‘Get out of here!’ Pair of TikTok videos reignite debate over access to California beaches
A pair of TikTok videos that show homeowners blocking off beaches in Malibu and Laguna Beach from the public have sparked a social media frenzy — though it was not immediately clear if any laws were broken.
The videos, which were posted by different users over the last week, bring up similar issues of public beach access as California beachgoers clash with property owners over who can be on the beach and where. The videos have tens of thousands of likes and hundreds of thousands of views.
The California Coastal Commission did not immediately take a side and said it was reviewing the videos.
“The Coastal Commission is investigating both of these incidents to determine whether they involve a violation of the Coastal Act,” said Sarah Christie, a spokeswoman for the agency.
We visited more than 200 miles of coastline, picking through hundreds of beaches to name the 50 best from San Diego to Santa Barbara. We prioritized ease of use and special amenities — like volleyball courts, camping, surf conditions and views.
The videos reignited debate over beach access in California, where the 1976 California Coastal Act gives residents a fundamental right to the state’s beaches. But residents don’t get access to all the sand. The law says members of the public have the right to the beach seaward of the mean high tide line — generally considered to be the wet or damp sand area of the beach.
In the first video, posted Friday, a homeowner on Laguna Beach’s Victoria Beach yelled at beachgoers, telling them that they were on her private property as they tried to enjoy the beach.
“Get f—ing moving,” the woman yelled at the family, which included a child. “Get out of here. Now!”
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The woman then installed a rope barricade to block off a section of the sand. It’s unclear whether she is on wet or dry sand.
“Karen on Laguna Beach extending the property to a public area,” wrote the woman who posted the TikTok.
Victoria Beach was once somewhat of a hidden gem among locals in Laguna but has become a popular site for people posting on social media. A long steep staircase whose entrance is tucked into a residential neighborhood leads down to the beach.
The second video, posted Monday, shows a sign on Lechuza Beach in Malibu, claiming the beach is private property.
“This beach is on private lots. Trespassers will be prosecuted,” the sign says.
“One big-a— lie,” says the man who posted the Tik Tok.
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In the video of Lechuza Beach, the sign appears to be in wet sand, which would make it open to the public.
“The beach does belong to the people. It’s free open space. It belongs to all Californians. And that’s enshrined in state constitution and Coastal Act,” said Mandy Sackett, the Senior California Policy Coordinator with Surfrider, a coastal protection organization. “Homeowners think the beach belongs to them because they have expensive real estate, but in reality it belongs to everyone. It’s something we see all too common.”
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