Surfers and windsurfers sharing the waves at Waddell

Waddell Beach is about 20 miles north of the city of Santa Cruz and is part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. It is located directly across Highway 1 from Rancho del Oso State Park. The beach is about a mile and a half long and turns into the beach at Greyhound Rock when walking south. In between the two beaches there are some great tide pools that can be revealed at low tide. On the other hand, when it is high tide, the tide pools disappear and the beach becomes completely covered by water when the ocean goes all the way to the cliffs. This may be problematic when walking back from a long hike, so be sure to plan for the tides. To the north, the beach ends where the ocean meets a reef. Waddell Beach is known internationally as one of the best spots for Windsurfing because of the strong, ever-present winds out of the north west. It is known for decent surfing. It has been the backup location for many surfing events. The November 2009 Oakley Pro Junior ASP North America Championships were at Waddell Beach. The beach is also popular for kite surfing and kite flying. Because of the cliffs and the sea, some consider it a challenge for hang gliding. Many that try, often get blown into the sea or have tumbled into the Waddell Creek Canyon. Fishing is also a popular activity at the beach.

Please note that there is no cell phone service at Waddell Creek Beach. Just keep walking south. You can get cell phone reception at the top of the next ridge or at Scott Creek. For an emergency, there are emergency phones along the highway at Waddell Beach. The parking lot at Waddell Beach is huge and is a great spot to watch all of the action from. There is bus service to Waddell Beach twice a day. Waddell Creek drains into the ocean at Wadell Beach, and can become impossible to cross during the rainy season.

For history of the area see the entry for Waddell Creek.

Sunset at Waddell with Ano Nuevo Island in the distance View of Waddell Beach from the Howard King Trail in Big Basin The building in the left background is the latrine.

Related Pages

• 360 Degree Virtual Panorama of Waddell Beach
• :Waddell Beach information
• Parks & Open Spaces
• Beaches & Surf Spots
• Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Lost Towns

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Comments

2012-04-15 19:28:24   BEST beach ever found 4 starfish washed up on the beach!! —71.146.70.169