Beach Camping Los Angeles
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.
