Skip to content
Byway
Nature reserve · California

Manresa State Beach

Manresa State Beach from directly overhead

Manresa State Beach is a nature reserve in California, at a modelled elevation of 48 m. Loma Prieta stands 1,154 m to the north, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Place De Mer Park, a park 0.1 miles away. Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1 passes 23 miles off.

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates36.92762, -121.85796

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Place De Mer Park: 0.1 mi
  • Manresa State Beach Access: 0.5 mi
  • Manresa State Beach - Soquel Creek Water District: 0.6 mi
  • Triangle Park: 0.7 mi
  • Seascape Park: 1.6 mi
Artworks
  • Compass: 0.6 mi
  • Cabrillo Gallery: 5.6 mi
  • Windfalls: 5.9 mi
  • Totem Pole: 6.6 mi
  • Old Tree: 6.8 mi
Nature reserves
Historic sites
Attractions
  • Crystal Bay Farm: 1.6 mi
  • S. S. Palo Alto: 4.2 mi
  • Capitola Wharf: 6.0 mi
  • Capitola Wharf: 6.1 mi
  • Epicenter Loma Prieta Earthquake: 7.3 mi
Picnic sites
  • Lower Shade Ramada: 3.6 mi
  • Emmet Reed Picnic Area: 4.7 mi
  • Pourroy Picnic Area: 4.9 mi
  • Special Events Ramada: 5.5 mi
  • George's Picnic Area: 5.7 mi
Peaks
Beaches: 56
Museums: 49
Gardens: 41
  • Bamboo Giant Nursery: 4.1 mi
  • Tiger Lily Garden: 5.1 mi
  • Ksitigarbha Garden: 7.1 mi
  • Roses of Yesterday: 7.5 mi
  • Beach Flats Community Garden: 9.2 mi
Springs: 14
  • Olive Springs: 9.6 mi
  • Crystal Springs (private): 10.7 mi
  • Badger Spring: 10.9 mi
  • Sulpher Springs: 11.1 mi
  • Dodero Spring: 11.2 mi
Waterfalls: 13
  • Fairy Falls: 7.5 mi
  • Five Finger Falls: 8.4 mi
  • Maple Falls: 8.6 mi
  • Upper Falls: 11.0 mi
  • Triple Falls: 11.0 mi
Cliffs: 11
  • Capitola Bluffs: 5.9 mi
  • Anthony's Bluff: 10.1 mi
  • Chrystal Cliff: 10.1 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 12.0 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 12.1 mi
Ghost towns: 10
Lighthouses: 3
Covered bridges: 2
Natural arches: 1
  • Natural Bridges Rock Arch: 11.1 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 19.5 miles of Manresa State Beach. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Loma PrietaN 3°1,154 m12.7 mi
Crystal PeakN 5°1,097 m12.9 mi
Mount UmunhumN 352°1,063 m16.2 mi
Mount ThayerNNW 348°1,061 m16.7 mi
Mount ChualN 6°1,046 m13.3 mi
El SombrosoN 351°917 m17.6 mi
Ralph's MountainNNW 345°828 m16.2 mi
Santa Rosalia MountainN 1°806 m10.0 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1218:4519:20
June solstice05:4919:5220:31
September equinox06:5618:3219:06
December solstice07:1816:1516:55

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: year-round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F515254565861636364615550
Precip in4.64.04.31.20.90.20.00.00.10.92.14.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Watsonville Muni AP, 4 mi away.

Wildlife nearby
  • Pacific chorus frog84 obs
  • Cooper's Yoldia75 obs
  • Pink Sand Verbena71 obs
  • Pacific Sand Crab66 obs
  • Arboreal Salamander64 obs
  • Marbled Godwit58 obs
  • Western Fence Lizard58 obs
  • Eccentric Sand Dollar57 obs

Research-grade iNaturalist community observations within 3 km — what people have recorded, not a species inventory.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidata

OpenStreetMap element way/684868533

More nature reserves in California

Day trips start here

Drive to it

Byway plans a real route around stops like this one.

Plan a driveMore nature reserves
Private beta · Free to join

Take the scenic way to Manresa State Beach.

Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.

Private beta · Free to join · No card · Invite when a spot opens