Steamer LaneSanta Cruz, CA

Visibility is an estimate — wind, rain, tide & water alerts.

Getting in

Shore access, rocky entry

Who it suits

Experienced water people only

Best conditions

The point takes west, south and northwest swell, and northeast through northwest winds groom it. Surfline calls it a year-round break that works on an incoming tide from low to medium.

Parking

A lot at the top of the point next to the lighthouse, with stairs down to the water from there.

Protection

The water off Lighthouse Point lies inside the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 1992, whose boundary takes in Santa Cruz.

On site

parking lot

Watch for

The entry and exit cross bare rock, down the stairs from the lot or off the rocks at the point; Surfline's advice is to watch what the locals do first, Big surf can pin a surfer against the cliff or wash them onto the large rock inside the peak, One of the most crowded and heavily localized lineups in California, worst after 3 p.m. and on weekends, Cold water in every season, in what the City of Santa Cruz describes as a cold-water marine environment, and kelp grows through the rock reef

Checked 2026-08-24. Sources: Surfline (surf forecaster): Steamer Lane, NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: sanctuary maps, City of Santa Cruz: Surfing Museum.