California Beach Characteristics
CALIFORNIA BEACHES — 41% of beaches have staircases for beach access. In Laguna Beach (pictured) there are over 20 beaches with staircases, and only a few are wheelchair accessible, while most are not.
California has the largest ocean economy in the United States in terms of employment and gross state product with $40 -50 billion per year in port trade, fishing, tourism and other businesses. An estimated 26,760,099 California residents live in coastal counties, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the state’s population living near the coast. Each year the United States Lifesaving Association compiles data about the nation’s and California’s beaches. Here are a few things of interest from the data:
Characteristics of Beach Access Sites
Fees 24%
Parking 87%
Restrooms 55%
Campgrounds 12%
Staircase to Beach 41%
Path to Beach 56%
Street-end Access 26%
Characteristics of Beach Composition and Geologic Features
28.4% of the coastline consists of pocket beaches
32.3% is sandy beach
39.3% is rocky shoreline
