Dockweiler Beach

Oh, Dockweiler, how can I resist you?
If you’re in the mood for a beach bonfire, this is the place to do it. And here’s how:
–Arrive early to snag a pit (plan to arrive ESPECIALLY early during the summer and holidays). My friends and I arrived around 8:00am Memorial Day weekend to find most pits already claimed. In January, however, there were open pits even during the late afternoon.
–If you’re driving, be prepared to pay for parking. Heck, they’ll make you pay even if you just want to drop off your stuff. Parking rates vary with the season and holidays, so call ahead to inquire.
–Plan to stay with your pit the whole day until you use it. Otherwise, it will be claimed by someone else.
–Come prepared — canopies, chairs, coolers, music, sunscreen, water, and snacks all make this a better experience.
–This is common sense, but — no glass! Pour your drinks into plastic cups.
The downsides?
–It’s not the cleanest beach. If you wear sandals, expect some fairly filthy feet at the end of the night.
–The bathrooms get solidly gross. I’d also advise bringing hand sanitizer or hand wipes since there is no soap.
–The planes can be a bit noisy. There can be a lot of pauses in conversation as you wait for the plane to fly ahead.
–They kick you out promptly at 10pm, and sometimes they start kicking people out earlier (such as on holidays). Plan accordingly.
Overall, the good outweighs the bad, as I do love a good bonfire with friends. It’s a great place to socialize and enjoy some time outside, and who doesn’t enjoy building grand fires? I definitely recommend checking it out.

First beach I went to after i got off my flight. Clean and nice beach to spend the afternoon at. We came here on a Tuesday afternoon and basically had the whole beach to ourselves.

I am 100% a beach person, but I am not really a fan of this one. Went for a bbq, which was a lot of fun, due to our amazing group. But I was not impressed with the beach. To make it simple:
Pros: Firepit! S’mores, yay!
Cons: Dirty. Dirty sand, dirty water, dirty bathrooms.
I guess the only reason people come here is for the bonfire perk. But there are other places in SoCal for that, much cleaner… you just have to drive a bit further. I would definitely not recommend swimming in the water here (floating insects, trash). Still, we had a lot of fun and ended up staying for many hours… it just took me a while to adjust to the occasional trash I found in the sand…

Mixed feelings here!
This is probably one of the only beaches that lets you have a bonfire.
I have been here plenty of times. I am noticing that parking is getting very expensive.
I recently came here on a Friday. Parking was $ 13.
I was disappointed with a few things here.
First,
i am surprised that the people working there, or securities are not occaisonally monitoring the parking lots. It would not be much of a hassle to find parking but people are using parking spaces to actually grill. Hello?!! It is used to park cars not to grill. Also, that can be inconvenient for the cars parked right next to that.
Second,
It is such a bummer that the beach closes a 10:00pm when people have bonfires. It would be so much fun if they at least let people stay until 12:00am.
Third,
If people do not get out in 20 minutes of them closing, the cars will get cited. Hello, if people take a lot of stuff to the beach, which most people do, we need a lot more time than that in order for us to clean up and put everything away.
People,
if you want to have a bonfire, you must let me emphasize that YOU MUST ARRIVE SUPER EARLY!!!
lets say about 11am maybe if you’re lucky you will get a pit at that time.
people do not like to share pits, which is understandable so do not even think about that.
You have been warned.

I read a lot of these reviews, and having lived 3 miles from Dockweiler for over 50 years, I feel qualified to comment.
1. As a child we spent a lot of evenings at the beach, roasting wienies and marshmallows in the «old» fire pits, singing songs, and generally just hanging out. That was a long time ago, but even in the 60s it would get crowded.
2. As others observed, there are a lot of African Americans, (and now hispanics) who use that beach, in particular, because, transportation wise, it’s easy to get to, because it is right at the end of Imperial Highway. People from neighborhoods to the east who don’t have transportation, can take the Green Line, or bus it all the way to the end, and have a chance to enjoy this beach, when all adjacent beaches are almost impossible to reach without multiple transfers. And, though I’m white, and have a car, I applaud the fact that people who live inland have the opportunity to enjoy the beach, and bring their children to experience the beauties of this place. This is a beach for having fun, especially families. Not for carousing, not for drinking, or badmouthing, and extreme PDA, like the ones to the north. So my recommendation is: if you are a racist, or a snob, and think the world revolves around you, go somewhere else.
3. The very WORST time to go to Dockweiler beach is after a storm, because the mouth of Ballona creek is right at the north end of the beach, and after it rains, tons of garbage, and toxic soup carrying bacteria, empty into the ocean and wash up onto the beach at high tide, and stay there. it doesn’t even have to be raining in the area, because much of the garbage is washed down the system from rains in the foothills. Add to that, visitors who refuse to clean up after themselves, and the beach can get pretty raunchy.
4. The planes taking off over the firepits have always been there. Get used to it. The north end of the beach is quieter, or you can go someplace else.

