for the rock wall and it is always a great time. beautiful beach with some amazing views.

Blooming season! Went on 3÷27÷2016. Very beautiful, really enjoy the view. Recommended to all friends in LA!

Point Dume is an incredible place, which used to be a sacred space for the Chumash. It has a little bit of everything for everyone… whale watching, seal watching, hiking through the beautiful coastal flowers and cacti, exploring the tidepools for sea life, flying drones, rock climbing on a cliff face, flying kites, modeling for photo shoots, and canoodling in the sand. It’s never a dull moment at Point Dume.

You know that spot that everyone has for themselves? That place you go to when you need some time to yourself or some time to reflect? Your favorite perfect place that you never let anyone know about? Or if you do take someone there it means they are super special? Well, I’m going to let you in on a little secret my fellow Unilocalers. This is that spot for me. I often go here for a workout with a beautiful backdrop and always leave feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Parking is a nightmare as others have mentioned. I park around the sunset restaurant and just walk a bit, but I go there to walk anyway. There’s paid parking closer if you’re doing a picnic or something and need to be a little closer. Then I walk all the way down through the parking lot until I get to the little mountain and take that walk up.
It’s not an intense workout, especially if you are a regular hiker, but with the inclines and the sand, you can get a good workout in. I highly recommend wearing athletic shoes! I always see people wearing sandals and it seems tough. The hike is super duper short. It’s just up and down the mountain (or more like the hill) to get you to the other side of the beach. But the views are just spectacular the whole way through! There’s one part where I go out to the cliffy part and just hang out. Lots of people have the same idea so it’s usually on the more crowded side, but still has a nice secluded feeling.
To get a little more of a workout, I usually do the inclines a few times, do some strength exercises on the benches, and walk along the beach.
I highly recommend if you ever feel like doing a solo hike (this is the only place I’ll solo hike because I feel like it’s safe), a romantic workout, or a family hike. So beautiful!
FYI– if you’re a rock climber, bring your gear! You can also rock climb here! I’ve only climbed once so for me it was very challenging, but if you’re experienced it seems to be on the easier side.

The easiest way to get to Pirates Cove Beach is to park at the end of the Westward Beach parking lot, walk the 100 feet or so to the cliff face, then climb over the rocks near the cliff. There is a visible path and if you can do some rock scrambling (use good shoes FFS), around 60 feet or so around a corner will open up the 100 yard long beach. Very secluded. For swimming, beware of rip currents as there are rocks and this is a point. That said, a very cool experience.

My First time here in Malibu, Beautiful Beach I Love how they keep the sand nice and clean! They have recycling bins throughout the beach. They do not allow dogs, The parking is ok can get crowded on weekends. The restrooms need to improve and maintain clean but I mean which beach has a nice restroom? (none) The water looks much cleaner than other beaches! They have a small hiking trail where you can hike up to a cliff and rock climb. The View is amazing and overall I had a wonderful experience

One of my favorite places on the planet.
Vast wide beach stretches from Point Dume north for over a mile. It’s beautiful, and the best part is all the crazy things one sees here.
On one visit, I saw a camerman videoing two women in bikinis being chased by a man in a bear suit around a Christmas tree; further down the beach a bride and groom dancing to an African drumming circle.
Dolphins frequent the ocean here, as do sea lions and seals.
I sometimes get lucky enough to see whales.
Between the regular tv/​film/​model shoots, and the exquisite marine life, there is never a dull moment at Point Dume Beach. Also, it’s rarely ever crowded.

beautiful beaches. A must see is pirates cove. Parking is good. Great to visit on a weekday with lower turnout

We came here on a morning in january and saw dolfins, seelions and the huge fountain of a whale spouting water to the sky
What an unforgattable exerience with the most amazing views

Very nice and quiet. There’s barely people so you can get your privacy. I had a picnic so it was nice to enjoy the silence and the sound of the ocean. We got to see seals and dolphins which was pretty cool. I’m rating 4 stars because we found one dead seal which looked that has been there for a while and like 10 dead birds… I’m assuming that when the tide rises brings all this poor animals :(

I came here Christmas Day and it was empty, so I know that’s not the norm. I know parking here can be a zoo during warmer summer months but having never done the hike before, it was a nice little piece of LA to add to my collection of experiences.
The hike itself is short, as soon as you hike up to the cliff that’s about all there is to it. You can circle the point for about a mile but after that, the rest of the hike is all beach hiking as soon as you walk down to the beach. It was a windy day on the cliff and you have to be careful climbing around because there are some steep drops, but the views are magnificent and worth the walk if you can manage it.
There was an amazing view of a sea lion pod below that day which I very much enjoyed watching as an animal lover. All in all, a fantastic way to spend an active day at the beach when it was too cold for laying out in the sun.

