South Carlsbad State Beach

First of all, check in time is 2:00 p.m. Don't even THINK about coming at 1:50. I got there early and they wouldn't even allow me to wait in the parking lot. Sent me down the road to find free beach parking. When I came back at 2:01, there were two lines. They were pretty efficient getting people in.
Nice bathrooms and showers, but the showers need tokens and the tokens can only be bought a mile or so back down the road by the entrance. I was all leveled up and settled in my van, so didn't drive back down the road.
The sites are private. The view is nice, but there is a chain link fence between the site and the ocean. Access to the beach means again walking or driving a couple miles.
Very busy place, and sites are only feet from the main road through the campground, meaning everyone who passes by on foot, bike, skateboard or vehicle are just a couple feet from your rig.
I am a full time nomad. I stay 99% of the time in National Forests or BLM land for free. When I pay $70 to stay somewhere for the night, I guess I just hope for a little bit more.

1) My site was empty the night before, but they will not allow an early check in.
2) No hook ups, but they do not allow a generator until 10AM!..Isn't everyone awake by 8AM?
3) Wife drives the tow car but they charge 15/night if it is not equipped with a tow bar.
4) 15 mph down narrow pavement where lots of people are walking and kids playing.
5) I have a 34' and there is 6-7 feet empty behind me, but they say the maximum is 35'

Overall it is a nice view but the park rules seem to need to be evaluated.

Well, premium is the beach side spot with dirt for 70 dollars. I guess if no one came they would lower the cost the state park. The beach below is rocks so you will have a hard time walking on it but down the road its a better walk. People at the store are really nice and we had music and drinks. They even had holiday decorations to boot.

We stayed in our sprinter shorty with two dogs on required 6 foot leash overlooking the pacific. $70 site with no benefits except nearly unobstructed view of the pacific.

Most premier ocean view sites have bushes between the spots. Some do not. I thought it was a fantastic stay and enjoyed it thoroughly.

$70 is a bit much for a campsite with no services but most don’t come with this view.

The bathrooms were VERY clean. The showers were hot. I had leftover tokens but downside no token machines AT the showers seems you need to get tokens where you come in. So consider that on your way in. One token $0.50. Is for 2 min hot water. Easily get clean with hot water for a dollar.

I’ll be back.

There are lots of people arriving and leaving every day, so the vibe overall is busy. Lots of people including locals walking and running through the campground because it provides beach and surfing access. Dogs only allowed on leash, and not on the beach. Sites are on dirt with limited privacy hedges between spots. Most sites are large enough for 2 vehicles/RVs, and overall level. The campground is on a bluff high above the beach, and there are several stairways down to the beach.

Bring your locks for bikes, generators, solar and other valuables. We didn’t lose anything but there were warning signs about HIGH THEFT RISK posted throughout the campground.

Campground is on a bluff above a nice popular beach. Dogs are not allowed on beach anywhere. The campground is very popular with families so plenty of kids on bikes all day patrolling. There is a very nice store area with food and beer/wine and when we were there a guy playing guitar for people enjoying food and beverages at sunset. Overall a nice campground for Southern California beach camping.

We stayed here for a quick photoshoot in Carlsbad and loved the idea of being right on the beach. The view is beautiful so we’re glad we went for one night but probably wouldn’t go back. The sites are small and packed next to each other and there are no hookups so it's a nice view but not worth the price.

We don’t recommend it if you need to work because there’s no electrical connection and the cell service isn’t reliable. But definitely go here if you are on vacation and just want to hang out by the beach.

T-mobile: download = 10mb / upload = < 1mb

✅ PROS
On the ocean - great views

❌ CONS
No privacy
Chain link fence blocks the view
Sticklers about 2 pm check-in (we rocked up 7 minutes early and they wouldn’t let us in)
Small lots
Bad cell signal (t-mobile and AT&T)
No hookups
Pricey for no hookups

Love this campsite!! Definitely will try for a site on the water side next time for the view. The stairs leading down to the sand are like 3 stories in length and pretty spread out, so try and get a spot close to stairs. The showers are token operated and the only token station is at the checkin kiosk and cash only. It’s a big campsite so bring a bike or get the tokens on your way in! Loved the site. Many of the SoCal beach campsites have the train tracks super close but this doesn’t! You hear a bit of street traffic, but mostly just the rolling waves!

This is a state park, right on the water. The premium sites are literally on the bluff of the ocean. Some of the sites can accommodate up to a 45 foot rig from the fence to the road. The sites are all about 40 to 45 feet wide. Great cell coverage on both AT&T and Verizon. Was getting about 50 Mb per second on AT&T. Generator hours are strict from 10 AM to 8 PM. You can hear the crashing waves all day and all night, so that drowns out any generator noise pretty well.

The Pacific coast highway is right next to the campground, so you do hear road noise day and night. I’m sure it’s especially loud if you’re in a tent or a soft sided RV.