The Best Spots to Camp on the Beach Along the US West Coast

Southern California

Leo Carrillo State Park in Malibu

A stunning beach camping spot just north of Malibu proper. For the photographers reading, this park is well known for the beachside caves you can explore and photograph sunset from within.

• Cost: $45
• Funny comment: “I loathe to rate this 5 stars because I don’t want anyone else finding out about it and the rates to increase anymore (I’ve seen them go from ~10 bucks to $60 a night) and availability to greatly decrease. So please don’t go here 😘. Also, the critters in the tide pools have mostly been picked, as it’s pretty barren compared to what it once was, so if you do go, please don’t touch anything.” Evan Aldrich

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Crystal Cove State Park in Laguna Beach

Crystal Cove is a 3.2-mile-long beach in Laguna Beach that can provide a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the Los Angeles area. Since campsites are not on the beach, these coastal campsites are often not booked out months in advance, so Crystal Cove is perfect for any last-minute arrivals.

• Cost: $25
• Funny comment: “Honestly, all there is there is sand and water, and clean bathrooms without any needles. Ok, it really is a 5-star place, but I want to keep it for myself. Don’t hate.” -Robert Rogers

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San Elijo State Beach in Encinitas

If you are a surfer, this is a must-stay because you are centrally located in all the north county surf spots of San Diego. If you are not a surfer, San Elijo is a great family spot to camp along the coast. Pro Tip: bring an e-bike to explore the coastline and town.

• Cost: $35
• Helpful comment: “The beach is nice, but make sure you look at the map before selecting a campsite. The campground is right beside a busy road (that quiets down significantly after 9 pm) but is also within 100 yards of a very active railroad line. The trains sound their horns right next to the campground all night.” Alex Miller

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Carpinteria State Beach in Carpinteria

Located halfway between Santa Barbara and Ventura, this campground is a great place to camp with a tent, RV, or van. The water is accessible for swimming and surf breaks are found north and south only a few miles. Lastly, make sure to walk along the beach for sunset, they are stellar here!

• Cost: $45
• Helpful comment: “Laid back!!! This place is a definition of a beautiful sleepy California beach town. If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of the big touristy beach towns, stay here. It’s got some good mom-and-pop restaurants and a small shopping plaza for your basic needs, some hotels and inns and even a brewery. Due to the severe high waves weather advisory, we didn’t stay long, but we still enjoyed the morning walk on the beach.” -Dut Kasilag

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Pacific Dunes Ranch Campground in Pismo Beach

While this campground is geared towards RVs and vans, the Pacific Dunes Ranch is as close as you can get to the OHV sand dunes that give Pismo Beach its namesake. These rolling dunes are a haven for all those who love a good time in the sand. If you are like me, getting sand everywhere isn’t my kind of fun, so make sure to walk to the beach and enjoy a casual body surf.

• Cost: $70
• Helpful comment: “Great campground for the family. I have two younger kids and they love the dunes access and sledding down the sand dunes. Sites are slightly snug if you have a larger trailer but great place to stay if you plan to visit the surrounding beaches. The newly added, “clubhouse,” is great for playing board games while the kids watch Disney+ on the tv in the evening or if their is rainy/windy weather.” -Ashley Hazelton

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Northern California

Kirk Creek Campground in Big Sur

Wake up to stunning ocean views outside of your tent, or RV. Located at the bottom of the Big Sur area, with 33 first-come first-serve sites, make sure to reserve your site before you go because this campground is almost always full by mid-morning.

• Cost: $45
• Helpful comment: “Great campground. Located right on the California coast, this campground is probably one of the prettiest in the state. Camping here means you are basically cut off from the rest of the world: no wifi, no cell signal, just you and the waves.” -Hannah Lin

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Glamping Tent in Soquel

No need to pack a tent, this forest glamping Airbnb has you covered with everything you need to enjoy both the forest and the beach. The glamping sites, complete with a bed and deck, are only 10 minutes from the beach. Guests have dubbed these sites as the perfect spot “to decompress and recharge.”

