Malibu Lagoon State Beach

"Another jewel in the CA State Parks crown"

I love my California State Parks.  We went on a weekday, so the parking was easy with our State Parks annual pass. You can also feed a machine to pay for the parking off Cross Creek Road.  

We ate a picnic near the parking lot (which is actually a dirt lot so it doesn't really feel like a parking lot). Then we jumped on the path to the beach.  We immediately saw hummingbirds and crossed a bridge with a tidal inlet.  There was so much wildlife that I had to force the kids to stop and look at all the birds hidden in the grasses.

There's a portable toilet about halfway down the path and then the beach and lagoon awaits.  It was a glorious day on our visit and the beach is very California with a view of the Malibu Pier. Behind the beach is a scenic lagoon with a backdrop of the Santa Monica Mountains. We saw lots of sea birds and obeyed the signage to protect nesting birds on the backside of the beach.

The kids had fun throwing small bits of driftwood into the far side of the lagoon to watch the tides carry it out to sea.

We didn't make it inside the Adamson House or the museum, but those are also options.  Walk across the street at Cross Creek to see Malibu Legacy Park and visit a number of restaurant options.  There's even a small playground amongst the retail shops there.