San Elijo State Beach

It was a nice day, wasn’t too busy. Fun to watch the surfers.

It was a very nice beach. We came here after dinner to watch the sunset. It wasn’t busy at all. Beach was very clean. It was easy to find parking. They have restrooms as well as showers.

Beautiful views of the Pacific! Sunset looks stunning! Waves make the best sounds! Lots of surfers, has trail for walking along the Pacific and access to beach via a stairway. Has paid public parking. Relaxing way to end a hectic day! Lots of good restaurants nearby to pick up good food.

Campground was wonderful. We had I believe one of the top 10 spots at these grounds. Our site allowed us to walk right up to tower 16 and woke up looking at tower 16 from my tent. Restrooms are kept up and cleaned daily. No drone restrictions were detected. The low tide was nice to enjoy with the kids. I recommend bringing water shoes if planning on enjoying the beaches. My children's feet were cut up pretty bad from all the hard stone and reefs in the shallows during higher tides. Also ant repellent. Lotta ants! Many of the RV and trailer campers I noticed used the ant chalk to detour them from climbing onto their campers, great idea. Also if tent camping our location the ground was extremely hard and have sturdy stakes that still were difficult to hammer down, so don't bring those cheap stakes, you might as well not even stake the tent if you do so. Our fire ring could have been cleaned out more but not a big issue.

Oh, Cardiff By The Sea! Such a quaint city with one of San Diego County's most beautiful beaches! Get there early if you want to have a parking space in 1 of the lots which you do have to pay for, but besides the hassle of parking, this beach is amazing and worth it! We always see such beautiful water (very clear most days), good for surfing, paddle boarding and also the kids just wadding in the water. & Dogs are welcome! We will usually come early and stay all Day to enjoy the sunset. There's some a lagoon that goes under the bridge where you can also fish. Wonderful beach!!!

Nice campground on the stunning CA coastline. A lot of pelicans and other birds. Good amenities, great location. .

Parking easily paid with the machine or a QR code. Restrooms, water fountain on site. Surfers love it here.

The beach was pretty cool. When you walk out in the water, it’ll stay flat for a couple feet and then goes to a drop off. There was lots of seaweed everywhere. Where the water enters the lagoon, stingrays and leopard sharks were swimming in and out of there. Super cool to watch. The beach is mainly flat, they have good parking, and tables for picnics or birthdays. Surfing is a bit tough as the waves are good. During the morning it’s fine, but in the afternoon when the wind picks up, it just go straight mush. It’s a good reef break at high tide. There are lifeguards nearby and on duty, you’re right by the road so it’s a little bit noisy but not too bad, the ocean usually disperses the sound. There’s lots of places for young kids to play in the sand or go out on the water. Lifeguards are also putting up safety signs/rip current flags. Fun little beach to visit in the summer time.

Visited Dec 26-29. Check in 2pm Our group had site 70 & 71. Pro Great for surfing Dogs allowed on a leash. Dog area on the beach. Bathrooms with water and soap Showers available with coins Walking distance from stores. 7-11 (they have cheaper firewood than the campground $12) So plenty of food places to eat if you run out of food or just want to eat out one night. The park rangers are serious if you break quiet time 10pm-7am). There was an incident, neighbors arrived late night and there were multiple altercations with someone else between 3-4am. Park ranger came in the morning, patted him down before discussing the incident. And the person left that morning. So I'm not sure if he got kicked out or what. Con Some sites were bad, including ours. Walking path from the street is very close to our site. So late at night and early in the morning - is very bad. Stupid surfers as early as 4am , parking on the street. Then they talk (very loud) while unloading and adding wax on their boards. We woke up multiple times throughout the night, and once surfers arrive there's no point to go back to sleep I probably would not return to this campsite. Even if we picked a spot far from the street. (I heard those spots are even more pricey) RV hook ups are mixed in with sites for tenting. $50 per night (up to 8 people). Additional vehicle $15 daily That's expensive for camping on a tent ! I would not recommend tent camping at this site to others. RV I'm sure it's fine.

It's incredible to be able to camp overlooking the ocean! The good - awesome view, sunsets, etc - easy walk to the beach from any site - walkable to coffee, shops, 7-11 if you want more urban camping experience. No onsite amenities though- they do have firewood lockers but they were pretty expensive. The ok - tent sites mixed with trailer sites - and loud generators -bathrooms were fine, had soap too -at high tide the beach almost disappears so plan accordingly! -premium site pricing is $80 - still worth it but steep for camping The bad - tent camping is a little rough noise wise- you can definitely hear the trains (no horn but they are loud) and the traffic from 101. Sleep was challenging and we had a noise machine - we showed up slightly before 2 and they would not let us check it, we did need to wait outside until right at 2

Getting a spot here, especially ocean side is like winning the lottery. Views are breathtaking and falling asleep to the sounds of the waves is something you need to experience once. There is a market across the street as well as restaurants so your dinner possibilities are plentiful. Showers and restrooms here were cleaned and well maintained.

