The votes are in, and the results of the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice contest for Best California Beach prove that you needn't stray far from L.A. to find a perfect stretch of sand.
Huntington Beach, or Surf City USA as it's known by board-carrying visitors, won the most reader votes and the title of Best California Beach. This orange county beach has a lot to offer both on and off the sand, including the International Surfing Museum. Runner up Hermosa Beach in Los Angeles County won over readers with its clean sand and numerous volleyball courts and multi-use trails.
Colorful Capitola Beach in Santa Cruz came in a close third, while L.A.'s Manhattan Beach snagged the fourth place spot. Santa Barbara's rarely crowded East Beach rounds out the top five list.
The winners in the 'Best California Beach' contest category for USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice are as follows:
- Huntington Beach - Huntington Beach
- Hermosa Beach - Los Angeles
- Capitola Beach - Santa Cruz
- Manhattan Beach - Manhattan Beach
- East Beach - Santa Barbara
- Coronado Beach - San Diego
- Crystal Cove State Park - Laguna Beach
- Santa Monica Beach - Santa Monica
- Moonstone Beach - Cambria
- Pfeiffer Beach - Big Sur
Congratulations to all 10 winning California beaches!
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The Experts
Veronica Hill
Orange County native Veronica Hill is the writer... Read More
Orange County native Veronica Hill is the writer and host of California Travel Tips, a YouTube travel series with over 25 million views and 25,000 subscribers. She is also the author of the best-selling California Essential Guide app on iTunes and Google Play, and recently launched a line of printable travel, camping and hiking planners on Etsy called Papier My Day. Her work has appeared in the Associated Press, Fodor’s, US Weekly, Rolling Stone, Food & Wine and other publications.
Veronica Hill

Orange County native Veronica Hill is the writer and host of California Travel Tips, a YouTube travel series with over 25 million views and 25,000 subscribers. She is also the author of the best-selling California Essential Guide app on iTunes and Google Play, and recently launched a line of printable travel, camping and hiking planners on Etsy called Papier My Day. Her work has appeared in the Associated Press, Fodor’s, US Weekly, Rolling Stone, Food & Wine and other publications.
Anne Chalfant
A San Diego seaside cottage was once Anne’s... Read More
A San Diego seaside cottage was once Anne’s idyllic lifestyle. Decades in the San Francisco Bay Area shifted her beach-quest to all of California. She has scouted beaches with her husband and two sons, and as a newspaper travel editor and freelance writer. Anne is always on the lookout for a sunny, long stretch of uncrowded beach. But she’ll take a beach of any mood.
Anne Chalfant

A San Diego seaside cottage was once Anne’s idyllic lifestyle. Decades in the San Francisco Bay Area shifted her beach-quest to all of California. She has scouted beaches with her husband and two sons, and as a newspaper travel editor and freelance writer. Anne is always on the lookout for a sunny, long stretch of uncrowded beach. But she’ll take a beach of any mood.
Katie Dillon
Katie Dillon originally moved to the seaside... Read More
Katie Dillon originally moved to the seaside community of La Jolla to attend UC San Diego. When the opportunity presented itself, she and her husband set off for a 7 year stint overseas as expats in London and Hong Kong. After traveling the world, they returned to the La Jolla sunshine, with a young daughter in tow. Katie now writes a lifestyle site called La Jolla Mom and is the author of a book called, “Flying With Kids.” Her work can be seen on NBC San Diego, Red Tricycle, Yahoo! Shine and Have Family Will Travel, a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts blog.
Katie Dillon

Katie Dillon originally moved to the seaside community of La Jolla to attend UC San Diego. When the opportunity presented itself, she and her husband set off for a 7 year stint overseas as expats in London and Hong Kong. After traveling the world, they returned to the La Jolla sunshine, with a young daughter in tow. Katie now writes a lifestyle site called La Jolla Mom and is the author of a book called, “Flying With Kids.” Her work can be seen on NBC San Diego, Red Tricycle, Yahoo! Shine and Have Family Will Travel, a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts blog.
Jenny Peters
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los... Read More
Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Jenny Peters

Jenny Peters – aka Jet Set Jen – is a Los Angeles-based freelance journalist, editor and party columnist specializing in travel, entertainment, film, food, wine, fashion and the other good things in life. She is a founding/voting member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, who present the Critics’ Choice Awards every January. Her favorite places to be are on the beach in Southern California playing volleyball, scuba diving with the sharks in warm tropical waters or strolling the streets and soaking in the atmosphere of one of the world's great cities (New Orleans and Florence are her favorites).
Tom Molanphy
The only thing that Tom Molanphy loves more than... Read More
The only thing that Tom Molanphy loves more than the food, art, music, and culture of San Francisco is sharing it with others. San Francisco never gets old for Tom. Tom has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 2000. His journalism has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, and 7x7. He teaches writing, journalism and literature at the Academy of Art University in downtown San Francisco. His latest book, Loud Memories Of A Quiet Life, is available through Outpost19.
Tom Molanphy
The only thing that Tom Molanphy loves more than the food, art, music, and culture of San Francisco is sharing it with others. San Francisco never gets old for Tom. Tom has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 2000. His journalism has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, SF Weekly, and 7x7. He teaches writing, journalism and literature at the Academy of Art University in downtown San Francisco. His latest book, Loud Memories Of A Quiet Life, is available through Outpost19.