Carlsbad State Beach (Tamarack)
Carlsbad, CA
Free beach; metered/paid parking
By Simir Shah
★★★★★4.7(2,206 Google reviews)
What parents say
AI summary of 4 Google reviews — not a first-hand visit. How we write these
Reviewers advise skipping the parking lot and taking street parking in the neighborhood above; stairs lead down at several points along the road, a walk of under ten minutes. It is crowded on weekend afternoons. Waves break close to shore. Reviewers stress sunscreen, as UV runs high even when it feels mild.
Wide sandy beach with a seawall promenade, gentle surf, and tide pools at low tide. The paved promenade here is part of a roughly 4-mile seawall walkway running along Carlsbad's coastline from the village down to Cannon Park, popular with joggers and cyclists as much as beachgoers. Also known as Tamarack Beach, it's a longtime local spot for surfing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding.
Good for
- Ages 0–2
- Ages 10+
- Works for a wide age range
Happening near here
- LEGOLAND Brick-or-Treat Monster PartyCarlsbad · 2 mi
- North County Model Railroad Society Public Open HoursOceanside · 4 mi · Wednesdays & Saturdays 10am–3pmFree
- Carlsbad Strawberry CompanyCarlsbad · 4 mi
- Oceanside Dia de los Muertos FestivalOceanside · 4 miFree
Tamarack Surf Beach, California 92008, USA
Map
Tides today
Next low tide
2:47 PM
0.1 ft
Next high tide
8:52 PM
4.6 ft
Predictions from NOAA · La Jolla station
What visitors say
- Andrea Barlow★★★★★
Beautiful day at the beach, Waves still pounding! Incredible week with my family!
3 months ago
- Mark Miller★★★★★
Beautiful beach I used to surf many moons ago. It was a bit wet weather but still beautiful day with my wife. A little further south is some pics of Cardiff State Park just at the beginning of Solana Beach another of my eaelier haunts. Waves were a bit better sets now on high tide. Tamarack was more shorebreak than Cardiff so pics are hard to see.
10 months ago
Showing 2 of 5 Google reviews · Read them all on Google Maps
Nearby places
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Eat nearby in Carlsbad
- Pelly's Fish Market & CafeHealthy & Fast-Casual · $$
- Harbor Fish CafeHealthy & Fast-Casual · $$
- Don's Country KitchenBreakfast & Brunch · $
- Spirito's Italian DinerPizza & Italian · $$ · kids menu