Wake Up to the Waves at These Beautiful Beach Camping Spots in California

Travelers come from all over the world to road-trip Highway 1, which runs along California’s rugged Pacific Coast. The vistas include wind-swept bluffs, tiny surfers in the distance, and sea otters or migrating whales. One of the best ways to take in those views and explore the coast is by camping.

Beach camping in California is a little different than elsewhere because of the rocky shoreline. Sites are often further from the water or sit atop cliffs rather than on sand, but they offer incredible views of the ocean.

From comfortable glamping setups to wild state parks, here are 14 of the best places for beach camping in California, listed from north to south.

1. Gold Bluffs Campground

• Location: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, Humboldt County
• Type: Drive-, bike-, and hike-in tent camping

Next to Redwoods National Park, California’s northernmost national park (about an hour from the Oregon border), is Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. There are several campgrounds within the park, but Gold Bluffs, which sits in the dunes along a peaceful 10-mile stretch of sandy beach, is one of the most popular. Amenities include bear-proof lockers, solar showers, and firepits.

To get here, campers can choose between driving on an unpaved, 6-mile road from Highway 101; hiking on the 4.1-mile Miners Ridge Trail, or biking the Ossagon Trail (6–12 miles one way, depending on your route). This campsite is as easy to reach as you want it to be, but far enough from main roads to maintain its tranquility. Campers can really, truly fall asleep to the sounds of the waves (and not passing trucks).

How to book the campsite

Car campers can make a reservation on reservecalifornia.com for $35 per night per campsite.

If you want to hike or bike in, apply for a (free) backcountry permit before you go. You don’t need to reserve a campsite. The hike and bike section of the campground is first-come, first-served and costs $5 per person, per night. (Tip: Bring exact change, in cash, to pay for your stay at the self-service station.)

Courtesy of Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management

2. Shipman Creek Campsite

• Location: The Lost Coast Trail, Humboldt County
• Type: Hike-in tent camping

The romantic-sounding Lost Coast Trail is one of the few truly wild coastal hikes in the United States. The area is too steep and rugged to build a road, so the only way to access its beaches is on foot.

The northern section of the Lost Coast Trail is not for the faint of heart. It takes an average of four days to complete the 24.6-mile-long stretch from Mattole to Black Sands Beach, and you’ll be trekking on tough terrain, carrying all your food, clothing, and shelter with you. The reward for this adventure is beautifully dramatic scenery. The King Range mountains, which the trail skirts, drop straight into the ocean, ending in black-sand beaches. You may even glimpse the enormous Roosevelt elk that call this area home.

How to book the campsite

No camping is allowed at Black Sands Beach Trailhead; instead, all camping is done north of Telegraph Creek. The popular Shipman Creek campsite is one spot along the trail where you can camp on the beach itself.

You do not need reservations for the campsites, but each person in your group needs a permit (reserve at recreation.gov.) The only cost is a $6 reservation fee for each permit, which tend to sell out months in advance during summer. Spring and fall are your best bets for scoring a permit, but you’ll still want to try to reserve as soon as booking opens (90 days in advance).

Also, campers are required to bring a bear canister to store food on this trail. Pick up the BearVault BV450 ($84 from REI) or rent one at one of several nearby locations, such as the Shelter Cove General Store.

Courtesy of Mendocino Grove

3. Mendocino Grove

• Location: Mendocino, Mendocino County
• Type: Drive-in glamping

If roughing it along the North Coast is not your cup of tea, book a spot at Mendocino Grove. Forget the sleeping bag: This luxury glamping destination has 60 roomy tents featuring comfy beds, plush linens, heated mattress pads, and warm comforters. All tents come with a fire ring and grill so you can cook dinner (or dessert), and there are a handful of gas barbecues available if you’re more salmon kebabs than hot-dog-on-a-stick. You’ll need to rent or supply your own cookware and grilling utensils. After, join your fellow campers for live music and s’mores around one of the communal firepits, or warm up inside the property’s sauna.

