Orange County Piers at the Orange
County beaches are amazing at sunset
as seen in Huntington Beach (see photo below). Also below are pages for each OC pier including Newport, Seal Beach, San Clemente, Huntington Beach, and Balboa.
In a special photo section featuring
California pier sunsets, the
above image is one of the best
examples of water reflections and
light sources filling in the
foreground spaces of a horizontal
image. You must wait for the
water to recede from shore, then in
a flash, run to grab the photo. As
the water moves away, you lose your
reflections till the next wave
comes, then washes back again.
Additional challenges to taking this
photo include catching the sunset as
the lights come on. Like many
municipalities, they have these
lights timed to come on just around
or even a bit after sunset. The
camera does a great job of making
the sky look lighter than it
appeared with the naked eye. A
actually hand-held the camera for
this sunset pier picture, but it
required some steady work.
Orange County Piers Photos and Information
There are five major piers in Orange
County, California. One city is
lucky enough to have not one, but
two large piers and a handful of
small fishing piers. Newport Beach
features the historic McFadden Wharf
which is most recognized as Newport
Pier, and it also has Balboa Pier on
the Balboa peninsula. In addition,
it features fishing piers on the
peninsula and Balboa Island. None of
the piers in Orange County are
original structures first built in
the early 1900's. In most instances,
they are a third, fourth or fifth
version of an initial structure.
Municipalities generally fund the
public piers but in some instances
there are grassroot efforts such as
fundraisers to help reconstruct a
damaged pier the public loves. So
passionate are people about their
piers that they'll stand for hours
with a cup in hand or baking cookies
to raise money to build a pier that
was damaged from a storm.
That's just how much piers mean to
people in Orange County.
Surrounded by the ocean, hearty
breezes often blow on these windows
on the world. Everything is so
amplified on a pier...from the smell
of the ocean, to the sights of
seagulls swooping by as fisherman
clean their catch in the basins
provided for their sport.
From north to south the cities and
piers include Seal Beach Pier in
Seal Beach; Huntington Beach Pier in
Huntington Beach; Newport Pier and
Balboa Pier in Newport Beach; San
Clemente Pier in San Clemente.
Orange County piers are one of the
first points of contact for tourists
to the Orange County beaches. Many
vacationers who never set foot in
the water or even the beach will
find the time to take a walk on a
pier. A stroll on a pier offers
universal appeal for families,
singles, couples and the disabled
who are wheelchair bound. Each of
the five piers features accessible
ramps and an outdoor parking
structure nearby.
In OC the longest pier (Huntington
Beach) spans 1853 feet or 565
meters. It is not the longest pier
in California, but does offer
spectacular views of ships passing
by, the oil platforms just offshore,
and surfers plying the waves. It is
the only pier that includes several
gift shops for buying souvenirs.
Three of the piers--San Clemente,
Balboa and Seal, offer swings and
playgrounds for the kids set in the
sand surrounding them. One of those
playgrounds (Seal Beach) is gated
for parents to keep their kids
contained. Not only Orange County
piers kid-friendly, they also are
one of the best places for romance.
Are you looking for a place to take
a first date? Though not very
private, couples find them ideal for
a stroll and opportunity to get to
know one another. Enjoying the
outdoors, ocean and views, a cool
breeze offers ample opportunities
for a comforting hug and kiss as the
subtle moonlight serves up the right
amount of lighting for that first
embrace.
What's amazing about these piers is
that while the public is often
having fun, in a lifeguard tower
above there are people keeping watch
on the safety of swimmers at the
beach. During the summer especially,
you'll hear the loudspeaker at some
Orange County piers announce things
like, "Walk the bike." "No
dogs on the pier." "No
skateboarding." During the summer of
special events sometimes you'll find
a pier nearly packed with crowds.
The next time you're visiting north
or south Orange County, take time to
stroll on a pier. It's one of the
most enjoyable, healthy activities
around. And many report that while
standing there, they see a school of
dolphins, or even whales migrating.
Pier hours: Most Orange County piers
are open around 5 a.m. and closed at
midnight to 2 a.m.
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