Bolsa Chica State Beach is a public ocean beach in

Orange County, California Orange County is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area in Southern California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,186,989, making it the third-most-populous county in California, the sixth-most-populous in the United States, a ...

, United States. It is located north of

Huntington Beach Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, maki ...

and south of the community of Sunset Beach. The beach extends from Warner Avenue in Sunset Beach south to Seapoint Avenue, where the Huntington City Beach begins. The

Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve is a natural reserve and public land in Orange County, governed by the state of California, and immediately adjacent to the city of Huntington Beach, California. The reserve is designated by the California ...

is located across the busy Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) from the beach and is a popular spot for

birdwatching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, b ...

. The Bolsa Chica bicycle path runs along the length of the park through Huntington City Beach. Activities include surfing, sunbathing, and water sports. Tent camping is not allowed at Bolsa Chica State Beach. Fire rings are available. Surf fishing for perch, corbina, California corbina, croaker, cabezon, shovelnose guitar fish and

sand shark Sand sharks, also known as sand tiger sharks, gray nurse sharks or ragged tooth sharks, are Lamniformes, mackerel sharks of the family (biology), family Odontaspididae. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters. The three specie ...

is available. California grunion is a species that only spawns on sandy southern California beaches. Under state law, these fish may be caught by hand with a fishing permit. Wildlife and bird watching are also popular at this state beach. Lifeguards from the California State Parks Lifeguard Service patrol the beach year-round and lifeguard towers are staffed during the summer.

History

The area that is now Bolsa Chica State Beach was once called "Tin Can Beach" by locals. The property was added to the state park system in 1960. In 1967, a nuclear power and desalination plant was planned on Bolsa Island, a man-made island off the beach. It was supposed to produce more electricity than the

Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on Se ...

. However, the plans were abandoned by its chairman Jack K. Horton in 1968, as

Southern California Edison Southern California Edison (or SCE Corp), the largest subsidiary of Edison International, is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California. It provides 15 million people with electricity across a service territory of app ...

was unable to raise sufficient capital, despite rate hikes and the sale of common stocks.

References

{{Protected areas of California, SP 1960 establishments in California Beaches of Southern California Bike paths in Los Angeles California State Beaches Campgrounds in California Geography of Huntington Beach, California Parks in Orange County, California Protected areas established in 1960 Surfing locations in California Beaches of Orange County, California

History

See also

References