Dehaven Creek Beach(Westport - Union Landing State Beach)

Located in the community of Westport, DeHaven Creek Beach is a beach with dark brown sand and some pebbly portions. This beach is situated below oceanfront bluffs and is a part of a larger state-protected beach named Westport-Union Landing State Beach. The DeHaven Creek flows through the beach into the Pacific Ocean. The DeHaven Creek forms a channel in the sand in DeHaven Creek Beach while flowing into the ocean. DeHaven Creek Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs are permitted on the beach without a leash. 

DeHaven Creek Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, fishing, and hiking. The water near this beach is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities as the water here has strong currents, dangerous waves, and cold temperatures. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near DeHaven Creek Beach including seals, sea lions, and migrating whales. If you like birdwatching, you can see many kinds of birds around DeHaven Creek Beach. A popular activity in DeHaven Creek Beach is fishing - you can catch many kinds of fish in the water here including lingcod, surfperch, and halibut. Night smelt also occasionally come to breed in the portions of the water near DeHaven Creek Beach shoreline during night. Fishermen often catch these breeding fish using fishing nets. If you are planning to fish in the water near DeHaven Creek Beach, please make sure that you follow the local fishing regulations. Children love to play in the area around the mouth of DeHaven Creek on the beach. The shoreline around DeHaven Creek Beach also offers a fantastic hiking experience. 

Getting to DeHaven Creek Beach is easy - the beach is situated near the intersection between Shoreline Highway/Pacific Coast Highway and Branscomb Road, where a free parking lot is also available. From this parking lot, you need to scramble down along the bluffsides to DeHaven Creek Beach. We recommend being careful while scrambling down the bluffsides to DeHaven Creek Beach as the bluffsides around the beach are unstable. In addition, we recommend visiting the beach wearing layered clothing as the weather here is unpredictable.

There are many attractions near DeHaven Creek Beach. Pacific Star Winery offers interesting and memorable wine tasting sessions. In addition, the winery also offers Instagram-worthy views of the Mendocino County coastline and the Pacific Ocean. The winery is also a great spot to watch migrating grey whales usually between December and April. Westport Headlands Park is a blufftop park that has picnic areas overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the North California shoreline. The park also has a stairway leading to a rocky cove below, which was earlier used as a ship landing. The park offers many activities including fishing, wildlife watching, picnicking, and tidepooling. If you are looking for another attraction near DeHaven Creek Beach, the Westport Whale is a large whale statue above a small pool. This statue is a major local public artwork.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near DeHaven Creek Beach within a 27-minute drive. Oscar’s Restaurant offers delicious steaks and seafood. Westport Hotel & Old Abalone Pub offers excellent seafood and gourmet dishes. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near DeHaven Creek Beach, the modestly priced The Purple Rose is a Mexican restaurant which offers amazing tacos, burritos, tamales, and chimichangas.

If you are looking for a hotel near DeHaven Creek Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Inn at Newport Ranch offers breathtaking views of the Mendocino County shoreline. In addition, the hotel offers many amenities including complimentary breakfast and evening snacks, access to spa services, a sauna, and a hot tub.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Emerald Dolphin Inn & Mini Golf which is 32 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including a mini-golf course, a hair salon, and a video game arcade. As another moderately priced option, the 2-Star Westport Hotel offers many amenities including a pub, complimentary breakfast, sauna, and a wraparound porch. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near DeHaven Creek Beach, the modestly priced Westport Inn is located conveniently close to some of the major landmarks in Westport and offers complimentary breakfast along with morning coffee and tea.