Leo Carrillo State Park

Title: A Serene Escape Visiting the Leo Carrillo State Park a few days after Christmas turned out to be a delightful experience that I highly recommend, especially for couples or families looking for a tranquil getaway. The atmosphere inside the cave is nothing short of relaxing and somewhat breathtaking. It's a unique environment where the hustle and bustle of daily life seem to vanish, replaced by an enveloping sense of peace. Its natural beauty, with its intricate rock formations and the gentle echo of waves, creates a mesmerizing backdrop perfect for spending quality time with loved ones. Whether you're exploring the area's natural wonders or just seeking a quiet spot to unwind, it offers an idyllic setting. It's a hidden gem in the area, ideal for anyone looking to reconnect with nature and their companions. In essence, the park is not just a destination; it's an experience that nurtures the soul and calms the mind. It's a must-visit for anyone in the area, promising a memorable time filled with beauty and serenity.

Favorite place to camp that’s not too far away from home. Come at least once a year! Make sure to make reservations well in advance! The cave and the tide pools are a short walk away and amazing!

We were happily surprised at this lovely campground. It was quiet and clean and a short walk to the beach. The walkway has been partially washed out due to heavy rains but everyone was very helpful and friendly. We enjoyed our stay and the kids loved it.

Rocks with algae and mini tide pools. Nice beach if you are just wanting to relax and not swim. Fun to have kids search in water and rocks. Off street parking.

Absolutely breathtaking views. Great beach area for the kids. Park staff is very friendly and helpful. There is a faucet to get the sand off your feet. Would be nice if they had showers.

Have always loved this beach. Great place for kids. Tide pools and exploring

I went camping with my hubby for the first time. I got to use all my camping equipment. It was so fun, there are lovely campgrounds, with firepits and tables plus bathrooms are close by. Beach is across the st, with tide pools, caves to explore and many paths to walk bike and hike.

Possibly the most beautiful park on the ocean close to Los Angeles. There are two big beaches (north and south) which are perfect to surf. The view is breathtaking and there are few people around unlike at Malibu beaches. Loved every single moment here!

Came here with our pup on a warm spring day as it's the only dog friendly beach in Malibu. It was a bit of a trek to get here from Santa Monica, especially with PCH backed up but we really enjoyed watching the sunset with our pup and exploring the caves. Dogs are required to be on leash but no one was enforcing it when we were there. Either way, my dog is a runner so I wasn't going to be taking my chances. Parking is super easy on PCH and you can take a staircase down. Compared to beaches closer to the city, we had nearly the entire place to ourselves.

We came here to check out the tide pools. We saw several crabs and urchins as we explored the beach for about 2 hours. There were a lot of families here enjoying the tide pools since it's wide and easily accessible. One kid had collected 5 crabs in his bucket! I loved the wide breath of natural landscape and how there was a long stream of water flowing from the state park to the beach. Parking was closed and we were able to find parking on PCH, even on a busy Memorial Day weekend. The beach is further out so it seems less trafficked.

In A Nutshell: -One of the few dog-friendly beaches available to the public close to L.A. -As long as you are NORTH of life guard TOWER 3, then you can bring your leashed-dog on the beach. -The best time to go is in the middle of the week before 10am. -You'll literally have the whole beach to yourself. -There are a few nooks & crannies to hide behind if you want to let your dog off leash (not recommend). -The sand is soft, the water is cool. -If the park is closed off to vehicles, just park along PCH (Pacific Coast Highway). -The park rangers are very friendly too. Overall, this is a nice get-away for your furry friend so they can enjoy life on the beach.

OK, I screwed up. When I convinced Jamie W. to tool on the PCH through Malibu to come here, I had thought it was the expansive historic ranch I saw Huell Howser visit on an episode of "California's Gold". Well, the ranch is way down south in Carlsbad, and this turned out to be a combo park and beach named for Leo Carrillo, the same Leo Carrillo who owned the ranch. Carrillo was a longtime Hollywood actor who played second banana roles like the comical Pancho in "The Cisco Kid". Not only was he a working actor but a smart real estate investor (thus the ranch) and a dedicated conservationist, which was why this space was named after him. Jamie and I didn't have time to go into the park, but we did walk under the PCH underpass and explored the 1-1/2 miles of beach. It's not pristine like Zuma but craggy with rocks and coves which makes it quite photogenic. So photogenic, in fact, that it's been the setting for a number of movies. It was in the opening scene of "Grease" when Danny and Sandy frolic on the surf. It was where Leonardo DiCaprio arrived by elevator in his subconscious in "Inception". And no surprise that it was in several 1960's beach party movies, too. It's about a 50-minute drive from Santa Monica on a good day, or alternatively, you could come by way of the 101 in the San Fernando Valley and enjoy the Santa Monica Mountains. Parking is $3 per hour so plan accordingly. RELATED - Exploring LA? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2TWT63v

