Last Labor Day weekend, I woke up Saturday morning to a text message at 6:05 a.m.
“There is already a line,” my friend Sophia wrote. She sent a photo of cars waiting on PCH to enter. Dockweiler State Beach.
Eleven minutes later, he texted an update. Sofia had done it. She had scored one of Los Angeles' most popular summer assets: a beach bonfire.
Although there are some public bonfires on Orange County beaches and at Malibu's Sycamore Cove Beach, Dockweiler is the only beach in Los Angeles County that has bonfires for public use.
Many beaches do not allow bonfires for various reasons, including air quality regulations and complaints from local residents about smoke and misuse. Cabrillo Beach, for one, stopped providing fire pits during the pandemic because beachgoers weren't using them properly. (A recreation attendant at the Cabrillo Beach Bath House told me that some people would burn tires and other non-wood materials, and that the smoke would permeate nearby neighborhoods.)
That's why Dockweiler's 87 stoves have become so sought after. And the only proper way to enjoy it is to get to the beach early and claim your right. Although some people online say they've managed to pay TaskRabbit “taskers,” or high school students, to get a hole, Nicole Mooradian, public information specialist for the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, which operates Dockweiler Beach , said any company that claims it can reserve a fire pit for you is not operating legally.
Still, the morning run is worth it for many. For my friend Sophia Eras, who spent much of her childhood enjoying bonfires on beaches all over Southern California, spending all day at the beach is half the fun.
“I've made a lot of really wonderful memories with friends and family having bonfires on the beach,” Eras said. “And I hope it's something we can continue to do in Los Angeles because it seems like there aren't many other places where [have a bonfire] not anymore.”
If you're up for the challenge, here are some of his best tips.
What time should you arrive?
Car parks in Dockweiler open at 6 a.m. (and parking is up to $13), but on some summer weekends, you'll need to arrive even earlier.
“If you go on Fourth of July weekend or Labor Day weekend, you have to be there at 5 a.m. to maintain a well,” Eras said. “People are lining up on PCH before the park is even open.”
What happens when the lots are opened?
Once the first people come in and park their cars, the beach becomes a mad race to secure the best spot.
“It's like opening doors at Coachella, like it's crazy,” Eras said.
Although most people who claim to have a fire pit will watch it all day or leave a few chairs or towels to mark their territory, there are those who go a little further. Eras has seen groups attempt to claim multiple wells by putting caution tape around them.
“I saw a woman walk up to a well with the caution tape around her and start taking it off and another woman came running from another well and said, 'Don't take that off!' That's my chimney! I put it there!' and they got into a shouting match,” she said. “So what should be a really calm day at the beach and a nice, calm atmosphere, becomes a little chaotic.”
What should you bring for a day holding the hole?
Since you'll probably hit the road before 5 a.m., it's helpful to pack the car the night before. Eras likes to bring a tent or umbrella to protect from the sun, a cooler with water and drinks, and pre-made sandwiches to make things easier.
“Hopefully, you'll have other friends who will meet you at the beach later that day and can supplement what you forgot to bring,” he said, “or what you've already eaten or drank.”
Since the goal of the effort is to claim a campfire, it's also worth bringing ingredients for s'mores, hot dogs, hamburgers, and the like.
“Prepare as if you were going camping,” Eras advised. “Have plenty of water, sunscreen, sunscreen, a speaker is a must for music, a portable charger, because your phone will die in the middle of the day.”
Children roast marshmallows over a bonfire on Dockweiler beach.
(Mel Melcón / Los Angeles Times)
What do you need for the royal bonfire?
To keep the fire going for a while, Eras said it's worth bringing three to four bundles of firewood, matches or lighter fluid, and anything else you need to get the fire going.
“For beginners, if you're not used to camping or making campfires, I would say make your life easier and bring fire bricks and lighter fluid,” Eras said.
Other than that, it can be helpful to bring skewers to cook hot dogs or s'mores, and a grill if you plan to cook things like burgers that aren't very stick-friendly. Extra sweaters and blankets are also useful, as it gets quite cold at night on the beach.
How do you clean up after the fire?
Every time the night ends, it is important to make sure the fire is completely extinguished and cleaned up. Walk to the ocean and get a bucket of water to put out all the embers, Eras recommends. And never throw trash into a fire: Burning plastic and Styrofoam can release toxic chemicals into the environment.
Leaving the beach cleaner than you found it is a good rule of thumb. Near each fire pit are trash cans designed to hold embers.
“Just deal with it,” Eras said. “Think about the people who will use it later and think about the environment.”