Great campground for families and dogs! Just a short drive away from San Diego but still feels like you're getting away. Has direct beach access and super convenient

It's sad, but I just made my last visit to San Elijo campground. I've been going there for years and noticed steadily increasing prices, noise and rude neighbors. Of course it's city camping so you have to expect the road noise from Pacific Highway and the trains going by, but the loud generators and blaring music in the campground are too much for me. On this last trip the people next door NEVER shut off their generator or TV set. I spoke with them and with the ranger staff about the noise and the exhaust fumes but nothing changed. So we left without even spending a whole night there.

I have camped here a few times. I have a Toyota Tacoma with a rooftop tent. This is a great place for camping. The bathrooms are very clean they do a great job. My biggest advice. Sunset. Try to go when the sun will be out because the sunset at this beach is beautiful. ALSO, if you can get low tide that's a plus and makes for some amazing photos. As far as the camp sites, if you can get a spot by the cliff (above the beach) those are prime spots. Also because of this they are booked months in advance and more expensive. Will certainly be back love this state beach!

Great place to do beach camping. You will need to book a reservation at least 6 months in advance or else you won't get a spot. There are options for tent camping or RV camping. Site comes with the picnic table and fire pit. Pros - bathrooms are clean and hose down daily. They are individuals stalls. - showers are pretty clean, both hot and cold showers. 1 token = 2 minutes - there are also showers to rinse the sand off - beach is walking distance - camping site is located in the city. Closed to Starbucks, the market, restaurants and etc - closed to dog beach Cons - the spots are pretty close to your neighbors - $15 per night extra to park a car (your reservation comes with only one vehicle) - lots of dust but to be expected - lots of rocks and pebbles in the beach - not a lot of spots to hang your clothes or towels. Recommend to bring your own rope to tie against something.

PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR RECEIPT AND WHAT THEY CHARGE YOU. I came to visit a friend for a couple hours. Front kiosk person said it would be $15. I gave my card and taped the pass to my window. The next day my credit card charge read $30 but was still pending so I waited. It cleared for $30 so I called the kiosk. The "supervisor" said there's nothing he can do about it five days (three) later and I should have looked at my receipt on the spot. He said he can't verify my story or how long I was actually there. He was extremely rude throughout the call, basically making it sound like I was the idiot for their mistake.

I wanted to tent camp here a few nights and the website and hosts claimed they were sold out. I inspected the grounds and found several sites open-very sketchy. They charge $40-50 for very small sites. There is a camp store but they also overcharge. Not recommended

Terrible staff. Unable to process a site reservation on the spot that is available in their system. As a disabled person would be nice to have some customer service or help going through the process. By the time signed into state park account and checkout at cart, site was taken. Staff at gate were useless.

We love this campground and come very often, but unfortunately the people who work at check in were SO rude. We showed up a few minutes early for check in and they were not accommodating or kind whatsoever they demanded we drive back out on the main road and come back. It was probably 5 mins until check in time. They were snappy and just downright mean. We paid a lot of money for this campsite...maybe they should get some training on customer service or just learn how to be nice to other people.

Love this area & the campground. The hosts were awesome. The amenities were nice & clean! The majority of people were nice & friendly. So many great places to run & ride bikes. The eateries are awesome & the markets are so quaint! The beaches were so nice, but a bit of sea weed! If you swim south of the beach watch for sting ray! We were in site 93. And that's the ONLY reason I couldn't do 5 stars. It's the worst spot in the campground! It's next to the gate that opens to the public. There's a ton of traffic in & out all day. We kept our valuables locked up & it was fine! But we did have a run in with a drunk homeless lady that wandered camp for two days! She verbally assaulted a group of kids before moving on to my kids later in the evening. We let the camp host know & they threw her out. But we had people jumping the fence & gate by us all night long. On our second to last night there we had some people partying & blaring music until 4am. And we're put out when people were yelling to be quiet! So while I love the campground I won't stay at spot 93 again for its lack of privacy!!! Also camp store was all closed up while we were there such a bummer!