Beautiful tide pools with a great view of sunset! You can park along the PCH, don't have to turn right into the park. When you walk down to the Leo Carrillo tide pools, you'll likely see two giant rock formations. If you walk towards the one on the right (facing the ocean, and near the cave), you'll see a BUNCH of starfish! It was incredible. I've been to tide pools all over California and abroad, and have never seen such a high population of them in one place. Giant red and orange ones, and even some baby ones if you look for them. Again, they seem a lot more abundant on the right side. I also saw some cool snails and cones. Several people worked to find an octopus but no luck :( Definitely check the tide chart beforehand, and come when it's in the negative. Today was quite busy, probably because the water was extremely low at -1.8ft (woot!!). Wear sunscreen and the right shoes, and of course, be gentle to the fragile ecosystem :)

We stopped at Leo Carrillo state park on our way to North Malibu Beach, CA. While we were driving my son said "stop here and let's check this spot out" and I'm so glad we did. They are located in Malibu California and have breathtaking views from the cliff tops. We parked alongside the parking strip just off the road and walked a few steps to get to the cliff where you can look down over the ocean. Words can't describe what you see with your eyes especially when it comes to nature. You know that feeling you get when you need to pull out your phone to capture the beautiful sight in front of you and then once you take that picture, you look at your phone and realize it doesn't do it justice? This is one of those moments here at this park. We walked around to the different areas including down by the water and I really loved the serenity and calmness of this place. We stayed for about 30 minutes until we left to our next stop. This place is so worth spending some time here. I highly recommend. Note: The bathrooms (portable John's) are disgusting. I'd rather find a spot outdoors.

I spent a long time looking at various online blogs and things looking for information on this beach before taking my small kids to the tide pools. Still had to figure some stuff out myself. Hopefully the information will be helpful to someone. The tide pools are very nice. If you map Leo Carillo you will find that there is a North Beach and a South Beach. There are two main areas of tide pools, both on the South Beach. The first area is a large area of tide pools that stretch all along the South Beach. You can't miss it. This area is great for little kids to walk around and look for wildlife. There are lots of little crabs, anemones and mussels. There is another area just north of this stretch (still on South Beach) where there is a big rock jutting out into the ocean. There's also a sea cave facing it. This area is probably better for big kids who can climb the rock. There are definitely more little crabs and other wildlife here compared to the other area. However, these tide pools get submerged quickly, within an hour or so after low tide, while the other area takes a bit longer to get submerged. Obviously check the tides online before you go. Ideally you will go early in the morning. Most people park along southbound PCH. There is a parking lot but it's on the other side of PCH so you need to walk under the overpass to get to South Beach. The parking lot is on Beach Access Road, not Mulholland Parkway. There is also a parking lot right on the beach at North Beach, but you should be at South Beach if you want to see the tide pools.

Leo Carillo State Beach in general, is less crowded than adjacent beaches which is great. The staff at the entrance of the parking lot are very helpful and welcoming! No complaints there. However, dogs are only allowed west of lifeguard tower 3 and we took our senior Yorkie here only to find out their dog beach area is a further from the general parking lot so we had to drive about a mile out to get to the dog beach area. Once you find parking, You've got quite a way to walk down to reach the beach but it was no biggie. At this visit , the washed up seaweed riddled the sands and the seaweed was covered in gnats or flies! Every step we took on the shore moved the swarm of flies around our legs. Gross. We had to find a good clearing of sand far enough from the washed up seaweed to avoid the swarms of flies. Maybe it's just the summer time when flies take over the beach but we won't be back for any other seasons to find out otherwise. This was not the typical beach trip we're accustomed to but our dog didn't notice the difference and he had a great time and I guess that's all that matters when visiting a dog beach! We did this for the love of our furbaby, But if you don't have a dog, I really don't see a reason to be here. Stay on the other side (east of tower 3) and enjoy Leo Carillo's no dogs allowed Beach side. I can't comment on that area but I'm hoping it's cleaner than the dog side.

