The first gate, at the end of Zumirez Drive in Malibu, is foreboding. Spikes run along the top of the tall black wrought-iron fence, and signs warn that the area is being surveilled. Any vehicles that dare to park near the gate without a proper permit will be towed, they read.
The second gate on Whitesands Place blends in more with the surroundings. The multimillion-dollar homes on this part of Point Dume, a large promontory that juts out into the Pacific Ocean just east of Zuma Beach, are mostly shrouded behind hedges and locked gates, making it hard to discern which gate leads down to the near-private Little Dume Beach.
But the third gate, located at the end of Grayfox Street, makes its purpose of keeping unwanted visitors out of the homeowners-only beach clear: A narrow locked metal gate is surrounded by a cement wall, with coils of barbed wire running along the top to keep anyone from daring to climb over.
A locked gate on Zumirez Drive blocks public access to Little Dume Beach, seen here on Sept. 2, 2026. (Erin Rode/SFGATE)
It’s surprising that such an eyesore would be allowed in the ritzy, sandy parts of coastal Malibu, home to the most expensive house ever sold in California. But when it comes to keeping the public away from Little Dume Beach, it seems that exclusivity is prioritized over aesthetics.
More Los Angeles Coverage
–California’s e-bike war explodes in Orange County
–Disneyland cracks down on dangerous but common behavior
–As a local swimming hole goes viral, neighbors cash in on the chaos
–This little-known LA area campus restaurant has no business being so good
For more SFGATE LA stories, subscribe to our new weekly newsletter The Southland here.
In places like Martha’s Vineyard, people pay up to $400,000 to purchase so-called “beach keys,” which open up access to otherwise private beaches – and even then, purchasing a coveted key is only possible in the rare instances they’re offered for sale on the private market (most people opt to keep their key within the family).
In California, both private beaches and the keys that open them are rather rare due to the California Coastal Act, which passed in 1976 and directs the California Coastal Commission to maximize public access to beaches. (SFGATE did not hear back from the Coastal Commission regarding access to Little Dume Beach before publication).
FILE: An aerial view of Point Dume in Malibu, Calif. (Bernhard Lang/Getty Images)
But on Point Dume, a complicated, decades-old system of deeded rights means private beach access and beach keys live on (even if the modern-day “keys” actually appear to be electronic key cards or fobs). And at a time when Southern California’s beaches are being ravaged by erosion while climate change simultaneously drives up summer temperatures, everyone is looking for a stretch of sand. But for members of the public, Little Dume Beach is nearly off-limits.
On the west side of Point Dume, there are parking lots, restrooms and easy public access to the beach (although right now, the road giving access to parking is closed due to severe erosion). The eastern side of the point is Little Dume Beach, which is much harder to get to. Members of the public need to walk a mile or so on the sand, timing their journey along with the tides, to reach Little Dume, which has no public amenities or infrastructure.
For key-holding Point Dume residents, it’s just a short walk or drive directly down to the beach from their private access points.
A locked gate on Grayfox Street blocks public access to Little Dume Beach, seen here on Sept. 2, 2026. (Erin Rode/SFGATE)
Three separate private easement access points provide paths from the homes on Point Dume to Little Dume Beach down below; the rights to use these paths are tied to deeded rights attached to specific properties on the coastal bluff. Not every home on Point Dume has access, only homes on certain streets that are attached to one of the three locked gates and private paths.
The easements are split into three communities: “Riviera I,” “Riviera II” and “Riviera III.” The Riviera I gate on Zumirez Drive allows vehicle access, while the other two provide walking paths to the beach.
Malibu real estate agents routinely tout this private access in advertisements for Point Dume homes.
“What makes the beach so special? Most importantly, privacy. Public access points to the east and west are far enough to deter most beachgoers from walking around various points and rocks, sometimes too hazardous to traverse depending on the tide and swell,” proclaims Malibu Luxury Realty, which goes on to explain that the beach access came from a deal with the city of Malibu that restricted owners’ ability to subdivide properties in exchange for private beach easements.
FILE: A surfer stands on the beach of Paradise Cove, near Little Dume Beach, Malibu, Calif. (Jay L. Clendenin /LA Times via Getty)
Multiple area real estate agents estimate that the deeded beach access rights add anywhere from $1 million to $2 million to a home’s total value, placing the cost of Little Dume Beach access higher than the median home price in Los Angeles.
But that price is likely small potatoes for Point Dume home shoppers: Current listings that include Little Dume beach keys include homes priced at $28.5 million, $34.9 million and $90 million.
For now at least, the Point Dume community hasn’t taken to more extreme beach-blocking tactics seen elsewhere in California, from propping up fake “private beach” signs to roping off sections of sand.
More LA Outdoors Coverage
–Channel Islands National Park gets a new campground
–As a California trail goes viral, neighbors cash in on the chaos
–Lake Havasu, Colorado River’s party lake, isn’t allowed to run out of water
–Guerrilla kayakers saved the LA River. Today, you can ride along with them.
For more SFGATE LA stories, subscribe to our new weekly newsletter The Southland here.
This article originally published at The rare California beach where access carries a $2M price tag.