{"id":455055,"date":"2026-09-06T03:02:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T03:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/455055\/"},"modified":"2026-09-06T03:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T03:02:16","slug":"tamarack-state-beach-battered-by-erosion-as-sand-vanishes-parking-lot-closes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/455055\/","title":{"rendered":"Tamarack State Beach battered by erosion as sand vanishes, parking lot closes"},"content":{"rendered":"

A popular California beach has been battered into a rocky wasteland just as Labor Day weekend<\/a> crowds descend on the coast, with nearly all the sand gone and the public parking lot shut down indefinitely.<\/p>\n

Tamarack State Beach in Carlsbad<\/a> lost most of its sand in just two weeks, and another pounding on Aug. 31 sent baseball-sized rocks across the parking lot, forcing California State Parks to close it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never noticed it as stark as it is now. That beach is totally gone. It\u2019s never been like that.\u201d ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

Large portions of Tamarack State Beach have been battered into a rocky wasteland ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never noticed it as stark as it is now. That beach is totally gone. It\u2019s never been like that,\u201d Ken Bykowski, who arrived from Arizona for his annual vacation in North County, told NBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The timing couldn\u2019t be worse for beachgoers, it\u2019s currently Labor Day weekend, traditionally a major getaway period, but visitors to Tamarack are instead being forced to hunt for parking<\/a> along Carlsbad Boulevard and neighborhood side streets.<\/p>\n

The paid parking lot has been closed to visitors as waves reached five to six feet and crashed over man-made boulder barricades. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s no timetable for when the public lot will reopen.<\/p>\n

Because the lot sits on state property, Carlsbad officials don\u2019t have the authority to make repairs. <\/p>\n

The city manager has said local crews are ready to help if needed.<\/p>\n

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Large portions of Tamarack State Beach have deteriorated from pummeling waves caused by El Ni\u00f1o on Monday, August 31, 2026, in Carlsbad, California. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

The latest mess follows Hurricane Genevieve<\/a>\u2019s early-August assault on Southern California, when huge swells ravaged beaches and briefly knocked out key infrastructure.<\/p>\n

At Tamarack, the churning surf washed away nearly all the sand, severely damaged the parking lot, forced several lifeguard towers to be relocated and left the massive boulders bordering the beach \u2014 known as riprap \u2014 dangerously unstable.<\/p>\n

The churning surf washed away nearly all the sand and forced several lifeguard towers to be relocated. ZUMAPRESS.com<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia State Parks is continuing our work with coastal engineers to develop a design plan for the site while monitoring the parking lot to maintain safe public access,\u201d Jo Biswas, a spokesperson for California State Parks, told SFGATE<\/a> via email.<\/p>\n

The destruction is plainly visible from longtime businesses overlooking the Pacific.<\/p>\n

Vigilucci\u2019s Seafood and Steakhouse <\/a>has been perched above the waves along Carlsbad Boulevard for 30 years. <\/p>\n

Owner Roberto Vigilucci has watched the coastline change during that time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of my guys that work for me that are surfers. It\u2019s a popular spot,\u201d Vigilucci said. The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cThe waves were huge this summer. I\u2019m not a surfer, but \u2018wow.\u2019 I have a lot of my guys that work for me that are surfers. It\u2019s a popular spot,\u201d he told NBC.<\/p>\n

And Tamarack isn\u2019t the only California beach getting hammered.<\/p>\n

In August, Malibu <\/a>called on the state\u2019s transportation agency to \u201caddress rapidly worsening coastal erosion\u201d along the Pacific Coast Highway.<\/p>\n

Over the final weekend of August, Laguna Beach<\/a> rangers also shut down the main parking lot at popular Aliso Beach<\/a> after large swells shoved sand across the lot.<\/p>\n

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