Leo Carrillo State Beach (Malibu)
Malibu · near Malibu · Los Angeles / SoCal
Scuba & Snorkel
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Depth
- 25
- Water temperature
- 58–68°F · 5mm wetsuit
- Best season
- Summer/fall calm days
Permits and booking
- Permit required
- No
- How the permit works
- No permit. Leo Carrillo State Park, Malibu — paid parking. Rocky reef, tide pools, sea caves, and small kelp patches make it a good beginner snorkel on calm days. Check swell; the reef is exposed to Pacific surf.
What is here
- Marine life
- Tide pools & rocky reef · Garibaldi & opaleye · Small kelp patches · Caves & arches
- Features
- Tide pools, caves & reef · Beginner-friendly snorkeling · Classic Malibu coastline · Small kelp & garibaldi
Worth knowing
- Certification required
- No
- Dogs
- Not permitted
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Scuba & Snorkel detail
- Dive type
- snorkel · scuba
- Entry
- shore
- Viz
- 5–20 ft
- Intl tip
- Leo Carrillo State Park has a paid lot and easy access. Snorkel the rocky reef and caves on calm days — it's exposed to surf, so check swell. Tide pools are excellent at low tide. Combine with the Malibu beaches and the Backbone Trail (trail running guide). Best for beginners in summer/fall; modest visibility.
The guide
Leo Carrillo State Beach at the western edge of Malibu is one of LA County's most beginner-friendly snorkel spots — a rocky, co…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Leo Carrillo State Beach (Malibu) — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.045, -118.937