An extremely Beautiful..Peaceful..Special.. Getaway.. A Magical place by the Ocean.... especially for B...C...S...& B... Love it...... I highly recommend exploring and experiencing Leo Carillo State Park...

We've been coming here for ages but I've never written a review. South of the main lifeguard tower dogs are not permitted. On the northern beaches here dogs are permitted. We often park on the street and on this occasion parking was better across PCH. So you can go in by walking towards the camp parking lot and go safely under PCH. Cars can drive under PCH as well as pedestrians walking. As a general recommendation which applies to all beaches.... If your party walks away from your encampment the seagulls will raid your stuff looking for food. They might Rip into bags so either leave someone behind the guard the encampment or try not to leave anything out they might dig into. Casual observation of other camping gear left unattended will show how to see goes raid their sites. Check the tide tables to plan for a low tide visit. This enables exploring the tide pools. Park rangers sometimes mix with the crowd discussing animal life seen. They will also warn you not to flip over rocks looking for marine life. That's forbidden. Today happens to be Valentine's day on the President's day weekend. It's worthwhile to also note that we saw five patrolmen engaged in traffic enforcement. So it's probably a good idea as always to drive responsibly.

This review is for the dog beach, north of the main beach with the tide pools. It's a beautiful beach and there's so much space to play. The one down side is that it's technically a leashed dog beach, though I've never seen anyone get in trouble. Park right above it on PCH and walk down the set of stairs to get there. It's a hidden gem!

Dog part is closed and they didn't tell us - a 10 minute walk to a rugged UNSAFE staircase and dogs can only be kept on leash.

We were driving south through Malibu and couldn't resist the opportunity to stop by this gorgeous beach. We paid a few bucks to park for an hour in the parking lot and strolled up and down the beach with our two dogs. The pups didn't love having to stay on leash but they did love having a chance to stretch their legs and feel the sand beneath their paws. This beach is gorgeous. The waves crashing against the rocks was a lot of fun to watch, especially since there's not a lot of rocks in the water in San Diego.

I'd give it five stars but the bathrooms were disgusting! Parking was easy and the beach was clean. Easy in and out. Big lot. Easy to use kiosk to pay for parking. Lots of trash cans. Dog friendly beach but all dogs must be leashed and must have poop bags! They do have lifeguard towers. The sunsets here are amazing! Enjoy and be safe...

This is one of the very few beaches that allow dogs at the beach. I been here a few times and it never disappoints. There are always plenty of pooches. Most owners are very responsible and I've never had any incidents. I usually get here around 11am or 12pm. I've had both scenarios where I found parking in their lot and I also had to park in the street. If you park in the street it can be confusing if you have never been. There are no signs informing where the beach access is and it can lead you to dead end cliffs. Also once you get to the beach there is no wheel chair accessible entrance. It's actually a steep jump to some rocks to enter the beach. Considering it's a state beach I'm a little disappointed they haven't addressed this issue. I saw plenty of elderly people struggling to get to the beach. Overall, this is a hidden gem in LA. The waves are great for swimming but can sometimes be strong. A boogie board will help you with those rough waves.

Excellent campsite for beginner/city campers and someone just looking to get away not too far from home. There is a convenience store inside the Park. Firewood and other goods can be purchased inside. If you try to pay with a card, there is a $1 surcharge. I did not spot any wild animals here, which felt a little too safe for a camping excursion.The state beach is a walkable distance, and drones are permitted. Check-out is at noon. I believe I got lucky reserving a site here because it was during the off-season. I've definitely had zero luck finding a weekend spot during their peak season (Summer and Fall). I don't know if I can recommend coming here spontaneously without a reservation, but I definitely saw a few empty spots in the evening. Getting here: Expect traffic in the afternoon; the drive from Santa Monica to Malibu took an additional hour, even though it's less than 20 miles away. If you pass Neptune's Net, you've traveled too far. A tip I learned from another camper: Bring flammable firelogs to set as the foundation for your campfire experience. Less struggle and the flames will burn longer and higher.

