Sand Cove Beach

Great local place with a beach feel. Beach sand with river water. Perfect for the kids to just play and parents to just chill. No alcohol allowed and life vests are provided before you walk to the beach.

We went on an overcast day so it worked out well. I can see if it was a hot day you would for sure need an umbrella or something. People were cool and stayed to themselves. Other people had bbq’s out and parked the boats right on the beach so it would be nice for a full day set up. Parking lot is OK size. 1 porta potty in the parking lot so be prepared for that. Also they have life vests to use for free if anyone needs them.

Little diamond in the rough in Sacramento. Wouldn’t think that a beach would be right in the middle of the city, but it was.
Came for a kid’s birthday party. Hardly any shade, maybe one tree, closer to the parking lot. By the time we got there, it wasn’t as packed as it was earlier in the day. Pets were allowed so the sand was iffy. Ended up one of the blankets ended up getting dog poop (we think) from the kids digging in the sand. hahaha. Yup that was it for me. People were launching their boats, saw a couple jet skiers right by the kids wadding in the water. To each is their own I guess.
They do have life vests for kiddos or anyone actually that need them. That was a plus. Parking is scarce, get their early for sure. And you have to pay for it. Btw. if you use the kiosk. make sure you know which button you’re pressing and how many times you press it. Chances are they’ll get you with parking until 3am. My relative used the app to pay for parking and still got a ticket for the parking police.

i only gave this place 4 stars because of two reasons:
1. no shade and the sand gets so hot.
2. people leave there garbage. which isnt the beaches fault people are lazy.
its a nice small beach or some good family fun!

The words «beach» and «Sacramento» are never found in the same sentence. When you think of a body of water in California’s state capitol, the first thing that comes to mind is the river or a backyard swimming pool. Well, let me tell you that «Sand Cove Beach» is one of Sacramento’s best-​kept secrets as it definitely does offer sand at a beach!
I’ve been a resident in Sacramento for nearly 15 years and I’ve gotta tell you that I have never been to this place before! When I find a place to cool off on a hot summer day, I usually go to Discovery Park, Folsom Lake, the American River, or swim at a friends house. And as I am definitely a beach person, this place was truly a breath of fresh air in every way possible.
I actually came here on two occasions in a 2-​week span; the first on Sunday 4÷26÷15 and the second on Saturday 5÷2÷15; both very warm days in the Sacramento area. Before coming here, I would definitely program the address (2005 Garden Hwy) in your GPS because the entrance comes very quickly when traveling on a remote part of Garden Highway. Another thing that I advise is that you get here as early as possible because the parking lot can (and will) fill up very quickly. There are only about 50 dedicated parking spots so if you happen to come after 1:00pm, you’re pretty much out of luck.
The one beneficial part of this beach is that the parking is absolutely free! Another advantage is just how close the parking lot is from the actual beach. There is a small trail that begins at the parking lot and is only about a 50 yard walk that leads to the sandy area of the beach. This is great if you happen to bring towels, a blanket, food, and pets without having to walk a long way. The entire sandy area of the beach itself stretches out about ¼ of a mile but still lots of room to walk or even go for a swim.
Keep in mind that this beach does not allow alcohol on the premises. And one downfall is that since everyone brings food, the limited amount of trash bins fills up very quickly. One more negative thing is that there is only one porta-​potty (located on the end of the parking lot) which I wouldn’t advise using unless absolutely necessary. Other than the few minor issues, this is definitely a great place to relax and enjoy the day. And on any given day, you will notice people riding their jet skis, boats, and kayaks down the river. I’ll definitely be making more future trips to «Sand Cove Beach»!

A small-​scale comparison of a beach, this is one of the closest thing Sacramento has to a «beach». The crowd here can make or break the scene. I’ve been here various times and have caught wonderful sunset moments and colorful evening skies painted by the sun. There are moments here there are wonderful, but that requires going at the right time. For a more quiet scene shoot for weekdays, evenings, or possibly late mornings (brunch time).
Pros:
-«sandy beach» feel
–nice getaway from suburbia
–no fees
–free parking & entrance
Cons:
–people leaving their trash behind (not a «leave no trace» zone)
–walking past the stinky portal potty
–lack of parking space

This was a nice little beach with a smallish parking lot. Not as trashy or crowded as Discovery Beach. Our friends could pull their boat right up to the beach! Only thing is that there was a fairly big pile of trash on the beach. People pick up after yourselves!!!

This would be a nice beach if it wasnt trashed by those who visit it. On warm weekends it is sadly over crowded and tons of alcohol (even though alcohol is not allowed). There is a small parking lot that is free but this area desperately needs an overflow parking lot. There is not much parking so the crowd parks in the residential neighborhood across the Garden Hwy and sadly leaves all the their trash for the residents to pick up and no parking for residents to park outside of their own home :(

free park, small lot, no street parking, there are port o toilets and trash can YET people still TRASH the BEACH! I’ve gone here for 15 years at least. it’s a nice beach but would be better if it was LEAVE NO TRACE

No shade but lots of sand

Who would have known there’s a «beach» right off of Garden Highway? This a nice spot to hang out and enjoy the river. There are a few picnic tables and shaded areas for lounging and BBQ’ing. There’s a lot of room on the sandy beach, and it seems like a great place to bring pets and kids. Being a city park, alcohol isn’t allowed. There are several parking spots before the train leading to the beach. I recommend you check it out!