Doheny State Beach

Doheny State Beach is the state-operated beach at the mouth of San Juan Creek in Dana Point, Orange County. The Doheny family donated the original 41.4-acre park in 1931 as a memorial to Edward "Ned" Doheny Jr. Pacific Coast Highway runs along the inland edge, and San Juan Creek empties into the ocean at the north end of the beach. Dana Point Harbor sits immediately to the north, separated from Doheny by the harbor breakwater. Construction on the harbor began in 1966 and the harbor was dedicated in 1971. Before the breakwater went in, the surf break here was known as Killer Dana and produced one of the largest waves on the Southern California coast. The breakwater erased that wave, and the beach today is a destination for learning surfers. A 121-site campground occupies the south end of the state park, with a separate day-use beach on the north. Doheny at 33.4622 N sits inside the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area, which runs along the Dana Point coast from roughly 33.4550 N to 33.5008 N.

The bottom is sand from end to end, with breaking surf and no rocky reef or kelp offshore at the named beach. The shallow sand and the consistent surf put the spot squarely in the surf zone biome.

The small wave draws most of the use, with the soft, forgiving break pulling learners. Swimming, hook-and-line fishing from shore, and overnight camping at the south-end campground are all common. Spearfishing for finfish is allowed under SMCA rules, but it is uncommon here because there is no rocky structure or kelp to hold fish, and the underwater visibility runs reliably poor. The productive diving inside the same SMCA concentrates on the rocky structure off Strands Beach and Salt Creek Beach Park to the north. Snorkeling and scuba are uncommon for the same reasons.

The paid state-park lot inside Doheny off Park Lantern Road runs $15 for day use, and free street parking on PCH near the entrance is limited. Under California Code of Regulations Title 14, take of all living marine resources is prohibited inside the Dana Point State Marine Conservation Area, with three exceptions: recreational hook-and-line fishing for finfish, recreational spearfishing for finfish, and recreational take of spiny lobster and sea urchin. Take from the tidepools is prohibited.