Very rude camp hosts! I have been coming here since I was in diapers and now am coming with my children and family. These camp hosts were very rude to us for no reason at all while letting us into our campsite. Very disappointed in them!

I will start by saying the reason I am giving it three stars, end it would be receiving five stars had this rule been different. I think it's insane to charge visitors such as family and friends who are coming to your campsite for a few hours $15 if they stay there more than 20 minutes. I already paid enough for the campsite and instead of charging anyone/everyone for staying for a few hours if they are visiting someone, they should simply give each camping reserved spot/location a specific number of vehicles that can be on that reservation and come into the campgrounds, the rest should have to park on the street and just walk in. This would keep the campground from getting too crowded and would also not rip people off. However, they obviously make a great deal of money off of this surcharge, so I don't foresee anything changing. Overall, the campgrounds are absolutely beautiful! I make sure and go every single year with friends and or family and you have to be sure and reserve your spot right away because the spots will sell out like hotcakes!

I needed to book a camping site for Spring break and miraculously, there was somehow one campground left for rent here. I only booked it a week in advance. However, if your heart is set on this place definitely book even earlier! I've heard its very difficult to get a spot. The location of this place is amazing. Of course, it's directly next to San Elijo State Beach so you get a gorgeous view of the sunset and of the beach. It's easy to walk down to the beach by the various stairs they have near the campgrounds. There's a general store to buy your firewood/food at the entrance of the campground but I'd avoid it as I heard they jack the prices up. If you want to get non-camping food, it's easy to walk to restaurants and you can get VG donuts with just a 10 minute walk. Check-in and Check-out here is also suuper easy. To check-in, you just drive into the campsite and tell them which site you're at which they then proceed to give you a driving pass. You get to park 1 car for free and every additional car is $15 (3 cars is the maximum). To check-out you just have to leave! As long as you're out of your campsite by 12PM, you're good. The noise level wasn't too bad for me as the trains stop running at around 11PM and start at around 6:40AM and I'm an early riser. But, if you want to sleep in later, definitely bring earplugs. Overall, this was the best camping experience I've had! You get to camp while taking advantage of California's natural resources as well.

The best campground by the beach! It is hard to get reservations but every time we come here we had great time with kids! The water access is at every aisle. Bathroom is clean Beach is right by the camp. Best for kids to play at beach but also as known as the best wave to catch by Surfing.

My friends and I attempt to book a spot at San Elijo every year and have successfully done so on three separate occasions. This is by far the best place we've ever camped and always our first choice. Easy to get to and find and awesome views of the beach below. It's camping but you're really surrounded by civilization which is right up my alley. Encinitas is a few miles up the road if one night we choose to bar hop and everything you need is across the highway and train tracks. From a Starbucks to an grocery store. They have other coin op showers, a camp store for quick things and each site has a fire pit. We've been spoiled camping here and hope to come back for many many years but the places get booked so fast that it's almost impossible.

My first beach camping experience was at San Elijo State Beach, and I had a blast! We came during spring break in late March. The campground was nearly full, but we lucked out with an oceanside camp site. Each site has a picnic table, a fire pit, and plenty of room to pitch a tent. In either direction of the site, there is a staircase that leads to the beach. The facilities were nicer than I expected. The bathrooms were well maintained and there were even showers available. I can't wait to go beach camping again. I would definitely come back to San Elijo. It's a nice site, and it's very close to San Diego which makes for a terrific day trip.

So far this campground has been great. Great view, great people, great prices. Let's start with the cons. Cons- -very loud trains go by seems like every 30 minutes or so and I don't hear them honking their train horn before or after but when they pass the Campgrounds Hooooooooooonk Hoooooooonnnnnnnnnk! It's loud. -there are a limited number of full hookup sites. -the sand Is mostly hard pack and has a ton of iron in it which means it's black and dirty. -dogs aren't allowed on the beach. -trying to think of anymore cons but I can't.. -crazy lady yelling for people to stop killing the reef, low tide exposed the rocks and apparently she didn't like people walking on them. Pros- The sites are pretty big at least some are, I paced out 300' in a few from the road to the fence (large class A's would easily fit). -if you love trains you'll love it here plenty of them all shapes and sizes. -great view. -friendly people in the Campgrounds and employees and rangers were all nice and helpful. -easy check in. -restrooms were clean and plenty of them. -showers were amazing $1 for 2 tokens, each token is 2 minutes of hot water (clean showers). -fire pits and table in each space. -dogs are allowed anywhere in Campgrounds even the store. -free dump on site one on the way in and opposite side (2) for when you leave. -some sites are private while others aren't. Well anyways we had fun here will be coming back..

