Manresa State Beach
Manresa State Beach, on Highway 1 near Watsonville, has great views of Monterey Bay, with the Santa Cruz Mountains to the northwest and the forested hills of the Monterey Peninsula to the southwest.
Manresa State Beach, one of a chain of State Beaches in the area, supports both coastal scrub and costal strand communities of plants and wildlife. According to park literature, the coastal scrub community contains coyote brush, coastal sagebrush and lizardtail on the bluff. White-crowned sparrows, lesser goldfinches, house finches, rufous-sided towhees, Allen’s hummingbirds, and brush rabbits occupy the bluff and its understory. In the coastal strand community, beach primrose, sea rocket and sand verbena occupy the intertidal and offshore environments and shelter beach hoppers and sand crabs. Jellyfish help to support surf scoter, sanderlings, willets, whimbrels, and Heermann’s gulls. Sea mammals include occasional dolphins and sea otters, as well as California gray whales.
Note: western snowy plovers, which build their nests directly on the sand of both Manresa and Sunset State Beaches, use the beach and foredune areas for nesting, rearing of young, and winter habitat. Disturbing a posted plover nesting area is a violation of federal law.
Manresa Uplands has 64 walk-in tent camping sites with parking (no RVs permitted) near the campground. Pets may not be left alone at any time. Reservations are recommended from early spring through October. Phone 800-444-7275 up to 7 months in advance. (Do you think people want to come here, or what?!! 
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Folks at Manresa have fished (sport fishing license required) successfully for the species: striped bass, California halibut, barred surf perch, and surf smelt.
At Manresa, cold water temperatures, dangerous rip currents, and deep offshore holes make surfing and swimming hazardous for “any but the most experienced surfers” according to the park brochure. At places like this, inventive Californians have learned to have a lot of fun on the BEACH!
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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