New Brighton State Beach — Attraction in Capitola

I’ve stayed here several times. Its camp ground has excellent views, and has food storage containers at the sites. The containers are great considering it’s located in town with small critters(raccoons, squirrels, skunks). Some sites are more spacious than others. It has two routes to access the beach from the campground. At the beach I’ve watched whales, sun bathed, and done some successful fishing. It’s conveniently located between Aptos and capitola which have grocery stores and all things one could need. I think camping fees anywhre are pretty steep these days, but if you come here on a nice day-it’s a worth while visit. The sound of the ocean can be heard while falling asleep when there’s big swells. Highway noise is one complaint I have here, but this becomes less audible as highway one calms down into the late late late evening. The camp host is helpful if you need change for the showers, or have any questions about amenities near by. A MAJOR complaint, I’ve experienced on several visit is very strict enforcement about check in times. Ive been other places where they let you check in if your site is unoccupied and available. Why would they not allow guest to check in a few hours early if the campsite is unattended. Often I check in at 2pm and there’s trash on the ground. End up cleaning up from other visitors, so I think the two hrs from previous visitors to the next visitors is useless. I believe if they allowed people to check in early it would make concentration of guest checking in less, and wait time’s decreased at the kiosk. I strongly believe this is one of the most disgruntling policies this campground enforces. It should be reconsidered for their staff and guests! Everyone...

Wonderful dog friendly beach!! Go bring your socially dog friendly pal and let him/her/it play with all the others splashing in the surf and having a riot all together!! So much FUN!!! Side note you can walk from Capitola to New Brighton or New Brighton to Capitola during low tide!!!😎😍😍💯🥳❤️ we did this in 1 hr (just because of me being pokey and having a bit of difficulty with depth perception and such from my brain tumor) but I LOVED it!!!!! We had seals come super close to us (do NOT feed nor try petting obvi'!) and the flipping prehistoric rocks with clams and other crustaceans etched and bedded inside them EVERYWHERE was INCREDIBLE 🤩🤩!!!!

As a side note?

This beach sadly has dark beginnings (which is briefly noted whilst entering the beach.)

"China Beach."

The real name of this beach. The proud name of the forefathers that once called this beautiful unique beach home.

Many of these incredible Chinese immigrants who set up home here at China Beach to harvest fish, dry, sell, and repeat never brought their families here to live with them (unlike many of the Chinese immigrants did in Monterey and whom still have many decendents and stories of days of old!) 😯💯💓

Between the anti-Chinese movement in Santa Cruz County, and the effects of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 eventually spelled the end to this courageous fishing village by the late 1890's sadly. 😔

Between the train track heartache stories with the Chinese immigrants in Los Gatos oil explosions and the horrifying treatment to ANY human being during these tumultous times is just....ugh. I cannot believe Americans acted this way...

It was an ok place to camp it cost 10 dollars for a day use pass and 35 dollars to stay over night in a standard camp site. They had bathrooms with showers that where usable about breezy and cold and the first dollar twenty five was used for water to bet warm enough to use. I was stopped and bothers by CA state park police twice in two days for no reason didn't care for that and at night it's very dark place with some wired type people driving around scoping things out not sure but I'm thinking they where local scum bags or theif. Check out time comes early at 12pm and you are not allowed to check on untill 2 pm I did not have reservation but that was no problem seem kinda strange but everyone was inside their motor homes and complete quite at dark . Again very dark at night so bring security locks for generators and be cautious about leaving valuables out at night I also heard that cyotte run three at night so don't leave let's out. There was views of the ocean with a few premium sites the rented 50 dollars a nice a night and a fairly steep long paved trail that turns into a ward short step stairs to access the ocean . On the beach was mostly rocks and alot of fossils to be found with a restroom near by.. all and all it was a decent place quite and large parking spots at camp site also fire pits tables at most sites if not all of them. On the other side of camp ground there is so e old railroad tracks and a creek down in there however I did not get chance to...