South Carlsbad State Beach

Great camp spot on bluffs overlooking the ocean. Only a dozen or so hookup sites and they are hard to get. Reserve 6 months ahead if you can. There’s a camp store and cafe with live music open 5 days a week. A few blocks from grocery store and restaurants. Reasonably clean showers and restrooms.

I love this place so much… I even found the whale vertebrae! The waves are beautiful. There’s a ton of surfers lots of shelling and so many rocks.

Breathtakingly beautiful, the sunset paints the sky in a dazzling array of colors, transforming the horizon into a magnificent canvas of fiery oranges, soft pinks, and deep purples, inviting everyone to pause and marvel at nature's exquisite artistry. Stunning

Im from ocean beach/Point Loma but THIS is my favorite ultimate beach.. favorite rock hunting location, stress relieving, never big crowds on rocks by waves so PERFECT for some alone time energy balancing, priority thinking, self love.

This is a clean, manicured Camping area and it was a pleasure to visit. Great assortment of sites to choose from. It was quiet and there were multiple bathrooms that had showers and were cleaned each day. It was a pleasant experience and I will be back for more. Thank you>>> for the awesome greeting from the lady at the entrance that connected me to my site. She was very professional and friendly.

Campground : Very convenient location . Kids friendly . Clean bathroom and shower . Nice staff. Great weather for the most part . Have had an amazing experience with all past campings .

Beautiful campground with good bathrooms. The campstore has a variety of drinks and often has live music in the evening. Lots of fun :)

Always have a great time here. Love it! The staff is also great and so happy which makes the experience so much better. Many thanks.

Lots of convenient spots to park. Downtown has restaurants, coffee, bevies galore, so much to take in. Definitely worth enjoying the day here. The beach: beautiful day, long open beach, soft gentle waves, not too crowded, and epic sunset. Walked away with a full heart.

Very busy in a weekend. Can't check in until 2pm and after, not a minute before. They have live entertainment at the store by the kick for a few hours. Large campsites. Good amount of space away from your neighbors. Lots of campers in bikes and walking, so watch your speeds. Beautiful ocean view and fresh air.

Great campground! A few things to note: The camp store is awesome- and they do have a limited number of reservations. The coin machines here only take cash. The check in time is a VERY strict 2:00 pm and not a minute earlier. The sites are all very large with limited shade so being an easy up. Large stairs to access the beach. About 5 miles from Carlsbad city center.

Beautiful day! .....Lots of people, ..... summer is ending for a lot of families....time for the kids to go back to school....parking is tough around here.....BUT so worth it.... Beaches are clean and the water is cool.. temps in the high 70's today. Awesome!!!! 7/31/24 Enjoy!

What a beautiful beach. The only thing about this particular beach is that there is no parking. The parking is 8 minutes away at Ralph's. If you want to eat at the camp store you get 45 minutes to do so. There is 5 parking spots for the camp store. The campground is a great spot for campers. The view is amazing. They have restrooms at the campground.

We enjoyed our beach day! You have to find parking, but fortunately we got lucky! We parked around Cherry Avenue. This is a nice beach in a nice area of San Diego. Specifically, what I love about this beach is that you can park and you'll have easy access to the beach! The kiddos had fun playing in the water and sand while my partner and I relaxed. We saw dolphins and squirrels too... the kiddos loved it!

Beach is Great! Parking is difficult Great shops and restaurants around Locals set up very early with tarps and chairs and get there later

Amazing beach for family and friends get together. It's a clean and safe environment.

Not my favorite camping spot, although the ocean view is beautiful. The 101 runs right next to camping spots, and traffic is pretty loud. The campground was impeccably clean with large spaces and room for 3 cars to park. More than one tent per site is allowed. Leashed dogs are permitted but not on the beach. Additional cars after the first one are $15 per day. Bathrooms have adequate toilet paper but no soap or paper towels. Bring your firewood and supplies as Carlsbad is an expensive area to shop in. Very safe for the kids. Other than traffic noise, the campground was very quiet at night.

