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  • Emma Wood State Beach
  • Emma Wood State Beach, California

    Emma Wood State Beach in California is a top destination for outdoor adventures. The best trails and outdoor activities include the Ventura River Estuary Trail, a must-visit for hikers. This 1.5-mile trail offers scenic views of the Ventura River, the Pacific Ocean, and diverse bird species. The trail is flat and easy, making it suitable for all fitness levels. For those interested in fishing, the beach provides opportunities to catch perch, bass, and corbina. The beach is also a popular spot for surfing and swimming. Nearby, the Channel Islands National Park offers boat tours, wildlife viewing, and camping. Don't forget to check out the historical WWII artillery emplacements for a dose of history. For a mix of nature, history, and outdoor fun, Emma Wood State Beach is a must-visit.

    Top Spots in and near Emma Wood State Beach

    • Emma Wood State Beach, California

      Surf Emma Wood State Beach

      3.0
      Park your car along the famous Pacific Coast Highway and watch the waves roll in. Go out surfing, kiteboarding, swimming, or kayaking. Emma Wood State Beach is a fairly exposed beach and reef break that has reliable surf. Summer offers the most-favored conditions for surfing.  Both breaks get cro...
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    • Ventura, California

      Bike the Ventura River and Ojai Bike Trails

      32.6 mi / 1030 ft gain
      The Ventura River and Ojai Valley Trail, effectively the same trail, is a gorgeous 32 mile trail that runs from Seaside Park in Ventura to downtown Ojai. It runs along and across the Ventura River and through the Ventura Canyon, with views up and down numerous side canyons and ravines. The trail ...
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    • Ventura, California

      Kiteboard Surfer's Point

      Surfer's Point aka Ventura Point is a well-known kite boarding/surfing (and surfing) spot due to its (when conditions are right) great wave quality, favorable wind direction (sideshore with occasional side-off), friendly locals, rider capacity, and a nearby point break with. When conditions are e...
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    • Ventura, California

      Bike the Lake Casitas Loop

      1.0
      48.9 mi / 3635 ft gain
      The Lake Casitas Loop s a fantastic cycling trail leading from Ventura, California through Ventura Canyon, around Lake Casitas and up over Casitas Pass, down through Rincon Canyon to the ocean and south on Rincon Trail back to Ventura. It covers almost all of the ecological zones and topographica...
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    • Ventura, California

      Bike the Rincon Trail

      5.0
      28.4 mi / 720 ft gain
      The Rincon Trail between Ventura and Santa Barbara is part of the wonderful Pacific Coast Bike Route, and features two-wave paved cycling lanes with beautiful views up and down the central coast. There are numerous places to stop along the way for food and relaxing, including the great seaside to...
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    • Ventura, California

      Bike the Ventura, Santa Paula, and Ojai Loop

      48.8 mi / 2081 ft gain
      The Ventura - Ojai - Santa Paul loop is a classic half-century loop throughs some of the most beautiful cycling roads on the Central Coast. Beginning in Ventura and heading on the off-road (but paved) Ventura / Ojai trails, this loop then heads into downtown Ojai before following Ojai Valley Road...
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    • Ventura, California

      Surf Ventura Point

      4.0
      Surfer’s Point, off Figueroa Street, includes one of California’s premier surfing and windsurfing spots. A landscaped promenade and the Omer Rains Bike Trail connect this sandy beach to the Ventura Pier. Promenade Park, next to the beach commemorates the site of an ancient Chumash village. Beach ...
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    • Ventura, California

      Bike the Ventura Promenade

      0.5 mi / 0 ft gain
      The Ventura Promenade is a .5 mile long biking and walking trail that runs from the Ventura Pier to Sufer's Point, eventually connecting to the Ventura River & Ojai Bike Trail. It is also part of the the larger "Omer Rains Trail" which runs some 3.5 miles to the south through Buenaventura Sta...
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    • Ventura, California

      Cycle Santa Ana Road

      6.5 mi / 500 ft gain
      The Santa Ana to Lake Casitas via Foster Park segment of Santa Ana Road is a gorgeous, 6.5 mile road that cuts through the heart of Ventura Canyon. Santa Ana Road eventually ends at Casitas Road and the Lake Casitas Recreation Area. From there you can go west over over the pass and down to the Ri...
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    • Ventura, California

