Capo Beach Park to Reopen for Labor Day Weekend

Things are looking up for little Capistrano Beach Park. OCParks has been working diligently for weeks to repair the latest damage along the battered coastline after heavy surf took out more sidewalks and parking lot infrastructure over the July 4th weekend. While work is ongoing, Parks officials were pleased the park could be open over the holiday weekend. The Park will open at 6 AM but close at sunset because electrical service has not yet been restored. Hours will return to the usual 6 AM to 10 PM once lighting is back in service.

Residents and visitors will be thrilled to see a wider beach than usual; as new sand has replaced a lot of the damaged sidewalks on the south end of the park. There’s a nice strip along the entire length of the park that widens in sections, accommodating beachgoers and picnic benches. Once Public Health officials allow social gathering, fire pits will be returned to the park.

Of interest to history buffs is that the latest high surf event exposed some of the old sea wall and foundations of the Capistrano Beach Club that graced this stretch back in the 1920s. Chunks of concrete and wooden footings from the beautiful boardwalk ripped from its moorings 2 years ago are similarly exposed and reburied depending on surf patterns. Park Rangers scour the beach daily to remove hazards and keep the area safe for swimmers, and urge beachgoers to alert authorities if they encounter any safety threats.

After Labor Day, the park will close once more for additional repairs. OC Parks plans to resurface the parking lot, replace a couple of sidewalk sections at the park entrance to accommodate access, and rehabilitate planters. They will also refurbish and paint the k-rails which line the beach to rebuff sand and cobble from heavy surf, helping them to blend in with the sand and surrounding bluffs.

Local residents, Markus and Gina Lenger are eager to see the park reopen for their daily walks. Markus said, “We all recognize that Mother Nature is having her way with our beach, but it’s great to see the County doing reasonable repairs and keeping the park open for public enjoyment.”

Residents and visitors think this little beach is still very special. Thanks OC Parks. It’s important to save “whatever we can, for as long as we can.”