Beach camping in california?? ?

Question

i want to know of beaches you can camp on without an rv, preferably in southern and central california. The only beach i know of is pismo, but i've been there countless times. is there anywhere in the los angeles county for camping? like santa monica or venice? i want to be in an area like that, with lots to do during the day. please provide personal experience too!

Answer 1

Check the California State Parks website:  http://parks.ca.gov

Carpenteria Beach, near Santa Barbara, is a good choice.  Beautiful spot, very popular.  Really needs reservations....make ones for the summer well in advance!

Leo Carrillo Beach is North of Santa Monica.  Good beach, great hiking trails inland.  Nice shaded campsites.

South of Oxnard is Point Mugu, with great coastal bluff hikes and access to some isolated beaches.  You don't camp very near the beach, however.  

Doheny, San Clemente, and San Onofre beaches further South are good, though in summer and weekends tend to be pretty noisy and crowded.  Again, make reservations well in advance.  Camping is up on bluffs above the beaches, so getting down to the water is a bit of a hike in most cases.

Answer 2

I just came back from Limekiln state park which is near big sur . They have campsites just back from the beach or you can camp in the redwoods if you prefer. Some people go there with small RV's, but big ones are not allowed. Also they have separate tent areas where no RV can go. They also have two campsites high up on a hill, completely private that overlooks the ocean. Those are sites # 1 and 2