First time car camping at So Carlsbad State Beach. Perfect weather on this visit. Lovely views of the Carlsbad State Beach ocean. Bathrooms and showers are located within walking distance from all camp sites. The camp hosts are very friendly and keep area orderly. Thankful we had nice neighbors and everyone abided by the late night quiet time. Camp Store centrally located with pizza, burgers and hot dogs. Local grocery store and coffee within 20min walking distance. I would definitely come back here. Book times are 6 months in advance but you might get lucky checking daily especially during peak season! You never know if a spot can become available!

What's not to LOVE about South Carlsbad State Beach? It's absolutely perfect!! It's so peaceful and beautiful!! I love this area so much!! Next time I will take more photos

Great beach, easy access, not super crowded. My only qualm would be that it didn't seem handicap accessible at the main entrance. I only saw stairs -- no ramps -- and about half a dozen people in wheelchairs parked at the top of the stairs, looking out at the beach. It broke my heart.

This is a very well kept campground. The bathrooms are very clean with lots of toilet paper. There is a sink to wash dishes and spigots around the campground. I stayed in site 24 in the north side. Check in starts at 2pm exactly and sometimes there's a line. The address is different than what google gives you since you have to drive down a bit to get to the entrance. There's site with no bushes so no privacy not to mention that some kids will go into your site to hang out which I figured was rude. Cell service is good and they do have a camp store. The firewood at Ralphs which is about 5 mins away is cheaper about 8 bucks a bundle. Most of the premium sites on the north end have unobstructed views of the ocean. I paid around 77 bucks for one night and booked about a month ahead.

Needs more parking and less RV parking. But overall is a nice beach to fish but just needs better bathrooms.

Worth the price of admission. The perfect place to relax and reflect on life. I stop by here often as my office is only a few blocks away. Parking is easy and the beach is clean.

Wow super nice beach! Reminds me of the strand around Redondo. Lots of walking paths over looking the beach. Just a really nice beach to chill. There are volleyball courts, lots of open spaces for games. This is a great place for a picnic. Close to the outlet mall and Carlsbad Village. Parking on the street and throughout the neighborhood.

My friends visited from LA and were really impressed by the cleanliness of South Carlsbad State Beach. The sand was smooth, and with the exception of the seaweed, the beach was really clean. There were no garbage on the beach, which was great! The kids had a great time boogie boarding and playing in the sand. The adults had a nice time lounging and jumping around! We came on July 4th weekend (Saturday) and there were plenty of free parking on the beach, which was really nice! Our crew of 12 had a bunch of beach gear to lug around, so it was pretty awesome that we easily found parking a few steps away from the sand. If parking is always this great, then it's worth the far drive to Carlsbad for me! We had a fun day in the sun and couldn't have picked a better beach! My first time here, but definitely won't be my last!...

As I was aiming for my destination home I realized the beach was right there. We hadn't planned on going to the beach because it was raining. The vibes along the coast was so beautiful so I stayed one more hour looking at the beautiful view. The locals had on their puffy down feathers coats with their families just walking along the beach like it was a beautiful summer day! I decided to do the same. "Life is short "! Live like every given moment is your last

It is all about the lifeguard towers. 20 and 21 are more family oriented. 22 to 25 are more surfing and tower 30's are more youth oriented in the village. Find your paradise. The beaches are awesome.

BEAUTIFUL beach to watch the sunset RIGHT along the shore. I couldn't believe how gorgeous this was. We took a little family trip out here where my one year old was obsessed with the beach and tasty sand apparently lol. This beach is conveniently located right off a main road where you can pull your car into the parking lot, walk over to the stairs and descend down into the rocky beach.

