Seal Beach Pier Lifeguard Tower
Photo: An afternoon stroll on the north side of Seal Beach Pier in Orange County, California
Piers offer a window on the ocean world. They are icons of seaside California cities, providing opportunities to shop, stroll, dine, and fish for free.
Seal Beach Pier is long enough, stretching approx. 1,835 feet into the ocean. It ranks around 6th longest over the ocean pier in California. The wooden structure was renovated in 1995, though its wood decking and rails have been replaced several times since.
When you visit, a pleasant stroll along the beach takes you from the Seal Beach Pier north to the jetty known by surfers for "ray bay", because stingrays frequent the warm waters feeding from the Los Angeles river tributary that runs to the see to the ocean at this location.
It's fun to get your feet wet (as shown in the picture.) The water temperature in the Pacific Ocean ranges from the low to mid-50s in the winter to low 70s in the summer months (July-September).