Best Glamping near Encinitas, CA

Great clean campground, beautiful views, short walk down to the beach! Lots of hiking trils around, or take the walk across the beach to the shake shack! Definitely recommend for a local glamping trip!

Let me first off say that the property is beautiful and that my hosts Carolyn and Bernie were very accommodating and had great energy.  Plenty of room for beautiful hikes on their many acres of land packed with some great views a few decks scattered around the property.  I found out they have a full size professional disc golf course here! I don’t bring my discs, but Carolyn and Bernie happily lent me some discs so I could try it out. 

Now to the Glamping- now I been camping a bunch, the reason I say that this is glamping is that they have actual running water flushable toilets and outdoor hot showers!  I can’t tell you how excited I was lol, it really upleveled the whole camping experience. They also have an industrial kitchen as well as an outdoor bar where they have very fairly priced beer and wine. Did I mention they have a full size professional pool table? Turns out Bernie and Carolyn are professional pool players too! This place is awesome! I will definitely be coming back again again to relax. I live in sd so it’s only about 35-40min drive from my place.  Thank you so much Carolyn and Bernie for such a great experience!!

Went here with friends and it was nice but there are way too many RV'S and ATV'S. there's no place to have a fire because there might be a wild fire outbreak. Bathrooms are clean and the showers are free. There are even halls where you can play BINGO and a game room with Wii games. Camping spots are big enough for 2 8 person tents or 1 small rv and a 4 person tent. If you want to glamping this is a good place but if you want to tent camp I would look somewhere else.

This is hands down the best campground around. The facility is spotless, extremely clean, environment is awesome where everyone is friendly and they put so much effort into making it fun for the kids with activities at the kids club, bike and trike rentals, a super modern pool and awesome gift shop on top of huge jumping pillows, playgrounds and a giant backyard. It’s our favorite camping spot and everywhere we go is unmatched to here. The kids usually ride around the site and you’re in the middle of San Diego so you can go to the beach, Legoland, Sea World go out to eat or door dash some food! Definitely convenient to everything and the best way to glamp!

PROS:

This site offers amazing sunsets and ocean breezes. There are plenty of facilities, and the camp store is great. The live music is always good, too. 

A grocery store is nearby, just over the freeway. 

CONS:

It can get very crowded and packed. 

Hard to get a site

Many generators are always on.

If you get a site at the far ends, it's a hike to go in and out. Try to get a site closer to the entrance and the store. But you will get a lot of traffic through your site. 

Don't try to get there earlier; they usually won't let you in before check-in. 

Biking and Running:

Great if you want to ride along PCH. This stretch has good bike lanes that take you into Oceanside or Encinitas. 

Good running. You can lap the campsite, which is almost 1 mile, end to end. I usually run down towards Encinitas along PCH.

We spent 4 nights here. The park is renovated and clean. Best laundry room I’ve seen in our travels. Sites are gravel with a concrete pad and picnic table. Each corner has a super bright street light. Thank goodness for blackout shades. The lake was closed due to algae bloom. They have a great area of vintage trailers that can be rented, as well as some super nice yurts. The restaurant was only open one of the nights we were there. Not impressive. We were the only diners there. We explored the area. As it was winter, there wasn’t much to do.

Spent our first night in our van here. Had to make a reservation. Couldn't get a beach side site. There's a north side and a south side to the campground. The south side is busier. There's an amphitheater at the south end. The sites also seemed closer together on that end. On the beach side, there is plenty of space, but not so much shade. The highway side has more trees, but some sites seem smaller and packed in. You really need to look around for a good site because a lot of gems were mixed with OK sites, but I would start on the north side. Being close to the highway, there will be a lot of traffic noise if you are in a tent. Plenty of access to a stairway leading to the beach. Shower and surf rack at one access. Campground is up on a bluff, overlooking the Pacific ocean. Camp store seemed stocked. Plenty of stores nearby if you need anything not there. Plenty of restaurants, coffee shops and quaint stores up the highway in downtown Encinitas.

Nice basic county campground, everything is nice and new and clean. I think once the trees and bushes and things start to grow in, there will be a little bit of separation between the sites, but for now most sites are wide open. 

