McGrath State Beach

McGrath State Beach covers approximately 340 acres along two miles of coast between the cities of Ventura and Oxnard, on the south bank of the mouth of the Santa Clara River. Nine habitats meet inside the unit: the Pacific Ocean, sandy beach, coastal dunes, the Santa Clara River and its estuary, McGrath Lake as a coastal back-dune water body, riparian woodland, freshwater marsh, and brackish marsh. The estuary and dunes support federally listed species including the western snowy plover. McGrath State Beach is one of the best bird-watching sites on the Ventura County coast. The 174-site campground has been heavily impacted by repeated flooding since the south levee on the Santa Clara River failed in 2005, and only a fraction of campsites have been operational since 2017.

The sand bottom and breaking waves at the open beach are a surf zone biome. Behind the dunes, the Santa Clara River estuary and the brackish marsh hold eelgrass and submerged grass beds in the slower-moving channels, which makes the estuary a seagrass biome.

Surf fishing from the beach produces perch. Wildlife viewing in the estuary and along the dunes is the dominant non-fishing use, with the bird community drawing visitors year-round. The river-mouth current and shifting bars keep surfing uncommon, and turbidity from the river keeps spearfishing, snorkeling, and scuba uncommon as well, though spearfishing on the open beach is legal.

The state park lot is at the end of Harbor Boulevard in south Oxnard with a day-use fee. Campsite availability has been heavily reduced since 2017, and California State Parks should be checked before traveling. Fishing and spearfishing are legal here under standard California regulations. The estuary is closed to bait collection and to take from inside protected wildlife areas; posted signs should be observed.