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San Clemente Pier is a 1,296-foot long pleasure pier featuring spectacular Pacific Ocean views. San Clemente Pier is located at 611 Avenida Victoria, San Clemente, California.

In addition to offering free fishing, the pier has indoor/outdoor restaurant dining and offers a wonderful location to watch surfing competitions, sports activities and the beach fun. There's nothing that can compare with strolling on the San Clemente Pier, which is open daily at 4 a.m. and closes around midnight. For anglers, you can be there at the break of dawn to get some quality fishing in.  To the north is  Dana Point Harbor where fishing trips run daily and to the south, you can take a boat excursions out of Oceanside in San Diego County. Oceanside offers another spectacular pier to enjoy. The view shown in the photograph above is from a Dana Point Harbor Cruise featured in nearby Dana Point.

1928 the 1,200 foot long wooden Municipal fishing and pleasure pier was constructed at no cost to local citizens. In 1939, and again in 1983, strong storms damaged the pier requiring it to be rebuilt. A bait and tackle shop, restrooms and a restaurant greets visitors at the entrance to the pier. The pier itself is located near the end of Del Mar Street and it's difficult to find if you don't know where to look. Amtrak trains run adjacent beach, providing drop off for coastal travelers.

The San Clemente Pier was once one of Orange County's entry points (Seal Beach was another) for smuggling of liquor during the U.S. prohibition era of the early 1900's. A hurricane in 1939 destroyed the pier which included a cafe, tackle shop and Owl Boat Co. Rebuilt for $40,000, storms that affected many of the coastal landmarks in 1983 tore 400 feet from the end of the pier and 80 feet from its mid-section beyond the surf area. Repairs in 1985  $1.4 million was spent to repair San Clemente Pier in 1985 with a higher end section  and polyethylene-coated steel piles. Once the home to sportfishing operations, Dana Point Harbor nearby provided a better alternative that has been the region's primary source for fishing boats, whale watching excursions and daily trips to Catalina Island since built several decades ago.

San Clemente, California 
County: Orange 
Elevation:  208' 
Information:  (949) 492-1131 

Nearby islands
Catalina Island (residential)
San Clemente Island (military)