The 92-acre (37 ha) site was established as a California state park in 1985[5] to preserve public access to the beach while providing for continued protection of the adjacent natural area. Snowy plovers and least terns nest on the beach.[3]
Facilities
Day-use access is available for the 2,920 feet (890 m) of shoreline.[5] There are no support facilities within the park or on the adjacent city beach.[6] Ample parking on the adjacent public streets provides an access point for California Coastal Trail.[7]
Beachwalkers may reach McGrath State Beach upcoast and Oxnard Beach Park downcoast. These parks can also be reached by the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route on Harbor Boulevard.[8] Mandalay Beach Road is close to the beach and provides an alternate route through the Oxnard Shores[9] neighborhood using public streets and bicycle/walking trails to destinations south, including Channel Islands Harbor and the Channel Islands Beach neighborhood.[10]