Noyo Beach sits at the mouth of the Noyo River and has been inhabited by Pomo peoples for thousands of years. The first sawmill in Northern California is said to have been established at the mouth of Noyo River, and by the late 1800s, Fort Bragg had developed into a prominent logging town. Fishing followed soon after, with fisheries established for salmon, rockfish, lingcod and halibut.

Today, Noyo Beach falls within a complex patchwork of jurisdictions. The beach itself and half of the parking lot are owned by the City of Fort Bragg and leased to the Noyo Harbor District, which maintains an 11.5 acre dewatering cell used in connection with dredging operations. The unimproved roadway behind the cell located on tribal land and is subject to a City utility easement.

Access to the beach is similarly divided among jurisdictions. The public road begins within the Fort Bragg city-limits, continues as a County road through the north harbor, transitions to the Noyo Harbor District at the Caltrans bridge, and then returns to City jurisdiction near the beach.

Many coastal resilience projects are emerging around Noyo Beach. During the BEVRI process a 2-part workshop was held to discuss potential adaptation measures to address the vulnerability of the dredge sediment dewatering cell, while improving public access and restoring ecosystem functions.