01
Best overall pick
Santa Monica State Beach
Santa Monica • Lively, Amenity-Packed City Beach • Best All-Around Experience
A classic SoCal beach with a wide sandy shore, a busy pier, and plenty to do before and after you hit the water.
From Temple City, Santa Monica feels like the default beach choice: big, flexible, and easy to enjoy whether you’re with kids, friends, or out on your own. The beach is broad enough to find space even on weekends, and the mix of bike paths, rental shops, and the pier keeps non-swimmers happy. If you plan to linger, side streets north of the pier often have an easier parking hunt than the main lots.
02
Most polished beach town vibe
Manhattan Beach
South Bay • Upscale, Sporty Beach • Best For Beach-Town Strolling
A refined South Bay stretch with volleyball courts, a photogenic pier, and a compact downtown that’s made for walking.
Manhattan Beach is a strong choice when you want a classic beach day with a more polished feel than the bigger tourist hubs. The sand is clean, the waves draw confident swimmers and surfers, and the strand is ideal for a long walk or bike ride. After the water, the blocks up from the pier are packed with cafes and bars, making it an easy place to roll a beach afternoon into dinner before heading back east.
03
Best wide-open escape
Zuma Beach
Malibu Coast • Expansive, Laid-Back Shoreline • Best For A Full-Day Getaway
A long, open Malibu beach where you can spread out, watch surfers, and feel a bit removed from the city.
If you’re willing to drive a little farther from Temple City, Zuma rewards you with space and scenery that the closer beaches can’t match. The sand stretches for what feels like miles, so you can usually find a quieter pocket away from the crowds near the main lifeguard towers. Pack a cooler and shade, because once you settle in, it’s the kind of place where you end up staying through golden-hour traffic just to watch the sun go down.
04
Top pick for surfers
Huntington City Beach
Orange County Coast • Energetic Surf City Beach • Best For Surf And Action Sports
Known as Surf City USA, this beach pairs consistent waves with a long pier and a busy, youth-oriented stretch of sand.
Huntington City Beach is worth the slightly longer haul when your group is serious about wave time or just likes a high-energy beach scene. The area around the pier is lined with surf shops and casual spots to eat, and the wide sand handles big weekend crowds better than many closer options. It’s a good choice if you want the classic Southern California surf-town feel that still works for non-surfers hanging out on the sand.
05
Best for evening bonfires
Dockweiler State Beach
Near Lax • Relaxed Shoreline With Fire Rings • Best For Sunset Hangs And Gatherings
A straight-shot option with long sand, simple facilities, and coveted fire pits for lingering past sunset.
Dockweiler is one of the more practical choices from Temple City when you want an after-work or late-afternoon beach run. The beach itself is straightforward—wide, sandy, and backed by a bike path—but the real draw is the lineup of fire rings that let you turn a quick dip into a full evening hangout. Expect plane noise overhead thanks to the proximity to LAX, but most locals treat it as part of the atmosphere rather than a deal-breaker.