Nice and my favorite (not so) secret spot!!!
I definitely wish I lived closer because this beach is heaven. I’ve been here twice: once on a clear day and another during an overcast and I was left speechless with both experiences.
Point Dume’s coast is curved in towards the north so the winds aren’t very strong and the waters are pretty peaceful. It’s a nice secluded area with nice cliff views. Pretty empty and no trash or crazy people around.
Lots of free parking on the street on a Sunday afternoon and a scenic drive down. The perfect place to come wind down after a crazy week of finals at USC.

VIDEO, PHOTOS, AND MY FULL REVIEW OF POINT DUME:
In a nutshell, a kind stranger told me I should visit this secret spot in Malibu, and I’m so glad I did! My fiancée and I went there on a late Monday afternoon in November, an hour before sunset, and I guess because it’s also late autumn, hardly anyone was there and parking was free. The hike was pretty easy and the views were awesome! Very windy in late autumn and sandy so wear appropriate footwear.
See photos, video, and more details about our experience here:

Beautiful beach with cleaner water than santa monica.

Point Dume is my favorite beach spot. While I live closer to other beaches, if given a choice I will always choose Point Dume.
Parking can be a hassle because the lot isn’t that big. If planning on coming on a hot weekend, make sure you leave early and get there by 9:30 so you don’t have to wait in the long line to *hopefully* get in.
But for me, it’s worth it. The beach is clean. There is a short walk from the car, to the shoreline. That’s a huge bonus. I hate walking on sand forever to get to the shoreline.
The biggest factor is the ocean — the colors are so beautiful — From green to blue. None of the gross, dark, mucky brownish ocean that you see at other beaches. And there has never been a time where we have gone and haven’t seen dolphins. Sometimes they put on quite a show for us.
The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because of the bathrooms. I feel if I am paying $ 14.50 for parking on the weekends (only$ 8 during the week) then the bathrooms should be in much better shape than they are. Some bathrooms the doors don’t close, are always out of order, dirty & smelly. If that gets fixed, I would definitely give Point Dume 5+ stars!

Four stars instead of five because in the summer it gets very crowded, and dogs aren’t allowed anywhere on the beach. They can walk along the road, but they can’t even get on the sand. I see them all half-​dying of heat exhaustion and temptation inside RV’s or vans parked along the beach.
It’s true that the Point Dume GPS address won’t take you to the proper parking lot along the beach, it takes you to some weird neighborhood nearby and you have to keep driving to find the long stretch of free parking or the kiosk for paid parking along the ocean. It is, however, probably one of the nicest if not the nicest beaches in the LA area.
If you climb over the rocks beyond the people scaling the cliffs, and keep climbing as far as you can, you’ll hit a pod of seals (pod is strangely the correct term for groups of seals), if there’s very few people there (early spring) my dog comes with me.

Came here to relax and sober up after wine tasting in the area. As soon as we got in the area, we knew parking would suck as the sign said «Lot Full» and every car was lining up to go up. I was SO LUCKY that someone was leaving right next to me! Prob saved 30min+ of waiting in the car line!
The beach is very clean and relaxing. It was so peaceful I fell asleep and got a pretty bad tan… I also tried to look for the cliff and hike up but didn’t find it :(. Overall, pretty nice and clean beach. Lots of people playing volleyball and playing near the water.

Point Dump, no trash. Locals too friendly.
One of worst places exploring, rock surfing, and rock climbing since there too many clearly marked trails are well kept.
Don’t waste you time and gas in this wonderland. Your get lost in bushy maze and lose ½ a day here then be late for dinner.
There is the smell of rotten sushi, seals, and squid. Yum. The smell of fermented sea life in the morning.
Free parking almost impossible, but lots of paid parking in Zuma beach.