The playground area is really cool, all the structures are made of wood and are all natural. Decent showers, you buy tokens from the ranger. There are nice trails and walking paths right from the campground. We didn’t walk to the beach because the area was flooded when we were there, but it appears that you can easily walk to the beach from the campground, it’s about 1.5 miles away. 

Sites are all dry camping, no power or water at sites, and no dump station at campground. There are water spigots throughout the campground though to fill your jugs. There are yurts to rent, and some equestrian sites as well. The little loop off to the side is tents only. 

You can see the border wall from the campground, and Verizon thought I was in Mexico when we arrived, haha. Good cell service with ATT and Verizon (not sure if Verizon switched me to the international plan during our stay there).

The good. Pick a spot - $75 gets you on the bluff with hookups $50 gets you on the bluff but no hookups $35 gets you on the other side Trash, recycling, and sewage disposal ($10) nearby. Water quality at the hookup sites smell fresh.

The not as good. Although ocean bluff spots cost you the elevation angle of the site lot or vegetation may impede or restrict your view. There’s also a metal fence.

The bathrooms Bring soap. No dispensers near the sinks. Toilets are cleaned but not necessarily clean.

Stuff to know- If you’re towing a vehicle it has to be literally towed onto the property. Don’t disconnect and go get groceries prior to entering or you’ll have to pay $15 a night for the vehicle once you enter (Or take your rig back out back out and tow it in)

Noise and such.

You’re near tracks and you’ll hear trains. Next to US 101 you’ll also hear cars. It’s a busy area so don’t expect to hear just the crickets.

Recommendations There’s an excellent grocery store (Seaside Deli) about 1 mile away. It’s not cheap but the deli uses culinary experts to prepare the cuisine.

Philz Coffee a couple miles north. It’s the best coffee on earth bar none. Get the “Tesora”. Addiction guaranteed.

The Union restaurant a couple miles north also a good spot for Sunday brunch. Wine Wednesday also gets a recommendation.

Also just north in Encinitas- Plumeria Thai has some of the best vegetarian Thai I’ve ever had.

To the south a couple miles in Solana Beach in Cedros is Carruth Cellars winery. It’s dog friendly so bring your good boy/girl! I recommend the “Unicorn”. Tasty red. Drink with one hand while petting a dog with the other…

The good. 

Pick a spot - $75 gets you on the bluff with hookups $50 gets you on the bluff but no hookups $35 gets you on the other side Trash, recycling, and sewage disposal ($10) nearby. Water quality at the hookup sites smell fresh.

The not as good. 

Although ocean bluff spots cost you the elevation angle of the site lot or vegetation may impede or restrict your view. There’s also a metal fence. Unlike San Elijo State Park to the south most of the ocean sites do have an actual ocean view.

The bathrooms Bring soap. No dispensers near the sinks. Toilets are cleaned but not necessarily clean.

Noise. Far enough away from the train tracks to not have train noise issues but alongside US101 so there may be road noise.

Stuff to know- 

If you’re towing a vehicle it has to be literally towed onto the property. Don’t disconnect and go get groceries prior to entering or you’ll have to pay $15 a night for the vehicle once you enter (Or take your rig back out back out and tow it in)

Recommendations - 

There is a train station not too far away (short drive long walk) Take the “Coaster” south to Encinitas, Solana or all the way down to Old Town in San Diego and enjoy one of the most toured cities in the US. Taking the train north one stop puts you at downtown Carlsbad- also a worthy venture.

Local cuisine- I like Sushi Cuchi (excuse the name) Half off menu on Sunday night.

Got Gas? - Costco is close and about 30 cents per gallon cheaper than any other gas station. Get there early to avoid the mayhem. Pumps open 5:30-6:00am depending upon the day.

There is one reason to camp here, and one reason only. It is overlooking the ridiculously beautiful San Elijo State Beach & out over the Pacific Ocean. That's a pretty compelling reason.

As a campground they pack you in tight. It's essentially a huge parking lot overlooking the ocean and covered in sand. There isn't much shade but if you can get a spot with a tree...do it (campsites in the 20's generally do). Otherwise it's one big family of rv's with massive generators, kids of all ages running around and drunken adults giving over to trailer park life for a bit. It's right off the Pacific Coast Highway in the town of Cardiff so expect traffic, both car and people. This isn't gettin' back to nature.

