Stairway 3 (Puerco Beach)
About
Stairway 3 (Puerco Beach) is a public ocean beach in California, set within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The nearest town is Pepperdine University, about 0.8 miles away, and there is no fee to visit. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the Santa Monica Pier weather station, about 12 miles away, show highs near 70°F in August and September with almost no wet days, while winter highs sit around 62°F. Several trails lie within a few miles, including Corral Canyon Trail at about 1.3 miles and De Bell Ranch Trail at about 1.5 miles. Climbers can head to Lower Boulders, roughly 2.9 miles away, and paddlers to Malibu Creek, about 3.8 miles off.
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
Stairway 3 (Puerco 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 62–70°F and lows of 50–62°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Santa Monica Pier, CA weather station, 12 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
- Pepperdine University, California · 0.8 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Corral Canyon TrailHiking1.3 mi
- De Bell Ranch TrailHiking1.5 mi
Dry Canyon TrailHikingPhoto: BDUngard, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2 mi- TRW Loop TrailHikingPhoto: BDUngard, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.4 mi
- Lower BouldersRock climbing2.9 mi
- Malibu Tunnel BouldersRock climbing3 mi
- Malibu Lieback AreaRock climbing3 mi
Malibu CreekCanoeingPhoto: Tobin/tobo, Rochester, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3.8 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Stairway 3 (Puerco 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 Stairway 3 (Puerco 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, 12.2 mi away at 14 ft. We don't have this place's elevation, so higher spots nearby can run cooler. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
