There are only a few beach camping opportunities near Los Angeles and only one of those campgrounds is on the shores of Santa Monica Bay, Dockweiler State Beach. And Dockweiler is only open to RV’s if you are looking for a place to pitch a tent. The rest of these coastal campgrounds are along the Malibu shore west of Los Angeles. Leo Carrillo, Sycamore Canyon, and Thornhill Broome are excellent campgrounds with access to sandy beaches in western Malibu. All three are open to tent camping.
With so many people packed into the LA area it is not surprising that so little real estate was saved for beach campgrounds. Luckily there are many more camping options just north in Ventura and to the south in Orange County.
Some of the Orange County campgrounds aren’t far from Los Angeles, including Bolsa Chica State Beach (RVs only) and Crystal Cove State Park.
No matter where you decide to camp, you’ll want to reserve a camp spot well ahead of time. Check our beach pages for links to the appropriate park and specifics on how to book a spot. Reserve California is usually the booking system, but check each park to confirm this and get a link directly to the campground you are seeking.
Here are more pages about beach camping near Los Angeles.
Beaches on this list
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Dockweiler State Beach RV Park
Dockweiler State Beach is a popular long wide sandy beach near the LAX Airport in the Playa Del Rey area of Los Angeles. Inside the main state park entrance and […]
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Leo Carrillo State Park – South Beach
South Beach at Leo Carrillo State Park is a sandy spot near the mouth of a creek that flows out (rarely) from Arroyo Sequit. This dry wash drains part of […]
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Sycamore Cove Beach
Sycamore Cove Beach is a day-use area in Point Mugu State Park in southern Ventura County. The beach in Sycamore Cove is excellent, but the biggest draw to this spot […]
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Thornhill Broome Beach
Thornhill Broome Beach in Point Mugu State Beach is in front of a long campground on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway in southern Ventura County. There is a […]
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Bolsa Chica State Beach
Bolsa Chica State Beach is a three mile long wide sandy beach in Huntington Beach, CA. Due to its location and size this is a popular beach for sunbathing. With […]
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Crystal Cove State Park – Moro Beach
Moro Beach is the southern beach in Crystal Cove State Park located between Laguna Beach and the Corona Del Mar area of Newport Beach, CA. For many years this was […]
