St. Ann's Street Beach

What it’s like

St. Ann’s Street Beach lies about half a mile south of Main Beach in a straight line. The city describes the whole area as a rock reef with one section of sandy bottom. The Coastal Commission files it with the central stairway beaches that run from Sleepy Hollow Lane to Thalia Street.

The city names surfing, bodysurfing and bodyboarding as the popular activities. Surfers use the south end, south of the surf flag.

The city flags the rip current. In large surf, the sandy patch north of the tower becomes the strongest rip in town, and the city says that rip often reaches 200 yards out to sea. The city lists the beach as part of the marine protected area and shows no restrooms or showers.

Getting there and parking

A stairway leads down at St. Ann’s Drive. The Coastal Commission lists stairs there, between the Cleo Street stairs to the north and the Thalia Street stairs to the south, and it lists on-street parking for the run of stairways.

The city says some parts of Laguna Beach have three-hour meters and others have limited neighborhood parking. Meters and pay stations take cards, coins and bills, and you can pay through the Laguna Beach Parking App. The city’s parking page lists enforcement from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but its lot list gives 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the off-season through June 2027, so check the meter. The parking guide covers permits and lots, and getting around covers the trolley.

Neither the city nor the Coastal Commission lists restrooms at this beach. Main Beach, about half a mile north in a straight line, has restrooms and outdoor showers at both ends.

City beaches open at 5 a.m. and close at 1 a.m.

Tide pools and reserve rules

The Coastal Commission lists tide pools and wildlife viewing along the stretch from Sleepy Hollow Lane to Thalia Street. A tide chart tells you when low tide uncovers the pools, and waterproof shoes protect your feet from sharp rock.

Leave the pools as you find them. The city asks for no collecting, no touching, careful steps and no overturned rocks.

The city places St. Ann’s Street Beach inside the marine protected area. The state’s Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve covers the shoreline from Abalone Point to Goff Island; it is unlawful there to injure, damage, take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource, and fishing is not allowed. The city’s page for the beach repeats both rules.

Good to know

The city’s general rules name Agate Street, Brooks Street, Rockpile and Thalia Street as the beaches where surfing is allowed, and St. Ann’s is not on that list. The city code fills in the detail: from June 15 to September 15 it sets a surfing area from 90 feet south of St. Ann’s Drive to 200 feet south of Thalia Street, which fits the city’s note that surfers use the south end of this beach. Outside those dates the code opens the water within 200 yards of shore to swimming and surfing. Where surfing is banned, the code calls for a yellow flag with a black ball.

Leashed dogs may visit year-round, with one limit: from June 15 to September 10 they are allowed only before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m. Alcohol, smoking and fires are banned. The city notes that some beaches have no lifeguard at times and asks you to swim with a partner.

Sleepy Hollow Beach lies to the north, with Cleo Street between the two. Thalia Street Beach is the next stairway south. Homes on St. Ann’s Drive are listed under the Village.