Listen Live
Donate
 on air
Schedule

KCRW

Read & Explore

  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Culture
  • Events

Listen

  • Live Radio
  • Music
  • Podcasts
  • Full Schedule

Information

  • About
  • Careers
  • Help / FAQ
  • Newsletters
  • Contact

Support

  • Become a Member
  • Become a VIP
  • Ways to Give
  • Shop
  • Member Perks

Become a Member

Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

DonateGive Monthly

Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
Cookie Policy
|FCC Public Files

5 must visit places on the California coast

Geographically, California’s coastline is a 1,100 miles long, but maybe limitless when it comes to its importance to the image of the Golden State. Think about just some of what…

  • Share
By Caitlin Shamberg • Mar 7, 2013 • 1 min read

Geographically, California’s coastline is a 1,100 miles long, but maybe limitless when it comes to its importance to the image of the Golden State. Think about just some of what it conjures up: the fog- shrouded wilderness of the far North Coast, the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge, surf culture and Gidget, the industrial brawn of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the sun-drenched good life of Laguna Beach and La Jolla.

In his new book “The Golden Shore” environmentalist and journalist David Helvarg explores the many faces of the California coastline and how the coast helped shape a distinctly Californian culture and society over the centuries. He also explores efforts in recent decades, some successful, some not, to save the coast from development.

The Channel Islands (Photo via NPS)

KCRW’s Saul Gonzalez talked to David Helvarg recently about his book and asked him to name the top five places to visit along the coast.

1. Border Park

2. Cambria

3. Point Sur

4. The Channel Islands

5. The Redwood Coast (anything north of Humboldt Bay)

  • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

    Caitlin Shamberg

    KCRW

    Arts & Culture StoriesEnvironmentArts