There are plenty of bathrooms with token showers. The beach showers have been turned off due to water restrictions. The bathrooms are usually stocked but pretty dirty and even gross. Definitely pack flip flops if you're going to use the showers. The Campground is the main access to the beach for the town of Cardiff so the gates are open to anyone walking through until about 7pm. That means the bathrooms see lots of action from locals and hoboes in addition to campers.

With all those sounding like negatives you might wonder why you'd want to stay here, and the answer is simple. There are moments, usually around sunset, when you can close your eyes, and when you open them the sky is orange, pink and red. The ocean turning from blue to shadow and everyone seems to shut the eff up for a moment where you swear you're alone in the universe. Then you drink a beer and breath the ocean air in deep and are able to ignore the little kid taking a dump in the bush two campsites over.

Pro-Tip: Patagonia is right across the street. Every Sunday Morning they host a "Sea Ramble" coffee & donuts bike ride. About 10 miles and a great way to see Cardiff and Encinitas. They also host weekly events...usually with beer.

Pro-Tip 2: Traffic will suck.

Pro-Tip 3: Haggo's Tacos, Haggo's Tacos, Haggo's Tacos. It's about 10 minutes north on the PCH.

Great place to camp in Southern California. Beautiful beach!

Gorgeous oceanview campground! Clean restrooms and showers. Nearby grocery store. Beautiful visit to California coast!

One of best beach campgrounds in California. Beach is right there next to camping. Restroom and shower are clean even though too many people there

Fun beachside campground in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Not quiet or remote at all. Nice local market and lots of restaurants nearby. Great surf spot. I’ve dry camped here many times and have always enjoyed it. Dog friendly beach! *on leash

It's classic California beach camping. Spots are fairly close together, and it's more like a parking lot than a campground. That said, the beach is great, and the river mouth is great for surfing. Walk across the street for groceries, food, etc. The worst part is trying to get a spot secured.

Much like most California Beach Campgrounds, it is very crowded with little privacy. The beach is great but it is basically a glorified parking lot

Luckily Booked last minute on reserve California (the worst web thing ever) on site 49. Looks like there is a oven view from every site. Close to beach and shopping.

This park is great for all Southern California natives to get away for the weekend. Has clean facilities and the campgrounds have ample space between them. This area has a ton of beautiful landscape, during the fall/winter wonderful foliage appears. Leave no trace & enjoy our lands!

Hard to beat the scenery here. Camping cliff side along the beach in Southern California. The camp grounds are a little cramped. Seem more designed for RV’s and trailers but we don’t mind. You can take dogs here and hike down to the beach from trails 1&6. Bathrooms are clean. Only outdoor showers though. I’ll go again!

Parked van sideways to get more privacy and went to shower and came back to a ticket. I didn’t read the camp rules, figured you could park any way you want in your site like all the other state park in Southern California.

In the back of a small town 2 miles behind a stater brother's. Most sites are near level on gravel and close together. Laundry uses quarters or a third party app to pay. Geese send birds roam around sites. Menifee is central to the southern California mountains of north south and east in addition to the beaches 1-2hrs west.

This is a great family campground right around the corner from Temecula, Murrietta, and Menifee. It has tent, partial, and full hookup sites along with a camp store, fishing, biking, bathrooms, and day use areas. The lake is beautiful and boating is also an option. The fishing costs an extra fee per day on top of your California State License, so it’s a bit pricy. There are also nice hiking trails near the campground.

If you’re headed to San Diego, be sure to stop and check out Carlsbad just off of the 5. this awesome beach town is quintessential Southern California beach awesomeness and it is absolutely gorgeous. Camp right off of the beach as well as have access to local shopping and restaurants. While you camp, you’ve got to check out Carlsbad cliffs for some stellar views. There are also loads of beach activities like whale watching, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and paddle boarding! My secret spot for the best fish and chips EVER is close by in Oceanside called “Harbor Fish n’ Chips.” Be sure to check this place out!

We have stayed at San Onofre State Beach a couple times. The campground is on the bluffs, and nearby Old Man's beach has some of the best beginner's surfing waves in Southern California. The day use area gets crowded quickly during the summer, so be sure to arrive early. If you don't want to camp on the bluffs, consider heading a bit inland to San Mateo Campground, which connects to the beach via a 1 1/2 mile nature trail. It's a bit of a walk if you are carrying a lot of gear, but much quieter and more spacious.