Thanks for your support! If you make a purchase using our links in this article, we may make a commission. And, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure here.
The 27 Best RV Beach Campgrounds – West Coast Guide offers stupendous scenery with numerous state parks located along the oceanfront.
It can be a little confusing though, as many campgrounds, especially in California, described as “beachfront” are actually located at the top of cliffs requiring a slip-and-slide down to the water, then a steep climb back up.
Farther north, lines of dunes often require a considerable hike from “beachside” campgrounds to the actual beach, and cliff-top campgrounds, while they offer terrific views, certainly don’t offer the often touted “easy beach access.”
In this listing, we’ve given preference to campgrounds with direct access to the ocean, with a truly easy climb or a genuinely short hike, no mile-long treks to the water.
Unlike the East Coast, where many oceanfront RV campgrounds are privately owned, the West Coast is largely under the jurisdiction of state parks and national forests. The downside of this is that far fewer state facilities offer hookups and other amenities that make RVing easier.
We’ve tried to include spots where you can enjoy electricity in your camper with an option or two along most sections of the West Coast. Where private campgrounds, which almost always offer full hookups, even wifi, exist beachfront, we’ve included them as well.
For convenience in planning your trip, we’ve arranged the campgrounds in geographical order from south to north. We begin in balmy Southern California, and wind up close to the Canadian border where the Washington rain forest comes right down to the shore.
RV Beach Camping in California
1. Silver Strand State Park
Located on a sand spit between Coronado and Imperial beaches, Silver Strand State Park has water access on both the Pacific and San Diego Bay. The parking lot style campground offers 136 water and electric hookups for self-contained RVs only directly adjacent to the sand.
Although just 15 minutes south of downtown San Diego, the area has a natural feel and is surrounded by the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The state park itself is an important refuge for the threatened snowy plover, which nests in the dunes here.
Popular activities at the park include kayaking, standup paddleboarding and sailing on the bay as well as surfing on the ocean side. You can even take a cruise in an Italian gondola.
This is considered the best place in San Diego for kiteboarding due to the stronger winds found here. Crown Cove Aquatic Center on the bayside of the park offers kayak rentals, SUP yoga classes and other fun activities on the water.
A bike path runs along the shore from Coronado to Imperial Beach.
2. Doheny State Beach
Immortalized by the Beach Boys hit, “Surfin’ USA,” Doheny State Beach was California’s very first state beach with 62 acres of oceanfront. The mile-long strip of sand has earned the reputation as the best camping site in Orange County. The 113-site campground offers no hookups but does have fire rings and hot showers.
The visitor center here houses the largest public aquarium in the California State Park System with a tide pool tank and aquariums containing local species.
The Whale Walk, a beachfront promenade, features life-size paintings of the whales that swim past the California coast.
Doheny’s legendary pipeline surfing break disappeared when a breakwater was built on Dana Point in 1966, but surfers still gather to ride the summer south swell at the Boneyards. The Doheny Surf and Art Festival takes place every June.
Serious surfers will want to make the safari south to San Clemente’s San Onofre State Beach, with its world renowned surf break beloved by longboarders. Several campgrounds are located nearby including on the cliffs above the beach.
3. Crystal Cove State Park
Heading north up the Pacific Coast Highway, travelers come to the unique Crystal Cove State Park, a surviving example of natural shoreline and green space in Orange County. The Crystal Cove Historic District, with 46 vintage cottages dating to the 1930s and ‘40s, is being restored by the Crystal Cove Conservancy.
The park has over three miles of beach and tidepools as well as 18 miles of hiking trails exploring the higher inland elevations. Moro Campground, with 58 camping sites, including 29 RV sites with electric hookups, occupies a terraced bluff overlooking the beach.
The Historic District currently offers 21 refurbished rental cabins as well as the Beachcomber Cafe and Bootlegger Bar.
4. Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina
Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort provides a striking contrast with the public campgrounds along the California Coast.
This private campground in the heart of Newport Beach offers all the amenities, including a swimming pool and whirlpool spa, waterpark, restaurant, wifi, and a marina with kayak and boat rentals.
Named one of the Top 10 Best Luxury RV Resorts in the U.S, the resort offers 372 full service sites adjacent to a sandy beach on a quiet lagoon, perfect for swimming and watersports.
