I can tell it is getting closer to a Southern California winter based on my most recent trip to Leo Carrillo State Beach. Although, it was a late afternoon trip which is of course going to be pretty chilly.
My favorite beach setting is when it is gray and stormy, for some reason it is the most beautiful and relaxing to me, with the rough and choppy waves, lack of people and the crisp air. It just seems like the physical image of clarity to me. So it is definitely the time I like to be at thee beach to clear my head.
This little pocket of beach was very relaxing to just sit and enjoy and think. Although, I had to be mindful of the time so I didn’t get trapped at high tide.
This beach also had a lot of small boulders, loose rocks and was scattered with seaweed and pebbles (some smooth, some very rough).
The sand was very different from my last visit to County line beach which seemed very groomed and cleaned.
I thought that this picture was cool because it shows the different ways/ directions that the waves are meeting and colliding on this pocket of beach.
I also enjoy beaches with the high eroded sea cliffs vs. the soft typical California beach and dunes. So maybe a northern California beach scene is more my style. I enjoy sitting and relaxing on the beach cliffs, although, at the same time they do terrify me because I also have a fear of heights, so I don’t get too close to the edge.
I also thought this was a good way to show just how hard the beach was and how tightly the sand was packed in to make it almost feel like you were walking on one hard rock rather than a sandy beach.
Before the tide got too high, I had fun exploring the caves which is something I have never done before. I also had fun looking in the little tide pools near and in the caves. I didn’t find anything too exciting, but it was still entertaining.
Hi Christine, I love all the photos you have posted here. They are absolutely amazing and it really got me to know your beach a lot better. I liked how you used what we learned in the classroom about high tides and eroding. The way you explained it helped me understand the beach from a different point of view, especially how you mentioned you were exploring the beach cave before the tide got really high. I keep forgetting there are sometimes caves near the beach that also have an impact on our environment. It makes me wonder if there any caves that are hidden in beaches because of high tides? How much is hidden or revealed do to the erosion of oceans?
Yes, a few beaches in San Diego have super cool hidden caves during high tide. If you ever end up in San Diego you can find them at Sunset cliffs and in La Jolla.
Hi! sick photos, definitely like the color schemes that you had especially for the “dark and stormy” I’m used to seeing the ocean as bright and vibrant, but this offers a unique prospective that can be used to expand upon creative ideas. Heed the tides, and your timing 🙂
Hi Christine! I actually went to Leo Carrillo State Beach for the first time during my last beach visit a few months ago. However, between high tides and time constraints I didn’t get an opportunity to explore any of the beach’s caves. In case I ever go back in the future, where do you recommend parking/what time of day would be best to visit if I wanted to go cave-exploring?
I agree with the great pictures, the one inside the cave looking out gives a feel like the movie, “The Goonies.” Right before they go exploring into the caves. It is totally like looking through a keyhole! Leo Carrillo has always been a great beach to go exploring. With the rough rock formations drawing out into the ocean, my father and I used to go check out the little crabs and sea creatures that inhabited the area. I used to live in Agoura Hills and it was cool to cruise down Kanan Road to Zuma Beach and head up the coast exploring as a kid. Cheers!
Hi Christine, these are some great images of Leo Carrillo! I love how you captured many different aspects of this beach such as the cave, rocky cliffs, as well as the northern end of Leo Carrillo. The cool part about the cave is when it is high tide, it gets flooded and it is cool to walk through it as the tide rolls in and out. Overall great job on the photos and descriptions!
I would be way too nervous to be inside the dark cave while it was flooded. I have a strong feeling I’d be the girl that gets stuck in there and needs to be rescued.
This was an amazing post with beautiful pictures. The first picture has such a beautiful view , although it is just in the rocks it seems like such a beautiful and secret place to sit and meditate. I love finding new and secret places, and especially at the beach. I hope to find that place in the first picture you posted.
At first I thought I was looking at pictures of El Matador but as soon as I read & observed the rocky shore I knew I was completely wrong. I’ve always passed Leo Carrillo but had never heard much about the beach enough to stop and check it out. Usually, upon hearing the beach is very rocky may steer me away. Though after checking out these pictures, this beach actually looks super interesting. I’m almost more interested now that I can see what it looks like considering I haven’t seen many beaches with such a tough landscape. I also didn’t think there were any caves there so that’s pretty sick too. Thank you for posting Christine!