This beach was pretty nice. My friend and I got there around 3 pm to reserve a pit for a 6 pm bonfire party. When we got there at 3 pm, it was pretty empty and there were plenty of pits. I think more and more people started taking the pits around 4 pm.
The beach was pretty clean and we ended up taking lots of great and fun pictures during golden hour haha We were able to get a bonfire going and make s’mores by the bonfire! There were a lot of trash cans nearby so we didn’t have to walk too far to throw away any trash.
Overall, I really like this place! I had a great experience and would totally come here again to make s’mores by the bonfire.
Oh! Don’t forget to bring towels and water! We brought all these snacks and cups but no water or soda to drink haha

Dockweiler gets five stars for allowing camp fires on the beach.
This is a popular spot for birthday parties and Summer bashes so get there early to reserved your spot. There are many fire rings but even greater demand.
Sure there is an ocean, lifeguard toweres and bike path, but what municipal beach doesn’t? But they have fire! Each pit comes with a trash can FYI.
The park/​lot closes at 10pm sharp with LAPD chasing you out. Plenty of time and darkness to roast some marshmallows, weenies or just gaze into the flames.
Parking is ONLY $ 6. Don’t tell Jerry Brown.

Beach is right next to a sewage dumping plant where they do their dumping in the water of this beach. Along with a plant that has smoke stacks, they also dump chemical waste on the beach and in the water. Sand is absolutely deplorable, shards of glass bottles in almost every step. Someone should really file a class action lawsuit on the city for having this «beach» In the condition it is & subjecting citizens & their children to it, ignorant to the fact that sewage and chemical dumping is what they’re walking & swimming in

Spent the day cleaning the beach and picking up trash. Giving back to the community in a large way. I love that this beach has fire pits and lots of close parking. Looks like you can take charcoal grills to cook which is a big plus

Best bonfire beach in town ! NOT ENOUGH PITS :(But you can always ask someone to share a pit with you !

Everyone has said it but it’s true — the fire pits make this the best beach for late night fun.
I have seen people make some big fires really late so I’m not sure what the rules are but I have heard they usually kick people out after 10pm.
In reality — every time I have been here I have been out well past 10. Hours longer sometimes before I saw anyone leaving.
The pits also have trash cans so please use them
Finally if you are looking for wood — it seems most gas stations and convenience stores (7 – 11 on main for example).
Make sure to dress warm in the spring as it will be chilly!

Not the cleanest beach I’ve been to, but during the week it’s virtually empty, so it’s a nice place to come to for a picnic or what-​not.
There’s a lot of industrial buildings, and equipment going on around DOckweiler. For starters there’s a giant pipe that gets emptied out right into the beach. I have no clue what comes through that pipe, but I’ll tell you that it looks terrible and totally ruins the look of the beach.
Not to mention the giant DWP plant that’s directly above it.
All this industrial stuff really takes away from the beauty of this beach, it’s a shame really.

VERDICT: As long as you’re prepared for the fire, the noise, and crowds, this is the closest place in LA for a beach bonfire.
QUALIFIER: Lot parking along the sand is $ 6 weekday, $ 8 weekend. There is free street parking up the hill, but watch for traffic on Vista Del Mar. Gets packed during the summer so get there before way before noon to reserve a spot. Winter bonfires are much less crowded and can find a spot any time. Bathrooms are far and few between and close by 10p.
SERVICE: In recent years, they’ve replaced the concrete pits, and have decided to clean out the entire thing (by machine) every week. Bring a shovel to raise the pit level with sand to your liking.

A great place to enjoy the day and go for a bicycle ride along the shore. Really nice. I do not go on the warm weekends because the crowds can be overwhelming.

I’m not much of a beach person but… if you want to enjoy family, friends, and bonfires, this beach is the place to be. Get there early because it gets super crowded! This is a rather large beach and finding the correct parking spot and marked area can be tricky. Womens’ bathrooms are always gross so take your own toilet tissue, hand sanitizer or soap, and a friend to cover you up while you’re in the stall. There are no doors! There are outdoor «showers» for kids who get into the water and need to rinse off. Take water shoes or flip flops. Who knows what lurks the grounds with so much filth and yuckiness.
I will give credit for the wide bike paths. They keep people from getting bumped and nearly ran over. When you’re carrying food, tents, blankets and chairs, walking along the bike path is much easier than trudging across the dense sand. You can also rent bikes here too. Pulling the little kiddos in the trikes and wagons can be a lot of fun as well.
There is plenty of parking when people park correctly and don’t block or hog up spaces. There is paid parking inside and free parking along the street if you can find a spot. The beach closes at 10pm, which sucks. That is when the bonfire fun just begins for most people. But, I totally understand the safety of it all.

