Santa Monica State Beach

Santa Monica's 3.5 miles of state beach run north and south of the pier, with staffed lifeguard stations along the sand. Water right at the pier has graded F in Heal the Bay's report card, so set up north of it toward Wilshire Boulevard, where grades have been much better. TOWER 26 runs a coached swim on Wednesday mornings, May through October, off Ocean Park Boulevard.

Directions

Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 80/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 24°C, wind 14 km/h, waves 0.8 m, UV 8. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Getting in: A 3.5-mile California state beach operated by the City of Santa Monica along Pacific Coast Highway; the Santa Monica Pier is at the foot of Colorado Avenue. Open sunrise to sunset.
Parking & transport: City beach lots north of the pier along Pacific Coast Highway (Lots 1–9 North) and south of it along Appian Way, Ocean Avenue and Barnard Way (Lots 2–5 South).
Lifeguards: Staffed lifeguard stations along the beach.
Water quality: LA County surf-zone monitoring for fecal indicator bacteria. Heal the Bay 2025–26: Santa Monica Pier F in all three seasons and #2 on the statewide Beach Bummer list; Heal the Bay notes the Wilshire Blvd. site just north of the pier has good water quality year-round (A summer dry, C winter dry, A wet weather).
Season: Beach open year-round; TOWER 26 group swims run May through October.
Who swims here: TOWER 26 runs coached open-water beach swims every Wednesday, May through October, 6:00–7:30 a.m., on Santa Monica Beach at Barnard Way and Ocean Park Blvd., south of the pier.
Watch for: Chronic bacterial pollution directly at the pier
Avoid water near flowing storm drains such as Pico-Kenter
Bacteria rise after rain; county rain advisories last 72 hours after rainfall ends
Facilities: Restrooms · Staffed lifeguard stations · Beach bike path · Concessions · Wooden pathways for wheelchair users · Volleyball courts · Playgrounds