Malibu Pier
23000 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA
A slender wooden pier with white Cape Cod towers, reaching out over the Pacific beside one of surfing's most famous beaches.
Malibu Pier is one of the oldest and best-known piers on the Southern California coast, a narrow wooden walkway topped by a pair of white Cape Cod-style buildings that reach out over the Pacific in the heart of Malibu. It has been a fixture here for well over a century, and today it is owned by California State Parks and open to the public, free to stroll any day.
The pier was not built for tourists at all. It went up in 1905 to serve the great Rindge family ranch that once covered nearly all of Malibu, a working wharf for shipping the ranch's grain, hides, and produce out and supplies in, back when this coast had no through road. Only decades later did it open to the public for fishing, and grow into the beloved landmark it is now.
What Guests Love
- Walking out over the open Pacific with ocean on both sides and Malibu's hills behind you
- The pier's white Cape Cod-style buildings and classic weathered-wood look
- Watching world-class surfers ride the long right-hand waves at neighboring Surfrider Beach
- Fishing off the deck, spotting dolphins and whales, and catching the sunset over the water
Worth Knowing
- The pier is a public California State Parks site and free to walk, though the shops and restaurants on it keep their own days and hours
- It sits directly on the Pacific Coast Highway, so watch traffic when crossing and use the marked lots and crossings
- Ocean weather turns the deck breezy and cool, so bring a layer even on a warm day
- Storms occasionally close parts of the pier for repairs, so it is worth checking ahead before a special trip
Details
Malibu, CA
Learn about Malibu Pier
Built to serve a private empire
In the early 1900s the Rindge family owned almost the whole of Malibu, a vast coastal ranch they guarded fiercely against any road or railroad crossing their land. With no highway in, the sea was their lifeline, and in 1905 they built the pier to load and unload ships, moving grain, hides, and fruit out to market and bringing supplies back to the ranch. It was pure working infrastructure, the private front door of a private kingdom.
The family's long battle to keep the outside world out eventually failed, and the Pacific Coast Highway pushed through along the shore. As Malibu opened up, the pier's purpose changed with it. In 1934 it was opened to the general public and organized for fishing for the first time, and it quickly became a favorite spot to drop a line over the deep water.
The pier people know today
Fishing crowds grew through the late 1930s, and the pier was extended and fitted with a bait and tackle shop. During World War II it served as a Coast Guard lookout post before storm damage and the years took their toll. A later owner repaired the pier after the war and added the distinctive white Cape Cod-style buildings at its head, the towers that give Malibu Pier its unmistakable silhouette today.
By the late 1990s the aging pier had passed into the hands of the state, and after a major restoration it reopened in the 2000s as a California State Parks landmark. The Pacific is hard on any pier, and storms still force the occasional round of repairs, but the state and its partners have kept this piece of Malibu history standing and open for everyone.
Surfrider Beach and the birth of surf culture
What truly makes the pier special is its neighbor. Just to the west lies Surfrider Beach, whose long, peeling right-hand waves are among the most famous in the world and helped launch modern surfing and California beach culture in the mid-1900s. On a good swell the lineup fills with surfers, and the end of the pier is one of the best free seats in the house to watch them work the wave.
Beside the break sits the Malibu Lagoon, where fresh water meets the sea in a restored wetland alive with herons, egrets, and shorebirds, and the historic Adamson House, a Spanish Colonial Revival home famous for its Malibu tile. Between the pier, the surf, the lagoon, and the house, this little stretch of coast packs an outsized amount of California history and beauty into a short walk.
Visiting Malibu Pier
The pier is right on the Pacific Coast Highway in central Malibu, easy to reach and free to walk. There are shops and eateries out on the deck that keep their own hours, and from the pier you can fish, join a seasonal whale-watching or sportfishing trip, or simply stroll to the end and take in the ocean on all sides. Watch for dolphins offshore and, in winter, migrating gray whales.
Come for the light late in the day, when the sun drops toward the water and the whole coast turns gold. Bring a layer, since the ocean breeze makes the deck cool even on warm afternoons, and mind the highway traffic when you cross. Pair the pier with a walk down to Surfrider Beach and the lagoon, and you have one of the most scenic, storied, and easygoing stops on the entire Malibu coast.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Malibu
Surfrider Beach
Just west
One of the most famous surf breaks in the world, a long right-hand point wave that helped shape modern surfing, with a wide sandy beach beside it.
Malibu Lagoon State Beach
About 0.3 mile
A restored coastal wetland where the creek meets the sea, alive with herons, egrets, and shorebirds, with boardwalk paths and ocean views.
Adamson House
About 0.3 mile
A 1929 Spanish Colonial Revival home famed for its colorful Malibu tile, set in gardens above the lagoon, with tours and a small local museum.
Point Dume State Beach
About 8 miles
A dramatic headland west along the coast, with a short bluff trail, wide beaches, tide pools, and winter whale watching from the point.