McGrath State Beach is a protected

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

park located on the south bank of the mouth of Santa Clara River in the city of

Oxnard Oxnard () is a city in Ventura County, California, United States. On California's South Coast, it is the most populous city in Ventura County and the 22nd-most-populous city in California. Incorporated in 1903, Oxnard lies approximately west ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. McGrath State Beach is one of the best bird-watching areas in California, with the lush riverbanks of the Santa Clara River and sand dunes along the shore. A nature trail leads to the Santa Clara Estuary Natural Preserve. Camping sites are available. Two miles of beach provide surfing and fishing opportunities. Just south of the station is the undeveloped Mandalay Beach Park which is about a mile downcoast beach walk from the park or a bike ride along Harbor Blvd. Located south of Ventura on Harbor Boulevard, the beach is on the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route and the

California Coastal Trail The California Coastal Trail, or CCT, is an environmental project by the California Coastal Conservancy, an organization developed to enhance coastal resources and promote access to the shore in 2001. The trail is designed to connect the enti ...

. The park overlies the productive

West Montalvo Oil Field The West Montalvo Oil Field is a large and productive oil field on the coast of Ventura County, California, in the United States, in and adjacent to the city of Oxnard, California. Discovered in 1947, it has produced approximately of oil, and ret ...

and oil wells are in an enclosure just behind the beach, and slant-drill into the offshore part of the field. A bit farther downcoast is the Mandalay Generating Station – the stack is easily visible from the beach – owned by Reliant Energy. The park often closes in winter but a lack of funding to repair the infrastructure, specifically a rusting sewage pipe, closed the park in 2011 until repairs could be made. Flooding has been a continuing problem. The water level in the estuary rises when the winter rains fail to breach the sand bar at the mouth of the river. When campgrounds and necessary facilities flood, the park closes until conditions changes. The beach and McGrath Lake are available during the closures but access is limited to walking from an adjacent area. Surfers Knoll Park on the beach on the north side of Ventura Harbor can be used to access by walking south across the sand bar at the mouth of Santa Clara River.Zach Behrens (31 October 2013
"McGrath State Beach Campground Closed Indefinitely"
KCET blog:Living: Travel: SoCal Wanderer: State Park. Retrieved 31 October 2013 A study in 2015 outlined the benefits to moving the campground within the park to higher ground. (subscription may be required for this article)

References

External links

Official McGrath State Beach website
{{Authority control 1948 establishments in California California State Beaches Beaches of Ventura County, California Beaches of Southern California Geography of Oxnard, California Parks in Ventura County, California Protected areas established in 1948 Santa Clara River (California)

See also

References

Further reading

External links