South Carlsbad State Beach Campgrounds

upon arrival we found out that generators cannot be run from 8pm until 10am. They encourage making morning coffee over a fire. They cruise by in their golf cart to enforce. They were nice though. They said to write Gov Brown.

Does it really make a difference if your extra vehicle is towed in or driven in? I asked that question at the entrance kiosk and was told «We get that all the time… people trying to sneak in the extra car without paying»… Apparently l am not the first person to ask that question.
Like l said… does it really make a difference?

Check in time is strictly at 2pm. Check out is at noon.
Bathrooms were clean. Shower tokens are 2 for a $ 1. Each token good for 2minutes. There’s an outdoor faucet every ⁶⁄₈ sites. There’s a camp store that sells firewood and groceries from 8 – 8. But there’s also a Ralph’s not too far from the campgrounds. There are maybe 4 stairs that will take you down to the beach (not sure if there are more).
The weird thing is the California state pass is supposed to be allowed at the site (accdg to their facebook page) and yet my friends were asked to pay $ 15 even if they were just hanging out for the day. Haven’t figured that one out but if you’re renting a spot here, 1 car is included in the fee.

Date of visit: 10/​17/​2015
Instead of paying for an outrageously expensive last minute hotel for BikeMS, we got super lucky and got the last available spot for the weekend. It was completely booked a few weeks prior, but I guess someone dropped their spot at the last minute. It was really easy to book a spot and the confirmation email was all we needed to check in. The registration only includes one car, so any other cars that come to your campsite (maximum 3 cars total) need to pay an additional $ 15 each car. Our friends decided to come up and hang out at the beach, so it seemed a little unfair for $ 15 since they weren’t camping overnight, but there weren’t any temporary spots that we were aware of for them to park at.
The campsites each come with a fire pit that most campers used at night. I was super jealous because I thought no fires were allowed except at designated pits, but I was wrong. Bring firewood! Our campsite was close to the fence where people can walk in and out from the PCH to the beach, so it we were a little more cautious due to the amount of people walking by, but we didn’t have any issues.
As far as showering goes, you need to buy tokens from the machine that’s across from the shop. It’s 2 tokens per $ 1 and each token buys you 2 minutes. After a 50 mile bike ride, I was ready for a shower, and the water here was hot! I was almost disappointed since I was looking forward to a cool shower, but I won’t say no to hot water.
The sunset was beautiful and the quiet beach made it even better. Maybe it’s because we’re not in the summer season, but the beach was very open and quiet considering all the campsites were full. Overall, I would definitely go again, but not for a BikeMS weekend.

I like that they give u a bit of space and like the water pumps they have on the campground. Do not like the fact that they charge u 15/​car and for showers. Seems standard though for ca. Would like them to drop the price though. Nice scenery.

This is a favorite camping spot of mine. I do yearly surfing trips and i like it cause its not nearby to a huge shopping center. Its secluded off coast highway near residential neighborhoods. They do allow access to the beach to non campers but parking is limited. Since the water drought the shut down the showers and changed the rules for free water usage. This campground prides its self as being a very clean campsite and the location is on the bluffs of the ocean. The surfing is great when the south swell hits with a nice sandy bottom. The need to rebuild the stairs walking down to the beach because its starting to fall apart from rust and wear and tear from the ocean.

Beautiful and clean. We have a 5^th wheel/​rv and we stayed in one of their newly upgraded, full hook up sites on the beach side. They are huge and can easily accomodate 2 RVs since they have the option of double hook ups. The fine gravel was so much cleaner than the dirt on the regular sites, too. We were so happy with our site and really enjoyed falling asleep to the sounds of the waves. It is also much quieter on this end of the campgrounds and is near the campground store & shaved ice stand. There is plenty of room to add tents to the site as well. All sites come with a large picnic table and fire pit. The staff are all very friendly and we had no trouble getting our visitors in and our other campers in to be dropped off! We will definitely be back! Such a fabulous experience!