LEO CARRILLO IS INFESTED WITH RODENTS (SQUIRRELS) THAT WILL DESTROY YOUR VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL AND FUEL SYSTEMS WHILE YOU FOOL YOURSELF INTO THINKING YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME!!! GO AT YOUR OWN RISK BUT EXPECT TO BE TOWED HOME OR WORSE!!! I have been going to this park for 35 years. I have always enjoyed the crowd, the location and the fact that it is adjacent to both human and dog beaches. We had the best time there when we last went on the weekend of May 14. However our good time was short-lived when I went to start my RV that Sunday. I had noticed that the squirrel population has exploded to epidemic proportions at the park but it doesn't seem that anyone is doing anything about that. I noticed a number of disabled vehicles and tow trucks adjacent to them but didn't associate this with my rough starting vehicle which had no previous mechanical issues and is in fact almost brand new. I was lucky enough to find a mechanic who could fit us in right before the holiday weekend coming up and he confirmed my suspicions. Leo Carrillo's unchecked rodent infestation made it likely for squirrels to inflict severe damage to my RV's electrical and fuel line systems. Now I need to spend $1K+ to repair the extensive damage!!!! . They take down or deny all negative reviews from FB, so that is why you will only see rosy comments and reviews. There is no way to reach anyone at the park because they don't have a phone number to contact the Park directly however when you call the main number for RESERVE CALIFORNIA, they refer you back to the park itself, but I will never go there again unless they deal with the infestation in a responsible manner and soon! It would go a long way if they would pay my repair bill too!!! Disappointed and REALLY angry!!! Eliot Mitchell

This is my absolute fave beach in California still to this day - hands down. Been coming here on the regular since I moved out here from Texas 9+ years ago - I've hesitated writing a review bc I wanted to keep it a secret lol. There's so much to explore here - one of the main feature is the large rock out in the water off the main beach. At high tide, it kicks off a good break that the surfers seem to love. At low tide, the tide pools are phenomenal and you can actually walk all the way out to the big rock and climb it if you're so inclined. The tide pools can be hit or miss - at the very least you'll see some crabs and definitely anemones, mussels, and limpets - but on a good day you get sea cucumbers, star fish, and I even saw an octopus once!! Off to the right of the beach are the trails - at low tide you can walk from beach to beach but be careful bc the tide can cut you off and catch you off guard and can be forceful at times. If you take the beach route, you'll see rock formations and sea caves! The upper trails go on for miles and are my favorite part - the views are just incredible, it's relatively uncrowded if you avoid weekends and holidays, and there are so many great places to sit and soak it all in. At high tide and when the waves are surging, it's incredible to stand out on the rocky prominence - it's almost like the waves are rising up to meet you and you feel like you're flying! Be prepared to get misted though lol! Also, it's almost always very windy up there. Sunsets couldn't be more gorgeous from here - and even on my last sunset visit on NYE, it was relatively uncrowded! But this beach is probably the one that's furthest down PCH - almost on the edge of LA county. There's one really awesome place I've found to sit and it's like you're hanging out on the very edge of the world with the whole place to yourself and no one can see you from there either!! It's so fantastic! It requires an adventurous spirit and some major rock scrambling - and I won't tell you where - you'll find it if you're brave and curious enough ;) I always park on the street - even if the cars are lined up, the area is so vast that it still feels uncrowded. And there are a lot of trail entrances along the street so it doesn't really matter where you park imo. There is a paid lot across the street but I've never parked there. If you do park there, you access the beach by a tunnel under the busy PCH so you don't have to worry about crossing the street. They used to have a great building on the beach with bathrooms and little water spigots for rinsing - but it was all destroyed in the Malibu fire a few years ago. Now it's just some dirty port-a-potties that never seem to be stocked so bring your own TP lol! The area vegetation has done well to start recovering from the fire and I am so happy to see that they saved the big coastal oak tree!