Camping at the beach doesn't get any better than this. Spacious ocean front campsites boast unobstructed views of the world class Cardiff Reef surf break. It is all about the location baby, even the fanciest restaurants in Encinitas lust for the views enjoyed from San Elijo campsites. Amenities abound, you won't be roughing it during your glamping trip at San Elijo state beach campgrounds. A camp store sells food, clothes, souvenirs, beer and ice. But you don't have to cook if you don't want to. This campground even posesses it's own gourmet snack stand, Bull Taco! Their specialties include inauthentic flavors of tacos and burritos, salads and breakfast goodies too. Seaside Market is right across the street and they sell fresh produce, meats, seafood and ready made delicacies too. VG's donuts is sure to be a big hit with any kiddos in your group. The glorious weather lends Sal Elijo to numerous activities including surfing, bike riding, running, climbing stairs, beach walks, skim boarding, boogie boarding, sun tanning, body surfing, SUP, beach yoga, building sandcastles, and even whale watching from your camp site. Whatever floats your boat, you can't go wrong. Each and every campsite has a picnic table and a fire pit, and the park is equipped with faucets every few sites as well. Friendly campers bring bikes, tricycles, and skateboards and it is easy to meet your fellow campers. There is even an outdoor amphitheater perched right above the beach with an ocean view for everyone to enjoy. I have spent many precious evenings with great friends and cherish the good times that are now memories of San Elijo.

Beatific place, poorly run park. Campers noisy and drunk idling cars for hours and no park rangers enforcing anything. San Diego deserves better.

The staff were not very friendly at all....Very loud because you are right on the 101.... They closed down the little store so if you need ice etc. you have to go across 101 to get what you need. Don't think we'll be camping here again

This is one of my favorite campgrounds. It's not your typical camping ambiance, but it's such an incredible location. The campground is right on the coast with sites overlooking the ocean available (at a reasonable premium). You can walk down to the beach from several nice access stairways in the campground. It's also right between San Diego and Oceanside, both easy enough to drive to from here. Walking distance (with good cross walks) from lots of good restaurants and a little grocery store. Here's the essentials: Pros: Amazing location, incredible ocean views, most campsites are relatively private (have small trees and bushes to separate them), fair price even when they charge for extra vehicles (how can you complain when the money goes towards running and maintaining such a beautiful coastal campground for you to enjoy!?!?), good facilities with hot showers available, relatively clean, always friendly people, fire pits at each site, organized staff, dog friendly with dog beach walking distance away. Cons: Extremely busy for reservations especially in the summer - I prefer to go in the off season when it's not as busy - it gets so crowded with huge RV's with elaborate set ups at every other site or more in the summer, it kind of puts a damper on the atmosphere. Train horn noise occasionally (even later at night and earlier in the morning), squirrels and rats (rats run around after the sun goes down), quiet hours don't always seem to be enforced with noisier groups of "neighbors". Also sites are on the smaller side compared to most other places I have camped. P.s. temporarily the camp store is closed as well as the south end of the campground while they build a new lifeguard tower.

I don't camp, but have been to this stretch of beach several times now for a good workout. I come here during non-peak times where ample parking is avail along 101. The stretch is a good 4 mi R/T beach run and is hardly utilized. Oh how I love less crowds and having the beach all to myself... There are rocks along the beach to sit and watch the sunset - AMAZING VIEWS!!!

This has always been one of my favorite places to camp. I love the walking distance of the nearby restaurants and market. I love that I can take my dogs on one part of the beach. The rangers are very strict about check in. They do not allow early check in at all! Lately the beach has a lot of seaweed on it. More than I remember in the past. Parking your trailer can be tricky depending on your site. It has been harder to book a site recently. Previously I would have given this campground 5 stars but things are changing.

Stayed in Site No. 149. Cliff side, no hook ups. Bathrooms/showers are directly across the street and stairs/rinse station are right next to you. Site is huge. We easily fit two 25' RVs and an SUV with plenty of room to spare. Great for small groups. Dry camping for a week was easy with bathrooms and showers so close. Good sized fire pit and picnic table in site as well. Lots of nice eateries nearby and Seaside Market is a must. Highly recommend.

My family continually come to this campground year after year. It's so much fun. The grounds are kept clean, along with the bathrooms and showers. So whet here you're in a tent or motor home, this campground is great! At the south end they have a beach section where you can take your dogs on the beach!!! Make sure you bring fire wood and your bikes! The campground store has neat stuff. We always come home with a new shirt! Overall a great place!

