Santa Monica State Beach, State beach in Santa Monica, United States

Santa Monica State Beach is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) California State Park operated by the city of Santa Monica, running along Pacific Coast Highway. Its broad, flat expanse of pale tan sand is marked by footprints and shallow water at the edge, with a low line of structures and vegetation separating it from the land behind. The beach has parks, picnic areas, playgrounds, restrooms, staffed lifeguard stations, the Muscle Beach, bike rentals, concessions, a few hotels, a bike path, and wooden pathways for beachgoers with disabilities.

The area was home to the Tongva people for centuries before European settlers arrived in the 1870s and established the town of Santa Monica. During the 1920s and 1930s the coastline developed into a popular destination, drawing visitors from across California.

The name comes from the nearby settlement that Spanish missionaries named after a Christian saint while traveling along the California coast. Today you see surfers at dawn, joggers on the coastal path, and families gathering on the sand to watch the sunset.

Access is available through multiple parking lots and public transit, with most areas wheelchair accessible. Volleyball nets are available for open use, and restrooms plus showers are located along the waterfront promenade.

The Marvin Braude bike path runs parallel to the coast and connects with other towns along the Pacific over a total distance of roughly 22 miles (35 kilometers). South of the pier stands an outdoor training ground with rings and parallel bars, considered the birthplace of California's fitness movement.