This beach is definitely worth the hour drive from LA. There are multiple sections and each section is unique. The beach closest to the campsite and parking lot is sandy with large rocks closer to the ocean. My son found a dead crab, some shells and a sea urchin skeleton. Lifeguard area 3 is where the cave is and its a neat little section. You climb over rocks and you can go through a tunnel to get to a tiny little enclosed area with tons of small polished rocks. The rocks hurt my feet so shoes are recommended. Also, you should go during low tide. We found a live crab here. They are hard to see bc they like to go into the rock crevices. The area furthest from the camp parking is also the dog area. This place definitely needs a little TLC. Little pieces of trash, especially Styrofoam everywhere. Otherwise a nice beach. There is black and darker reddish brown sand here. One side of the beach, there are large rocks that break the waves making a wet sandy area without the waves coming up on you too much during low tide. Perfect for baby's first dip into the ocean.

After a week of on-and-off nosebleeds, Chocolate Chip finally got a CT scan of his head. The tumor had already outgrown its stay in the right nasal turbinate and began to invade the left. It had eroded the surrounding bone protecting his right eye and was now resting against the cribriform plate, the last line of defense separating all that was cancerous from his brain. When I saw him that afternoon, he greeted me with a customary lick to the shin, but then sneezed violently. When I looked down, my leg was covered in blood. He didn't have much time left, so my wife and I began to draft a mental bucket list of Chocolate Chip's accomplishments. For example, he had already earned the title of father after he jumped over the neighbor's wall, nearly drowned after landing in their pool, and then proceeded to knock up the doggy-next-door. But having lived in Los Angeles all his life, one thing he'd never seen was the beach. He didn't know what the ocean looked like--how waves sounded or what sand felt like. So that's what we did. As we loaded him into the car, he gave my hand two licks; he knew he was going on a walk. It's surprisingly difficult to find a canine-friendly beach near the valley, but after some research, Leo Carrillo was our best bet. Only a portion of the beach is reserved for dogs, just north of lifeguard house 3. There's a small service road leading off PCH that connects to a small parking lot located on the beach, but by the time we had gotten there it was already closed. Not a big deal if you park to the side of the road and take the short walk instead with your dog. Despite the hour-long car ride, Chocolate Chip looked happy. Because any intensive walking would aggravate his sneezing and nosebleeds, we lugged him in a doggy stroller the entire way. After about 10 minutes, we finally we made it to the sand. I watched as his doggy senses tingled, soaking in everything for the first time in his life. His nose searched for the hidden sea breeze pushing against his face. His ears twitched at the sound of ocean waves crashing in the distance. And stretching beyond the horizon, he saw the orange glow of his first sunset. I don't know what Chocolate Chip thought that day, but as we loaded him into the car to leave, he gave my hand four licks instead of two. As the months go on, I hope he gets more days like his trip to Leo Carrillo.

First time visiting this beach and it was a pleasant experience. Nice private type beach compared to Santa Monica which is often overcrowded and dirty. Plenty of space to spread out and enjoy the waters

If I'm not mistaken, this is one of a few beaches in the greater LA area where dogs are allowed. Dogs must be on leashes at all times. We brought our dog, and he had a blast! Pros: + Dogs are allowed as long as they are on leashes + The beach is mostly sandy + There are bathrooms and showers + Parking is easy and the rates are reasonable: $3 per hour or $12 for the day Cons: - The bathrooms are not very clean. The toilets are made of stainless, and there are no toilet seats (or fused with the toilets)! We will definitely come back! ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become friends on Yelp! Thank you and happy Yelping!

Parking for 3 hours $9. We went scuba diving this morning. The reef was very pretty. We saw many beautiful coral, sea stars, fish, urchin, chiton, keyhole limpet, purple coralline algae, sea grass, lobster. So lovely! My exit out of the surf was its usual shit show, but otherwise an incredible, gorgeous morning!

Took my puppy (and myself!) to LC for the first time today. Parking on PCH was super easy. The lifeguards were so kind and helpful. The guard in tower 2 was so sweet to my puppy and was really kind in explaining where the dog beach was. There's so much to see here, and the beach was so clean! The guards on duty at tower 5 were so friendly. Everyone was practicing social distancing insanely well unlike other beaches (looking at you Will Rogers). Can't wait to go back!

