New Brighton State Beach
Also known as New Brighton SB
- Status
- Open (per official listing)Daily 8 a.m. – sunset
- Entrance fee
- $10 per dayAnnual pass available
- Day-use reservations
- None mentioned
- Dogs
- Dogs allowed6-ft leash
- Camping
- Yes
- Official site
- parks.ca.gov(831) 464-6329
Official page last checked Oct 29, 2026. How we keep this current
Overview
Covering about 155 acres, New Brighton State Beach lies in Santa Cruz County, in Capitola.
Visitors come for surfing, fishing, geocaching, and hiking. On the water side, there is a swimming beach. For overnight stays there are campsites (RV sites, tent sites, group camping, and showers).
Hours
Park, gate, office and facility hours are listed separately because they often differ. Alerts above override normal hours.
| Facility | Days | Hours | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Daily | 8 a.m. – sunset | — |
Official wording
8am to Sunset
Source: official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Times are local to the park (America/Los Angeles).
Fees and passes
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Day Use | $10 |
| Vehicle Day Use | $10 |
Official wording
Special rates may apply for peak season, high demand holiday periods, and during weekends. Prices are subject to change without notice. • Vehicle Day Use: $10.00 • Vehicle Day Use: $10.00
California park passes
- California Explorer Annual Pass — $195. Vehicle day-use entry to 134 state parks incl. high-demand Southern California beaches Details
- Golden Poppy Annual Pass — $125. Vehicle day-use entry to 112 state parks Details
- Historian Passport — $50. Admission for up to four people at per-person-fee State Historic Parks Details
- Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Annual Pass — $50. Entry to State Vehicular Recreation Areas that collect day-use fees Details
- SNO-Park Pass — $40 season / $15 day. 18 SNO-PARK winter recreation areas Details
From the California state guide. Confirm which passes this park accepts.
Reservations
- Day use
- No day-use reservation requirement mentioned
- Booking system
- ReserveCalifornia
- Phone
- (800) 444-7275
We link to the official booking system rather than showing live availability, which changes minute to minute.
Pets
Dogs allowed · leash up to 6 feet
Are dogs allowed? DOGS must always be on a leash no longer than six feet and attended by humans. For a list of locations that you can take your dog to in Santa Cruz County, view Where Can I Take My Dog?
Service animals are generally permitted where pets are not. Check with the park for specific areas.
Camping
Please Note: New Brighton SB does not have hike-in campsites.
Named for the famed coastal resort in England, the beautiful beach and bluffs of New Brighton have drawn visitors—human and animal alike—for centuries. The forested bluffs offer a campground, hiking trails, and sweeping views of Monterey Bay just steps from a sandy shore perfect for fishing, beach combing, and (in warmer months) swimming.
The Pacific Migrations Visitor Center in the New Brighton State Beach campground interprets natural and cultural history by examining the movements of human and animal populations around the Pacific Rim from season to season and year to year.
ALCOHOL is not allowed on the beach or in the day-use areas — only within registered campsites.
CAMPING is available for tents and RVs. There are over 100 campsites with 11 RV hookup sites. No hike-in campsites are available. Visit New Brighton's camping webpage for more information.
- Sani-Star, LLC. (Automated RV Dump Fee Collection System in the campground)
Overnight facilities: Tent Camping, Group Campsites, Hike-and-Bike Campsites, RV/Trailer Campsites w/Hookups, RV Dump Station, RV Access
Max trailer: 36 feet
Max camper/motorhome: 36 feet
From the official park page, checked Oct 29, 2026. Site counts and prices can change; confirm when booking.
Things to do
FishingSurfingGeocachingHikingCamping
Amenities
Facilities
- Restrooms
- Showers
- Drinking water
- Visitor center
- Nature center or museum
- Parking
- Group facilities
Water
- Swimming beach
Camping
- RV dump station
- Tent camping
- RV camping
- Group camping
✓ listed by the park · ✕ the park says it is not available. Anything not shown here isn’t mentioned by the official source — that means unknown, not unavailable.
Accessibility
Overview
Named for the famed coastal resort in England, the beautiful beach and bluffs of New Brighton have drawn visitors—human and animal alike—for centuries. The forested bluffs offer a campground, hiking trails, and sweeping views of Monterey Bay. The beach is in the town of Capitola, just south of Santa Cruz, and can be reached by taking the New Brighton/Park Avenue exit off Highway One. Phone (831) 464-6329 for more information.
Camping
Five standard campsites are accessible (#27, #77, #80, #95, and #107); accessible site #55 is equipped with electricity and water hookups. Accessible restrooms and showers are available in each campground loop.
Beach/Shore Access
Beach wheelchairs are available for use, free of charge. Reservations at least five business days before your visit are recommended, but not required. Online reservations can be made by visiting the Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks Beach Wheelchairs website. For more information or assistance, please phone Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks at (831) 429-1840 or email parks@thatsmypark.org. For requests less than five business days, please phone the park directly or phone the Santa Cruz District Special Events Office at (831) 335-8497 or email SCD.specialevents@parks.ca.gov.
Official accessibility information
Conditions change. Contact the park to confirm specific accessible features before your visit.
Getting there
- Address
- 1500 Park Ave
Capitola, CA 95010 - Nearest town
- Capitola
- Coordinates
- 36.9799, -121.9379
- Phone
- (831) 464-6329
- SCD.specialevents@parks.ca.gov
Entrances
- Directions point
Google Maps directionsApple MapsOfficial park map (PDF)
Directions from the park
The beach is in the town of Capitola, just south of Santa Cruz. The beach can be reached by taking the New Brighton/Park Avenue exit off Highway One.
Nearby state parks
Sources and freshness
- California State Parks — park page — last checked Oct 29, 2026
- California State Parks Listing page (one link per unit, page_id = officialId), unioned with the CSP Enterprise GIS 'ParkEntryPoints' ArcGIS layer (coords, address, county, unit number, management status) and the 'CSPParkUnit_CurrentStatus' layer (open/partial/full closure)
- Wikidata
- USGS PAD-US 4.1 (boundary and acreage)
“Last checked” is when our system last read the official source. No change has been detected since this page was first published. Hours, fees and rules can change without notice — confirm with the park before you go. Methodology