Skip to content
Byway
Nature reserve · California

Twin Lakes State Beach

Twin Lakes State Beach from directly overhead

Twin Lakes State Beach is a nature reserve in California, at a modelled elevation of 6 m. Loma Prieta stands 1,154 m to the northeast, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Harbor Beach, a beach 0.1 miles away. Big Sur Coast Highway - Route 1 passes 27 miles off.

Visiting

What to expect

Operated by
California Department of Parks and Recreation

Official site

Getting there

How to reach it

Driving directionsPlan a drive around it
Coordinates36.96452, -122.00056

Overlooks nearby

Around it

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Twin Lakes - USA: 0.3 mi
  • East Cliff Accent: 0.3 mi
  • Twin Lakes Neighborhood Park: 0.3 mi
  • Twin Lakes: 0.3 mi
  • Tyrrell Park: 0.5 mi
Artworks
  • Otter Touching Its Tail: 0.3 mi
  • Life-size Gray Whale Sculpture: 0.5 mi
  • Stone Spire: 0.8 mi
  • Great Blue Heron Walkway: 0.9 mi
  • Santa Cruz Art League Galleries: 1.1 mi
Nature reserves
Attractions
Picnic sites
  • Aloha Terrace: 1.1 mi
  • Buckeye Picnic Area: 2.4 mi
  • Lone Tree: 2.4 mi
  • Cathedral: 2.4 mi
  • Twisted Tree: 2.4 mi
Historic sites
  • Santa Cruz Hostel: 1.3 mi
  • Branciforte: 1.4 mi
  • Surfer Memorial Statue: 1.5 mi
  • Santa Cruz Bicentennial Monument: 1.5 mi
  • Soldiers & Sailors Statue: 1.7 mi
Peaks
  • Bolcoff Hill: 1.5 mi
  • Prospect Hill: 2.4 mi
  • Horseback Hill: 2.5 mi
  • La Corona: 2.9 mi
  • Mount Massiah: 4.4 mi
Beaches: 55
Gardens: 43
Museums: 40
Waterfalls: 23
  • Moose Lodge Falls: 4.4 mi
  • Ferndell: 6.9 mi
  • Fairy Falls: 8.2 mi
  • Maple Falls: 8.3 mi
  • Five Finger Falls: 9.7 mi
Springs: 15
  • Dodero Spring: 2.9 mi
  • Crystal Springs (private): 3.4 mi
  • Horse Trough Spring: 3.6 mi
  • Redwood Springs: 6.7 mi
  • Old Growth Spring: 7.7 mi
Cliffs: 12
  • Anthony's Bluff: 1.9 mi
  • Chrystal Cliff: 1.9 mi
  • Capitola Bluffs: 3.0 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 3.9 mi
  • Upper Quarry: 3.9 mi
Ghost towns: 10
Lighthouses: 3
Covered bridges: 2
Natural arches: 1
  • Natural Bridges Rock Arch: 3.3 mi
On the horizon

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 18.6 miles of Twin Lakes State Beach. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Loma PrietaNE 40°1,154 m13.3 mi
Crystal PeakNE 41°1,097 m13.7 mi
Mount UmunhumNNE 22°1,063 m14.7 mi
Mount ThayerNNE 18°1,061 m14.5 mi
Mount ChualNE 41°1,046 m14.1 mi
El SombrosoNNE 19°917 m15.6 mi
The PeakNNW 348°917 m18.0 mi
Sunnyvale MountainNNW 348°880 m17.8 mi
Conditions

When to go

Light through the year

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:1218:4619:20
June solstice05:5019:5320:32
September equinox06:5718:3219:06
December solstice07:1816:1516:56

Local time (America/Los_Angeles).

Climate normals

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

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F525355586063646565625651
Precip in6.46.14.32.00.90.20.00.00.11.33.26.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Santa Cruz, 2 mi away.

Sources

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMapWikidataOfficial site

OpenStreetMap element relation/7087720

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 Twin Lakes 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