True to its name, this wide stretch of sand truly feels hidden—or at least some of its access points do. You’ll find two main entrances here on either end of the beach: one right on the sand next to the eastbound 534 bus stop (across from Via Escondido Drive), and another through a narrow, lush tunnel of stairs next to a very postmodern condo complex (just west of the blufftop Geoffrey’s, where you’ll also find a staircase down from the restaurant itself, if you don’t mind crashing brunch). We suggest using the entrance farthest to the west; most of the dry sand west of here is open to the public. Up for more a pre- or post-beach hike? There’s access to a trailhead for Escondido Falls just to the west and across the street.
There’s really no such thing as a hidden beach in Los Angeles: The sandy stretches along the 70 or so miles of coastline in the county are mostly contiguous (with parking often only steps away), while even some obscured at the bottom of a cliff are among L.A.’s worst-kept secrets. Nor is there really such a thing as a private beach: Despite what some spots may want you to think (ahem, we’re looking at you, Paradise Cove), anything below the mean high tide line in California is open to the public.
But there are some hidden entrances to low-key beaches that only those clued in would find, whether they’re miles south of a more popular access point or tucked behind a multimillion-dollar home.
Speaking of the latter, getting to public, wet sand without trespassing on private property sometimes poses a challenge. In Malibu in particular, trying to keep the public out of rights-of-way has seemingly become a twisted hobby for some homeowners (thankfully, the Our Malibu Beaches app does a remarkable job of keeping tabs on the current state of each one of the oceanfront city’s beach access points, as well as which portions of the dry sand are open to the public).
With that in mind, we combed the county’s coastline to dig up some blink-and-you’ll-miss-it entrances to standout beaches. That means you won’t find any locations between the Pacific Palisades and Redondo Beach; almost every inch of sand here has an adjacent lot or street parking. For the remaining coastline, we set up a few ground rules: You shouldn’t have to hike or repel down a mile of dirt slopes to get there, it should be relatively reachable by car or public transit, and there should be actual sand (not just a rocky shore) waiting for you by the water.
So without further ado, these are our three favorite off-the-beaten-path beaches with entrances that only those in-the-know would spot.
