Seal Beach

Seal Beach is the northernmost beach city in Orange County, immediately east of the Long Beach city line and the San Gabriel River channel. The shoreline is sand-bottom and runs uninterrupted in both directions from the wooden Seal Beach Pier, which extends roughly 1,865 feet from the foot of Main Street. Main Street runs east from the pier through a small downtown of shops and restaurants up to Pacific Coast Highway. The Seal Beach Clock Tower stands in Eisenhower Park at the foot of the pier. Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach sits inland of the city and does not affect beach access.

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

Hook-and-line fishing from the pier and from shore is the main use, with surfing and swimming both common. Without rocky structure or kelp to hold fish, snorkeling and scuba are uncommon.

Free 2-hour street parking is available on Ocean Avenue, Main Street, and the side streets near the pier, and several pay lots sit near 8th Street and the pier. Spaces fill on summer weekends. Spearfishing along the named beach is prohibited under two overlapping rules: Seal Beach Municipal Code Chapter 9.05 bans use of bow, crossbow, or similar projectile fishing devices on city beach, city pier, or other city property, and California Code of Regulations Title 14 Section 1.88 separately prohibits spearfishing within 1,000 feet of Seal Beach Pier. Hook-and-line fishing remains legal under standard California regulations.