Three Mile Beach
About
Three Mile Beach is a public ocean beach in California, about 4.4 miles from the town of Santa Cruz, within the San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit. There is no fee to visit. Summer into early fall is the driest stretch. A nearby weather station in Santa Cruz typically averages highs in the mid-70s from June through September, with about one wet day a month. Winters are cooler and wetter, with typical highs in the low 60s. The closest options for extending a visit are Horseman's Trail at 0.6 miles and Blufftop Trail at 0.8 miles. Ohlone Bluff Trail is 1.3 miles off, and the UC Santa Cruz climbing area is about 4 miles away.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
None
Parking
Available
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
Three Mile 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 61–77°F and lows of 41–55°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Santa Cruz, CA weather station, 6.6 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan63° high41° low
- Feb64° high43° low
- Mar67° high44° low
- Apr69° high46° low
- May71° high49° low
- Jun74° high52° low
- Jul74° high54° low
- Aug76° high55° low
- Sep77° high53° low
- Oct74° high50° low
- Nov67° high44° low
- Dec61° high41° low
Where it is
- San Mateo-Santa Cruz Unit · Public land
- Nearest town
- Santa Cruz, California · 4.4 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- Horseman's TrailHiking0.6 mi
- Blufftop TrailHiking0.8 mi
- Zane Gray CutoffHiking1.2 mi
- Ohlone Bluff TrailHiking1.3 mi
- UC Santa CruzRock climbing4 mi
- Forbidden Forest, TheRock climbing4 mi
- Santa CruzRock climbing4.1 mi
- San Lorenzo RiverCanoeing9.3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