Beautiful because it's by the beach. But the trains. Are. Loud! I'm used to peaceful camping, so having the trains blast their horns all night from what seems like right by your camper. Also, the staff is not friendly.

Had a wonderful time camping here over the weekend. It's a very happy and cool place. Ever camped on a cliff before? Well, it's really a coastal bluff, and there's a fascinating story of how it was naturally created. There are two sides of the campgrounds: inland and, the ideal, coastal side, which is right near the edge of the bluff. You must reserve the coastal side months in advance. This trip was spontaneous for me so we were only given the inland side option, but it's almost just as good due to it being only 20 or so yards from the coastal side. A big downside of the grounds is the noise from the street. Cars and trains run throughout the night and the trains may wake you up. Bring hearing plugs if you're a light sleeper. A beautiful thing about the coastal side is that the ocean drowns out all of that noise. From the top of the bluff you have an amazing view of the beach and ocean; It's truly majestic, especially during sunsets/rises. Many stairwells along the bluff give you access to the beach which is where you'll find neat looking rocks and big waves. There's a lot of surfers and body boarders. Just a few hundred yards away from the grounds are... Restaurants! Grocery stores! Starbucks?? An irresistible convenience you don't usually get while camping. This is definitely on my list of campsites. I look forward to coming here again.

I hope we had an isolated bad experience, but I did write the State regarding our experiences during our stay. I'm not complaining about train noise, that's a given and just wear ear plugs. The park is in a unique location so you can choose to camp or choose to explore the city and that makes it fun. Just know that this park WILL get very crowded on the weekends, so be prepared for that, but it does not mean that some things that occurred should have happened nor continue to happen. 1. My elderly in-laws came to visit for dinner from Carlsbad. They provided our site number for entry and were immediately told (without the guy bothering to look it up) that I had two cars, which I did not. I only registered my RV with NO towed vehicle. He made them park on the street and they had to walk over 3/4 of a mile to get in to visit. When I went back to challenge him on why he said I had two cars, he said the staff was "frazzled" over "the power issues" of the day and he didn't take the time to check. I told him that if he was going to not "take the time" at LEAST make exceptions do it when elderly or disabled people were involved. All this while the site next to us managed to get 4-5 cars in and someone finally came to make them move and / or pay for the extra vehicles. 2. I approached the staff twice about the issue of people letting their dogs run off leash after the people both next to and across from us refused to control their dogs and continuously let them run all over the place, defecate in other sites, as well as run up to my dog fence to antagonize my dogs. I could not even walk my little dogs without a large dog charging us at some point on every walk. The first time I complained, they wanted my site number to tell the other campers who had complained. This is unacceptable...it is their job to uphold the rules, not to "out" complainers and cause more conflict. The second time I complained I was told "it is Southern California" and people are just more laid back. To that I say, when any dog is attacked because you allow this to continue you all better be prepared to pay the bill. I already had to let go of the fact that everyone appeared to be "ok" with walking right thru other people's sites and I quickly let that go, but treating older people without regard and putting my dogs and, for that matter, kids in danger are issues on a whole different level. These examples are clear cases of choosing to uphold some rules and ignoring others. I realize you cannot "catch" everything, but when someone complains, it should be investigated and dealt with in such a way that does not cause more conflict among those around them. I LOVE camping, I LOVE meeting new people and especially my neighbors, but this experience was an unfortunate weekend of blatant disregard for others and was a sad reminder of the type of people that you can always wind up next to. I sincerely hope you all have a better experience, and better neighbors that we did because there is a lot to enjoy about this park, it was just diminished for us.

Beautiful views, great campsites and facilities. We went to the ranger talks and met new friends. Definitely going back!

Beautiful beach with some great large rocks on the shore, Quiet at night, but plenty of kids and activity during the day.

