Lighthouse Field State Beach is a protected beach in the
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
system of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, United States. It is located in the city of
Santa Cruz at the north end of
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean located on the coast of the U.S. state of California, south of the San Francisco Bay Area and its major city at the south of the bay, San Jose. San Francisco itself is further north along the coast, by a ...
. The beach overlooks the
Steamer Lane
Steamer Lane is a famous surfing location in Santa Cruz, California. It is just off a point on the side of cliffs in the West Cliff residential area near downtown Santa Cruz, providing easy access and a good vantage point for viewing. The Sant ...
surfing hotspot. It also contains the
Santa Cruz Surfing Museum
The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is a museum which was established in May 1986 to document the history of surfing. With collections dating back to the earliest years of surfing on mainland United States, the museum houses a historical account of sur ...
, housed in a 1967 lighthouse.
The site was established in 1978.
Natural history
Lighthouse Field State Beach is a wintering ground for migrating
monarch butterflies
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. It ...
. Other resident animals include
California sea lion
The California sea lion (''Zalophus californianus'') is a coastal eared seal native to western North America. It is one of six species of sea lions. Its natural habitat ranges from southeast Alaska to central Mexico, including the Gulf of C ...
s and
American black swift
The American black swift, or more simply black swift (''Cypseloides niger''), is a species of bird that is found from northern British Columbia in Canada through the United States and Mexico to Costa Rica and Brazil. They are also found in the Ca ...
s.
Recreation
Steamer Lane is a famous surfing location. Each Christmas the park hosts Santa Cruz's annual "Caroling under the Stars" event.
The park is free to visit year-round, and offers walking trails, wildlife viewing, picnic areas, public restrooms, and outdoor showers.
See also
*
List of California state parks
This is a list of parks, historic resources, reserves and recreation areas in the California State Parks system.
List of parks
See also
*California State Beaches
*List of California State Historic Parks
* Parks in California
* California Depa ...
*
Natural Bridges State Beach
References
External links
*
Lighthouse Field State Beach
{{Protected areas of California, SP
1978 establishments in California
California State Beaches
Parks in Santa Cruz County, California
Protected areas established in 1978
San Francisco Bay Area beaches
Santa Cruz, California
Beaches of Santa Cruz County, California
Beaches of Northern California