Dan Blocker State Beach

Dan Blocker State Beach was purchased by Michael Landon and Lorne Greene, actors from the popular TV show “Bonanza.” They chose to name it for Dan Blocker, their fellow actor, and gave the land to the State of California in 1979. For 35 years the land was untouched. A fence dissuaded the public from going onto the beach, but over the years the fence itself began to deteriorate and litter piled up around it. In 1995 the state gifted Dan Blocker Beach to Los Angeles County. Zev Yaroslavsky advocated for the beach to be restored in 2011, and by late 2014 the project was complete. 

The beach features a bluff upon which visitors can now park their cars for a small fee. Picnic tables and bathrooms also grace the bluff. Visitors can visit the beach between sunrise and sunset, and lifeguards are present that entire time. Many people head to Don Blocker State Beach to swim, surf, or dive. Fishing and kayaking are also popular. The beach is mostly sandy, although there are some rocks and a lot of beach grass.

If you get hungry you can scramble up the bluff and walk the short distance to the Malibu Seafood Fresh Fish Market and Patio Café. The café is open every day from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., although the fish market opens an hour earlier. Support this quaint local business by indulging in shellfish, a filet, or homemade clam chowder. Visitors who want to stay in the area overnight should check out the Malibu Beach RV Park. You can set up a tent, park an RV at one of their campsites, or even rent a cottage. This campground sits just on the other side of the Pacific Coast Highway from Dan Blocker State Beach.