Huntington State Beach
Encyclopedia
Huntington State Beach is a protected beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...

 in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

, located in the City of Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...

 in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

.

The California State Park (Beach) extends two miles from Newport Beach (Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...

) north to Beach Blvd. where the Huntington City Beach begins.

This beach is a popular destination for many beach enthusiasts. This beach has moderate to good surf
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

, nice fishing conditions, volleyball courts, basketball courts, bathrooms, ramamdas, and fire-rings for bonfires.

Beach hours are 6am to 10pm everyday. Regular day use vehicle parking fees are $15 per vehicle. Discounts do apply (see official State Parks website).

Lifeguard Services at Huntington State Beach are provided by the California State Parks Lifeguard Service. Lifeguards patrol the beach year round while lifeguard towers are staffed roughly Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...

 weekend through Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...

 weekend.

History

Huntington State Beach is the location for State Lifeguard Training. A great amount of history has occurred at this beach.

State Lifeguards
1938
Doheny, San Clemente State Beaches have lifeguard services provided by county of Orange.

1950
State begins development and operation of Huntington State Beach. Division of Beaches and Parks explores concept of contracting lifeguard service at the newly developed park but elects to start own service after consulting with lifeguard services up and down the coast. Robert Isenor, a former Newport City Lifeguard is hired as a seasonal employee to develop the first State Lifeguard program. He hired 17 seasonal lifeguards, who worked out of ten towers with no phones or radios and were supported by one jeep. State Lifeguards performed 27 swimmer rescues that first summer. Beach attendance was 211,000 that year.

1951
Silver Strand State Beach is opened and Isenor coordinates hiring of seasonal lifeguards for this operation.

1952
San Clemente State Beach
San Clemente State Beach
San Clemente State Beach is a beach located in the south end of the city of San Clemente, California. Located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, it has been the most popular beach in the state of California since 1937....

 is now guarded by two seasonal lifeguards. First use of mobile radio at Huntington.

1953
Robert Isenor is appointed in first full time lifeguard classification as District Lifeguard Supervisor with a starting pay of $341 per month. Summertime beach operations are coordinated by Seasonal Beach Lifeguard Supervisors at each park unit. The Boy Scout National Jamboree brings 14,000 scouts to Huntington State Beach and Isenor’s crew is acknowledged in Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....

magazine for their outstanding safety record during this event (no drownings).

1954
Service started at Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...

 and Carpinteria
Carpinteria, California
Carpinteria is a small oceanside city located in southeastern Santa Barbara County, California, east of Santa Barbara and northwest of Ventura. The population was 13,040 at the 2010 census, down from 14,194 at the 2000 census....

. Isenor is designated as first Lifeguard Peace Officer, July ’54.

1955
State provides two seasonal lifeguards at Carlsbad State Beach
Carlsbad State Beach
Carlsbad State Beach is a protected beach in the state park system of California, USA, located in Carlsbad. It is a San Diego County beach with coastal bluffs. Popular activities include swimming, surfing, scuba diving, fishing, and beachcombing. Many visitors camp on the campsites on top of the...

 and begins own service at Doheny.

1956
First requests for a Permanent Lifeguard Classification initiated. Positions requested for Carlsbad, Doheny, Silver Strand
Silver Strand
Silver Strand may refer to:* Silver Strand , an action film directed by George Miller* Silver Strand Beach, a beach neighborhood in the city of Oxnard, California, also referred to locally as Silverstrand Beach...

 and the Salton Sea
Salton Sea
The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault, predominantly in California's Imperial Valley. The lake occupies the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink in the Colorado Desert of Imperial and Riverside counties in Southern California. Like Death...

.

1957
State considers providing service at Folsom, Pajaro, Stinson Beach and Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is a city in San Mateo County, CaliforniaHalf Moon Bay may also refer to:- Geographic features :* Half Moon Bay , a bay on the San Mateo County Coast of California...

. Permanent Lifeguard Classification established. Folsom, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...

 and Stinson get seasonal guards.

