From Morgan Hill, Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach makes a day trip to Alameda’s San Francisco Bay shoreline, where a 2.5-mile beach sits beside sand dunes and a bicycle trail. Plan ahead for the drive, parking and the park’s closing times.
- Location: Eighth Street and Otis Drive, Alameda
- Shoreline: 2.5-mile beach bordered by dunes and a bicycle trail
- Park hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., unless otherwise posted or permitted
- Parking: Seasonal fee; pay by credit or debit card at the lot pay station
Where Crown Memorial State Beach is
Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach sits at Eighth Street and Otis Drive on Alameda’s shoreline. The East Bay Regional Park District operates it under a cooperative agreement with the State of California and the City of Alameda.
The 2.5-mile beach runs alongside sand dunes and a bicycle trail. Its past is tied to Alameda Beach, once known as the “Coney Island of the West,” an amusement destination from the 1880s until the outbreak of World War II.
The shoreline was restored with sand pumped from San Francisco Bay in early 1982; a 2013 project restored the beach and dune system to its 1987 footprint.
How do you get from Morgan Hill to Crown Memorial State Beach?
From the Oakland/Alameda Tube, the Park District’s driving directions lead along Webster Street to Central Avenue. For the Crown Beach entrance, turn left onto Central Avenue and right onto Eighth Street.
For the Crab Cove entrance, turn right onto Central Avenue and left onto McKay Avenue. From Budget Inn Morgan Hill, the drive to the beach is about 63 minutes by car.
You can enter by vehicle at Crown Beach/Otis Drive or Crab Cove North Beach. Walk-in entrances are on Shoreline Drive at Park Street, Grand Street, Willow Street, Kitty Hawk Road and Shell Gate. For public transit information to Crown Beach, call 511.
Crab Cove’s visitor center is nearby, with exhibits and aquaria about San Francisco Bay flora and fauna. If you’re flying into the area, how to get from SJC Airport to Morgan Hill is useful to plan alongside the drive.
Beach access and facilities
A bathhouse with changing rooms stands at the west end of the beach, with picnic tables, barbecue pits and lawn areas beside it. The Park District identifies wheelchair-accessible parking, paved trails, the bathhouse, the Rocky Shoreline Tide Ramp, and reservable Neptune and Crolls Garden picnic areas as accessible facilities.
Free beach wheelchairs are available first-come, first-served. They require an assistant to push and are not intended for entering the water. Call the park ahead; staff need about 15 minutes to prepare a chair.
At Crab Cove, the Doug Siden Visitor Center has exhibits and aquaria about San Francisco Bay flora and fauna. The center is at McKay Avenue within Crown Beach. Its brochure gives Wednesday through Sunday hours, with closing at 4 or 5 p.m. depending on the season.
How to plan a day at the shore
Start by choosing an entrance that suits your plans: use Crown Beach/Otis Drive for the beach entrance or Crab Cove North Beach for the Crab Cove side. Allow time to enjoy the beach and bicycle trail or settle in by the bathhouse’s picnic and lawn areas.
Swimming is permitted during park hours year-round, but there are no lifeguards on duty. Dogs are not allowed on the beach; they can use lawn areas and paved pathways on a leash no longer than six feet and under control. At Crown Beach, permitted watercraft are sailboards, kayaks and car-top inflatables; there is no boat-launch facility.
Crab Cove is a marine reserve, where plant and animal life is protected. The Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary is at the east end of the park, but entry is closed to facilitate restoration work.
Before you leave
The park is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. unless otherwise posted or permitted. The gate closes at 7 p.m., and bathrooms close at 6:30 p.m., so plan your visit around those earlier cutoffs.
The Park District describes parking as seasonal: fees are $5 per vehicle, $5 per trailered vehicle and $25 per bus. Pay by credit or debit card at the lot pay station; Crown Beach is cashless. Check the official site before you go for current hours and parking details.
Before or after the beach trip, you can make time for what to see in downtown Morgan Hill.
FAQs
Can you bring a dog to Crown Memorial State Beach?
Dogs are not permitted on the beach. They are allowed on lawn areas and paved pathways while leashed and under control.
Can you launch a boat from the park?
No. The park has no boat-launch facility. Only sailboards, kayaks and car-top inflatables are permitted at Crown Beach.
Are there naturalist programs at Crab Cove?
The park offers naturalist-guided programs for school and other organized groups at Crab Cove Visitor Center Wednesday through Friday by advance reservation.