Silver Strand Beach

Silver Strand Beach is an unincorporated beach neighborhood in Oxnard, set between the mouth of Channel Islands Harbor on the north and the ocean entrance to the Port of Hueneme on the south. The shoreline is sand bottom and is capped at both ends by rock jetties that form the two harbor mouths. Ocean Drive runs along the strand lined with houses, and the beach itself serves as the main public swim beach for both the Silver Strand and Hollywood-by-the-Sea neighborhoods. The south jetty has its own piece of history: the wreckage of the SS La Jenelle was incorporated into the jetty in 1970, and that end of the beach is the access point for La Jenelle Park.

The sand bottom and breaking surf along the open beach are a surf zone biome.

Surfing draws steady use along the strand, shore anglers work the sand for surfperch, and swimming concentrates in calm conditions. The named beach has no rocky structure or kelp offshore, so snorkeling and spearfishing along the open sand are uncommon. Divers looking for structure tend to use La Jenelle Park at the south end rather than the open shoreline.

Parking is free on San Nicholas Avenue and Ocean Drive, with small county-managed lots at the two jetties. Spaces fill on summer weekends. Fishing and spearfishing are legal here under standard California regulations.