Who Sank the Ship at Seacliff Beach?

At Seacliff State Beach, the Palo Alto rests half-submerged at the end of a long fishing pier. Though it’s cracked in half now and rusting at the edges, this ship was a destination for fine dining and dancing. Today, the upper parts are popular with birds and seals, while the underwater section of the ship is a haven for fish and sea creatures.

From the upper Seacliff Beach parking lot, walk down the hill to the promenade that travels at the base of the cliff. You can explore things in any order you want, but I like to save the ship for last.

Start with a walk along the sidewalk to the north through the long RV camping area, where vacationers can see the waves right through their windshields. As you stroll past, you’ll be impressed by the ways they’ve turned what’s essentially a parking lot into home-sweet-home with awnings, carpeting, picnic tables, chairs, books, toys, boogie boards, wind chimes and every other necessity for a fun getaway.

When you’re ready to turn around, take the stairs down to the sand and walk back along the water’s edge. You’ll be able to study the ship as you get closer and watch the waves rush in and out under the tall legs of the pier. If the tide is low, you can see starfish and mussels clinging to the posts that are usually underwater.

If you’re not short on time, you can walk out to the end of the pier now and squint through the fence at the crumbling cement ship. You’ll wonder how it got there, and what it used to look like. Did it wash up in a storm? Why would anyone build a ship out of cement?

I like to go to the Visitor Center first, to re-read the stories and see the old pictures. 

There’s a little gift shop inside and a wonderful table covered with free maps, flyers and guidebooks for the nearby state parks. Be sure to pick up a copy of the white sheet of paper that shows the walking mileages between our beaches. It will tell you that it’s a 9.9-mile walk from the Seacliff Pier to the Pajaro River.  That’s on my list of things to do someday.

You’ll enjoy exploring the Visitor Center to learn the details about the ship first-hand, but I’ll give you a few clues. 

• The Palo Alto was one of four cement ships built during World War I. 
• It ended up at Seacliff Beach in 1930.
• It used to have a 54-foot heated swimming pool.

So, have you finished looking into every corner of the Visitor Center to learn the secrets of the sunken ship? Now you’re ready to walk the plank.

Things to know:

Parking: $10

Day use hours: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Dogs allowed on a leash

You don’t need a fishing license to fish from the pier.

Seacliff State Beach website: parks.ca.gov/?page_id=543

Seacliff State Beach brochure: parks.ca.gov/pages/543/files/SeaCliffNewBrighton.pdf