La Piedra State Beach In Malibu California Is A Peaceful Place To Watch The Sunset

One of the goals of my October 2023 trip to Los Angeles was to watch the sunset from Malibu California. Originally I had planned to go to El Matador around 4:30pm. When I arrived, the small parking lot was completely full. I had a wedding meeting to call in to, so I had to find a place to stop. Thankfully, I had seen the signs for other California State Parks along the way, so I drove a few more minutes to the next park, La Piedra State Beach.

I had to hurry as I was about to have a wedding detail call with an upcoming wedding couple.  This was going to be a good call in the most beautiful location I could imagine.  I would love to photograph a California Beach wedding in Malibu.  It would truly be a highlight of my wedding photography career.

La Piedra Malibu

La Piedra beach is a small section of beach facing south and is heavily laden with giant boulders. While not as iconic as El Matador, it was absolutely beautiful. I was one of three people on the beach watching the sunset starting at 5pm. It was crazy to think that only an hour drive would be the hustle and bustle of Santa Monica. I really enjoyed my time watching the waves come in while I was on my call. I told the wedding couple that it was the most unique location I’ve ever held a wedding meeting.

Parking And Accessibility

The parking lot holds maybe 20 cars and has a free restroom. When you first arrive at La Piedra, you realize the ocean is probably 100 feet below. The walk to the beach was slippery, rocky, and a little dangerous. It is definitely not ADA accessible. There are other beaches in Malibu closer to Los Angeles that are easily accessible to all. Once I was at the beach, I was able to enjoy my time. I will definitely come back to Malibu and Los Angeles, California. I would love to shoot a wedding there.