• Cost: $181
• Helpful comment: “Absolutely loved this beautiful spot. Unbelievably cozy beds and linens, we were toasty warm. The setting in the forest is incredibly atmospheric with owls and deer. I would return in a heartbeat!” -Natasha and Tom

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An Airstream Overlooking the Beach in Half Moon Bay

The most unique stay on this list of campsites is this Airstream comes with a large deck, fire pit, and Adirondack chairs overlooking the ocean. Drive up and park your car, then wander into this cute and cozy Airstream with 360-degree views of the Pacific Ocean and the rugged cliffs around the Half Moon Bay area. There is plenty of room for you to roll out a yoga mat and get your zen on.

• • Cost: $399
  • Helpful comment: “BOOK. THIS. NOW. We loved staying in the Airstream! I was dubious if the scenery would actually match the pictures online—but real life was actually better! You get panoramic views of the Pacific coast and can hear the surf crashing the beach and rocks! I was also a little worried about staying in the Airstream because I had never “camped” before, but a quick orientation phone call from the owners and everything was SO EASY! We had no problems with having enough battery power or water… it was like being in a very private condo with a million dollar view!” -Rebecca

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Coast Campground Point Reyes National Seashore

Pack your backpack and head to Coast Campground with a few friends for a great night of sleep in Point Reyes National Seashore. The sites here are limited, 14 in total, and require a 1.8-mile hike, keeping most people away. This added effort keeps the sites quiet for a great night of sleep with a “private” beach as the day trippers leave around sunset.

• Cost: $30
• Helpful comment: “Perfect beginner’s backpacking trip for families. Three flat miles in via Coast Trail and two miles out via Fire Lane/Laguna trails. Beautiful beach, potable water from two faucets, relatively clean pit toilets. I would recommend groups and campers with kids stay in sites 8-14.” -Justin Steele

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Lost Coast Backpacking Route

Spanning 53 miles of Northern Califonia’s Coastline, this backpacking trip goes beyond car camping. Taking an average of three nights and four days, the Lost Coast Trail is an iconic California backpacking trip with views of coastal cliffs and sea life that will bring you a joyful reprieve from the sand walking.

• Cost: $12 per person for 14 nights max

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Oregon

Cape Lookout State Park in Tillamook

Featuring beachfront campsites for tents and RVs with stunning ocean views and access to hiking trails on the quintessential Oregon coast. Keep an eye out along the cliff band as you might spot a few hang gliders ridge soaring. Oh, and don’t forget to bring your bug spray.

• Cost: $23
• Funny comment: “Easy layout, SUPER close to the beach…which is a double-edged sword. We camped in January and there was a storm that destroyed our stuff; 2.5″ of rain, 70mph winds, flooded the campground trails, flooded our campsite, flooded the road in/out and the raccoons are especially devious here; They figured out how to open our difficult-to-open cooler and dragged food items into the bushes, opened a latched box with shoes and carried the box away and they ran off with our unopened half & half…” -Gary DeBro

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Cornerstone Ranch in Brookings

Cornerstone Ranch is an alternative camping site inland of the Instagram famous Harris Beach State Park in Brookings, Oregon. While this camping is not at the beach, like Harris’s, there is almost always a place to pitch your tent, or park your RV, on the 500 acres along the Rogue River.

• Cost: $45
• Helpful comment: “This was a beautiful farm stay! Really enjoyed seeing the animals and being able to buy fresh eggs for breakfast. Love the shade from the old trees. Will stay longer next time. Liked the location to the ocean beaches. Thanks!” -Steve C.

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Wright’s for Camping at Cannon Beach

Want to see Tufted Puffins at Haystack Rock? Well, Wright’s for Camping is a family-owned and operated campground a half mile from the famous Haystack Rocks. With 22 campsites, Wright’s for Camping is a walkable distance to the town and the famous rock, making this family-friendly spot a great stop along the coast.

