Orange County extends beach hours for Memorial Day weekend - Los Angeles Times

Coastal access in Orange County will be easier over the Memorial Day weekend, as several coastal cities expanded their beach hours and plan to open more parking lots connected to the shoreline.

Seal Beach officials this week authorized the city to move into Phase 2 and 3 of its “beach in motion” plans, which expands hours for access but continues to prohibit beachgoers from lounging on the sand.

Initially, Seal Beach allowed public access only Monday through Thursdays, opening after sunrise and closing at sunset.

A few miles south, Huntington Beach and Newport Beach are also allowing beach access on weekends, ahead of the Memorial Day holiday.

Newport is now open 6 a.m.-10 p.m., while Huntington Beach opens an hour earlier.

Getting to the beach is also easier, after county officials opened parking lots with reduced capacity at Salt Creek, Strands and Baby beaches in Dana Point, along with the coastal lot at Aliso Beach in South Laguna.