New River Beach

New River Beach lies at the edge of the New River Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC), today marking the point where trails and paths through a protected area of land hit the banks of the New River. Owing to the New River's course paralleling the Pacific, the actual ocean beach can only be reached by crossing a river whose flow and muddy banks can vary by the tides and seasons.

A road past the New River ACEC Nature Center leads to a small parking area (though the last quarter-mile to the parking area is closed to vehicles between March 15 and September 15 for snowy plover nesting). There, a boat ramp descends to the banks of the river. Boaters can follow the river's course as it heads north-south, just one line of sand dunes away from the Pacific. The water is generally slow moving, and boating and swimming is permitted along the river.

Despite the name, New River Beach is not a conventional beach, and accessing the actual ocean beach will require a swim with a trudge through mud and dune grass, climbing over a sand dune, and, depending on the time of year, a walk to the river's edge on top of everything else. This beach might be better left for boaters or as a point of interest for those walking the New River ACEC's trail system.

New River ACEC and New River Beach are open from sunrise to sunset daily. Vault toilet and benches are located at the parking area. However, the last quarter-mile of road to the parking area is closed from mid-March through mid-September. During those months, cars can park near the locked gate or at the Nature Center. Pets are not allowed in the ACEC during the mid-March to mid-September nesting season.