This place is honestly so beautiful! The views are gorgeous and the beach is so clean.
I didn’t feel like paying for parking so my friend and I just parked at the very end of the street. It was about a 15 minute walk. It was pretty hot and felt like forever but the views make it worth it!
It’s pretty easy to get up the cliff because there’s stairs so if you wanna bring your mom or grandma along you can hahaha. Just help them get over the rocks!
While going up the cliff we saw people rock climbing and that was really cool to see. At the top of the cliff looking out, you could see miles and miles down the beach. We also saw some whales! The only thing I didn’t like was that there were a bunch of bees and I’m scared of bees. But it was okay. I just walked to the other end haha.
It’s really nice to come here after a hike, so give it a try :)

I confess to being biased… I used to live on Point Dume ocean front /​white water front row in the Zuma Bay villas. My family no longer owns this and I’m in another beach community now (Ventura a couple of doors off the sand). Anyways — I grew up in this area and return regularly. I remember when climbing over Point Dume had no man-​made trails or rather the trails were undefined. You sort of picked your way around … and way back when … there was no parking as it is now.
So my most recent visit was to watch the sunrise from the observation deck with my daughters plus two of their friends. We brought hot coco + cookies + Vietnamese style sandwiches and exotic deserts. It is more interesting when we get a complex sky with just the right mixture of clouds. This last visit was forecast to have cloudy skies but they were still off shore when the sun broke. Later in the AM we relocated to Zuma/​Windward beach to get our feet wet and the clouds rolled in. It was beautiful.
So parking is limited to just a few spaces on TOP of the bluff at 29 188 Cliffside Drive. This parking area is free to anyone except after sunset and before dawn. IE, don’t park here overnight. As an alternative you can get in through Westward Beach road — but to go all the way in you might have to pay to park. You can slip in early before or right at sunrise after the rangers open the gate… and the parking attendant is not on duty… so save a few dollars and park free. Also you can gain limited time by slipping in after the parking attendant leaves while the gate remains open (before the rangers lock the gate). I don’t know if you NEED a paid parking receipt to park inside though… so do be careful? After the gate in is locked you can still get out for a while…
Anyways if you drive to the end of Westward Beach and park — you can climb up Point Dume pretty easily. Once on top… and not as obvious are the metal stairway off the east side of Point Dume. Take these down to reach the very private beach off Dume Cove. If you walk east then you will round the corner to Little Dume Cove, Next Walnut Canyon before your walk reaches Paradise Cove where there is a nice dining establishment (expensive?) — Paradise Cove Beach Café. Inland behind this café is a motor home park where the old Rockford Files TV series had the fabled home of private investigator Jim Rockford, played by James Gardner. Chuckles, One of the Rockford Files episodes was filmed in the family business I grew up in in Chinatown.
Anyways — on Westward Beach road is another ocean front dining establishment — The Sunset House at 68 000. It’s OK. I would prefer Paradise Cove Café as I’ve been there dozens if not a hundred times. The parking fee can seem atrocious if you’re NOT going to dine at the Café in Paradise Cove. You can rent cabanas from the Café though… again it is a bit pricey by ome standards.
Anyways — now Point Dume has defined trails to protect the natural environment — and a nice modest observation deck sits off the point. You can sit comfortably and watch the seals barking on the rocks below… and wait patiently for dolphin pods, seagull flights and whales to pass. When the whales transit north they often have young and pass close to shore left to right (north). Usually the grey whales transit south beginning in October-​January (no young) they are further out to sea — and difficult to detect. Thus late March through maybe early May you will see Grey Whale mothers with their calves transiting north slowly shadowing their young.
I’ve sought grunion off these beaches for decades — typically going 1−3x per season. The only place I’ve seen them is at Paradise Cove and and off the Malbu Pier (north 150 yards). Look for the sea gulls watching the surf line as your sign they’re gonna hit soon! No sea gulls = no grunion. Check with the Calif fish and game page on Grunion for exact dates and times for the grunion runs!
Fish and game lists the SUMMER schedule for Cabrillo Beach as follows (shift schedule a few minutes later as you move north) with the CENTER of the time frame being the peak for a run …
JUNE 16 Tu 9:40 p.m. — 11:40 p.m.
JUNE 17 We 10:20 p.m. — 12:20 a.m.
JUNE 18 Th 11:00 p.m. — 1:00 a.m.
JUNE 19 Fr 11:35 p.m. — 1:35 a.m.
July 2 Th 10:00 p.m. — Midnight
July 3 Fr 10:45 p.m. — 12:45 a.m.
July 4 Sa 11:30 p.m. — 1:30 a.m.
July 5 Su 12:20 a.m. — 2:20 a. m
July 15 We… 9:30 p.m. — 11:30 p.m.
July 16 Th 10:05 p.m. — 12:05 a.m.
July 17 Fr 10:40 p.m. — 12:40 a.m.
July 18 Sa 11:15 p.m. — 1:15 a.m.

