Seal Beach's wooden pier is the old-town anchor

Seal Beach has a compact coastal identity: Main Street, sand, and the long wooden pier. The city has 1.5 miles of beach from 1st Street through Surfside, and the pier is one of the clearest landmarks in town.

The pier dates to the early 1900s and was rebuilt in the 1980s after a storm destroyed two sections. It is known as the second longest wooden pier in the state. Old Town gets a strong center point, especially for visitors who want an easy walk over the water.

Seal Beach sits between Long Beach and Huntington Beach, but the pier and Main Street give it a smaller coastal center of its own.

For a beach day, look at the city rules first. Dogs, fires, smoking, fishing, and other beach or pier activities have local limits, and those details matter once you are on the sand.