What can I say about Carlsbad State Beach. It's almost perfect just like most of the beaches in North San Diego County. There are some very spectacular things about this beach. One it is a great place to enjoy a beautiful sunset. It is a phenomenal place to pick up a beach volleyball game, three it's got a very good beach break so it is awesome for Boogie boarding. Another little perk not known by all is you can have Knockout Pizza delivered right down to your Beach Blanket. Don't forget to tip the delivery person it's well worth it they worked very hard bringing you that pizza down all those steps. So tip well. North San Diego County does a very nice job keeping their beaches pristine for all the many tourists that come and visit Southern California. This particular Beach is behind a resort known as the Carlsbad Inn I've stayed there many times it's a very very nice place to stay. If you get a chance make it over to Carlsbad State Beach one word of caution there are sometimes stingrays near the beach so be careful while you're out there but then again they're probably all up and down the coast we just don't see them. Thank you city of Carlsbad and thank you state of California for keeping our beaches clean if you visit there do your part leave the beach cleaner than when you arrived. While you visit north San Diego County make it over to the Carlsbad State Beach you'll have a fun time from morning Noon till night.

Circled back to give another try and still the WORST campsite ever. The hosts here have all the charm of a prison guard and make you feel like you're on thin ice at all times. Cold & Unwelcoming, mediocre grounds at best, beach sucks, all rules and no positivity. Overall completely unimpressive. Do yourself a favor and skip completely .

This is usually our favorite place to stay. However this last trip was miserable. The newest camp hosts has 2 dogs that were outside every day and just barked non stop. Crowds were intense and every site had triple the amount of people allowed. It's summer so expect more noise than usual.

This place was neat. Growing up we went camping a lot. This location wasn't too far from our home and the beach was lovely. It wasn't the type of beach to go and lay out in the sun when we were there. We were there Friday, Saturday and left Sunday on an overcast weekend. The camping spots were a good size and each had a fire pit and picnic table. We were on the right side after pulling up and paying for the parking ($15/night). We were invited (2 adults, 2 kids) by a friend and his two kids and we both brought our 6 people tents, chairs and a car and SUV all fit well. The bathrooms were only one campsite away! Plus there were lots of bathroom facilities down the road. We were not on "ocean" side, but across the way and still saw the ocean with no issues. There were some lookout points every so often and there were stairs going down to the beach! We saw a snack shack place/store, but didn't get a chance to go in. It was quiet at night so that was nice. People running and walking their dogs and kids playing, bike riding and scootering around throughout the day. Overall, there was a good vibe the whole time we were there. My girls had never gone camping, but they enjoyed it so we'll be returning in a few days again!

One of my fave beaches in so cal ! It's not too busy like mission or PB, even when it does get crowded it stays pretty chill. Cute beach town with good food and good vibes

Our absolute favorite place in all of SoCal. The views from the walking paths are unlike any others in the area. We also love that they have a paved walking path by the beach as well so you can be closer to the water. We come here a couple times a week, and it is one of our favorite parts of the week too! It is a great place to unwind and is just so peaceful. Everyone is usually good at respecting other people's space and the dogs are well behaved. We also love that it is just a short walk from the Village. There is so much to do in this area, and the State Beach is the perfect place to end your day and watch the sunset (and see some dolphins).

Fun place! Ample space for everyone and every age. People had brough picnic blankets, chairs and sports activities! The water is cold and refreshing but not too bad albeit the waves are very strong so need to be careful and watch the little kids out. Shower available and pretty clean bathrooms!

Needed to have some fun in the sun. This place was clean and plenty of parking that you didn't have to pay for. Perfect weather for chasing a sunset and get a tan. Everyone was spaced out enough and respected each other space. Tons of places in walking distance from the beach.

My husband and I had an amazing day at Carlsbad state beach. We got to see the antics of a squirrel, and also had the honor of watching a sandpiper get some dinner at the coastline. The beach is quite clean, with impressive rocky cliffs and gentle waves. We enjoyed playing in the water together. It spun us around as we sat, and we felt like children again as we held hands. It's one of our most precious memories of our times in San Diego.

I'm not a hardcore camper but this campground is so good. This was my second stay. We rented a 20 foot camper and had it delivered to our site. Each spot has a big fire pit and picnic bench. Most sites also have some shrubbery between spaces for a bit of privacy. I like the spots that overlook the beach. You are up on a bluff and there is a chain link fence so you wont fall down the cliff. You should book in advance but it is still possible sometimes to get a spot if someone cancels and you are flexible. Bathrooms and showers are close to any space you get. I really enjoy this campground and the experience.