Grab your bike with gears and ride along the path from RAT beach to Malibu as you cruise through Dockweiler Beach. There isn’t anything more peaceful to do on the westside than to experience this. If you don’t own a bicycle, you can rent one close by for about $ 15 – 20.
The beauty of this particular part of the strand is that it’s uncluttered and pristine where you’re not dodging swarms of people like you’ll find down in Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo or up in Marina Del Ray, Venice and Santa Monica. Great place to watch the planes come in & out.
It’s close enough to Playa Del Rey where you can chill out with the locals and check out all of the cool stuff in the area. Walking and biking distance to Ballona Creek where the real people are and really – what more can anyone ask for? Love it!

This is a nice beach to come to during summer time. I used to come here during high school with friends. Nowadays, I come for the Persian new year (March 21) festival called Chahar Shanbe Soori. This entails jumping over bonfires. As crazy as it seems, it is actually a lot of fun. Just don’t jump while drunk, and don’t try jumping when the flames are at their highest, like one of my friends did. A funny story ensues, which I will tell people in person whenever I get the time to go to an elite event.
As for the rest of the year, it’s mainly a bunch of families who come here to enjoy the day. Airplanes are commonly seen taking off from neighboring LAX, so don’t be startled by them.

Tips: bring blankets and portable speakers
grab a few friends, grab some drinks, grab some pine wood and come here for a chill day by the beach. great hang out place and for bonding.
parking is $ 8 per car and beach closes at 10pm since it’s a national park. come early if you want a spot to set up bonfire, or come late and wait for someone to leave and take over their fire. either way works.
we also brought flank steak, sweet potatoes and smores to cook over the fire. wrap the potatoes in alum foil.

This is the closest beach from the San Fernando Valley where you can have a bonfire without getting kicked out because you made a makeshift fire in a hole you dug in the sand. The only draw is you have to get here early in the morning to swoop up a firepit.
There is parking for $ 12.50 at two of the parking lots. There is also street parking, but it’s a pain to take your cooler, blankets, chairs, and whatever else you’re hauling in your car down a cliff and back up again at the end of your beach day. Ok, I’m exaggerating… it’s not a cliff, but it is a hill that doesn’t have a gradual descent. One misstep and you can slip and fall a good 2 stories. So if you don’t want broken bones, cough up the $ 12.50 for parking. It’s so convenient and much cheaper than an ER bill.
I can’t say anything about the water quality because I wasn’t able to go to the water. I just wanted to lay out on the beach after 2 hours of driving in traffic from San Diego.

Five stars if I can, for the wider bike/​ped trails, also for the fact it has fire pits and lots of parking both paid and free (that is, if it’s not a really scorcher of a summer day or holiday weekend). They also have a community center that offers free Zumba lessons and other activities for the young and the rest of us. An RV area w/​overnight camping & facilities. Lots of cool art on some buildings along the way & yay! I saw my hometown name written on one of them (Whittier). You also get to see planes fly over up close.
Three stars, well… I have to be honest and again, it’s just my opinion, nothing more.
It’s a lot more crowded than the other South bay beaches. I know Venice & Santa Monica are just as well, but this ain’t no Venice or Santa Monica, however bumped up because it’s got the fire pits! We know there’s nothing as far as food or drink joints prior to getting there, however it has a café, I don’t know the hours though. It’s just your basic beach with sand, fire pits, parking lots, an area of overnight camping (reservation I would think), ocean water that’s not really clean from what I’ve seen and I’ve never seen surfers there. You’ve got a lot of people from allover, crammed up together on the weekends with tents allover (shade I get, but so many of them!), people with their grills set up between the concrete part of parking lot and walkway, and I must have heard all genres of music while walking by, it felt like it was a competition.
And although it’s nice to see the jumbo planes fly over so low it’s like you can touch them, also comes the annoying sounds of it over & over. Well it’s right along the fight path, what does one expect?
I do slightly agree w/​the one reviewer as to it’s ghettoness, but I would never go there further w/​the comments, nor do I agree with them; Unnecessary because it’s inappropriate. And besides, it’s a public beach, ALL PEOPLE are entitled to go, just would be nice if all people would clean up after, exercise some common courtesy and to some in being careful and not subject everyone to smelling weed — you got small babies/​kids here.
Anyhow, I just walk through it to get to Marina Del Rey, the jetty and/​or Ballona Creek. Based on my walks from El Segundo to Manhattan, Hermosa & Redondo are a lot nicer and peaceful.
And nope, no dogs allowed on the beach! I’ve only seen them on the bike/​ped trails and RV area.