The most beautiful view in LA!
A nice little walk, great ocean and cliff views. When I was here this past weekend, there was an elaborate engagement going on.
Dogs are not allowed :((Though I saw lots of poops, thats why dogs are technically not allowed, I guess).
There are only a few parking spots, but I think I timed it right this time to get them: I showed up right before the lunch hour, so the morning people seemed to be leaving for lunch.
I got here by taking Birdview at the end of Westward Beach, and hugging the coast side of the street until I arrived here.
Side note: my art class in 9^th grade 15 years ago decorated the trash cans that are out there, haha. I tried to find mine but I think there must be other trash cans around town. Wheres mine?!

What a lovely beach. It feels much more secluded than it’s Zuma beach counterpart but at the same time it is a bit more rocky. There is a great trail that takes you up the very point of the place’s namesake and it’s a fairly easy «hike».
On the way up there is a «shortcut» that lets you climb up and through the rocks instead of going around that will take you to the very edge. I came on a fairly windy day and there were flocks of seabirds flying against the wind. They were following the coast so about a hundred birds flew right by myself almost in slow motion.
I was so awestruck by the scene that I didn’t even think to whip out my phone and take a picture. Ahh well, mental pictures are also good I guess:)
A bit further and before you even see them, you’ll smell the ‘stench’ of sea lions. It smells like rotting fish. They’ll usually be (roosting/​nesting/​)? right before you hit the wooden platform with the benches. Just take a peer downwards to the coast.
If you go a bit further and climb up the hill to the left there’s a plaque with the history of Point Dume and it’s namesake.
If you continue on to the right and go down the stairs a bit further you’ll go down to the other side of the beach. It’s a bit rocky for the first quarter mile but further down it’s a sandy beach. Great get away from the hustle and bustle of a normal beach. Do note however that you will see beached animals, sometimes rotting.
There’s also a in between beach that you have to climb a few boulders to get to, which I think is the Point Dume Cove. It’s not that hard to get to, but you should probably wear some kind of sturdier shoes than flip flops. I came by this couple that had trouble climbing over since they had a cooler and chairs. The girl was wearing flip flops with a summer dress. I ended up asking if they needed help because it looked like all her attention should be devoted to getting through the entire ordeal alive and in one piece.
It’s a great thing I did help out too because I saw the guy pull out a hand written letter and read it to her aloud once they got situated :)
Definitely an «Aww» moment

Point Dume is a little slice of heaven. I’ve lived here for a while and went to Zuma Beach nearby for a zillion of times, but we visited Point Dume last year for the first time. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon, any time of the year when it’s sunny.
We parked closer to Zuma Beach, on the street (on Westward) for free and walked to Point Dume on the beach, to get more walking in. We hiked up on the rock, barefoot, in the sand, which we never did before. How cool! Fun hike, amazing views, nice little adventure. Maybe we approached it from the wrong side, we did see the official sign and more parking up on top, but we didn’t care. We wouldn’t do it any other way. Hiking in the sand is just cool and you can’t beat the views. Breathless!

Malibu, CA: Beautiful locale.
Wide sandy beach that flows into Zuma Beach to the north. Many surfers. Bluff for rock climbing, and sandy trails to top of bluffs for great views of shoreline and cove. (Dogs not allowed on trails.) Tide pools in rocks of cove area around the south side of bluff.
Dolphins were seen in the water near shore. Pelicans and sea gulls flew overhead.
Beach umbrella handy for shade.
Original movie, «Planet of the Apes» Staue of Liberty buried in sand scenes, filmed by bluffs here.
Restrooms with changing area and showers available off the parking lot.
$ 6 to park all day during the time we were there. Limited free parking on road leading to fee parking area.