Really nice and friendly lifeguards, but the beach isn't dog friendly and the parking lot is tiny. Glad we checked it out though!

Voted one of the worst state campgrounds in Southern California. Always some kind of dissatisfaction with the showers. Not working, but taking your money. They don't get hot! Constantly a problem here. Boooo!

This is really the only reason to go to Carlsbad. The beach here is wonderful. It is clean and ever so long. You can walk and there is so much to see. They have an RV park and if you are into that, it looked super. We did not RV. We love swimming in the warm water and in some areas there are many surfers to watch and some of them are good. Everyone on the beach was nice and friendly. It was not too crowded. The skyline is just beautiful. You will love it.

Very little parking and not really any wheelchair access or disabled parking , but beautiful place to drive past or park, sit in your car and enjoy the waves crashing.

Best location for a campground ever. During all this craziness in 2020 the campground has been closed for camping but OPEN for pedestrians (biking, skateboarding and scooters etc). It's been so nice to walk it when there are no campers (except the hosts) or commotion. Obviously there are constant ocean views, bathrooms are still open and the scenery never disappoints! FYI: it's a 1.5 mile walk from one end to the other.

We didn't stay at the campgrounds, but we did enjoy the beach on two different days. The parking situation is tough (even on the Thursday we visited), so plan to get here early. We got lucky and found a parking spot quickly. The following day, we walked to the beach, so parking was not an issue. After a short walk from the parking area, a decline down the hill leads to the beach itself. This part of the beach was rocky in some areas, but beyond the rocks was sand. People were social distancing, which was great. The kids loved the water, enjoyed throwing a football around, and building sandcastles. We spent about three hours at the beach, and overall, it was a nice experience.

I love Carlsbad state beach. It's always peaceful here for me. Even if there are people everyone minds their business and if you do have communication most people are friendly. The kids and I always enjoy just taking some time here to relax and meditate and enjoy what the ocean has to offer us. Its calming to hear the ocean waves and enjoy the freshness of the moment everytime we are here.

During covid, if you could snag a spot here it's def worth it. Def Saturday's are booked as far as the eye can see but we found a Sunday spot in August and it was literally perfect temperatures and not too crowded when I went. I tried to find literature in any of the sites that would share if there's someone at the gate to let a car out if they needed to leave and the answer is the gate leaving is unmanned. To come back in though you must come back before the gate closes at sunset usually. This policy may change as the situation changes day by day with covid. And when you call the park and rec line for this specific site (949) area code it rings without anyone picking up. I love that you can park right next to the site, see pictures. Makes it very convenient when you don't have to lug your stuff further then a few inches from your site. And the views ! You do hear the background train tracks and highway but the site beauty itself more than makes up for it. Sites are extremely close to each other so peaceful campers beware.

I live across the street and I'm at the beach (low tide) or campgrounds to run 3-4 times a week. I'm not a camper.....but; So, if you want a place to camp on a cliff overlooking one of the best beaches down here... this is it. The facilities are spotless due to a great state park crew. The sites look roomy and people seem to have fun and are quiet. It also has a nice camp store to pick up last minute items and a big walkable shopping center. The beach is typical north county, rocky in winter and perfect April-October. Great for kids! I'd highly recommend this campground.

We haven't actually stayed at the camp ground. We stay at the Cape Rey Hotel across the street and walk over. The camp ground is very clean and the beach is great. Since there isn't any public parking, it doesn't get crowded. The sand is so soft!!!

VERY POPULAR BEACH ! My wife and I ride our bikes past this pristine beach even now and then. We stopped to take a few pics on Sunday. The recently opened Alila Marea Beach Resort has a commanding view along the beach front here. And there is plenty of parking on the side of the road !

