El Matador State Beach
About
El Matador State Beach is a public ocean beach in California, set within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The nearest town is Lake Sherwood, about 6.5 miles away. The beach has restrooms, lifeguards and accessible access, and a fee is charged. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show highs around 73 to 74°F from July through September, with almost no wet days. Winter runs cooler, with highs near 66°F and about five or six wet days a month. Several trails start close by, including Coastal Slope Trail and West Meadow Trail, each about 0.9 miles away, and Clyde Canyon Trail at about a mile. Climbers can head to Point Dume, roughly 4.6 miles off.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
On duty (often seasonal)
Parking
Available
Fee
Fee charged
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible access
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
El Matador State Beach
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Year-round. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 65–74°F and lows of 44–58°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Point Mugu Nf, CA weather station, 15 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan66° high46° low
- Feb65° high46° low
- Mar66° high48° low
- Apr67° high48° low
- May67° high52° low
- Jun70° high55° low
- Jul73° high58° low
- Aug74° high58° low
- Sep73° high57° low
- Oct73° high54° low
- Nov71° high48° low
- Dec66° high44° low
Where it is
- Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Lake Sherwood, California · 6.5 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
Coastal Slope TrailHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.9 mi
West Meadow TrailHikingPhoto: Giuseppe Milo, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.9 mi- Clyde Canyon TrailHikingPhoto: Giuseppe Milo, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1 mi
- Temporal BouldersRock climbing3.8 mi
Point DumeRock climbingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)4.6 mi- The Captains BoulderRock climbing4.6 mi
- Circle X Ranch Group CampgroundCamping6.1 mi
Malibu CreekCanoeingPhoto: Tobin/tobo, Rochester, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)9.1 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is El Matador State 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 El Matador State 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
66° / 46°
6 wet
Feb
65° / 46°
6 wet
Mar
66° / 48°
5 wet
Apr
67° / 48°
2 wet
May
67° / 52°
1 wet
Jun
70° / 55°
1 wet
Jul
73° / 58°
0 wet
Aug
74° / 58°
0 wet
Sep
73° / 57°
1 wet
Oct
73° / 54°
2 wet
Nov
71° / 48°
3 wet
Dec
66° / 44°
5 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Point Mugu Nf, CA, 14.9 mi away at 13 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
