Beacon’s Beach Name
It’s not really Beacon’s. Some people are surprised to learn that the real name of this beach is not really Beacon’s…

BEACON’S BEACH
Unless you know it is there, Beacon’s beach is hard to find. It is just another little side street off of Highway 101, leading to the ocean. Homes on the street block the view along its entire length except for three small portals; Grandview, Stone Steps and Beacon’s.
And it’s not really a beach, at least not a family beach. The beach access is only about ½ block wide and sits on Neptune Avenue, a one-way street. Parents, with small children, rarely come here due to the long trek with tired, screaming kids demanding to be carried up a 10 story bluff path.
Almost all walkers, joggers, bikers (both kinds), Rollerbladers and many a passing car will pull into Beacon’s because of the spectacular bluff top view coupled with its ease of car access, for a quick ‘search check’.
WHERE NICKNAMES COME FROM
Many people acquire an alternative name, for many reasons: 2-Stroke, who effortlessly catches waves with a couple of strokes; or Chip, short for his last name; or Shredder, for someone who doesn’t really shred. Often, people have had a nickname for so long, no one can remember the origin. Over the years I’ve asked many people how Beacon’s got its name. Its name, for the most part, is only recalled by tribal memory, with no written record.
I called the Encinitas visitor Bureau and the Parks and Recreation Department. Both said that Encinitas had inherited the beach called Leucadia State Beach when they incorporated in 1986, so they did not have any history on the name. They both knew the beach well and indicated the locals always just called it Beacon’s.
DOG BEACH
I asked one person about the name and she replied, “Oh, you mean Dog Beach?”
“They used to allow dogs to play there, then a few dog owners couldn’t pick up after themselves and dogs were banned. Now the only time you see dogs on the beach are either with owners that can’t read the ‘No Dogs’ signs or people who think they are somehow immune to the law or can talk themselves out of a $282 ticket.”
YOU SHOULDA' BEEN HERE YESTERDAY
MARTINI POINT
WAS THERE REALLY A BEACON?
WHAT LONG WILLY SAID...
LIFEGUARD LARRY SEZ'
FRED WROTE THAT...
A READER WRITES IN AND STATES
BOB WOLFE WROTE
THE NORTH COUNTY TIMES REPORTS
The NC Times tells a story of the when the Beacon actually worked – in 1939. Read the full story here