San Elijo State Beach
San Elijo State Beach things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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We had such a great stay here. The waves and water were wonderful. The sea weed was all over but that didn't bother us. The water was cool but we got used to it. Once in the water though there was quite a bit of rock. I went to walk in and kept tripping on it. While boogie boarding it was ok, surfing seemed to be pretty good out there, but to wade in the waves was a bit troublesome. The campground facilities were great! Bathrooms and showers were kept up with and were everywhere. There were also water spickets throughout the campground, very nice to have. And at the top of the stairs from the beach were showers. The gift shop on site was really great! Some nice, quality souvenirs at reasonable prices. My husband got a great IPA for a great price too. I didn't try the fresh food though. We plan to go again and can't wait, however I may request that we drive to another beach at least once. As for camping, tent camping would be pleasant. We used to always tent camp but this time used a camper. It was difficult getting it in the spot but lesson learned. I'll be more strategic about our spot next time. Picnic tables and fire pits available at all sites were great! Wild life was squirrel and rabbits and pigeons as well as sea birds. Lots of stairs to get to the beach.
Jessica LeakeJessica Leake
30
The niceness of the location is offset by the simply awful method of getting a camp spot here. Sites are large and well maintained, the location right in the cliff with the wonderful Cardiff-on-Sea just a few minutes walk away is fantastic. If you want to stay an extra day or do not have a reservation the debacle begins. Start wasting your day at 7:45am as you head to reception to stand in line. Wait there until 8:15am, when staff start taking your name in the order you get there. Then head back to you camp for an hour before returning once again at 9:15 to stand in line to get a spot. The booking process takes a while, during which time they stop serving those who have lined up to answer the phone and deal with vehicles turning up. The staff are also not particularly well trained, with each person providing different answers to the same question or confidently getting the answers wrong before asking the person next to them who may or may not know either. I hate to bash volunteers but you get what you pay for I guess. The process is dire and also fails spectacularly to work, the ‘full campsite’ in which we received the last space was found to have around 7 or 8 empty spaces in the area that was open and an entire north and south area cordoned off for no apparent reason. At an average of around $50 a site there is a ton of money being turned away by closing these areas which lets face it have almost zero staff hours required to open. Ridiculous. And then hey start closing State Parks because if a lack of funds .... just open the sites that generate income! How many businesses turn people away before closing due to a lack of revenue. Ridiculous. The whole process needs an overhaul. If you do get a site you’re in for a treat.
James YoungJames Young
60
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.
Brandon ReillyBrandon Reilly
180
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.
Adventures with Oside Kayak GuyAdventures with Oside Kayak Guy
20
Nice alternative to southern beaches such as La Jolla Shores and Black Beach. The parking there is not the most convenient, but decent. There is a nice Italian restaurant nearby -- Cicciotti's Trattoria Italian & Seafood (went there for the restaurant week and food was good but had to wait for a while). You can get an ice cream for a walk on the beach in the 7-11 close by. The beach itself is pretty good and not as crowded as its southern alternatives. We have been here already two times and definitely will come more. One can find lots of shells and mussels on the beach. It can be smell like seaweed though, but not abhorrent. Seems to be a hot spot for camping. The road nearby is connected to historical 101 highway which is beautiful by itself and leads to gorgeous Solana Beach and Del Mar to the South. You can get to Torrey Pines in 10-15 minutes.
Andrey BzikadzeAndrey Bzikadze
10
I see alot of reviews complaining about the online reservations when it's not that hard to get spots here. Granted you do have to be prepared to reserve spots when reservations open but it's a sought after place to camp so that makes sense. I've been going here since I was kid with family and friends and it's always a blast. I'm likely biased but there aren't many camping experiences like these coastal state beaches. Definitely recommend to anyone with young kids or if you just want to have a good camping experience. Bathrooms are maintained well and the camp grounds are too. Sad to see the camp store never opened back up nor did the restaurant so Carlsbad has the advantage with that.
Jared WJared W
20
Nearby Attractions Of San Elijo State Beach
SteamCo Carpet Cleaning
Cardiff by the Sea Lodge
Patagonia
Cardiff Beach
Rancho Coastal Humane Society Thrift Shop
Glen Park
Kasia Jewelry
San Elijo State Beach Campground
The Diamond Shoppe
San Elijo State Beach

SteamCo Carpet Cleaning
4.7
(392)Click for details

Cardiff by the Sea Lodge
4.4
(210)Click for details

Patagonia
4.5
(174)Click for details

Cardiff Beach
4.8
(113)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of San Elijo State Beach
Pacific Coast Grill
VG Donut & Bakery
Cicciotti's Trattoria Italiana & Seafood
Pipes Cafe
Best Pizza & Brew Cardiff By The Sea
The Kraken
The Besta Wan Pizza House
Waverly
The Confessional by The Lost Abbey
The Shanty

Pacific Coast Grill
4.6
(1.2K)$$$
Click for details

VG Donut & Bakery
4.7
(671)Click for details

Cicciotti's Trattoria Italiana & Seafood
4.5
(434)Click for details

Pipes Cafe
4.7
(395)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
2050 S Coast Hwy 101, Cardiff, CA 92007
Map
Phone
(760) 753-5091
Call
Website
parks.ca.gov
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(769 reviews)
Ratings & Description
outdoor
relaxation
family friendly
pet friendly
Description
San Elijo State Beach is a California State Beach in San Diego County, California, United States.
attractions: SteamCo Carpet Cleaning, Cardiff by the Sea Lodge, Patagonia, Cardiff Beach, Rancho Coastal Humane Society Thrift Shop, Glen Park, Kasia Jewelry, San Elijo State Beach Campground, The Diamond Shoppe, San Elijo State Beach, restaurants: Pacific Coast Grill, VG Donut & Bakery, Cicciotti's Trattoria Italiana & Seafood, Pipes Cafe, Best Pizza & Brew Cardiff By The Sea, The Kraken, The Besta Wan Pizza House, Waverly, The Confessional by The Lost Abbey, The Shanty
