Salt Creek Beach Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salt Creek Beach park
Type	Community park
Location	33333 South Pacific Coast Highway Dana Point, California
Area	18 acres (7.3 ha)

Salt Creek Beach Park is a fun beach park found in Dana Point, California. It's located in Orange County. This park is a very popular spot for people living in South Orange County.

The park has cool features like a half-court basketball court and beach volleyball nets. There's also a big, seven-acre grassy area called Bluff Park. Visitors can enjoy surfing, swimming, and fishing here. Salt Creek Beach is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Laguna Beach. It's also about 70 miles (110 km) north of San Diego and 45 miles (72 km) south of Los Angeles.

Why Was Salt Creek Beach Park Created?

In 1965, a special report showed that parks, beaches, and harbors in Orange County were getting too crowded. Because of this, Orange County decided to get more public land for people to enjoy. The Salt Creek area was already a favorite place for swimming and surfing.

However, a company called Laguna Niguel Corporation bought the land. Later, another company, AVCO Community Developers, planned to build private homes there.

How Did People Save the Beach?

People really wanted the beach to stay open for everyone. So, in the late 1960s, a movement called "Save Salt Creek" started. This group fought hard for the public to be able to use the beach.

After many talks, AVCO agreed on February 2, 1971, to give a part of the land to the county as a public beach. This project had many problems and delays. Even though a part of the park opened in 1972, it wasn't fully finished until 1976.

Salt Creek Beach Park Today

Today, Salt Creek Beach Park is complete. It has almost a mile of public beach. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the park every year to enjoy the ocean and the outdoors.