'olol'koy Beach Park is a public beach, playground, and picnic area operated by the city of Oxnard, California at the edge of the Oxnard Plain.[1]
'olol'koy Beach Park | |
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formerly Oxnard State Beach and Oxnard Beach Park | |
Location | 1601 South Harbor Boulevard, Oxnard, California, U.S. |
Coordinates | 34°10′57″N 119°14′13″W / 34.18250°N 119.23694°W |
Area | 62 acres (25 ha)[1] |
Created | 1989[1] |
Operated by | City of Oxnard |
GNIS feature ID | 1871139[2] |
The park is located along the California Coastal Trail and the Pacific Coast Bicycle Route.[3] The park includes palm tree lined pathways and a bike/walking path connecting the communities of Oxnard Shores and Channel Islands Beach.[4] There is also an easy bike/walking connection to Channel Islands Harbor. 'olol'koy Beach Park includes two barbecue areas with a capacity of 200 occupants, each with a public sink, table, and a large grill. Activities include beachcombing, walking, and ocean swimming.[5] The park was designed to protect the sand dunes between the beach and grass picnic area.[6]
Jean Harris persuaded city of Oxnard leaders to adopt a grand vision in the creation of this park.[7] The State of California initially purchased a 26-acre (11 ha) site for the park in 1979.[6] The developer of an adjacent residential with a hotel site dedicated an additional 36 acres (15 ha), giving the park its present size of 62 acres (25 ha).[8] With the adoption of an operating agreement between City and State in December 1983, plans were developed for this park that was initially called Oxnard State Beach.[9] The park was transferred to City of Oxnard in 1998.[2][10] In 2023, the city council approved renaming the park 'olol'koy, the Chumash word for dolphin to honor the original inhabitants of the land.[11][12]