The north beach side of Leo Carrillo State Park is dog friendly. On the south side you'll see all the anti dog signs. Our entry into the park was included in our campground fees. But on that note... from the campground it is so easy to get to the beach. It's either a bit of a walk or a short drive to the parking lot. Surfers seem to like it here. Not much for shell collecting. But overall the beach is fairly clean. As were the unisex restrooms surprisingly. I miss the crashing waves. 2018 Challenge #94

Been camping and surfing here a few times. Pretty chill spot. It's a bit crowded at times, especially the weekends, but really fun nonetheless

Terrific private coves with free street parking and an easy staircase or a larger portion of the campground beach for families . we stayed on top of the rocks this visit but will be back when the valley hits the sweltering 100's. Some douche left a plastic starbucks cup on the edge of the cliff , which we watched at least 4 other ppl walk by us and not pick it up. Respect the beach , the ocean , our wildlife & eco system. If you see trash , pick it up ! Especially plastic. There are two trash cans at the top of the stairs leading down to the alcoves . please use them ! we picked up their trash. Can't wait to come back ! The stairs seem very ada friendly , however no ramps .

Lots of gnats and flies. I'm not sure if that's something a state beach agency can deal with. The view is good though. However, trying to dodge so many bugs was not fun.

One of the few dog beaches in Los Angeles County, Leo Carrillo is located off the PCH 5 or so minutes past Zuma Beach. Keep your dog on its leash as you will encounter the odd warden... Parking is super easy - do a U turn and park along the side of the PCH or pay to use the large open car park. We went during the day and only saw one or two other dogs. For the most part, the beach was empty save for the surfers heading out towards Sequit Point. Didn't see any dog mess - nice sandy beach with unisex bathroom facilities and an outdoor shower up near the main car park.

This is probably my favorite beach in the area, and one of my favorites in California. I'm not really a beach person so a small beach with rocks, tide pools, and a cute little cave is more for me than a more classic beach like you'll find a few miles south (I refuse to name the most popular and really touristy one here!). There are a lot of families and children here. My parents took me here in my childhood, too, so perhaps I'm a little nostalgic about this spot. If you're looking for a pretty beach that's more interesting than the classic, boring-old sand-meets-the-waves-picturesque dime a dozen beach in socal, this is one to check out. Tide pools! Rock formations! A beach cave!

The parking close to the beach is worth your time to make memories with your children.

We came to Malibu for a 4 day vacation with the family and our pop up trailers. The spots are back up spots with water and electricity hook-ups and some with a fire pit. The spots aren't too close together, we got a spot right next to the bathroom and showers which was awesome. The showers require tokens $1 for 2 tokens each token worth 2 minutes of hot water, cold water is free (3-4 tokens per person was the average). The beach is about a 5 minute walk we would go early in the morning before the tide would come in around 8:30 am to see the tide pools. There are also hiking trails that we took about a short 3 mile with a beautiful view of the beach. We brought our bikes we rode around the campsite and to the further beach which allows dogs. They have a store on site that has everything you may need in case you forget something. Beware of the squirrels they are so active during the day they are an entire box of croissants and a bag of avocados! My fault I left them out on the picnic table while I went to the tide pools. I also had no cell service I gave at&t, when I'd go to the beach I'd get service otherwise nothing at the campgrounds. Great place lots of family fun can't wait to come back next year.

One of Los Angeles' hidden beaches Leo Carrillo is along the Malibu Coast and is a definite must-see when visiting California.

I like dogs. I like beaches. ... but I don't like "dog beaches." Don't get me wrong; Leo Carrillo State Beach --particularly the dog part of the program -- seems to have some rules in place to make this as enjoyable as possible for all parties involved, including two legged and four-legged friends. Dogs must remain on a leash at all times, and of course, people are prompted to pick up after their pooping pets. The cacophony of barking dogs (some visciously!), particularly those who are not socialized to participate in a seaside canine adventure with hundreds of other strange dogs, sort of detracts from the beauty of this place. Like I said, I love dogs... Have a couple myself, even. I just know that my big sweet pitbull shepherd mix isn't going to spend the better part of the day exploding at the end of a 6 foot leash, every time anyone or any dog scampers past. Interestingly, this may be due to the fact that there is an adjacent campground, and people who enjoy camping with their dogs don't want to leave them all by their lonesome in camp all day, while they enjoy the beach as a family. So to that end, good on you Leo Carrillo for allowing folks to bring their canine family members with them for a day at the beach. For my part, I have been visiting this stretch of coastline for a long time... 15 years ago, when I fancied myself a kayak fishing guide, i used to come here with clients and teach them how to surf launch through the waves, preferably without spilling over and having a veritable yard sale of fishing equipment in the roiling surf. The kelp beds just offshore hold quite a variety of game fish, and the casual shoreline observer can regularly spot pods of dolphins, see lions, seabirds, and even the occasional shark. Yep, they're out there.... makes you think twice before fishing side-saddle on a yak. As for the beach itself, the combination of sand, cobblestones, and Rocky outcroppings make this a beautiful beach indeed. There are caves to explore, tide pools with a few critters that have escaped frequent visitor picking, and surf fishing. A few reefs just off the beach create some decent surfing and body surfing conditions when the swell is from the right direction.... mostly Shorebreak, which makes kayak launching great, and surfing not so much. If you were looking for county line, this ain't it. Close enough to LA to attract the usual range of humanity, but far enough away to scare off the laziest, this beach is pretty good by LA County standards. It sure isn't what it used to be, but for a city of 10 million people, it's still one of the best around.

