RV Parks Southern California

San Clements State has nice full hookups and pull through sites but dogs are not allowed on the beach or on the nature trails away from the sites.

San Clemente State Beach has hookups.

There is a nice private campground in Chula Vista on the water near San Diego.

Silver Strand State Beach in Coronado (San Diego area) puts you right on an ocean front beach. They now have power hookups there. But it's expensive and somewhat like a parking lot. No dogs on beach. Do your homework before heading there. It might not appeal to you. The place is somewhat regimented. Lock you in at night, etc, etc.

EDIT: A Year Old Review of the upgrades they did there in 2013. It gives a bit of the "flavor" of the place.

Dockweiler State Beach might be the closest to Newport Beach. But: "The wide beach is beneath the takeoff path from Los Angeles International Airport." Never been there myself, however.

Dana Point in Orange County has Doheny SB and a Map of Doheny Campground. Never stayed at the State Park but have gone to the beach there.

:C This might be a nicer campground & not far from Newport Harbor/Bay. We did some Tidal Pool time at Crystal Cove SP, did not go up to the camping area. It was not too far of a drive to Newport Beach (nice sandy beaches there. It is just up the coast from Dana Point. Map of CampGround. Camping area is on the opposite side of Hwy One, up in the hills.

Carpinteria State Beach gets you pretty close to the beach. Not far from Santa Barbara.

Never been to this one, but have read some nice reports of it: Jalama Beach Santa Barbara County Park and Campground.

We stayed at Carpinteria State Park when we wanted to see things around Santa Barbara. These are the options we had in 2006: Gaviota SP, Refugio State Beach & El Capitán SB but no dump stations and Carpinteria SB is a nice place with long beach area & a dump site.

Then we wanted to be near Malibu. Near but not too close to Malibu: Point Mugu SP also nice but small beach, Leo Carrillo SP excellent & with nice tide pools & Wi-Fi Service but small rocky beach. We stayed at Carpinteria and Point Mugu that summer, and have stayed at Leo Carrillo and Refugio earlier years.

Closer to Malibu: Point Dume SB & Zuma County Beach seem to have some camping in or by them if memory serves, we have stopped at Point Dume with its nice sand beach but not camped.

Leo Carrillo's campground and Point Mugu Sycamore campground are in wooded canyons up from the beach areas, Mugu has some beach camping as well off a roadway parking area type. We found Neptune's Net Seafood to have great seafood. The Scene – This glorified roadside shack is situated alongside Malibu's picturesque Pacific Coast Highway. As I remember, it is close to Carillo & Point Mugu. At least it was between Malibu & Point Mugu.

We also stayed at McGrath State Park between Ventura and Oxnard in 2006. A very nice campground with trees & shade, a wooded, bamboo area with trails. A small river running by not far, not too neat a river. The the real downside, it is a long walk to the beach and the beach is not a nice one at all. It has a nice campground, not bunched up, sadly the beach was dangerous at best, with coarse broken shell-sand and very steep bank/drop off to the water. Lot of sand dunes getting to the beach. No Photos of the beach. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=607

McGarth was a good place to base for seeing Ventura & Oxnard. We enjoyed it there as we did Carp and Mugu. We drove to the Getty Villa from Mugu. But Carrillo might be a nicer place to try of the two. But Mugu is close enough to see Ventura & Oxnard & Getty Villa / Malibu.

Carpinteria State Park has some parking lot like campsites, but have others that are not. The ones farthest back along the park road are nicest, up on a small "bluff".

Nice tital pools off Leo Carrillo's beach, also small scale ones at Point Mugu's small but sandy beach.

Malibu RV Park Very nice area. Up above the beach on a hillside across Hwy. 1 from beach area. Very expensive. Never stayed here myself. A friend did for a while when first moved to California, while looking for a place to live.

San Clemente State Beach which is in Orange County but is close to San Diego County. Not been there, but seems neat. One would have to walk to the beach down from a bluff.

An old post on the Los Angles Area - Sites & Sights Plus on Santa Barbara, San Simeon, Monterey & Half Moon Bay.

San Diego Beach Camping an old post.

On old post on San Diago Beach Camping.

Well, So California is a pretty big place. There are many Ca State Parks on the ocean that you can stay at for 14 days in the winter season. No hookups but right on the water. There are 3 close to Santa Barbara, 1 in Ventura (Emma Wood), Thornhill Broome (closer to Malibu), and on down the coast. There is a park with hookups, Dockweiler Beach RV Park (NOT the state park) that I believe is on the ocean. There's a pricey one in Malibu overlooking the ocean, on a bluff. Do some research, you'll find one you like.