New public pathway opened at 'Billionaires' Beach' in Malibu

Rob Hayes Image
Saturday, July 4, 2015
New public pathway opened at 'Billionaires' Beach'
Some call it Billionaires' Beach, but it's officially named Carbon Beach.

MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) -- Some call it Billionaires' Beach, but it's officially named Carbon Beach.

Multi-million dollar homes line the sand of what is considered to be one of the best beaches in Malibu. It's also one of the hardest beaches to actually get to.

That's something beach access activist Jenny Price is trying to change.

"In the coastal act, it says we should have an access way every 1,000 feet, so we should have about 105 in Malibu," Price said.

As a result of expensive court battles waged by homeowners, only 20 access points exist, Price said.

The Carbon Beach West access point is the newest and opening it wasn't easy, Price said.

"We had to go through a dozen-year, hard fought legal battle to actually get them open the access way," Price said.

Finding the access points can be tricky, so Price helped develop the Our Malibu Beaches app, which points out all the access paths. She's hoping to add more.

"We still have 19 unopened access ways that were promised in the 1970s in Malibu," Price said.

The last public access way to open was Carbon Beach East in 2005.