A very popular spot for surfers and other beach loving people. There's a lifeguard station by the large rocks and a lovely stretch of beach north of the lifeguard station. To the south it's rocky and when it's low tide you can find fabulous tide pools with various sea life in them. The beach is clean and the water is fairly clear. There's paid and free parking (on the highway)

Loved this site for an 18th birthday bonfire. We got there early to secure a site. It did get crowded later in the night but it was a great time.

The lifeguards in Station 1 made my sons day! It's Memorial Day weekend and the beach could not be busier. My oldest pre speaking son with autism arrived to the beach frustrated and took interest in their tower quickly. The lifeguards on duty came down and chatted with my son, eventually inviting him up to check out the tower. This was super special and we are so thankful for their kindness and more importantly inclusion!!

Nice beach to get away too small is clean easy accessible great waves sand rocks all you need great little beach

Best camping spot ever! Great area and location to the beach and they have a small shop that sells firewood, ice cream, and plenty of toys and snacks for the kids. Plenty of bathrooms and showers require cash for tokens. Tide pools and caves are stuff to see at this location!

I went down there to Camp with my friends and I had a good experience with one of the workers. I think her name was Lindsey or linsday. I had a great experience and it was a fun time down there but be there and just made me think about how lonely I am after my wife left me and took all the kids

This is our annual place for a weekend getaway. My Girlfriend's family and myself come here every September for a camp-out. I have absolutely no complaints! Leo Carrillo is just cool to getaway, disconnect from technology, enjoy family, and get to nature. The campgrounds are always fun to stay at and the beach is walking distance away to take day-trips while camping. The scenery is always awesome! What is great is that it is just a hop skip and a jump away from the city and everything!

We stayed at the campground for one night from 10/1-10/2. Check in was easy. This campground is old school meaning the camp sites are really large in comparison to most campgrounds in the area. We had site #137 which had electrical hookups. This site backs up to a big open area and your fire pit and table are down a tiny incline. The bathrooms, showers and wash sink and an outside shower are also behind this open area. The bathroom lights shine directly into this site and are on all night. There are water spigots all over the campground. The campground is surrounded by a high mountain canyon. It is very dry and dirt covered with weeds but alot of trees with shade. The photos on campsitephotos.com are way outdated. Alot of pesky crawling and flying bugs too so be very prepared. Most of the campsites had bug powder covering them. It was 92 degrees at 5PM without an ocean breeze in site. It is not beachfront and is a pretty far walk to the beach regardless of which site you get. We walked the whole campground and would recommend sites in the front of the park as it seemed to be much cooler as its more open up there and gets the ocean breeze. The camp store is awesome! It has anything from small camping maintenance items to a large variety of beer and wine, a coffee bar, ice cream, pre made sandwiches and firewood. The campground has a large dump station with water to fill tanks. It was pretty quiet at night too. I think this campground is great for large groups or people with kids as they can run around the large open areas. Just dont expect to be beach close as in order to access it you must walk thru the campground and then under the 4 lane PCH. If you have a site in the very back of the campground, its a walk y'all! Bring a wagon to shlub your things to the beach. Its is patrolled by the rangers heavily which made us feel safe. Id recommend this campground just be prepared for the aforementioned things.

