Steamboat Beach

Had the pleasure of visiting this place a few days ago. There was a delightful woman collecting fees, a very fair $5 for adults, $2 for children. My goal was to fish, and it was a very successful outcome. Amenities like an upper deck off of the sand, a grassy area and of course the fine sand (not coarse and completely barefoot friendly) are available and very clean. The restroom is up by the parking area, an 80 foot walk from the beach. Upon leaving for the day I was again greeted by the beach attendant and asked to take a picture with my catch (it's a nice touch when the proprietors show interest in their visitors and how their experience was for their visit). It's obvious they are proud of the venue they offer, and it shows with the great condition and cleanliness of the area. This will most likely be a place I frequent often with my family. Note: there are signs outlining the fees as well as rules and expectations. Not sure why previous reviews show disdain for having to pay, regardless of whether you have cash available. Common sense is a must when visiting the venue...

Really? You have to pay $5 a person for 20 feet of beach?I found this place on pure accident. After for driving a while my friend and I decided why not lets stop for a bit. We started walking down this path to get to the tiny beach. A guy leaning against a pole greets us. We say hi back and continue down the stairs to the beach. He calls out to us, You going to the beach. Uh yea I thought, thats the only thing at the end of these stairs. He then informed us that would be $5 each. Um says who, who are you, do you have any proof that you can charge us? My friend really wanted to go, yet he didnt have any cash, so I very reluctantly paid the man $10. Feeling like I just got scammed I continued down the stairs hoping to be pleasantly surprised by a beautiful private beach. Sadly there was no pleasant surprises to be had.They did have picnic benches, as most beaches do, however they were dirty, covered in bird poop and leaves, the patio filled with old leaves, sand and creatures galore. The grassy area, if you can even call it that, between the patio area and the beach looked like an old man's head who refuses to admit he is going bald with thin patches of hair sparsely located on his head. It has hard and sharp, not an ideal combo for barefoot beach goers. Onto the sandy beach, I was a little worried there would be something in the sand that would cut my foot. I did pass by some rubbish in the sand, bottle caps, plastic bags, etc. But my feet came out unscathed, so I guess I should be happy. If your thinking, oh private beach I bet we'll have the place to ourselves, then think again. One side of the beach under the bridge was a huge family playing in the dirty water and taking up the whole area, while the other side of the beach had a family fishing (with no luck). Im not sure I would want to be swimming so close to people fishing, but there seems to be no rules on what you can actually do on the small beach. Later another large family showed up and took the rest of the open space available. So private=/= less crowded.For a beach I have to pay to access, I would expect it to be in better condition or at least kept up. I would defiantly never come here again. To try and get our money's worth we sat around for an hour, we were ready to go after ten minutes. During that time a family came, the guy no longer at the stairs, so they did not have to pay for their access. There is a sign on the beach saying you have to pay to use it, but it seems like you only pay if strange men are standing near the stairs. So if you want to check this place out for yourself, scope out to see if anyone is loitering by the stairs, if not, free beach time.BOTTOM LINE: For a private beach you have to pay to access, I would expect much better conditions. Public beaches are nicer. Save your money, go somewhere else.

This is a nice little spot (emphasis on little) especially if no one else is around. The owner didnt seem too happy but he let us pay only 2 dollars because we had no other cash.....ooops! Great for having a picnic lunch and cooling off in the river. Enjoy but bring cash!

Steamboat Beach is a good place. A small private sandy beach below the bridge owned by a 7th generation farmer. He comes by and collects the $5 fee. There are picnic tables and nice areas to park. We brought chairs. We were lucky to find this beach. We packed a lunch with sandwiches, snacks and beverages.Enjoyed the day .

Wanna Get Away? Steamboat Beach is a good place for that. We took a short drive on Freeport Blvd towards the Sacramento Delta. We drove through Freeport, Clarksburg and eventually landed in Courtland at the Steamboat Bridge. There's a small private sandy beach below the bridge owned by a pear farmer. He comes by in his big straw hat and collects the $5 fee. There are picnic tables and nice areas to park butt on the banks of the river. We brought chairs. We were lucky enough to have the entire beach to ourselves this gorgeous afternoon. There were a few folks in boats anchored and floating nearby. Everybody was enjoying the lazy sunday afternoon. We packed a lunch with sandwiches, snacks and beverages. Mojitos! We also brought our fishing poles. Who knows what we'll have for lunch... Salami or fish? Well it was salami cuz the fish weren't biting. Maybe they were also just enjoying the lazy sunday afternoon at Steamboat Beach.

