Camping at San Elijo State Beach Campgrounds

Looking to camp on the beach in California? Look no further than San Elijo state beach! The campground is on a bluff overlooking the beach with entry stairs down to the beach.

What really made this campsite for me is the view. Overlooking a breezy California sunset while sitting next to my campfire is unbeatable. When picking a campsite, make sure to check a map and pick a site that is on the ocean side. If the campsite does not have an ocean view I think it could really detract from the experience. Since you are not right on the beach, the view is what you pay for to camp here.

My next favorite thing about this site is the easy access to the beach. Every few sites or so there is a long staircase down to the beach. This means that your only a few sites from stepping down to the ocean! The beach is really scenic with grassy bluffs and rocks across the sand. Luckily for me, I was here in February and the beach was deserted! It was seriously GORGEOUS. I got the best photos of this pretty beach!! Plus I snuck a few beers down to the beach because it was so empty.

Okay, so what about dogs? Well dogs are allowed!! Technically only on a leash and only in the campground, but given it was February there were no people or lifeguards to monitor this. Meaning, I let my dog run off leash on the beach! When I pick where to camp, I always have my dog in mind. I hate that some places make it hard for camping with a dog which is totally backwards to me because camping is the one place you can hang out with your dog and enjoy Mother Nature! A lot of places say no dogs off leash and it’s not until you arrive at the campground can you tell how enforced rules are. Please keep in mind I went in February though. I would love to find out if I could take my dog in the summer.

Lastly, one thing that made this campground unique is that it is not very remote. In fact, you could hear the train go by every hour or so on some of the days. You could even walk into one part of town where there is a general store and a fire pizza place! Depending on how you like camping this could be a bonus or not remote enough. I liked it, but certainly need to get my remote camping fill in elsewhere!

Some other notes: the friends I was with did a surf trip! The spot is great for surfing. Also, as with any California camping, you must book 6 months in advance. I would definitely go back!

See the photos of my weekend away below!