Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is known for its fabulous sand, of the kid every beachgoer loves to sink their toes into, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy it here, from volleyball and bonfires to sandy naps under a palm. You can also simply meditate on the beach's magnificence from the 9-mile paved bike path called "the strand;" the choices are ample. With all of this, plus great surfing, it's almost too easy to love Huntington Beach.
No day on Huntington Beach is complete without yummy concessions to enjoy, and there is fortunately plenty of ice cream, sodas, candy, hot dogs, sandwiches, and chips to munch on, available at the local stands. Alternatively, you can bring your own food and have a cookout at one of the bonfire rings. Note that these are first-come, first-served however, so if you're planning on catching one you'd better act quickly.
The dramatically shifting sandbars at Huntington during the spring, summer, and fall seasons make for awesome surfing. The best option for surfing here is a short-board; but surfing here is not recommended for novices. You can also go kite surfing, or watch others doing it from the beach northwest of the pier. Lifeguards patrol the beach here year round, and the lifeguard towers are staffed from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Beach hours are 6am to 10pm every day, and parking fees are around $10 in peak season rate, falling to the $8 range suring the offseason.
For those looking for more than beach-based action, Huntington Beach is the host city of the National Professional Paintball League's Super 7 Paintball Championships, which holds its first event of the year between March 23rd and March 26th. If you're a nature fan, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the California least tern, a rare and endangered species, and the threatened snowy plover. Both these birds have a nesting sanctuary here. The Beach is also popular for surf fishing for catch such as perch, corbina, cabezon, and shovelnose guitarfish. At day's end, if you're looking to end the day with a good dinner, there are plenty of diverse and unique restaurants located right near the pier, to cap off your day-to-remember at Huntington Beach.