While Mendocino Grove isn’t located directly on the shore, it’s coast-adjacent and a few minutes drive to Mendocino’s numerous beaches. Or you can rent a beautifully built outrigger from Catch-a-Canoe, which is about a 15-minute walk down a trail from the campground. Spend the day paddling peacefully along the Big River that flows from the campground out to the ocean. (it also rents bikes if two wheels are more your thing.)

How to book a tent

You can book a tent directly through Mendocino Grove’s website.

Photo by Eleonora Patricola

4. Marshall Beach

• Location: Tomales Bay, Marin County
• Type: Boat-in tent camping

The more nautically minded might want to try a boat-in campsite on the north end of Tomales Bay State Park, which neighbors Point Reyes National Seashore. Although several beaches in the area allow camping, the small sandy cove of Marshall Beach, which sits across the bay from the town of Marshall, is a favorite. It’s for boat-in campers only (no hiking here), and is especially popular thanks to its rare, and in-demand, vault toilet (waterless, no-flush).

For a truly unique experience, plan your trip for July through October, the best time of year in Tomales Bay to see bioluminescence. This natural phenomenon, in which light-emitting sea creatures like algae cause the water to glitter with specks of blue and white light, is best viewed on a dark, moonless night.

How to book a campsite

Only 20 permits are issued per day for Tomales Bay’s boat-in campsites, which can be reserved at recreation.gov. Campers must boat in to stay at the beach overnight, and kayaks can be rented from Heart’s Desire Beach at Blue Waters Kayaking for $155 (single) to $213
(double) for 24 hours.

Photo by Beau Rogers

5. Coast Campground

• Location: Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County
• Type: Hike-in tent camping

Located an hour north of San Francisco in Point Reyes National Seashore, Coast Campground is the perfect place to try backpacking. Among the sand dunes near Limantour Beach, this campground has 14 different sites and is accessible by a 1.8-mile, slightly uphill dirt and gravel road. You can arrive on foot, by bike, or even on horseback.

There is water on site, as well as picnic tables and vault toilets, so you still have some creature comforts, but a lack of cell service makes this spot feel remote. (Although should anything go wrong, you’re not far from your car.) You can gather driftwood from the beach to build a bonfire, so don’t forget to get a beach bonfire permit at the Bear Valley Visitor Center when you pick up your camping permit.

How to book a campsite

While you can reserve your spot online at recreation.gov, you must pick up a permit in person at the ranger station immediately before your trip.

Photo by Steve Soesbe

6. Steep Ravine Campground and Cabins

• Location: Near Stinson Beach, Marin County
• Type: Drive-in tent camping or basic cabins

Mount Tamalpais State Park is a 30-minute drive from San Francisco, and its 10 cabins are mere steps from the shore. The views of the endless blue Pacific are fantastic, but note that glamping this is not. Steep Ravine‘s cabins have no running water, electricity, or attached toilets. You’ll need to bring your own sleeping bags, cooking supplies, and other essentials. There are, however, vault toilets, drinking water, and an old-fashioned, wood-burning stove in each cabin that you can use to warm it up (and even cook). In addition to the cabins, six basic campsites are available.

How to book a cabin or campsite

Steep Ravine uses a lottery-style system for reservations. Visitors can select dates up to eight months in advance at reservecalifornia.com, and have 30 days to claim it if they are selected. Cabins cost $100/night plus an $8 reservation fee.

Photo by Ryuji Morishita

7. Treebones Resort

• Location: Big Sur, Monterey County
• Type: Drive-in glamping

Big Sur has some of California’s most-photographed coastline, and you’ll be right on it at Treebones Resort, a glamping destination overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The property offers a range of options, including tent campsites, beds within wooden nests, 16 yurts, a tiny house, and 2 domed Autonomous Tents. Perched high on the hillside, these solar-powered, 600-square-foot accommodations have a shower and a flushing compost toilet, heating, ceiling fan, and a coffee station.