I used to come here as a kid 15ish years ago and have wonderful memories. However, the place has changed. Brief note before I get into the real issue: the place is a dump. There are hardly any water spigots, the water fountains dont work, the bathrooms are disgusting, the gate on the cliff is eroded and rusty. Plus you are RIGHT next to a major road and train tracks. The sites offer little to no privacy. They charge $50 for basically a parking lot. Now to the real issue: The park has no idea how to handle any problems or issues, and I felt extremely unsafe. On my second night here I had a group of young men camp next to me. They were loud, bumping music from their truck and speakers, drinking (underage I think) and talking loudly. When I asked then to be respectful and at least turn down the bass, they called me a bitch and told me to fuck off. The rangers were gone. I went to two camp hosts and neither opened their door. After walking for thirty minutes and finding the final/third host, he said he would radio a ranger and take a look. At this point, the boys had seen me leave and knew I was going to complain so they turned off their music. I saw the camp host do a drive by in a golf cart but apparently, since it was no longer noisy, he never radioed a ranger. At no point did I see a State Park truck come by or anyone speak to the boys. They turned the music back on immeditately after the drive by. The host should not have ignored my situation. I am a young woman camping alone and clearly said I felt unsafe in my campsite. Doing a "drive by" and then ignoring me does nothing. He should have gotten out of his golf cart and told the boys cops would be called if they didn't stop harassing me and quiet down. Instead he enabled their behavior by ignoring it. The boys continued to harass me through my tent the rest of the night, calling me a cunt, dragging my picnic table from my site to theirs, etc. No other campers complained cause we were at the *very* end of the grounds across from a bathroom, so we were a bit isolated. At around 11pm another car pulled up and a few girls joined them. It was a bonfire and they wanted to party all night long. Not the place to do it. I finally called the police and they said they didn't have the authority to come into the state park. So the camp host ignored me, rangers were not present, and the police refused to help. In the morning, I went on a walk with my dog and when I came back they had vandalized part of my site and also left quickly so they wouldn't get in trouble. Every avenue I pursued was a dead end and I was left paying $50 for getting no sleep and feeling unsafe all night. In the morning I sought more help and compinsation (refund), which finally happened after talking to 4 different people. It shouldn't have come to that, and it shouldn't have had to wait till morning. While they were extremely apologetic and one camp host (not the one I spoke to the might before), was very nice, it is still B.S. I hope no woman ever has to feel this way. Staff at this park need to effectively handle bad situations, and not ignore them. In short: the place attracts the worst sort of people. I also had two women come into my site and start measuring whether their RV would fit-I was clearly trying to enjoy a meal and they thought that would be okay/appropriate. Seriously?! Totally oblivious. It is a beautiful bluff and great, easy access for surfing, but the people that stay here and incompetent staff make it not worth it.

Favorite coastal campground ever. Very clean. Beautiful beaches, never loud but also never too strict. Family friendly but not overrun with loud screaming children. This is a perfect staycation year round.

Its on the beach =one Star . Dog friendly , (on the beach even !)=another . Decent "amenities" like hot ($1 =4minutes)showers , Bull taco cafe, and other bars, restaurants, & 7-11 convenience store ,within a short walk. BUT --- that's as nice as I can be --- it's crowded , difficult to reserve ahead , and almost impossible to " walk - up"and secure a spot without having to move around everyday --- takes the fun out of camping. AND THE LOUD TRAINS !! All night !And the DING DING gate for the train !!!Awful! And the highway noise is also hard to ignore . Hey ,did I mention the scads of homeless you will have to walk thru , if you go to Nearby restaurants???which also means they are " encamped"near your camp. "Inland "/ cheap spots are$35 a nite,but ocean -facing sights go for as much as $65nightly-- ouch. I can think of better places to camp in So.Cal.

My first camping experience, went with couple of friends who has been camping before - this is NOT what I expected. The train camp through all day and night, I could barely sleep! It was nice there was plumbing bathrooms. Good view of the beach. Walking the beach at night with the moon shining was nice, but I'm pretty sure I won't go back to this place

Five full days of a clean 5-7' swell and a level, full-hookup RV site with an unobstructed ocean view...it doesn't get any better than this, folks. David Geffen may have Malibu but I got San Elijo. And I'm not even rich! P.S., The park store is a tad pricey so get your food, firewood & firewater in town. Don't worry, this town's got plenty.

NOT ADA ACCESSIBLE AT ALL. #FAIL they have a curb in the entire campground that makes it virtually impossible to access any campsite (including the ADA sites), educational theatre, restrooms and absolutely no beach access!! Crossing the street and the town of Cardiff are even worse! Pathetic!! To top it off the access to the bathrooms are blocked daily by the cleaning crew and maintenance. Sighhhh.