I started swimming on this beach in 1959. Started fishing there the same year. I was 9 at the time. Steelhead, catfish, stripers and salmon could be caught at the right times. I lived only two miles away, and learned when those times were. My mother loved cooking fresh fish. Retirees in Courtland were always catching more than they could consume, and made sure EVERYBODY had fish to eat.Stripers, sturgeon and smoked shad were easy to come by. The bridge tender was easygoing. We ofter jumped off the bridge on hot summer days. ThAe water was usually cold due to snow melt. In the 70s, the impact of DDT and other agricultural chemicals started affecting the quality of the fish. Laws were passed that helped, and the fish, although less plentiful are much better better quality.I love this area and recommend driving down the river road and checking out the scenery. Get a map, and check out Grand and Ryer Island(Where my wife grew up), among others.Yeah, I love the Delta!

Came here last year with my dog and there was an older woman at the front who was just rude and grumpy. I didn't see the no pets allowed sign because we literally just parked and she came running out yelling at us. Then we went to look for the sign, apologized and we left. So REALLY sucks that pets aren't allowed but I understand, no biggie. Came back here again recently during Covid and there was no one there but there was a gate up so I figured they were closed. Then what do you know here comes the same grumpy old lady storming outside and yelling at us. First of all we didn't even step foot on the beach we only parked. She literally acts like the "beach" is some top notch private gold members only. Everytime I see her now, she's so grumpy and just rude it literally kills my whole mood just seeing her. It's like she doesn't even like her job and her job is NOT that hard. So lady if you're reading this, lose the attitude and smile. Because now we hate seeing your face it ruins our beach day. Anyways, it's a cute small "beach" when it's clean. Nice when no one else is there. It's $5 to get in also. I wonder if they are able to even charge us to get in there because it looks public to me, it's on the side of the road.

Love this beach. Have been coming here for several years. The beach is very clean, and I have NEVER experienced problems, which have occurred at other beaches. The owners are great. No pets, no glass. The cost is more then you might pay at other locations in Sac, but it's well worth it. Bring your picnic and enjoy a great day!

This marvelous secret place holds many memories for my family, and this quiet, family-style beach was our prime spot during the late 1990's, as the local Sea Scouts held their annual Family Day and invited parents to come review the boy's newly-acquired mariner skills. Yes, there are fish to be had; usually 12" - 16" stripers, but you CAN land an occasional keeper in the 8 - 12 lb range. Not to mention, the Steamboat Bridge is pretty dang cool, too,Directions-1) *A one-way boating cruise up to the Steamboat Bridge and the Beach from your Antioch Bridge launch ramp on the San Joaquin River is probably about 10 - 12 miles.....or between 35 and 60 minutes, to reach the beach. After passing Rio Vista, most days the Sacramento River is flat, until the tide turns. You should be able to maintain 20 - 30 knots on a flat day.2) You can EASILY access this beach via car from either North or South- just Google it.*Boat Cruising: You MUST have all required safety gear in your boat. A serious Delta boater has life-jackets for all aboard, safety flares, and an anchor and 100' of line, two oars, a DEPTH/FISH Finder, a COMPASS, and a Marine Radio capable of calling the Coast Guard on Channel 16. Yes- That is the MINIMUM. Be professional. Don't DIE. And no one really wants to tow your butt and your broke-down or out of fuel boat back to the pier you launched from, either.Recommended Voyage: If you have a flat-hulled ski-boat or even a modified V-hull Sea Ray or whatever, a wonderful boat ride can be had by launching directly under the Antioch Bridge at the Public Boat Ramp (fee is probably around 15 bucks.) Then head East up the San Joaquin River about a mile, just until you see the entrance to 3-Mile Slough, on your left. 3 Mile Slough connects the San Joaquin River to the Sacramento River. Note: Enter 3 Mile Slough CAREFULLY and slowly from the San Joaquin River side... (in one place it is only 4 feet deep) and yes, you SHOULD have a depth finder or fish-finder to navigate safely in the Delta. (You'd know about this little shallow sandbar, if you spent a few bucks for river charts.) Continue at 10 - 15 mph along 3 Mile slough, passing the restaurant and passing the boat launch and (if needed) restrooms at Brannon Island, and go to the slough's end where you will pass under the Highway 160 bridge, as it connects to the Sacramento River.(at high tide, make sure your boat antenna doesn't whack the bridge's underside.) Then, enter the Sacramento, turn right, and go upriver and pass under the Rio Vista Bridge.Continue on a bit and then turn right to continue up the Sacramento River. Important: PAY the MONEY to the Landowner, cheerfully. Here in 2018, spots like this are rare, and only through the tireless hard work and protective nature of the property owner has this place not been trashed and thrashed by teenagers who probably would make this a Party Spot...just like we did, in our day. Leave your picnic spot as nice as you found it.Have fun!

Beautiful little beach! Has shade, tables, and a clean beach. Wonderful, refreshing water. Affordable price for a lovely day! The owners are really nice people who will tell you all about the local history if you're interested. Bring a picnic! (Btw, no dogs.)