Doheny State Beach in Dana Point stands at the mouth of San Juan Creek, where a freshwater lagoon meets the Pacific. The coastline was part of the Acjachemen homeland for thousands of years before Spanish contact in 1769 and the later mission system devastated their community. Named for oilman Edward L. Doheny, whose first local well struck oil in 1893, the site became California’s first state beach when land was donated for public use in 1931. New Deal crews later built park facilities. The beach also became central to Southern California surf culture and remains a heavily visited park known for recreation, education, wildlife, and ongoing coastal protection efforts.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain