South Carlsbad State Beach Campground
Reviewed Dec. 10, 2023

Perfect if you score an oceanfront site but $$$!

General: 223 sites; most have no hookups but there are a handful of sites that are FHU. Prices range from $50 for a no-hookup site that backs up to the road to $140 for a double hook-up oceanfront site. 

Site Quality: All sites are gravel (except the ADA-accessible ones) and generous in size so that you can park your rig in different configurations. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Some have better privacy separation with foliage, but some don’t. You will hear some road noise if your site is backed up to the highway.

Bath/shower house: Nine bathhouses are sprinkled throughout the campground; each has a mixture of toilets and showers. Showers require tokens (four minutes per $ 1) Some have toilets/sinks while others just have a toilet (there is a sink outside of the bathhouse). The only thing that confused me was that the ones with sinks did not have soap dispensers. 

Activities/Amenities: There is a small camp store/restaurant on-site. Although we did not eat there, we saw many people bringing pizzas back to their sites. The store also rents items such as surfboards and bodyboards. Live entertainment from 5-7 pm most nights. The campground stretches about a mile and a half along Highway 101 and is fairly level so many people (including us) were able to get in a decent run. There are several entry points to the beach via stairs. 

We were pleasantly surprised to snag a reservation for an oceanfront site which made our stay very pleasant.

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Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023
  • Review photo of South Carlsbad State Beach Campground by Lee D., December 10, 2023