Capistrano Beach, Dana Point, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Capistrano Beach
District of Dana Point
Capistrano Beach
Country	United States
State	California
County	Orange
City	Dana Point
Elevation	16 m (51 ft)
Time zone	UTC-8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code	92624
Area code(s)	949

Capistrano Beach, often called Capo Beach, is a cool neighborhood right on the coast in Dana Point, California. It's located in Orange County, California, a sunny part of the state. This beach town is next to San Clemente to the south and Doheny State Beach to the north.

Capistrano Beach sits along the beautiful coastline at the southern end of Dana Point. Some houses are built high up on cliffs, giving amazing views of Coast Highway and the beach park. Famous people have lived here, especially on Beach Road. This is where Hobie Alter came up with the idea for the super popular Hobie Cat sailboat.

Discover the History of Capistrano Beach

Early Days and Land Ownership

The land where Capistrano Beach is today was once part of a large area called Rancho Boca de la Playa. This land was first given to a person named Don Emigdio Vejar. Later, in 1860, the land was sold to Juan Abila. Then, in 1886, Marcus A. Forster bought it.

Forster sold a piece of the land to a railway company. This company, working with another railway, built train tracks between Los Angeles and San Diego. They even built a train station right here in Capistrano. The station was first called San Juan by the Sea. But in 1910, its name changed to Serra, after the new school district formed nearby.

How Capistrano Beach Grew

Homes started to be built in Capistrano Beach in 1925, mostly on the bluffs overlooking the ocean. A special place called the Capistrano Beach Club was built along the shore for people to enjoy.

In 1929, a company owned by Edward L. Doheny bought the Capistrano Beach development. A few years later, in 1931, Mr. Doheny gave over 40 acres of land to the state. This land became what we know today as Doheny State Beach. Capistrano Beach officially became part of the city of Dana Point in 1989.

Amazing Discoveries and Changes

During the building work in 1929, something incredible was found: the bones of a mastodon! A mastodon was a huge, elephant-like animal that lived long, long ago. The bones were taken to the Los Angeles National History Hall for everyone to see.

There used to be a long wooden pier here, about 1,180 feet long. People loved to walk, sightsee, and fish from it. But in 1964, big waves badly damaged the pier. It was then taken down in 1965. The Capistrano Beach Club also became old and was removed in the late 1960s.

Protecting the Coastline

In 2018, strong storms hit the coast. A boardwalk collapsed, and an outdoor basketball court was badly damaged. This happened because the waves caused erosion, washing away the land underneath. The storms even uncovered old cars that had been placed there decades ago to help protect the shore. More large rocks were put in place to help protect the basketball court from future damage.

There's a plan called the Serra Siding project for the shoreline. It would add about 1.2 miles of extra train track. This would help more trains travel along this busy coastal route.

Gallery

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  Capistrano Beach from the sea, around 1900

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  Rock arches at Capistrano Beach in 1910

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  More rock arches at Capistrano Beach in 1910

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  The mouth of San Juan Creek at Capistrano Beach

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  Capistrano Beach sea bluffs in 2005

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  A special train, Santa Fe 3751, in Capistrano Beach in May 2010

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  A lifeguard stand at Capistrano Beach