Thirty-plus courts, two years before the world arrives
Long Beach is about to become the most photographed beach volleyball location on earth for two weeks in July 2028. Right now it is a working shoreline with public courts, a regular pickup scene, and nobody paying much attention.
That is the better version.
Our directory lists more than thirty approved court locations across Long Beach, carrying roughly thirty nets. Here is how to use them.
The shoreline, west to east
Alamitos Beach. The Olympic venue site. Wide, flat, south-facing sand directly below downtown. Courts here are closest to transit and to food, which makes them the default for anyone without a car.
Junipero Beach. East of Alamitos, quieter, and the sand runs deep. Fewer people means easier net access on a weekend morning.
Belmont Shore. The eastern end of the Long Beach shoreline, near the pier. This is the most established scene in the city and the one with the strongest regular pickup culture. If you want a competitive game rather than a friendly one, this is where to look.
Granada Beach. Between Belmont Shore and Alamitos, with parking directly adjacent, which is not a small thing on a Saturday.
Permanent nets versus bring your own
A meaningful share of public beach volleyball courts are lines in the sand with permanent posts and no net. The posts stay; the net comes with you.
Our directory flags this per location, because turning up with a ball and no net at a court with no net is a wasted morning. Check the listing before you go.
When to play
Long Beach is south-facing, which means sun across the court for most of the day rather than into anyone's eyes at a fixed time. Morning is cooler and quieter. Late afternoon brings the marine layer some days and the best light on others.
Summer weekends are busy on every court between Alamitos and Belmont Shore. Weekday mornings, you will often have a choice of nets.
Beyond Long Beach
The Southern California coast is close to continuous volleyball from Santa Monica to San Diego. Within an hour of Long Beach:
- Manhattan Beach, 93 nets, the most in our directory, and home of the Manhattan Beach Open
- Hermosa Beach, 72 nets, two miles south of Manhattan and a looser scene
- Huntington Beach, 70 nets along the strand
- Newport Beach, 26 nets
- Seal Beach, 19 nets, quieter, ten minutes from Long Beach
Finding a game, not just a court
A court with no players is a parking spot with sand. Groups are how you actually get a game, and the directory lists the ones that meet regularly along this stretch of coast.
What changes in 2028
Expect construction on Alamitos Beach in the months before July 2028, and expect access restrictions during build-out and the Games themselves. The rest of the Long Beach shoreline should stay open, and the courts from Junipero east will very likely be busier than they have ever been.
If you live here, 2027 is the year to enjoy it quietly.
Court data from the Rule the Sand directory, updated continuously. Found a court we are missing, or one where the details have changed? Tell us.