What happened to Sandy Beach?

bringitbig

Well Known Member
I've been a member here for some time and never really read an explanation of why Sandy Beach is not the Sandy Beach of the 80's-90's that I grew up on. I moved away from AZ in 1997 and returned in 2004 to be shocked when I went back down and there as no activity there. No trailers, tents, vehicles driving the beach and people everywhere on major holidays. Heck there's no access hardly at all. 2 weeks ago I was down and drove down there, parked north of the Reef and was able to walk through an opening in the fence and walk to the beach. To my knowledge, that's it for that area.

So the question is, why isn't it accessible like it was back in the day? Seems a waste to have all that beautiful beach off limits unless you walk to it.
 

mexicoruss

Lovin it in RP!
All of that land is in escrow as far as I know and there may be some legal issues regarding liability. It is not over for that area it is just a change.
 

brokenwave

Well Known Member
SBR is still allowing access to Sandy Beach to select groups of people. We have seen it open with people and vehicles on it a couple of times in the past 2 years.
Looked like a private event, we were able to use SB last year because they hadn't closed the entrance to it yet, so the next day so we drove onto it.
It was also open for the past few Semana Santas according to my local friend and I saw sign's at the fenced entrance with an entrance fee this year.

Alternatives are.
Pay $20 to use the Reef parks beach for the day (24 hour period so you could get 2 beach days there) View kinda sucks because of the rock pile.
Use the Mi Playa beach off of Fremont. Busy with locals on weekends
Tucson Beach in Cholla, Busy with locals on weekends
Beaches in Las Conchas near the estuary.
Beaches around Encanto and Playa La Jolla.
Drive to Santo Tomas area where there are lot's of places to play.

I'm sure there are few other beaches around, which I hope people on this forum will chime in about. :)
 

jerry

Well Known Member
going to spook around down by the failed Liberty Cove site in 10 days if anyone is interested...heard the access isn't blocked now
 

bringitbig

Well Known Member
Thanks all for the replies. I sure miss those days, so many memories.

I thought the beach was public access and really couldn't be owned privately?
 

marybna

Well Known Member
I thought it is was like Hawaii. High tide to low tide. Anything below high tide is public. You just have to find away to get to it.
 

brokenwave

Well Known Member
Yes the trick is getting to the supposedly open beaches with no access.

Seems like SBR/Browns has been using barbed wire fencing to fence off their
properties around SB and in Cholla. Lot's of new shiny barb wire. :confused:
Even the old social club building in Cholla has been fenced off.
 

Hooch

Well Known Member
Rocky point was awesome back then, now it just reminds me of Guadalupe with a beach.
 

dirtsurfer

Well Known Member
Forum Supporter
Ahhh......Sandy Beach was my playground for many years when we had a place in Cholla, a huge, long beach with not much on it. Some nights we would ride from Cholla to town, get a shrimp dinner at Senorial's and then ride home. The people watching' on spring break weekend was the best ever..drunk and half naked or naked chicks everywhere and every kind of sand machine going every direction at the same time. I miss those days!!
 

Landshark

Well Known Member
Cool video Russ! I remember camping on SB back in the early 90's...those were the days! You can't stop progress but I liked it better back then.
 

Estella

Active Member
I've been a member here for some time and never really read an explanation of why Sandy Beach is not the Sandy Beach of the 80's-90's that I grew up on..
I always point this out here in the forum. Penasco was a better place in the 1990s

So the question is, why isn't it accessible like it was back in the day? Seems a waste to have all that beautiful beach off limits unless you walk to it.
Because of the greed. Starting in late 1990s, idea was to make Penasco top destination like Cabo or Acapulco, land value went up and people who owned that land wanted more, got sold then fenced off.

Cool video Russ! I remember camping on SB back in the early 90's...those were the days! You can't stop progress but I liked it better back then.
This is the same thing that I was saying, but you seem to play both sides
 

MIRAMAR

Well Known Member
In the 90s most roads were unpaved which is bad for the residents'lungs. Trash was everywhere, now things are cleaner.
 

Estella

Active Member
Sandy beach 7/14/2017 temperature 87f, humidity 66%, wind 12mph

Photo taken today. Nice but where are the tourists?
 

Roberto

Well Known Member
Hey they are not stupid. They are in the shade and running the AC !! Middle of the week looks like that in Unconscious as well. Look at the positive side, they are not using up the water. See what a good effect Russ has had on me !!! Positivo toto el tiempo!!
 
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