Well I was pleasantly surprised we got a site at the Southern tip loop (the last loop) site #68 which is not a Oceanfront site but we could see the ocean from where we were and you are literally less than 100 yards away from waves. Friendly Ranger at the gate, crowded drive down to our site (but it IS the summer) LOTS of pets, bathrooms were dirty but not unbearable (i've been in worst) showers were clean-ER in the early morning than they were at night (token operated - get tokens from Ranger station NOT the General Store). They have a little taco stand connected to the general store that prepares breakfast burritos and all sorts of street tacos... there was also a coffee cart there as well. We did NOT hear trains all not long I heard them maybe once after 11:00pm then the next one I heard was at like 6:00am... Squirrels we saw early in the afternoon when we first arrived but didn't see nor were bothered by them in the night time. Relatively quiet camp site in the evening. We went grocery shopping down there going pass Mira Costa College there is a Henry's Market, Trader Joes and a Ralphs but it was a drive to get there. If you get on the 5 south one exit after you get on there is a Von's much shorter distance. The wood was actually cheaper at the General Store than it was at Ralph's... Overall very nice campgrounds would like to come for another visit again but think I would like to stay in the Southern Loop again less traffic. Respectfully Reviewed

Positives: - Friendly staff - Large camping spots - Decent shade in some spots - Hot showers - Running water and electrical hookups - Fire pits - Beautiful views from the oceanside spots - Short walk down to beach Not so positives: - Expensive! - Dirty bathrooms - Super urban (maintenance buildings yards away, traffic noise from PCH) - Walk-up spot availability isn't updated online

You know what they say about location? Well you can't get better than San Elijo State Beach Campgrounds. Reasonable prices to camp as well. If you are aiming to camp on a holiday weekend be forewarned that if you haven't reserved months in advance you need to show up at O dark 30 to try and snag a cancellation. Restrooms and showers are in pretty close proximity to every campsite. If you don't feel like cooking there is Bull Taco right next to the camp store. If you forgot something there is the camp store. Camp store is also good for the early morning caffeine fix. Sometimes they even have donuts. I could go on and on about the ammenities but it really just comes back around to the location.

1:34 am and still awake- car horns blaring, engines roaring by, random people walking and muttering to no one in particular, freight trains blasting. I slept for about 40 minutes- right btwn 9:49 when I very humbly and apologetically asked the campers in the next lot to be a little quieter (my little ones still weren't asleep after nearly 2 hours of hysterical piercing screams and herniating cackles of 2 stout 50s-ish women) and just after curfew when one witch decided to broadcast her iPad playlist for us. Most campers come here with RVs and I won't come back without one either. Walls beat nylon for sound absorption every time. My boys and I love tent camping, but the whole point is lost at this site. The sounds of nature are drowned out by cars and trains; there is no sense of escape; Leucadia Pizzeria cars are whizzing by dropping off pies every 5 min; and I just don't think neon should be in view when I'm camping. That said, the beach is amazing! Gorgeous views, perfect SoCal weather, great waves, easy access to great food regardless of taste or budget, clean bathrooms. We will be back and often- just never to sleep. Luckily we're close enough for day trips. Great site for 20somethings who want to vacay by the beach cheap, or older folks with huge RVs and/or older kids. Not for tent campers with young kids who want to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of waves and crickets- which I am actually listening to at 2:08 am. Damn- a car just raced by at 40 mph inside the campground by our tent, followed by motorcycles revving down PCH. Must book in advance for good spots facing the sea. Be on the computer at 8 am on the 1st of the month, 6 mo ahead. The back/roadside row where I am now -sucks. Bad night, but now I know I won't make this mistake again.

Spent the weekend camping here again, and a weekend is just too short! Everything was solid as always. I am beyond grateful for the restrooms and showers here. Is it backcountry camping, no. But I'm not complaining about lighted restrooms with sinks and toilet paper! And hot showers! They have officially removed the rinse off showers that were at the tops of the staircases. We've gotten used to not using them though, as they've been turned off for the last few yrs due to the drought. The *official* reason for the complete removal was because they would not be ADA complaint if they were to be turned back on... ...But let's be real here. The state has saved so much money since they've been off, and now that the water ban has been lifted, people have been asking for them to be turned back on. But rather than spend money on water, they threw down the ADA compliance as the reason to not have to run them. And I'm all for ADA compliance, but these were showers at the tops of staircases with 120 steps. I dont see too many people who would need the showers to be accessible going through those staircases, and according to 2 pals of mine who are in wheelchairs, its because of the obvious reasons. Also, the staircases themselves aint compliant but its not like they are closing them off or building ramps. Speaking of accessible beach access...the south end of the campground near the Cardiff side doesnt have stairs. So if you are handicapable, or just dont want to have to walk up and down stairs, then the South end is for you! The camp store has coffee brewing the minute they open! THANK GOODNESS. The best $1.62 you'll ever spend. Skip the Bull Taco location here. It used to be better but hasn't been great in a long time. They keep their beverage boxes in the same room with the laundry machines. Last summer my sister and I were at the tables at like 11pm catching Pokemon lol, and we saw rats all over those soda boxes! Ugh it was awful. And I see a lot of people are still complaining about the trains that come by. I mean, you literally drive next to the train tracks on your way into the campground, soooo, how is it a surprise that trains go by again? And if its the loud train noises that are the problem, I mean, do people not know what a train sounds like? Baffles me.

