The Best Beaches in Long Beach

The westernmost link in Long Beach's beach chain, Alamitos runs from downtown out toward Alamitos Bay on a wide, soft, wide-open apron of sand. Shielded by the Port of Long Beach and the offshore breakwater, the water stays gentle enough for skimboarding rather than surfing. There's an aquatic playground, free volleyball courts, and a concession stand that rents everything from beach cruisers to umbrellas.

This is the headliner: Rosie's is the only leash-free, off-leash dog beach in all of Los Angeles County, a roughly three-acre stretch of sand where good dogs run straight into gentle surf. It sits along Ocean Boulevard in Belmont Shore between Roycroft and Argonne Avenues, with a metered lot right there. Expect a happy, sandy, tail-wagging crowd on any warm weekend.

Tucked inside Alamitos Bay just below Marine Stadium on Naples Island, Marine Park - everyone calls it Mother's Beach - is the definitive Long Beach spot for little kids. It's protected from open-ocean waves, so the designated swim areas stay consistently calm and shallow, and a modern playground sits right at the sand's edge for easy supervision. Dragon-boat and outrigger clubs launch from here, and there's a weekend cafe.

On the southwestern shore of Alamitos Bay near the Belmont Shore, Naples, and Peninsula neighborhoods, Bay Shore is separated from the open ocean by the Alamitos Peninsula - which keeps the water tranquil year-round. There's a designated swim area, a 500-yard open-water course for stronger swimmers, plus basketball and handball courts and a playground. In summer, adjacent Bay Shore Avenue turns into a car-free promenade for bikes and skaters.

The big, sociable Long Beach beach: a wide sandy stretch just south of the Second Street shopping-and-dining strip, so you can eat, shop, and swim in one loop. The breakwater keeps waves modest, making it more of a lay-out-and-play beach than a surf break, with volleyball nets and plenty of room to spread out. Parking is metered and gets tight on summer weekends, so arrive early.

This tidal lagoon near Marine Stadium is a warm, shallow, protected swimming hole that feels worlds away from the open coast - great for young families. A years-long restoration is reconnecting it to Alamitos Bay via a new open channel to keep the water healthy and flushing; the lagoon has stayed open for swimming through the work. It's one of the quieter, greener beach options in Long Beach.

A scenic stretch running from Junipero Avenue east to the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, backed by grassy Bluff Park and Bixby Park up on the bluff. It's a favorite for fitness days - free yoga in Bixby Park, outdoor exercise equipment, and the beach-level bike path - plus Alfredo's Beach Shack for food and bike rentals. The harbor-and-shoreline vistas from the bluff pathways are among the best in the city.

The Peninsula is a skinny finger of land with beach on both sides: open-ocean sand on the south for actual small surf, and calm Alamitos Bay sand on the north for wade-in swimming. That split personality, plus its tucked-away residential setting, makes it one of the more low-key spots to claim a wide patch of sand. It's a walk-and-explore beach more than an amenity-heavy one.

The sand here is still open and swimmable, but the landmark it was named for is gone: the Belmont Plaza Olympic pool was demolished, and its $105M replacement, the Belmont Beach & Aquatics Center, is under construction through spring 2028. Until then, this is essentially a quieter extension of the Belmont Shore beachfront near the Veterans Memorial Pier. Come for the sand, not the pool.

New to our 2026 list: Granada is the wind-sports beach, a wide sandy expanse off Granada Avenue with a boat launch ramp that draws kiteboarders, windsurfers, and small-craft crowds. It's more open and breezy than the sheltered bay beaches, which is precisely the point when the afternoon wind fills in. It also hosts city events and festivals through the season.