Big Rock Beach
About
Big Rock Beach is a public ocean beach in California, set within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The nearest town is Topanga, about 4 miles away, and there is no fee to visit. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Santa Monica Pier weather station show highs around 70°F in August and September, with almost no wet days from June through September. The closest outing is the Tuna Canyon Trail (Big Rock Lateral), about a mile and a half away. The Parker Mesa Overlook Trail is roughly 3 miles off, and the climbing areas at Purple Pyramid and Zodiac Boulder sit about 3 miles away.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
None at the access
Fee
Free
Restrooms
None
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
Big Rock Beach
California
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL). View or edit on OpenStreetMap.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Year-round. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 62–70°F and lows of 50–62°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Santa Monica Pier, CA weather station, 6.6 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan62° high50° low
- Feb62° high50° low
- Mar62° high52° low
- Apr63° high53° low
- May63° high56° low
- Jun66° high59° low
- Jul69° high62° low
- Aug70° high62° low
- Sep70° high61° low
- Oct68° high58° low
- Nov67° high54° low
- Dec63° high50° low
Where it is
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Topanga, California · 4.1 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
Tuna Canyon Trail (Big Rock Lateral)HikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.3 mi- Parker Mesa Overlook TrailHiking2.8 mi
- The Purple PyramidRock climbing2.9 mi
- Purple StonesRock climbing2.9 mi
- Zodiac BoulderRock climbing2.9 mi
- Purple Stones NorthRock climbing2.9 mi
Wire Break TrailHikingPhoto: timatymusic, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)3 mi
Malibu CreekCanoeingPhoto: Tobin/tobo, Rochester, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)7.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Big Rock Beach open right now?
No closures listed
The National Park Service lists no closures for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
As of · Source: NPS · Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Big Rock Beach
Best months: Year-round. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
62° / 50°
7 wet
Feb
62° / 50°
6 wet
Mar
62° / 52°
5 wet
Apr
63° / 53°
3 wet
May
63° / 56°
1 wet
Jun
66° / 59°
1 wet
Jul
69° / 62°
0 wet
Aug
70° / 62°
0 wet
Sep
70° / 61°
1 wet
Oct
68° / 58°
2 wet
Nov
67° / 54°
3 wet
Dec
63° / 50°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santa Monica Pier, CA, 6.6 mi away at 14 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