1958
Department develops an Aquatic Safety Program, tasking every park unit in the state to identify its aquatic recreation resources and hazards. Seasonal lifeguards provided at Torrey Pines. First budget request for a rescue boat at Huntington State Beach. Mel Tubbs become first Department sanctioned SCUBA Diver at Huntington. First Seasonal lifeguards provided at El Capitan
El Capitan
El Capitan is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith extends about from base to summit along its tallest face, and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers.The formation was...

.

1960
Lifeguard Service starts at Bolsa Chica State Beach
Bolsa Chica State Beach
Bolsa Chica State Beach is a beach in the state park system of California, USA. It is located in the Huntington Beach community of Sunset Beach in Orange County....

 (once known as “Tin Can Beach” before work crews cleaned it up!).

1962
Lifeguard testing and training is formalized to include 1000 yard swim, 600 yard run-swim-run and 20 hours of in-service first aid and rescue instruction. Training is held at each park unit.

1964
Lifeguard Rescue Boat “Surfwatch” launched & makes dramatic mass rescue of 36 victims from one rip current at Huntington State Beach. Second Rescue Boat, “Sea Ranger” is launched at Salton Sea: lifeguards provide six months of service at Salton Sea.

Late Sixties
Department creates Aquatic Specialist and Lifeguard Supervisor positions. California State Lifeguard Association is formed. Lifeguards successfully lobby for Safety Retirement. Formal statewide Lifeguard Training is instituted at Huntington for all new lifeguards. State Parks develops the first planned recreation area at Lake Perris.

Isenor continued directing lifeguard services for 33 years, retiring in 1983. At one time there were a total of four Aquatic Specialists coordinating the programs throughout the state. Today there is one Specialist assigned the oversight for the entire Park System.

1973
Isenor pushes to have the Permanent Lifeguard series included in the peace officer training and California State Parks becomes the first agency in the nation to have armed lifeguards with full peace officer powers.

1983 – 1984
Due to the high turnover of Ranger personnel assigned to Huntington and Bolsa Chica State Beaches, positions are converted to the Lifeguard series and Lifeguards are given the responsibility of operating one of the largest beach operations—day and night.

1987
In response to growing a boom in population, dramatic increases in recreation usage, and numerous drownings along the Central and Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...

 coastline, a budget change proposal is approved that places lifeguards along the Russian River
Russian River (California)
The Russian River, a southward-flowing river, drains of Sonoma and Mendocino counties in Northern California. With an annual average discharge of approximately , it is the second largest river flowing through the nine county Greater San Francisco Bay Area with a mainstem 110 miles ...

 coastal area, more than doubles the size of the Santa Cruz seasonal lifeguard operation, and places two permanent lifeguards in the Monterey District.

Spring 1995
Los Angeles County threatens to remove their lifeguard operation from State Beaches in Los Angeles County. State lifeguards performed the single most historic marshalling of lifeguard resources in California history in May 1995, when the County of Los Angeles removed their lifeguard service from eight State owned, but County operated beaches. State Lifeguards served 14,000,000 visitors, performing over 4,000 rescues on those beaches and had no drownings that summer

California State Parks now operates one of the largest professional lifeguard services in the world, with more than 600 seasonal and 70 full time lifeguards and supervisors. The service spans more than 600 miles of diverse coastline from the Sonoma Coast to the Mexican Border, and inland bodies of water from Folsom and Clear Lake to Lake Perris
Lake Perris
Lake Perris is an artificial lake completed in 1973. It is the southern terminus of the California State Water Project situated in a mountain-rimmed valley between Moreno Valley, and city of Perris in what is now the Lake Perris State Recreation Area. The park offers a variety of recreational...

 and Silverwood. State lifeguards annually perform more than 10,000 swimmer rescues, save millions of dollars of boater property; perform 6,000 medical aides, swift water rescues, urban flood rescues, technical cliff rescues and the full range of law enforcement duties.

2001
California State Parks celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the State Lifeguard service. A commemorative badge is approved in honor of the occasion.

Geography

Latitude/Longitude: 33.6190 / -117.9978

Huntington State Beach is located in the City of Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...

, Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...

, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. The beach can be traveled to by five different roads: Pacific Coast Highway, Beach Blvd., Newland St., Magnolia St., and Brookhurst St. There are two river mouths located at the southern end of the beach, Talbert Channel and the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...