Stayed here after the San Elijo State Beach campground had no tent sites available. Although the sign said «campground full», we snagged the last available tent site (for a price of $ 50!). The view from the bluff is incredible, and the beach is beautiful and pristine. However, the campsite is really loud, from highway noise, RV generators, and neighbors. The ground was too hard to stake a tent, even with a hammer. This is an awesome place to go if you’re looking to party (and have an RV or don’t mind the noise of generators), but it isn’t for someone who wants to enjoy nature. At least not in the busy, peak season. It’s the most expensive campground I’ve ever stayed in also.

What’s better than the beach? How about camping AT the beach! Yes! This place is so amazing! Love the «off season» especially with kids… This particular weekend was just before Memorial Day, and the campground was nearly empty!

Spent three nights mid week with family. Enjoyed watching the Dolphins, squirrels, heron, and surfers.
Decent restrooms. Might try to get hookups next time

AMAZE.
You want an awesome beach-​side camping experience for an affordable price? You definitely want to come here for a pleasant camping experience. My review is based on my one night stay there at site #162. There were seven of us total. And we had a good amount of space, even with our two cars parked. With three tents pitched and a picnic table full of food, we made great use of the site’s amenities. They have a fire pit with a grill grate & a picnic table.
It was the first time we camped alone without adults (older than myself) and we were kinda new at the whole thing. The camp store they have has everything you could need for your camping experience. We ended buying firewood there (cheaper than Ralph’s) as well as other items to help us get through the night. Beach access was within a reasonable walkin distance. It was nice and clean, a little rocky though. There are stones that wash up on the shore, just watch where you step. We had very little run-​ins with animals (aka squirrels) & people. Or should I say one person. A guy came up to our site at night so he frightened the jeebies out of me & sarcastically thanked us for lowering he volume of our music, keep in mind that quiet hours are at 10pm, it was only about 8:45 when this guy confronted us. He kept thanking us but I felt he was being condescending. Weird. Anyways– overall, a grand experience. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a not-​so-​primitive camping experience next to a beautiful beach. Oh! A major plus was the view we had and also the sound of the mighty crashing waves at night. Woke up several times to the sweet sound of the ocean doing its thing. Got cold at night/​early morning but very much tolerable. Thanks for a great time!

Beautiful California cliffside coastline and it’s all for YOU! You’re not paying SoCal Real Estate dollars-​but rather simple State Park fees-​and you get that million dollar view anyways!
Generously sized spots if you’re the RV type and we definitely suggest booking a West side spots to watch the sunset and the waves, then wake up to the surfers and the dolphins. Each spot allows 3 parking spots, but only the first one is free. Additional parking is… no where.
There’s a little store onsite open during the day and the night patrol is pretty chill as long as you’re not too loud or drunk or disturbing, etc. It’s a lovely spot and if you’re a local, I suggest making it a total staycation!

What can I say, my family has been coming here for years so this place is part of my childhood and is very close to my heart. I overlook the dirty bathrooms and all those inconveniences that go along with camping at a crowded campground. The beach is awesome and is typically not too crowded at any given time.
They have a camp store which is cute and very beachy with all the typical sundries and poor dietary choices that you would like when camping.
My father is getting a little older and so he opted out of the camping experience but luckily for him there is a fairly new boutique hotel just across the main highway, so for those who still want the experience of camping and not the inconvenience this hotel is a very good option albeit A pricey one.
Now, back to the campsites, they are large enough to put up several tents and one car is included in the price of the camping fee. You can pay for an additional car, $ 10 A day, but many of us choose to park in some of the outlying areas to avoid the extra fee.
This is a great place for families to camp, the main problem here is getting a reservation.

I feel compelled to mention the little experience we had this past Labor Day weekend as a warning. The campsites now charge $ 15 for each extra car besides the main car for the site (you can have up to 3 cars total). This weekend my family specifically purchased $ 60 worth of extra car passes when they got to the site (we had 2 sites) so that the other people coming would not have to hassle with the fee. When I got to the front, the gentlemen said that there was not an extra pass for us. At this point, there was a hassle that wasted almost an hour of our time on the beach trying to figure out which cars had come in and such. Sooooo… the campsites are awesome and right on the beach, but if you would like to avoid the somewhat grumpy staff, my little tip would be to make sure that each car expects to pay a fee upon arrival.