How to book a tent or campsite

You can reserve an accommodation directly on the website, treebonesresort.com. Yurts begin at $368 per night, while bring-your-own-tent campsites start at $148.

Related: 9 Beautiful Places to Go Beach Camping in the U.S.

8. Kirk Creek Campground

• Location: Big Sur, Monterey County
• Type: Drive-in tent and RV camping

For a more traditional outdoor experience in Big Sur, book at Kirk Creek Campground. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean, it has spots for both tent and RV camping. Each of the 33 campsites holds up to eight people and two cars and is equipped with a fire ring and picnic table. The best sites are numbers 8–22, which are closest to the ocean and furthest from Highway 1. This is a dry campground (meaning there are no RV hookups) with vault toilets, so bring your own water and plan accordingly if you’re road-tripping in an RV.

How to book a campsite

Kirk Creek campground is open year-round; you can reserve a campsite at recreation.gov for $45 per night ($47/night weekends and holidays). Campsites book up quickly, so make your reservation well in advance.

Photo by Shutterstock

9. Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Campground

• Location: Big Sur, Monterey County
• Type: Hike-in tent camping

The two environmental campsites at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are a hot ticket; they’re the only places to camp inside the park, and they sit right above the famous McWay Falls. Although you won’t be able to see the falls from your tent, you’ll have the special experience of being among the few people staying the night.

Spend the day hiking to Cone Peak, among the tallest coastal mountains in the Lower 48 at around 5,155 feet. At night, head to Treebones Resort a few miles down Highway 1 for some outstanding omakase at Wild Coast Sushi Bar or garden-to-table campfire fare at the Lodge restaurant.

How to book a campsite

Campsites at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park are about half a mile from the parking lot and cost $30 per night. There are discounts for seniors and persons with disabilities. Because there are very few spaces, the site is extremely popular and books up six months in advance. You can make reservations online at reservecalifornia.com.

Courtesy of daveynin/Flickr

10. Scorpion Ranch

• Location: Channel Islands National Park, Santa Barbara County
• Type: Hike-in tent camping

Pack your bags and hop a boat to Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Ventura to camp at Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island. As a bonus, the boat ride doubles as an unofficial dolphin- and whale-watching tour.

The Scorpion Ranch Campground has 25 individual sites that hold up to 6 people, and 6 group sites that accommodate up to 15 people. It is a flat, half-mile walk from the pier and beach. There are no services (and no water) on the island, so you’ll need to pack everything in and out. You’ll also notice cute island foxes begging for snacks (don’t do it!); be sure to store all your food properly to protect these endemic creatures.

Before your visit, book a sea kayak tour to paddle some of the clearest, most biodiverse waters California offers, including a collection of sea caves if the tide is right (from $149/adult). In the evening, hike up to Cavern Point for sunset, and enjoy fantastic views of mainland California and the island’s harbor.

How to book a campsite

You can reserve a campsite for Scorpion Ranch Campground at recreation.gov, for a fee of $15 per night for a single tent site or $40 for a group site. To get there, arrange boat transportation with Island Packers in Ventura Harbor. A round-trip ferry ticket costs $93 per adult, $88 per senior, and $68 per child under 12.

Courtesy of Junkyardsparkle/Wikimedia Commons

11. Thornhill Broome Campground

• Location: Point Mugu State Park, Ventura County
• Type: Drive-in tent or RV camping

Unlike at most California beaches, you can actually spend the night on the sand at Thornhill Broome Campground in Point Mugu State Park just north of Malibu. The primitive campsites here see a mix of tent campers and RV campers. Each site is equipped with a picnic table, grill, and fire ring, but use of the fire ring is only permitted when fire danger is low. (A sign near the entrance of the park indicates the status each day.)

Point Mugu State Park offers more than 70 miles of hiking trails, but if you prefer to spend your time in the water, this is a good spot for body surfing or swimming.

How to book a campsite

Among the campsites, 40 are available for advanced booking at reservecalifornia.com, while the other tent sites are available first-come, first-served; all are $35 per night per campsite.