• Cost: $50
• Helpful comment: “Our family of 4 (2 adults / 2 children) and dog enjoyed the woodsy feel of the campground, which by far was the cleanest campground we’ve ever stayed at… We had site 10 on night 1 and 11 on nights 2 and 3. We booked several months in advance as this place is popular. Campsites are spacious and some are less private than others. I loved 10 and 11…” -Erin P

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South Beach State Park, Newport

The largest campground along the Oregon Coastline, this family-friendly state park boasts 315 total sites. Don’t let the number of sites turn you away because this campground has figured out how to provide a cozy stay for tent campers, yurt lovers, RV goers, and pet lovers alike.

• Cost: $24 for tent site, $47 for yurt, $62 for pet-friendly yurt
• Funny comment: “Ranger locked bathrooms for “cleaning” then sat in the truck watching people walk up and not be able to get in and just watched them leave.” -Cory Gage

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Rock Creek Campground

Located on the eastern side of Highway One, Rock Creek Campground proved the best of both worlds when camping in Oregon; the forest and the beach. This campground is a short walk to the beach, which can occasionally have good surf but is typically known for the tide pools.

• Cost: $24
• Helpful comment: “This is the best of both environments – mossy big pine forest and stream, just a short walk to a beautiful Oregon coast beach.” -Julie Sanders

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Washington

Cape Disappointment State Park in Ilwaco

A wonderful escape from the city, this coastal camping offers lighthouse access and ample trails to wander. Make sure to hike to Bell’s Viewpoint, this will grant you a stellar view of the Lighthouse at sunset.

• Cost: $27 to $37.00
• Punny comment: “Definitely did not a disappoint.” -Vee K

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Kalaloch Campground in Olympic National Park

Kalaloch offers stunning views right from your tent in Olympic National Park. Make sure you pay for your park entrance fee as well to avoid a ticket. The best part of this campground is the walkability to the tide pools and trail system within the national park.

• Cost: $24
• Helpful comment: “What a beautiful place. We arrived at 4PM on a weekday in May. No oceanfront sites available, but we stayed on D23 and it was great! Right beside the oceanfront. Honestly, alot of ocean sites aren’t great for a tent. Our site was huge, we placed our tent in a little nook. The ocean drowned out the highway. Lovely walk on the beach… Watch out for the hungry ravens.” -Meg Pill

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Moran State Park on Orcas Island

Put your car on the ferry, or begin a sea kayaking adventure, and land yourself a campsite at Moran State Park for beach camping on Orcas Island. The surrounding area has waterfalls, the ocean, hiking trails, and best of all, it is kid-friendly. So, bring your whole family.

• Cost: $10
• Helpful comment: “Went to Orcas for the day with the wife and 9 yr old daughter and ended up in Moran State Park. Did the Cascade Lake Loop, absolutely gorgeous and perfect hike for the kiddo, just under 3 miles, not much elevation and beautiful views of the lake almost all the way around.” -Kevin Star

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Deception Pass State Park in Oak Harbor

Deception Pass is known for its beachside campsites with stunning views of the Deception Pass Bridge. On a sunny evening, the bridge glows in the golden light and is a favorite photo location among visitors and locals.

• Cost: $27 to $37
• Helpful comment: “The drive here is beautiful and the views from the bridge are something worth stopping and enjoying. I was here on this trip in the morning, but could only imagine a sunset view from the bridge as the sun disappeared into the Pacific Ocean. There are two bridges and a little pull out and observatory in between the two bridges.” -Edwin Rushton

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Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend

This historical landmark hosts two campgrounds serving backpackers, car campers, and RVs. This multi-purpose camping area is centered around Fort Worden, founded in the 1890s as one of the three strategic defenses for the Puget Sound. So, camping here is like a blast into the past.

• Cost: $12 primitive campsite, $27 to $37 standard campsite
• Helpful comment: “Hit and miss depending on what you’re going there for. Beautiful setting, the beaches, lighthouse, park, stunning views and walks. Good camping, but the cottages and buildings are in pretty rough shape…” -Tree of No Return

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