View from highway - Travelling north on the California Pacific Coast Highway City of Sunset Beach, California - Southern limits. Population 1288, elevation 5.3 ft - With views of the Long Beach skyline, Sunset Beach offers soft sand, beach volleyball nets, ample restrooms and is favored for windsurfing. California Pacific Coast Highway This coastal highway winds along some of the most spectacular ocean views in the U.S. The highway contains countless examples of the many intrinsic qualities that make a highway a National Scenic Byway--qualities like perfect views of ocean waves breaking on rocky shorelines and cliffs, dozens of historical landmarks like Spanish Missions and Spanish settlements.