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Seacliffs State Beach: Sunken Ship at the End of the Pier in Aptos, CA

Last Modified: July 8, 2020

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This historic state park in Aptos is a photographer’s dream. It features a pier with a half-submerged World War I ship sitting at the end of it. This ship and pier will make you feel like you are in some sort of post-apocalyptic world where people are playing in the shadow of a broken-down freighter. It is a must visit on Pacific Coast Highway, especially since it is part of a beautiful state park and beach. Here is all the information.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 20

Details

  • $10 to enter the park
  • 8 AM to Sunset
  • Information from 2015

When you pull up to the parking lot, you will be greeted with a fantastic view of the pier and the sunken ship at the end. I love seeing unique things like this, and this park was one of the more unusual things I have seen in a while. Here is a little history on the ship.

History

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 14

The SS Palo Alto was a concrete ship that was built for service in World War I; however, when it was completed, the war was over, and the ship no longer had a purpose. It sat in a shipyard in Oakland for over a decade until it was dragged down to its current location to become a small amusement park.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 4

The ship was then sunk and loaded with amenities such as a cafe, pool, and a dance floor and the pier was built out to the boat. Unfortunately, it never became a hit with audiences and the company that made it went bankrupt a few years later. Since then, the ship cracked in the middle and has slowly deteriorated to where it is today. The pier no longer allows you to go onto the boat, and a big gate keeps anyone from trying.

The Visitor Center

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 3

When you arrive, head into the visitors center as it is one of the better state park visitor centers I have been to. It has a video on the boat, examples of what it looked like before it was sunk, and a lot of information about the marine life that has started to live in this artificial habitat. Everything from starfish and sea anemones to sea urchins live in this area now.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 7

The people who work here are great and happily talked to me about the history and all the sea creatures.

The Beach

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 11

After the visitors center, I headed out to the beach to see the wreck from the water level.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 19

This is a strange beach when the tide is high as it had a run-off type effect where the waves go over the sand and then run downhill to the pier and back into the water.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 21

I wish I had my zoom lens to get up close to the ship, but it was still cool to see the decay while sitting on the sand.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 2

I headed down below the pier to see if I could see the boat, but the wood was pretty thick, and it was hard to see the boat through it.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 5

The Ship

After the beach, I headed up to the pier and walked out to the ship. You can see in the below photo that there is a big fence that stops you from going out onto it.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 16

The ship can be seen through the fence at the end of the pier, but there isn’t a good way to get a clear view without sticking your hands through the fence.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 12

There is no way to get out to the boat, which is good as it stays protected from humans. There were about 100 birds sunbathing at the end as well.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 15

I wish I would have been able to see this ship in its heyday; it must have been a pretty fun place to explore. That being said, it is still unique and well worth the trip.

Seacliff Shipwreck Pier 13

After checking it out, you can head back to the car or spend the day just sitting in the sun and enjoying the beach. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Filed Under: Beaches, Northern California, Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Stops, State Parks, Strangely Awesome Tagged With: Aptos, Santa Cruz County

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    Josh from California Through My Lens My name is Josh, and for the last 10 years, I have been exploring as much of California as I possibly can. This site is a collection of those adventures to encourage you to get out and explore California for yourself. More about me.

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