Photo by EpicStockMedia/Shutterstock

12. Two Harbors and Parson’s Landing Campgrounds

• Location: Catalina Island, Los Angeles County
• Type: Hike-in tent camping

RIght off the beach at the resort town of Two Harbors on Catalina Island sits the Two Harbors Campground. With views of the harbor and Pacific Ocean, it’s an idyllic Southern California beachside campground, but also close enough to town and the ferry from San Pedro for easy accessibility. Note that visitors can’t bring cars to the island, but this makes it a pleasant place to walk. Campers can choose between using their own equipment at a basic campsite or reserving one of Two Harbor’s 13 tent cabins, which come equipped with cots, a two-burner stove, and fully charged lanterns.

For a more adventurous experience, campers can head to Parson’s Landing Campground, a secluded, on-the-beach site on the northeast side of Catalina that you can only access by hiking or kayaking. Shade and water are not provided, but you can preorder a locker with firewood, fire starter, and two gallons of water for $27, to spare your back the extra weight.

How to book a campsite

Reserve a campsite for Two Harbors Campground or Parson’s Landing online. Including the reservation fee, tent sites cost $42 per adult (and $24 per child) per night; a tent cabin runs $122 per night and can fit six people. There are direct ferries available from San Pedro to Two Harbors via Catalina Express (75 minutes; from $33).

Photo by Sherry V Smith/Shutterstock

13. South Carlsbad State Beach

• Location: Carlsbad, San Diego County
• Type: RV sites, drive-in tent camping

Three miles south of Carlsbad, the campgrounds of South Carlsbad State Beach offer 223 campsites. These are set up in two rows; one is on a bluff overlooking the ocean, and the other is more inland. (Summertime campers looking to reserve a bluff-top campsite should plan in advance, as these are very popular.) While the campsites are not directly on the sand, there are several lookout points to see Pacific waves crash on the shoreline, plus staircases that lead down to the beach.

How to book a campsite

You can reserve a campsite for South Carlsbad Beach on reservecalifornia.com. Tent campsites are $70 per night. Campsites with RV hookups are $75.

Photo by Marcel Fuentes/Shutterstock

14. San Elijo State Beach

• Location: Cardiff, San Diego County
• Type: RV sites, hookup sites, tent camping

A 30-minute drive north of San Diego, San Elijo State Beach is a popular spot for surfers, snorkelers, shell collectors, and (of course) campers. The 128 campsites include a mix of tent-only sites and RV-accessible ones with hookups. Use of the dump station here costs $10. A supermarket, doughnut shop, and café are within 10 minutes’ walk of the campground. Once you’ve unpacked or picked up your provisions, take the stairs down to the sandy beach, where overnighters and day visitors alike go to surf, swim, or simply lounge in the sun.

How to book a campsite

You can reserve a campsite for San Elijo State Beach Campground on reservecalifornia.com. Tent campsites start from $50, and sites with RV hookups are $75.

What to pack for your beach camping trip

As for any camping trip, you’ll want to pack your essentials—tent, sleeping bag, warm clothes, and a comfy camping chair—but here are a few beach-specific items you should remember to bring with you:

• Beach blanket: Be sure to pack a beach blanket for days lounging on the beach. If you’re hiking in, something small and lightweight like Matador Pocket Blanket Mini (1.3 oz.; $20) will be the easiest to pack.
• Swimsuit: Especially in Northern California, the water can be too cold for swimming, but Southern California campers will have more opportunities to trot out their bathing suits.
• Sunscreen: Pack an eco-friendly sunscreen—one that doesn’t contain oxybenzone and octinoxate—to keep your skin safe while you swim and hike.
• Dry bag: If you’re kayaking or spending time on a boat, use waterproof dry bags like those by Sea to Summit ($70 for a set of three, rei.com) to keep your gear from getting soaked by rogue waves.

For more packing tips, check out our full beach vacation packing list.

This article was originally published in 2019 and most recently updated on June 16, 2025, with current information.