Question 1

What happened to Seacliff State Beach?

Accepted Answer

During 2023, our coastal areas in Santa Cruz County experienced two extreme winter storms, one in January and one in December. These events generated significant storm swells of around 35 feet in height and, timed with high tides, caused catastrophic damage to park facilities. The campground was destroyed, the pier was damaged beyond repair and eventually demolished, and about half the seawall was breached, causing damage to the infrastructure behind.

Question 2

What are the current conditions at Seacliff State Beach?

Accepted Answer

Seacliff State Beach is open to the public for day use. Picnic tables, shade ramadas, grills, beach parking, and the visitor center are all open. You may notice areas where the pedestrian promenade has been moved and temporary barricades installed to accommodate access around breaches in the seawall.

State Park facilities are still vulnerable to coastal hazards. As winter storms affect the park, State Parks may temporarily close facilities to protect them and the public. Following storm events, State Parks will clean up in a cost-effective manner. This may mean waiting for longer periods of clear weather before maintenance occurs.

Question 3

Why haven't more repairs been made?

Accepted Answer

Storms severely impacted Seacliff State Beach over the past two winters, and the recovery process is ongoing. While long-term plans are being developed, State Parks has not received additional funding specifically for interim repairs. Available resources have been directed toward addressing critical health and safety needs, particularly during peak seasons. Efforts are guided by sustainability and capacity, with an understanding that more support is needed. There are several repairs underway now. They include the following:
Restroom 7 and 3, both in the day use area, are being repaired to return to full operation, including some structural upgrades. This project is slated to be completed by the end of 2025. FEMA funding was received for this 9/5/2025.
Asphalt patching and wooden handrail repair along the wooden seawall along the day use area will be ongoing through December 2025.
Repairs and sand removal for the day use walking path will occur in spring 2026 after winter storm activity and potential wave overtopping subsides.
Less noticeably, repairs have been made to supporting infrastructure, including adding slurry to large sinkholes, emergent repairs to address undermining of the seawall, pumping sand out of pipes to keep restrooms functioning, etc. This work is ongoing.

Question 4

What is the timeline for restoring/rebuilding at Seacliff

Accepted Answer

Restoring and rebuilding Seacliff State Beach will be a multi-year effort. The timeline depends on a variety of factors, including project feasibility, environmental review, regulatory permitting, and the availability of funding.

Following the community meeting planned for September 2025, California State Parks will begin developing a detailed management plan. This plan will identify specific infrastructure and adaptation strategies for targeted areas of the park and serve as a roadmap for future improvements.

Once the plan is finalized, cost estimates can be developed to support fundraising and grant applications. We are looking at implementing the first phase of adaptation - a structured vegetated dune - on the day-use side in 2028. Remaining phases will optimistically begin in 2030. This timeline allows for:

Continued community engagement at key milestones
Completion of required environmental and coastal development permits
Securing funding
Finalizing designs and executing construction contracts

This schedule reflects the complex nature of coastal adaptation planning and the commitment to a thoughtful, science-based approach.

Question 5

Will camping return to Seacliff?

Accepted Answer

The campground was a cherished part of Seacliff, and its loss is deeply felt. However, the level of armoring needed to protect a rebuilt campground would significantly compromise the public beach — eliminating beach access and damaging beach habitat. We are pursuing a larger regional feasibility study to broaden our options to find natural resiliency in other park units and replace the lost camping opportunities within lower Seacliff. Some of the areas we will consider include New Brighton, Sunset and upper Seacliff.

Question 6

What has been happening since the Seacliff community meetings in Fall 2024?

Accepted Answer

In fall 2024, a community meeting shared the results of a vulnerability assessment focused on how climate change and coastal hazards affect specific areas and infrastructure at Seacliff State Beach. Since then, California State Parks and its partners have been working with technical consultants to explore possible adaptation strategies that could help protect the park’s assets and maintain public access.

Preferred adaptation recommendations are now being finalized. These options are designed to offer a broad view of what's needed to support continued recreation and resource protection at Seacliff. The draft recommendations will be presented at a public meeting planned for September 2025.

After that, State Parks will refine these ideas into a detailed adaptation plan. This final plan will include specific infrastructure or management approaches — such as a seawall, vegetated dunes, or managed retreat — to address the site’s vulnerabilities in a sustainable, science-based way.

In the meantime, several related efforts have been underway:

Partnered with a Cabrillo College coastal monitoring class, which conducted regular beach surveys throughout the fall, including beach profiles and grain size measurements.
Secured a Coastal Conservancy grant to support the design and permitting of a nature-based solution on the beach in front of the seawall in the day-use area.
Coordinated with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego to deploy a new buoy off Seacliff and high-resolution blufftop cameras, with an online monitoring dashboard to track coastal processes in real time.
Supported the planting of native vegetation at the Rio del Mar State Beach Living Shoreline Pilot Project, with help from community volunteers, to promote natural dune habitat.

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