Southern CA Beach Campgrounds

Originally Posted by harveyrv

Site # 60 is a great site. You will love it unless there is a very high tide.

That campsite is vulnerable to flooding when the high tide is over 6'. From 6.0 to 6.4' flooding may occur if there is a storm anywhere in the Pacific Ocean. June 1 is the start of the hurricane season off of SoMexico. These hurricanes are over 1000 miles away but they can generate a swell that makes for high surf in SoCal. The high surf on top of high tide can cause flooding in those low campsites. When the tide is over 6.4', flooding can occur at the peak of the high tide even without high surf.

June 13-16 there are high tides of over 6' with the highest tide being:
2011-06-14 20:33 PDT 6.66 feet High Tide'. I would not camp in sites 59, 60 or 61 during those dates.

Check the tide table here:
http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/tideshow.cgi
Use "La Jolla, Scripps Pier, California" as the closest tide marker.

Don't get me wrong......the flooding is not "Dangerous" flooding. Like, it won't wash your camper away and probably won't get anything but your jack-stands (and anything on the ground) wet. It's just that, if the surf does get into your site, it will be a muddy mess for a few days.

Hey Wayne what kind of high tide are we talking about?? Thats a cliff side spot! Can you say Tsunami??

Care to warn the rest of California??

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by kutzweb

Hey Wayne what kind of high tide are we talking about?? Thats a cliff side spot! Can you say Tsunami??

Care to warn the rest of California??

I don't think so.............Those sites are right on the beach level. See the pic below.

I know that you got flooded out at Doheny. I thought that it was when we were at San Elijo. Where were we when Malena and Jerry got flooded out at high tide? I know that one of those times was San Elijo.......We've camped at both places so many times that it's a blur anymore........

Anyway, I believe that these lower sites flood out at San Elijo also at extreme tides. I hope that I'm wrong.

[scrubjaysnest]

Google Earth is a great tool

Oh forgot about those low sites on the end. Never camped in one. I don't THINK they flood, but I wouldn't know...

Originally Posted by scrubjaysnest

That price puts that place outa my reach

I was shocked also by the price. Could not believe a CA State CG would be that much. So because I live about 20min away, I went there this AM. And your right if you want full hookups on the beach/cliff it's $65.00 per night.
However there is a store and small restaurant there (outside eating) (fog was hanging heavy over the place today did not get out of the car) and someone runs a Surf shop/lessons right in the CG.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by John Wahlsten

I was shocked also by the price. Could not believe a CA State CG would be that much. So because I live about 20min away, I went there this AM. And your right if you want full hookups on the beach/cliff it's $65.00 per night.
However there is a store and small restaurant there (outside eating) (fog was hanging heavy over the place today did not get out of the car) and someone runs a Surf shop/lessons right in the CG.

Ya.....the State doubled the price on these CGs about a year ago. We go there about 1/2 as much as we used to because a beach-front site will cost $200 for a 4-day weekend.

That's why we camp at Pt Mugu so much. A 4-day weekend is only $100......a year ago, a 4-day weekend was $44 though. Besides, Pt Mugu is more peaceful (and closer for us).

[CAmark]

Let me throw in the San Mateo Campground -- part of San Onofre SB. SMC is about 1.5 miles from the beach on the inland side of I5, has one loop of water/elec hookup and the remaining sites are dry. A nice place with trees and shrubs between most sites. The primary drawback, though I don't consider it to be one, is the helicopters moving Marines up and down the canyon as Camp Pendleton borders the campground.

CAMark

Ok just got back from San Elijo and it was great. Site #60 is definitely the best in my opinion. I would find it hard to believe the tide could get into the site by the looks of the terrain.

The park is kept up pretty well except the dumpout station was plugged which caused quite a mess for me, we will leave it at that.

Two thumbs up for a beach to camp on.

Thanks all for the recomendations

Josh

I was there in May (stayed in site #20 across from the dump station and restrooms).The weather was not very good but it is still one of my favorite campgrounds.

The surf fishing is usually spectacular.I catch calico bass,sand bass,leopard sharks and shovelnose guitarfish.Bull Taco was not as good as before,they cut back on their portions.Seaside Market is the BEST (try their Burgundy Tri-Tip)!