I know alot of people book for the beach through Reserve America but once we went to Crystal Cove with my family and there was... umm... rabbit raisins all over the ground and we weren't that close to the beach (we never went because my BIL walked over there and said it was just murky waters like a marsh). Needless to say I was disappointed.
But... I hear lots of people talking about how fun and that they book weeks on end. So my question is, where is the best place to go? Right now I'm thinking Doheny Beach but I'm not sure.
FINALLY WHAT HAPPENED:
We went to San Clemente and oh my! It's so much easier to camp here then out in the wilderness... flush toilets, warm water, showers, walk down to the beach, private beach, mirror in bathroom... and best of all.... NO MOSQUITOS!
Now time to hit all the beaches along the coast and see what we can see.
Okay, now I have to double check with my sister the exact name of where we went because my brother said Crystal Cove was the one we went with all the rabbit poop (I think it was Crystal Cove Primitive). I missed the Doheny date so I went a bit farther down to San Clemente. Keep the experience coming and if you reserved before, if you can look on the Reserve America site and tell me good site numbers that would be great too! I want to do more of these short beach camp trips this summer so I need to build a nice list. Thanks all!
EDIT: I'm going through and picking out Doheny spots that are open. Thanks again!
I've never gone but my boss loves to camp at Pismo Beach near San Luis Obispo. I know it's more central than Socal but I think the beaches are nicer there.
crystal cove is beautiful. there are tide pools there and it can be rocky in parts. thats one of our favorite beaches to go to. you can also camp at pendleton (if your military). morro bay is nice as is del mar.
Crystal Cove is gorgeous, not marshy, so not sure WHAT you're talking about!
Doheny's sites, unless you're able to get one right on the sand, are teeny tiny as they've cut each site into two to pack more people in.
We go to Carlsbad State beach every summer. Love it there.
Are you serious?
Crystal Cove is absolutely one of the most stunning, unadulterated beaches in SoCalif...what bunny poop? And you believed someone else rather than go explore on your own? Wow. Are you sure you have your beaches right? There are no marshes at Crystal Cove, but just beautiful rocks along the ocean and crashing waves, relative to the tide and the most breath taking views.
Ugh, a couple of the moms who posted were downright rude to you in my opinion. But I'm glad you posted this, it was interesting to see people's answers.
I'm not an experienced camper, but I am an experienced surfer. And Doheny is a fun surf spot, but unfortunately tends to get some of the WORST ratings for water quality. It is very polluted.
A lot of the camping spots in SoCal near the beach I am aware of (ones I have visited with friends) are near train tracks. So be ready for trains coming thru all day and all night even, depending on the spot.
San Onofre is a FUN beach, always lots going on there, but we have had friends camp inland about a 1/2 mile off Cristianitos Rd., and that is a nice spot. Only thing is hearing gunshots in the distance from Camp Pendleton.
Another neat place is the campgrounds in Encinitas/Cardiff by the Sea. I forget the name of the campgrounds, I think San Elijo. Trains all day though.
If you have young kids, Carlsbad tends to have more sand on the beaches.
Another fun spot is the spots in Encinitas
I never been to Doheny so I can't give an opinion on it. But you do need to book six months prior if you want to get something during the summer especially on weekends. I have been to Pismo Beach and Leo Carrillo State Beach. Both were nice.
We love Doheney, it is my favorite beach place to camp. We live in San Diego, so it's an easy jaunt for us. We also like San Elijo, Carlsbad and Cardiff state beaches. At least two of those are on the cliffs (yes near train tracks as another poster mentioned), but you can get down to the beach area. But, Doheney is the best. The problem is you MUST book a year in advance and be on the reserveamerica site first thing in the morning on the day the reservations open for summer bookings. There is NO WAY you're going to be able to book right now for summer in those areas. I've tried. Heck, me and a friend were both on one year on the day it opened, at the exact time it opened and within 5 minutes every single campsite was sold out.
So, another option if you don't mind being a little bit further but not right on the beach is San Mateo Campground in San Clemente (not the San Onofre campground which is a lot less nice and more rugged, but closer to the ocean/cliff). It has a long trail that can take you to the beach, but it's not right on the beach. I wouldn't call it walking distance - it's more of a hike.
Doheney is the best though and super fun for Thanksgiving too;)
I've heard good things about Crystal Cove, that is unfortunate that was your experience.
This year we're going to forego the beach area and camp in the Cuyamaca area up by Julian. We're going to go Green Valley Falls where there is a river that runs through it and the rocks are supposed to be really sleek so you can slide down them. Just down the way a bit is Cuyamaca lake where we can take paddle boats, etc. with the kids.
Oh I miss Doheny! I grew up walking distance to it. Doheny is a great beach. There are a lot of rocks though. It's not nice smooth sand like in Laguna area. Also the water in Dana Point isn't that great. It's very murky but if you go just north into Laguna Beach (not sure if there is any camping spots there) then the water will be almost crystal clear.
Another good camping spot is on Camp Pendleton in San Clemente :)
I agree, crystal cove is BEAUTIFUL!! I LOVE that beach.
We go every year to San Onofre State Beach and it is very lovely. If you can in the bluffs, there are six dirt trails which access the beach, some of which are steep. We actually camp in the San Mateo section of the park which is inland, about one and a half mile walk to the beach.
My daughter just got back from South Carlsbad State Beach, which I camped at probably 30 years ago, and she said it was really nice.
