Emma Wood State Beach is a California State Beach in Ventura County, California. It is located on the western side of the city of Ventura and borders the estuary at the mouth of the Ventura River.HistoryThe park is named for Emma Catherine Wood, a co-owner of the Taylor Ranch, originally the Rancho Cañada de San Miguelito. Her husband Buddy Wood donated the land in her memory, she died in 1944. The 112acre park was established in 1957.FeaturesEmma Wood State Beach is popular for walking, fishing, swimming, and surfing. The park features a seaside RV-only campground.SettingThe park lies at the southern end of the north coast of Ventura County, where the Santa Barbara Channel coastline is bordered by the Santa Ynez Mountains and coastal cliffs formed by eroding marine terraces.Pacific Coast Highway, railroad tracks of the Coast Line, and the US Highway 101 freeway wind along the narrow strip of the county's north coast land at the base of the mountains for north to the Santa Barbara County line. Over 70 percent of this shoreline, with narrow sandy beaches and rocky tidepools, is accessible via state- or county-owned parks and other properties.