      Stand Up Paddleboard the Ventura Harbor

      The Ventura Harbor provides a protected entry/exit to the Pacific Ocean and is a great place to start a paddleboarding adventure.  Marina Park, at the end of Pierpont Boulevard, has a ton of parking, a free public launch, and there are boards to rent along the harbor. From the launch you can head...
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    • Ventura, California

      Backpack to Del Norte Campground on Santa Cruz Island

      5.0
      7 mi / 700 ft gain
      Del Norte Backcountry Campground is located on Santa Cruz Island, one of the islands that makes up Channel Islands National Park. It is California's largest island and is almost three times the size of Manhattan. The easiest way to get to the island is to take Island Packers, a ferry service that...
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    • Ventura, California

      Bike the Sulphur Mountain Loop

      28.6 mi / 2884 ft gain
      The Sulphur Mountain Loop is a 28 mile cycling and mountain biking loop that begins in Ventura Canyon at the Sulphur Mountain Trailhead and loops through Ojai Valley. Beginning at the Sulphur Mountain Road trailhead off Highway 33, follow the road up and over Sulphur Mountain and down until it co...
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    • Ventura, California

      Hike Arroyo Verde Park

      3.5 mi / 800 ft gain
      Arroyo Verde Park is a small parked tucked in the hills above Ventura, California, and has a network of trails running up and down the hills surrounding the valley in the center of the park. The entrance to the park is at the intersection of Foothill Road Day Road, east of downtown Ventura. There...
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    • Rincon Point, California

      Surf Rincon Point

      5.0
      A cobblestone rocks cover a crescent shaped bay and a creek mouth spreads sand perfectly along the bay after a winter rain. Not to mention the indicator that refracts waves into the inside cove. It's no wonder famous surfers, such as Kelly Slater, Bobby Martinez, Tom Curren, Connor and Parker Cof...
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    • Carpinteria, California

      Camp at Carpinteria State Beach

      3.7
      There are 2 campgrounds close to Rincón, but Carpinteria State Beach is a little bigger and easier to find a spot. There are 4 campgrounds: Santa Cruz, Anacapa, San Miguel and Santa Rosa. Most of them are RV sites, but if you stay at Santa Cruz Campground you can set your tent right at the beach,...
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    • Ojai, California

      Rock Climb at Foothill Crag

      2 mi
      From downtown Ojai, head north on N Signal Street. Head up the hill and turn left onto a gravel road next to a chainlink fence once you get to the top.(There should be a sign that points to "Pratt/Foothill Trailhead.") Continue past a water tank on the right to a trailhead parking area.  I've gon...
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    Camping and Lodging in Emma Wood State Beach

    Wheeler Gorge
    Ojai, California

    Wheeler Gorge

    Holiday Group Campground
    Ojai, California

    Holiday Group Campground

    Ventura Ranch KOA Holiday
    Santa Paula, California

    Ventura Ranch KOA Holiday

    Santa Cruz Scorpion
    Smugglers Road

    Santa Cruz Scorpion

    Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry
    Ventura, California

    Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry

    Anacapa Island
    Ventura, California

    Anacapa Island

    Guides, Insights and Stories from Emma Wood State Beach

    By Land & Sea: 72 Hours in Ventura, California

    By Land & Sea: 72 Hours in Ventura, California

    Josiah Roe

    Velo Ventura: The 5 Best Cycling and Mountain Biking Trails in the Heart of the Central Coast

    Velo Ventura: The 5 Best Cycling and Mountain Biking Trails in the Heart of the Central Coast

    Josiah Roe

    The Galapagos of California

    The Galapagos of California

    Kyle Frost

    Boats, Backpacks and Booze: Why You Should Try Island Backpacking

    Boats, Backpacks and Booze: Why You Should Try Island Backpacking

    Kristen Fuller

    11 Photos That Will Make You Want to Hike Channel Islands National Park

    11 Photos That Will Make You Want to Hike Channel Islands National Park

    Katie Y

    One Ideal Day on Santa Cruz Island

    One Ideal Day on Santa Cruz Island

    Leigh Maneri