HUNTINGTON BEACH and other beaches are reopened on a limited basis (File photo).

This week, through a coordinated regional effort, additional beach access was restored across Orange and Los Angeles counties. To that end, as L.A. County reopened its beaches to the public for active recreation, select beach parking lots for Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington State Beach, and the Huntington Beach city beach were reopened starting on Friday, May 15, at 5 a.m.

To enforce social distancing, this limited reopening of beach parking lots was coordinated with the state and Los Angeles County in an effort to provide greater access to more of the coast to allow for enhanced social distancing at the beach, and to mitigate overcrowding.

In Huntington Beach, the parking lots at Bolsa Chica State Beach and Huntington State Beach will be reopened with 50 percent capacity. Regarding access to city beach parking lots, the following locations will be opened on Friday, May 15:

•  1st Street Lot at Huntington Street (50 percent capacity only)
•  2nd Street Lot (at bottom level)
•  6th Street Lot (at the south end)
•  South Beach Lots from Huntington St. to Beach Bl. (50 percent only)

Also, given physical infrastructure and beach size constraints which make active recreation and social distancing challenging for the beaches located in Sunset Beach, the public parking lots located in Sunset
Beach will not be reopened at this time. Access to the Sunset Beach facilities are included as part of the next phase of the city’s beach reopening plan.

Lastly, the city asks that visitors avoid parking in nearby residential neighborhoods, as parking throughout the city has been limited due to residents staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. When visiting the beaches, only active recreation is permitted at this time.

This includes bicycling, walking, running, and water sports while practicing social distancing.

Settling in any one area of the beach, such as sunbathing or picnicking, is temporarily prohibited. In the coming weeks, as the state is gradually reopened, the city has developed a phased plan to further lift current beach access restrictions.

Updates which will be available on the website at http://www.HBready.com. For questions about city policies and services, contact the Call Center at (714) 536-5511.