The New Brighton State Beach is a state park and protected beach area in Capitola, California. It is mostly a beach with a campground, and most people go here to spend some nights communing with Mother Nature.

Originally known as China Beach, the New Brighton State Beach was once a settlement for Chinese fishermen around the late 1800s. However, due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the village was gone by the year 1900. The land was then owned by Thomas Fallon and his family. By 1933, though, the site was purchased by the state and consequently turned into a state park.

If you’re camping, try to get the sites that overlook the beach. Book early to do this, though, as the park attracts a lot of visitors.