Quint Carter
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At 7:56 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 24, the water off Point Dume is predicted to reach 7.0 feet above mean lower low water. Just after 3 p.m. that day it should drop to about 1.4 feet below that line. That is a swing of more than eight feet between breakfast and late afternoon. It happens on a stretch of shore that has spent the fall being rebuilt with new rock.
The same pattern repeats on all six of this season's King Tides dates in November and December. The timing is useful because of how Point Dume works right now. Cars can't get to the lower lot, and County crews generally work from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. On these days the morning high comes in during posted work hours along the newly armored shoreline, and the minus tide arrives after the posted work hours are over.
Where the cars stop, and where the trail starts
Here is the access picture as of Los Angeles County Beaches and Harbors' Oct. 30 update:
- The Point Dume Beach access road, starting at the intersection of Westward Beach Road and Birdview Avenue, is closed to vehicles at all times.
- Pedestrians and cyclists may not enter active construction areas. Construction generally runs from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Restrooms 1, 2 and 3 are closed because their water service was damaged. Temporary toilets and handwashing stations are on site.
The road leading to it is still open. The Malibu Times reported on Oct. 21 that the City of Malibu had corrected an earlier announcement. Westward Beach Road and Birdview Avenue remain open to traffic, and Point Dume Beach remains open to the public. Only the access road into the parking lot is closed to cars, and people on foot or bike can still enter with caution around equipment and damaged areas.
The closure matters most because of where the preserve trail starts. California State Parks places the entrance to Point Dume Nature Preserve at the cul-de-sac at the end of Westward Beach Road. From there a gradual trail climbs to an ancient coastal bluff sand dune, and visitors are asked to stay on the trail to protect it. Drivers who once parked in the lower lot and walked up now have one fallback, free two-hour parking at the top of the point. State Parks calls that parking extremely limited and notes that parking in residential areas is not allowed. Some disabled parking is available along Cliffside Drive, next to the bluff-top park.
For Point Dume Club, the takeaway is simple. The beach is still open to anyone who arrives on foot or by bike. What's gone is the lot.
What the new rock is holding back
The King Tides arrive at a shoreline that has needed repairs since summer. The County's Emergency Erosion Repairs timeline starts July 31 to Aug. 1, when severe erosion damaged the beach access road and the water service to the public restrooms. Since then, the County has done this work:
| When | Where | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 5–13, 2026 | Area 1 | About 235 feet of new emergency rock revetment along the access road |
| August 2026 | Water system | Waterworks District 29 installed a replacement water main and meter |
| Sept. 8–Oct. 23, 2026 | Area 2 | About 230 feet of new revetment, 120 feet of it near Birdview Avenue at the City of Malibu's request |
| Sept. 8–Oct. 23, 2026 | Area 3 | About 230 feet of existing revetment repaired |
| Began Oct. 26, 2026 | Beach facilities | Shoreline protection near the lifeguard building and two restroom buildings, ongoing |
| Upcoming | Area 4 | About 325 feet of existing revetment to be repaired |
| Upcoming | Restrooms and road | Water reconnection, plus roadway and stormwater drainage plans in development |
October showed how quickly things can change. The Malibu Times reported that erosion over the weekend before the Oct. 12 City Council meeting reached the edge of Westward Beach Road, taking sections of asphalt with it. Deputy Public Works Director Travis Hart told the council that the fast installation of emergency protection had saved the road.
"Otherwise, we would have lost Westward Beach Road over the weekend," Hart said.
The city and county split that repair. Of the $766,025 total, Malibu pays 70 percent, or $536,217.50, and the County pays $229,807.50, according to the same Malibu Times report. One week later, on Oct. 19, more erosion just west of the new revetment undermined another section of road and broke a county water main. County contractors placed rock until midnight, the Malibu Times reported on Oct. 21.
The County says it is coordinating repairs with the City of Malibu and Public Works while it prepares for winter storm season.
Six mornings near seven feet, six afternoons below zero
The California Coastal Commission's King Tides Project lists Nov. 24–26 and Dec. 23–25, 2026, as this winter's King Tides dates. Here is what NOAA predicts for the Santa Monica station, the nearest reference point, for those days:
| Date | Morning high | Afternoon low |
|---|---|---|
| Tue., Nov. 24 | 7:56 a.m., 7.0 ft | 3:15 p.m., −1.4 ft |
| Wed., Nov. 25 | 8:37 a.m., 7.1 ft | 4:04 p.m., −1.5 ft |
| Thu., Nov. 26, Thanksgiving | 9:23 a.m., 7.0 ft | 4:57 p.m., −1.4 ft |
| Wed., Dec. 23 | 7:44 a.m., 7.2 ft | 3:11 p.m., −1.8 ft |
| Thu., Dec. 24 | 8:30 a.m., 7.3 ft | 3:56 p.m., −1.9 ft |
| Fri., Dec. 25 | 9:18 a.m., 7.1 ft | 4:43 p.m., −1.7 ft |
December has the larger swings. Christmas Eve has both the highest morning high and the lowest afternoon low of the six days. Each afternoon low comes after the posted 3 p.m. end of construction, and the low tide gets later each day, so Thanksgiving and Christmas Day have the latest ones.
At high tide, the Point Dume Beach page points to a quieter place to watch. A stairway from the east side of the bluff top leads down to a more secluded beach with good tidepools. On these afternoons, the minus tides fall well below the zero line.
The Coastal Commission notes that storms and El Niño conditions can push water higher than predicted, and it asks people to follow closures and warnings. Its safety page asks visitors to check weather, surf and tides first, obey closure signs, stay off unstable bluffs and bluff edges, keep away from the water and stay out of flooded roads. At Point Dume this season, that also means keeping out of the active construction areas along the access road. The Commission's participation page explains how to photograph the King Tides and add the shots to its statewide record.
December brings whales to the same viewing platform
The December tides also fall in the first weeks of gray whale season. State Parks calls Point Dume a perfect place to watch California gray whales during their migration from December to mid-April. The County's beach page gives the season as December through March. Either way, Dec. 23–25 falls well inside the window.
The best seat is just below the summit. State Parks describes a boardwalk there that leads to a viewing platform, which tends to be more sheltered on windy days. On a clear day, the view covers all of Santa Monica Bay, the north Malibu coast, the inland Santa Monica Mountains and Catalina Island. Reaching the platform requires walking up a slight grade. State Parks lists the day-use parking hours as sunrise to sunset, and dogs are not allowed in the park.
Taken together, Christmas Eve offers a full day at the point. The tide peaks at 7.3 feet at 8:30 a.m., there's time on the platform watching for whales in between, and the tide bottoms out at 3:56 p.m., when the stairway to the east-side cove leads down to exposed tidepools.
If your plans for the headland this winter have you wondering how the shoreline work and rebuilt revetments affect homes along this part of the coast, the Carter family at Malibu Mobile Homes is glad to talk it through, along with what your Point Dume Club home is worth today.