To call this campground actually camping is a bit of a stretch. Yes ,you get a little plot and you set up your tent and you have a picnic table and a fire pit. Then again you are walking distance to a Starbucks, a Subway and a sports bar. With that said, this is a cool spot. Although it is very family oriented. We don't have any kids and we were definitely in the minority here. There are kids everywhere. There are bathrooms with hot showers (50 cents for 3 minutes) and the beach is right there. The lagoon is nearby and there were a lot of people fishing. The sunsets are some of the best. It's a good spot just to chill out, BBQ some food and drink lots of beer. You are next to the Amtrak and Coaster train tracks, so you have to get use to trains going by every 30 minutes or so. So you if you are looking for a good spot to go camping with the kids without the rigors of really roughing it, then this is the place to go.

This campground is great for families and kids. Lots of fun stuff to do nearby and plenty parks within walking distance. If you have a sweet tooth hit up VG's bakery across the street. You have to reserve your spot 6 months in advance and have a hair pin trigger keystroke to actually get the spot... because it is THAT fun staying here. We stay in a travel trailer that holds lots of water so I can't comment on the bathrooms or tent life. The train is loud but you can get use to it and the waves on the beach side muffle the noise. If you have small children the South side is a bit easier in terms of stairs to the beach. You can load up your wagon and walk down the the far end. You can bring a dog onto the beach at the South end. They have to be kept on a leash and the lifeguards patrol that. The little lagoon on the South end is also fun for kids. You can eat out nearly every meal when you stay here. Bull Taco (next to the camp store) is delicious, but the line is sometimes long. Sea Side Market is across the street and you can buy groceries or hot/cold meals at their deli. The clam chowder is delicious. You have to stop in a grab some treats at VGs. I also recommend driving or walking up to Encinitas and eating at Honey's for breakfast. Very fast, friendly service and a great coffee selection. We love staying here. We are lucky enough to stay at least 5 times a year.

This review is specific to spot # 15. It is a hook up spot, so it costs $100 a night. The "ocean view" is completely blocked out by overgrown shrubs, but there are only patchy tiny trees as privacy barriers. The spot itself is mostly concrete and is way way too narrow. Im feeling pretty ripped off right now, trim back your damn plants!

Our first time here and already one of my favorite new spots to camp. Beautiful views and good sized campsites. The grounds are kept very clean and the camp hosts are welcoming and attentive. I love that there is easy access to the beach and when the tide is low, you can do lots of fun exploring in the tide pools. This place has some great options within walking distance as far as markets, restaurants and shopping. One of the best things about staying here is that there are separate lanes for walkers and cyclists along PCH. You may hear a train or two during the night but what can you do. All in all, I give SASP 10/10. We will definitely be back.

This campground isn't for everyone. It's pretty close to the street, the train and just people in general, BUT it is also right on the cliff overlooking the beautiful ocean. If you are looking for a warm, beautiful place to stay while you're swimming, fishing or surfing, this is it. It's pretty pricey, especially when you add up the fees for extra cars, showers etc, but for us having one car and not showering here, it's perfect. You can choose to cook your own food at the campground, or you can buy delicious pizza+beer at best pizza across the street, or find gourmet option at the seaside market.

All of the positive reviews about this campground are fairly accurate. The true star of the camp is obviously the location. One could not ask for a better place close to the beach and close to necessities like Starbucks, shops and restaurants. Do yourself a favor and walk over to VG Donut & Bakery, you won't be disappointed. The bathrooms and coin-operated showers work well and are cleaned every morning. We only had a small issue with one shower not working, which the camp staff readily refunded our token. The staff at the camp entrance and store are friendly and helpful. I definitely recommend this camp and would stay here in the future, however, there are a couple things of which one should be aware. The coastal train goes by during the day and evening until about 11pm. There is a crossing right by the camp so the horn is blown three times every time it passes. Other trains run all night but less frequently. Get ear plugs if you are a light sleeper. Finally, there are animals and insects in camp so don't leave any trash unattended during the day or night. Crows during the day and squirrels at night will rummage through. We also had the squirrels chew holes in two bags for a small shade canopy that didn't contain any food so we found that odd. Otherwise, this is a great camp, it's very busy and books up quickly so make your reservations early.