. The beach is very wide and at sea level. Sandbars extend across and upcoast throughout the beach, creating shallow waters around the south end.

Located directly behind Huntington State Beach are two power plants, wetlands, sand dunes, sewage facility, residential homes and a toxic waste dump. It is believed due to the penetration of toxic chemicals into the soil, high level water contanimation is often around the Magnolia St. entrance. Around the Brookhurst St. entrance high levels of contamination are also common due to both river mouths. Apart from the river mouths, the sewage facility has at times dumped raw sewage into the ocean via the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...

.

Ecology

Huntington State Beach is the site of a nesting sanctuary for the California Least Tern, a rare and endangered species. The beach is also sanctuary for the threatened Snowy Plover
Snowy Plover
The Snowy Plover is a small wader in the plover bird family. It breeds in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern and western USA and the Caribbean...

.

Recreation

Surfing
Huntington State Beach faces almost true south. Between late spring, summer and into the fall, Huntington State Beach directly receives all swells from the south. When swells from the North/West combine with south swells, Huntington State Beach is a premier spot for surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...

. Due to the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...

 Jetties located at the southern end of the beach, large sandbars extend across and upcoast approximately 1 mile. These sandbars shift dramatically during the spring and summer seasons thus creating dangerous conditions. Surf at this beach often breaks very steep, rapid and hollow. Novice surfers are not encouraged to surf at this location. Shortboards are highly recommended.

Swimming
Swimming is allowed at Huntington State Beach with lifeguard services available. Ocean currents can be extremely dangerous at this beach creating large rip currents. Aquatic rescues are more than common and the probability of drowning for a non-swimmer in unguarded water is likely. Swimmers are advised to take extreme caution, remain close to shore and in front of a lifeguard tower.

Multi-Use Trail
A paved pathway extends acroos the length of the beach. This pathway is a small segment of a large trail commencing from Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...

 down to Balboa Pier
Balboa Pier
The Balboa Pier is one of two piers located in the city of Newport Beach, Orange County, California. It is located in a part of Newport Beach called the Balboa Peninsula....

 at Newport Beach.

Sun Bathing
Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...

 is known for great weather and plenty of sunshine. Huntington State Beach tends to be less breezy than nearby upcoast locations, nevertheless can be cold at times.

Fire rings
Huntington State Beach provides large fire rings across the beach. These rings are at a first come first serve basis. Large fires are permitted as long as wood pallets are not used. "Bonfires" can remain until 2130 HRS, at that time all visitors must exit the park. Park entrance closes at 2100 HRS, park officially closes at 2200 HRS.

Fishing
Huntington State Beach is a popular place for surf fishing. perch
Perch (disambiguation)
Perch may refer to:*Perch , a surname *The USS Perch, multiple ships with the name*Perch , antique unit of measure of length, area or volume, depending on context, used in medieval France and the British Isles...

, corbina, croaker
Sciaenidae
Sciaenidae is a family of fish commonly called drums, croakers, or hardheads for the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make...

, cabezon
Cabezon
Cabezón is the Spanish word for "stubborn" or "big-headed". Cabezon or cabezón may refer to:In Chile, cabezon means intelligent.-Fish species:* Cabezone , a species of fish in the Cottidae family...

 and shovelnose guitarfish
Shovelnose guitarfish
The shovelnose guitarfish, Rhinobatos productus, is a ray that becomes sexually mature at an estimated seven to eight years. Males are between 90–100 cm, while females are around 99 cm at this time. The ray can live up to 11 years, and full grown sizes are around 120 cm for males,...

 are among the fish that can be caught there. Huntington State Beach does permit surf fishing as long as there are no nearby swimmers. Fishing license must be displayed as required.

Bird Watching
A Least Tern and Snowy Plover
Snowy Plover
The Snowy Plover is a small wader in the plover bird family. It breeds in Ecuador, Peru, Chile, the southern and western USA and the Caribbean...

 reserve is located at the southern end of the beach between Talbert Channel and the Santa Ana River
Santa Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...

. Trespassing is prohibited and dogs are not allowed on the sand nor anywhere near the reserve.

External links



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