Looking forward to spending some more time on this Beach. This is from a trip and visit from November 2018. Back in November, I flew out to San Diego/Carlsbad for a reunion that I had waited for for over 47 years. In 1971, my Ex Wife and I were unable to properly take care and nurture a beautiful baby girl and gave her up for adoption. Looked for her a number of times over the years but began a concentrated effort about 15 years ago and it appears she did as well. Sept 2, we both got a hit on Ancestry.com and the rest is history. We reunited on Nov 8th in a very emotional reunion. She had to work the next day and the new found Grandson I did not know about had school so I was on my own Drove down to Old Carlsbad and did some exploration and it's a neat place, Experienced and In-N-Out and loved the Double Double. In the process, pulled over to the side of the road at the State Park and walked out onto the Beach to reflect. Beach was beautiful and being November and them temp's in the mid-70's, still populated but not crowded. Not like the Atlantic Beaches which tend to be a gray color but not like the beaches in the Florida Panhandle with the Snow White Campaign Sand. More like Florida Beaches like Sanabel or San Padre in Texas. Not crowded and it came down to just me, the beach and the Pacific Ocean which at this point is pretty quite. Time to reflect on what occurred a long time ago, the time in between now and where do we go from her. This and other events lead me to change my life and go ahead and retire and spend time with those I care about. If you can avoid the crowds, this is perfect place to visit, collect your thoughts, mediate and plan a harmoniums path forward.

Nice clean beach, no dogs allowed and not too many seagulls. Parking lot was full so we just found free parking on the street. Walk down the cliff to the beach. Rocks in the sand rolling in waves kept bumping my feet but it was still nice.

I've come around on this beach. It checks all the boxes: easy parking, sand, waves, and fresh air. Yet living nearby, it didn't feel "special" compared to its counterparts around SD County. Today something clicked - as the old book titled state "Wherever you go, there you are." It was an overcast day, and without the sun beating down, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths. The ocean air combined with the sound of the crashing waves created a sense of inner peace and joy. I'll qualify this by saying that I haven't been to this beach during peak times - but on a cloudy weekday morning, it was perfect.

I'm a person that loves to experience camping anywhere, beach, woods, desert. I've just started to camp (with my Little Guy trailer) more often. I've always wanted to camp this campground because I saw it was constantly packed with campers, especially the summer. Well, I finally had the chance to camp for a couple of days with my sister. I just wanted to give it a feel for a couple of days, which was cut short due to rain. One over night stay into the next evening we still enjoyed our time nonetheless. Pro's - Awesome sunsets - Sounds of the crashing waves - Space #212 roomy, fits 2 cars and our Little Guy trailer nicely *** This side does have a chain link fence that may obstruct your view of The ocean, but still a great view. - Clean restrooms and shower (token operated) - Spigot nearby - Laundry room (closed November until March) - Gift/snack shop (closed from November until March) - Campground hosts/rangers do occasional checks - Stairway to the rocky beach below - Fire pit with grill and picnic table available at the site Con's - Hungry squirrels (they're bold), protect your food! - Rocky beach (if your looking forward to lay or play in the sand) - Street and train noise I would definitely like to come back and experience a longer stay, maybe at spring or summer time. I heard that reservations at this campground can fill up quickly.

First time in Carlsbad so we picked the closest beach. We've done newport, Huntington and a few others. This beach was ideal for our situation with young kids 5,3 and 6 month old. We parked in the main lot and paid 6 bucks for two hours. Our spot on the beach was about 50 yards from the truck. We stopped in at the Walmart before hand and grabbed a few beach towels, beach chairs and some sand toys and it made for a fun day at the beach. When we arrived it was quiet. Just as we were leaving at 3, it started to get busier but not bad.

Very safe and clean campsite. The bathrooms are clean. Overall it was a nice view and friendly people/staff. I had a great time there. I would highly recommend and would return again.

I wouldn't recommend this beach for young children. Lots of sticks rocks in the sand. Getting to the beach is a slippery slope down a mound of large pebbles. No paths. Tiny lot to park in off the side of the road.

Carlsbad State Beach is gorgeous! I never really go to this part of San Diego county. The beach itself is beautiful and great for walking,sunbathing, picnics and swimming. Although, I personally don't like going in the water for hygienic reasons. There is a beach parking lot available and also residential neighborhood parking. The area of Carlsbad Village reminded me a lot of Santa Barbara. It almost seemed as if I weren't in San Diego County. If you decide to visit the beach during COVID for a walk, please wear a mask and continue to social distance from other people.