This campground had it's ups and downs for sure. Pro: beautiful scenic drive on the way to the campground, although FULL of people so beware of people not paying attention when they open their doors at the highway. Store was nice, only letting in 4 people in at a time, has all your campground needs including beer and cigarettes if you plan on partying. Within walking distance to the beach but if your site is clear in the back like mine it will be a long tiring walk. All the campers were nice and quiet at night. Cons: SNAKES! Rattlesnakes were IN my campsite! (Site 139)... so beware, especially if you have young kids like me. NO PHONE SIGNAL! I have verizon and didn't pick up any signal pretty much throughout the whole campground. The squirrels and chipmunks aren't afraid of you and will wait for you to leave your site to trash it!

Dog beach area!!! Brought my two little doggies here. A Yorkie and a Chi weenie. We all had a blast - it was their first time at the beach so at first they were a little taken back, but once they saw other dogs in they got some encouragement. We went during a weekday and it wasn't crowded at all. It was clean, and everyone kept a good distance (COVID times) We were able to enjoy a picnic and relax. I can't wait to come back!

I've been to almost 150 beaches inmy life and Leo Carrillo is one of my top 5 for sure. Terms like scenic, majestic, and sublime ALMOST give it justice. Sea caves, tide pools and really cool rock croppings small and large give this beach an otherworldly coolness, especially at low tide. Yet there is still enough clear area to swim. My fave spot is the large cove near lifeguard stand #2. Awesome indeed.

Leo Crap-O was more like it today. All the reviews online sold this place as a Shangri La of dive spots; It was not. Every place has it's good days and bad days, but I'm just not sure I'd come back here again with so many other spots to hit. The entry and exits were very difficult footing on rocks of many various sizes, you just couldn't trust your next step. The kelp was EXTREMELY thick, the surge was bad and the viz, despite low surf, was a little clearer than Pea Soup. However, I did get to see my first LA Area Leopard Shark, it was a wee little baby shark that I caught a glimpse of as I was getting tossed about the ocean and the crew on shore said we had a dolphin right next to us, but we didn't see it. Also made a couple new dive buddies and had some seafood, so it wasn't all bad.

Great serenity beach! This is a nice peaceful beach away from the busy beaches. I love coming here after a long hike. Lots of rocks, birds and surfing. Love all the amazing views!!

It's not quite glamping, but it's really darn close (but if you have an RV, they ok it's glamping. Anyway this is a fantastic campground, with lots and lots of shade, so it's easy to find a spot for your tent and actually be able to sleep in till 10am or even later with out bringing your own canopy. ( you should bring a canopy though, because unless you've been here before you won't know if the spot you reserved actually has that much shade, most do but some are really just out n the open.) The camp ground itself is nicely maintained, theres a little general store that nearly everything you need in case you forgot something, from beer to firewood, to airbeds and all kinds of random goods. You kind of don't even need to bring food from home, If you drive outside the campground several miles, there's a bunch of grocery stores along PCH (Vintage Park Grocers and Pavilion's being the larger ones). The beaches are great and there's lots of scenic trails around the campgrounds. Shower facilities are well maintained as well. JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE SAVAGE GROUND SQUIRRELS!. Do not leave any food out, they will slice and dice through all your plastic bags and eat all your chips, buns etc. They look cute but they will savage your campsite.

Nala LOVES this beach and if she could write Yelp reviews, she would definitely give a well deserved 5 stars! It's really pretty here and the doggies that come seem to have a good time. I love the leash rule they have because it's not fenced off, so please don't let your dogs off leash unless they are exceptionally well trained; even then, it's always better to be safe then sorry! It is really hard to get to which is super frustrating, but I would recommend going through and checking out the signs, it does help. Don't get discouraged if you see the sign that says "no dogs allowed"; it just means you're not at the right beach yet! Go straight ahead and keep walking around the hill to get to this wonderful beach heaven for pups. I've found parking around the street and it's never been super packed at this beach, pup and I have always had a great time! It is definitely worth the drive and walk - your pup will love it!

Nice stretch of beach off of PCH that's dog friendly. Brought my dog for a day at the beach. Weather was nice but a little windy. Found parking right off the street. There's stairs that lead you down to the beach. Also, parking available down near the beach but there's a fee. They have a couple of picnic tables and grill available for use. Beach area is nice, with people walking their dogs around. Waves are nice, white sand and less crowded than the bigger beaches like Zuma. There's also a stretch of rock, caves that can be walked through to go into the other side of the beach that isn't dog friendly.