Pros: ocean view sites for one side, many restrooms throughout the campsite that were pretty clean, and they have a little store in case you forgot anything, sites are pretty big in size, each with a picnic bench and campfire site.
Cons: right next to the road so don’t really get that feel that you’re away from anything. only one entrance to the campsite, shower tokens are needed to take showers
overall i enjoyed the camping, would suggest for someone that doesn’t want to get too far from the city but want some peace and quiet (at least during some of the times, remember you are still somewhat by a road)

We come here a couple times a year with family and friends. Have stayed on both sides of the road and although the beach side is a little better as the waves are louder at night, not much more. However on the road side (closer to Hwy 1) you can hear the cars at night even louder. Although when it really late, not many cars go by and you can hear the train horn
To get to the beach you walk down the steps, but not too far to go as there are multiple stairways. There used to be more but they got washed out and you can see where they were. The beach itself is decent although more rocks in some places by not annoyingly so. Swimming and surfing is good with many of the later staying at the campground or locals walking in.
If you’re a runner or biker you’ll love the place as lots of people doing that through the camp and on the road behind.
The Camp Store must have some magical power for kids as they are strangely attracted to it Prices aren’t too bad though and you’re best buying ice there then going to the Ralph’s grocery store that is a couple blocks away.
Overall a good place to stay and even though you have to reserve far in advance (6 months), you can almost always get a spot if you show up first thing in the morning (7am) and line-​up waiting for the ranger

Pro’s:
–Handful of ocean view sites are wide enough you can park your rig sideways, which makes a word of difference as more sea breeze blows in through your windows.
–My kids enjoyed the buggy boarding on the large waves, and the water was quite warm for this time of the year (End of May).
–Bathrooms are clean, same as showers however you have to purchase tokens to use them.
–Kid & dog friendly, however no dogs are allowed on the beach.
–Beautiful sunsets
Con’s:
–Sites go on sale 6 months in advance, and quality sites sell out too quickly
–Very few full hookup sites
–Only 1 dump station available
–Beach accessibility is pretty terrible as you have to climb/​walk down 3 flight of steep stairs. There is a ramp entrance on the south side but it is still very steep. This is more of a natural con.
Overall: Would definitely stay here again!

What a beautiful spot this is! Unfortunately we were only able to camp one night due to not making our reservation far enough in advance. We stayed on the ocean side and we were lulled to sleep by the sounds of waves crashing.
The only downside was the lack of any hookups (we camped here in our travel trailer) but for one night it suited us fine. Next time we’ll stay for a longer period.

A perfect 70 degrees with a nice ocean breeze. Beautiful sunset views. Falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing on the beach below. Seagulls regularly patrolling the airspace above the bluffs and occasionally depositing souvenirs on your campsite. Sounds like a perfect vacation to me.
I would definitely do South Carlsbad SB Campground again. Next year, we’re booking early so we can stay for more than one night. We were lucky enough to get a bluff-​side spot, albeit for just an overnight trip. Site 207 was large enough for our two tents, an REI shelter, and our two cars. And there was plenty of real estate to spare. It’s only a couple of spots from the stairs to the beach and right between bathrooms in each direction. The bushes on each side give you a good amount of privacy from your neighbors.
When booking, I suggest checking Campsite Photos. They have a photo of every campsite at South Carlsbad (
). Combined with Google Maps, you should be able to find the perfect spot for you.

I loved my overnight stay here.
I loved waking to the sound of the water hitting the rocks, and the sun shining in my tent.
The price to camp was pretty decent too, for my beautiful view.
I fell asleep to the sound of nature, which was so peaceful.
I loved making breakfast over my little fire pit, and drying my wetsuit hanging from a tree.
I loved the short walk down stairs to the beach.
I loved the little squirrel friends I made as they explored camp sites.
The two things that sucked were that they closed the restrooms at a certain hour, and that the rocks were pretty painful down on the beach.
Nature called for me around midnight and after walking to the restroom, I found it closed.
I had to pee in a bush, which is kinda awkward when you have to hover-​squat. –_​–
Please leave your clean restrooms open longer!