New Brighton State Beach is a 95-acre park
consisting of a sand beach and camping facilities. It is located south of
Santa Cruz in Capitola, adjacent to Seacliff State Beach and the famous
wharf with the cement ship.
Extending from Capitola Beach southward to the
mouth of the Pajaro River, recent renovations have created an enhanced
experience for guests and improvements to flora and fauna of this
ecologically sensitive region.
The beach features swimming, surfing,
fishing, kayaking, picnic areas and overnight camping and RV camping with
electrical hookups and water. Overlooking the beautiful Monterey Bay, the
camping area sits on a bluff surrounded by Coastal Live Oak and Monterey
pine.
Once called China Beach for the Chinese
fishermen who built encampments and docked their boats here, the tucked away
cove and bluffs hidden by trees provided the Chinese a place to compete in the fishing trade during the Gold Rush days of the
mid-1800's. Like surrounding regions such as San Luis Obispo County, the
anti-Chinese movement and Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 spelled the demise
of this little village. By 1900, there were few remnant of its existence.
As the region grew in the early 1900's with a
development boom and hopes of tourism trade, two projects came to the fore.
Camp Capitola to the west and Camp San Jose (named after the City of San
Jose in hopes of attracting San Jose residents) to the east of this location
brought greater attention to this valuable piece of property. Camp San Jose
was renamed to New Brighton as a marketing ploy to boost attendance. When
the effort failed and the land to the east reverted ownership to descendents
of the late developer, Thomas Fallon, China Beach and New Brighton were two
names that lost significance.
Purchased
in 1993 by the State of California as public lands, the old China Beach
location adopted the name, New Brighton State Beach, much to the protest of
descendents of Thomas Fallon. Not all was forgotten as written records,
broken pieces of pottery and artifacts of China Beach resurfaced. A recent
movement to document the history of this location includes extensive
research and documentation, plus a commemorative plaque to educate and
inform visitors about a time that could be easily lost. (Historical
information was obtained from the research of retired teacher, historian and
tour guide, Sandy Lydon.
Part of a network of California State Beaches
(SB) with camping facilities in Santa Cruz County, others include Manressa
SB, Seacliff SB, Sunset SB, Big Basin Redwoods State Park (SP) and Henry
Cowell Redwoods SP. The beach is located at
New Brighton/Park Avenue exit off Highway One.
www.parks.ca.gov or
www.santacruzstateparks.org
