The California beaches with the most cleanliness complaints this summer
- City Beach in Long Beach records more litter-related mentions per visitor review than any other beach in California, with 417.6 keyword mentions per 1,000 Tripadvisor reviews.
- A new study has identified the California beaches whose Tripadvisor reviews contain the highest density of cleanliness and litter-related mentions, measured by keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews to account for differences in review volume.
- Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles ranked second, with 236.8 mentions per 1,000 reviews, followed by Cowell’s Beach in Santa Cruz with 223.7.
The study, completed by sustainable drinkware brand Just Bottle, has identified the California beaches with the highest frequency of cleanliness and litter mentions in visitor reviews relative to their total review volume. All California beaches listed on Tripadvisor had their reviews scraped for keywords such as ‘trash,’ ‘dirty,’ ‘smelly,’ ‘cigarette butts,’ and ‘filthy.’ The beaches were filtered by those with 50 or more reviews and then ranked by total keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews.
City Beach in Long Beach tops the ranking with 417.6 litter-related keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews, based on 38 total mentions across 91 Tripadvisor reviews. The most common terms include 16 mentions of ‘trash’ and 12 mentions of ‘dirty.’ Only 27.47% of the beach’s reviews are rated as excellent, the lowest proportion in the top 10.
Dockweiler State Beach in Los Angeles records 236.8 litter-related keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews, with 27 total mentions across 114 reviews. The most frequently referenced terms include 10 mentions of ‘trash,’ 4 mentions of ‘dirty,’ and 3 mentions of ‘garbage.’ Just 28.95% of its reviews are rated as excellent.
Cowell’s Beach in Santa Cruz ranks third with 223.7 keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews, from 17 total mentions across 76 reviews. The most common terms include 5 mentions of ‘trash,’ 5 mentions of ‘dirty,’ and 2 mentions of ‘debris.’ The beach has 7 terrible ratings and 7 poor ratings among its 76 total reviews.
El Capitan State Beach in Goleta records 201.6 litter-related keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews, from 26 total mentions across 129 reviews. The most frequent terms include 8 mentions of ‘trash,’ 3 mentions of ‘dirty,’ and 3 mentions of ‘bottles.’ El Capitan has 8 terrible ratings and 6 poor ratings.
Santa Cruz Main Beach ranks fifth with 200.7 keyword mentions per 1,000 reviews, based on 57 total mentions across 284 reviews. The most common references include 16 mentions of ‘dirty,’ 12 mentions of ‘garbage,’ and 9 mentions of ‘trash.’ With 284 reviews, it is the most-reviewed beach in the top five. The beach has 14 terrible ratings and 8 poor ratings.
Millie Mallett, Co-Founder of Just Bottle, has commented on the findings:
“Measuring cleanliness complaints by density rather than raw volume gives a more honest picture of the visitor experience in California. A beach with fewer reviews can still generate a disproportionate number of litter-related mentions, and that matters.
“Among the reviews analyzed, City Beach showed the highest concentration of litter-related complaints, significantly outpacing the rest of the beaches in the ranking. Since summer has arrived, reviews become more important, as higher footfall can amplify minor issues into more noticeable visitor concerns. Beaches can receive thousands of visitors every week, especially during California’s peak travel seasons, so even small amounts of litter left behind can quickly build up. Reviews mentioning trash, cigarette butts, and unpleasant smells show that cleanliness has a direct impact on the visitor experience and on how people remember a destination.”