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Driftwood
updated: Nov 22, 2012, 9:17 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

A subscriber wonders which beaches have the best driftwood. I need different sizes for a crafts project, and am willing to travel an hour or so in either direction.

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 345957	2012-11-22 09:21 AM
I'm pretty sure is illegal to remove anything naturally created from the beach... To answer your question, wait until winter then go to the Pit.
COMMENT 345962	2012-11-22 09:46 AM
La Conchita, by far--it is covered with driftwood after storms.
COMMENT 345964	2012-11-22 09:59 AM
@957: So all the tar I come home with on my feet after a walk is illegal? Wait until after a nice storm and most of the beaches along the Gaviota coast will have plenty of driftwood.
MICRODOC	2012-11-22 10:13 AM
Most all California beaches have great driftwood. Best is after a storm or high tide. If you're from the Goleta area, from Bacara beach to below Sandpiper golf course is good. Between Goleta Beach and More Mesa is another great spot for large pieces.
COMMENT 345970	2012-11-22 10:26 AM
I'm pretty sure 957 is only partially correct and since op didn't ask for the laws Ive found pretty good wood at more Mesa, thousand steps and goleta.. anywhere up against the cliffs.
COMMENT 345971	2012-11-22 10:32 AM
Illegal?! NO WAY! I love driftwood, and horde it. I get territorial when I see someone else on the same beach as me collecting it. No, but seriously ya what everybody else already said..... have fun driftwood hunting :)
COMMENT 345987	2012-11-22 11:48 AM
It's a bit of a drive but the best I've ever seen is at Patricks point north of Eureka in Humbolt County. Waist deep for miles of beautiful weathered gray driftwood. Enough to build houses.
COMMENT 345991	2012-11-22 12:13 PM
It is not illegal, per se, to collect driftwood in CA. In a State Park: It is illegal for an individual without a permit to use tools or equipment to gather driftwood. It is illegal to gather more than 50lbs of driftwood in one day. It is illegal to distrurb any plant or animal or geological or archeological feature to gather driftwood (anywhere in CA not just state parks). Hope this helps.
COMMENT 345995P	2012-11-22 12:39 PM
Oregon beaches, by far.
COMMENT 346019	2012-11-22 02:07 PM
971, yes way. It really is illegal to remove from the beach. And for good reason. Google ecosystem. And California public beach laws, to start.
BURNTTHISTLE	2012-11-22 02:10 PM
North of pt. Concepcion seems to have better drift wood
COMMENT 346028P	2012-11-22 02:21 PM
Rincon
COMMENT 346034	2012-11-22 02:29 PM
019: I actually spent some time researching the question rather than going by my belief or myth or guess. You're wrong. It is not illegal. There is even a stated limit on how much one may remove from a STATE PARK! Now, I ask you. If it is illegal to remove _at all_ why is there a codified LIMIT?
COMMENT 346035	2012-11-22 02:30 PM
@019 Why don't you abide by your set of rules, and (thank you very much) I'll abide by mine. I see no harm in that with moderate and reasonable driftwood collecting.
COMMENT 346065	2012-11-22 03:46 PM
I've heard that you can't take driftwood because the endangered Snowy Plovers use the wood to build their tract homes.
COMMENT 346091P	2012-11-22 07:40 PM
It would be nice if people would leave beach things where they found them, with the exception of trash/litter/old lobster traps/tires and that kind of unnatural beach detritus. Too many people think everything at the beach is up for grabs. Moderation in all things. If you absolutely MUST cart home driftwood, beach glass, rocks and shells, how about trying to lower your impact and take less than you think you "need?" Thank you.
COMMENT 346096	2012-11-22 08:48 PM
When I'm at the beach I don't notice any more or less taken from the beach people have been doing it for hundreds if not thousands of years and nothing has been damaged or changed thus far. I think what is already taken at the beach must be the perfect amount. Imagine trying to take a walk on our beautiful sand if not one person took one thing. thank you.
COMMENT 346130	2012-11-23 10:06 AM
I've heard Oregon beaches have plenty of radioactive Japanese driftwood!
COMMENT 346169	2012-11-23 12:25 PM
95P for the WIN! I agree.
COMMENT 346219P	2012-11-23 04:24 PM
If you walk up the beach at low tide at Gaviota you should find some very nice pieces of driftwood. Walk to the second railroad bridge. It's a walk, but it is fun good luck
LOUWHO?	2012-11-24 07:31 AM
091 - Isn't sea glass trash? Shouldn't we take that with the old lobster traps? Sea glass is not natural.
COMMENT 346369	2012-11-24 10:28 AM
Yes, leave things where you find them! That rotting seal corpse? Leave it! Dead whale?! Leave it! Piles of decaying seaweed? Leave it! Dog poo? Leave it! Yay for natural things on the beach! Yay!
COMMENT 346662	2012-11-25 02:33 PM
991 You need to check the daily regulations imposed by Obama administration in the name of the myriad of federal laws and regulations (not to mention state laws and regulations) all created and enabled by a myriad of federal and state laws dreamed up by high paid politically correct politicians working closely with thousands of eutopian bureaucrats being paid 6 figure incomes to dream up all of these "regulations". Since yesterday I heard that it is now illegal to aproach any living plant, animal, geological or archaeological feature within 3 meters while holding a piece of driftwood that is longer than 9 centimeters in length or weighs more than 9 grams or with more than one piece of driftwood of any weight and length! Al Gore has founded a company that has patented and now sells driftwood scales for $199.99 each which are federally licensed and approved for all licensed beachombers! What? You haven't got your beachcomber's license yet?

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