For a complete list of the best luxury RV resorts check out our article called 25 Best Luxury RV Resorts Across the USA!
5. Surf City USA Campgrounds
This stretch of coast south of Los Angeles includes some of the most famous surf spots on the U.S. mainland, centered on Huntington Beach, nicknamed “Surf City USA.”
The town is home to the Surfing Hall of Fame, Bob Bolen’s Surf Museum, the Surfing Walk of Fame and the International Surfing Museum, as well as the weeklong U.S. Open of Surfing — the world’s largest annual surf competition.
The strand here, named California’s Best Beach by USA Today, is an uninterrupted 8.5 miles of sand with a paved beachside trail running from Bolsa Chica State Park, past the 3.5 mile Huntington City Beach to Huntington State Beach. Surfing action centers on the famous Huntington Beach Pier. A complimentary shuttle runs along the shore from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Bolsa Chica State Park, about a mile north of the pier in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, has 60 water and electric campsites for self-contained RVs, close to a number of unique upscale concessions including SeaSalt Beachside Burger and SeaLegs at the Beach.
One unusual summer activity here is bare-handed fishing for California grunion which spawns on sandy southern California beaches during new and full moons.
Other RV camping is available in the Sunset Vista RV Campground located in the city parking lot south of the Huntington Beach Pier. Water and electric sites here are available only from October to Memorial Day.
Huntington State Beach is reserved for day use, but the privately owned Waterfront RV Park, just across the street from the beach, offers 90 full hookup sites, with wifi and a pool. Huntington Beach’s famous bonfires are an easy walk away.
6. Dockweiler State Beach
Winning the award for most unique location for a beach-side campground in California is Dockweiler State Beach, directly on the sand below the approach to LAX Airport. Officially a state park, Dockweiller is actually managed by Los Angeles County.
Although not for those sensitive to the roar of jet engines, the noise of the air traffic is more than offset by the nearly 4 miles of beach, sweeping views and easy access to the paved 22-mile coastal bike trail that runs past the Redondo Beach Pier, the Santa Monica Pier, Venice and Marina del Rey.
The parking lot style campground offers 118 full hookup sites for RVs only, showers, laundromat, and pump-out stations.
7. Ventura County Beach Parks
Just north of LA, Ventura County operates several beach-front parks, including the unique Rincon Parkway, where RVs can park, first-come, first-served (but not free), in 127 parallel parking spaces along the Old Coast Highway.
The sandy beach is just on the other side of the line of rocks. Nearby are two other Ventura County facilities with more amenities just off Highway 1 with great views of the Channel Islands.
Faria Beach Park has 48 full hookup and dry campsites for RVs and tents, showers, wifi and a concession stand. Farther north, Hobson Beach Park also offers 31 sites for RVs and tents, some with full hookups.
8. Santa Barbara Area State Beach Campgrounds
Carpinteria State Beach, just south of Santa Barbara, offers 216 campsites, more than 100 of them with water and electric hookups. The gently sloping beach here is considered one of the safest spots in the state to swim.
It’s popular with seals and sea lions as well, which are often seen here from December through May. The area’s Native American heritage is honored at the Tomol Interpretive Play Area. Don’t miss the view from the Jellybowl Vista Point.
North along the coast from Santa Barbara, the campground at Refugio State Beach is separated from the beach by a line of palm trees.
The 66 campsites, most with ocean views, have no hookups, and no dump station is available. Fire rings, a bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets, a camp store, and drinking water are among the amenities.
The world-class beach is patrolled by lifeguards year-round. Popular activities include snorkeling, fishing, hiking and exploring the tidepools. Park staff offer kayak tours suitable for beginners during the summer.
Santa Barbara County itself maintains a beautiful oceanfront campground at Jalama Beach County Park. The 107 campsites with picnic tables and BBQ pits are tucked into marine forest overlooking the beach and include 31 with electric hookups,
9. Oceano Dunes State Recreational Vehicle Area
Since the California State Parks system eliminated overnight camping on the beach several years ago, a campsite on the sand has been hard to find. Only one place remains where you can (legally) drive onto the sand and camp, but you should have a four-wheel drive vehicle to try it.
Oceano Dunes State Recreational Vehicle Area (SRVA), a 5-mile stretch of shoreline near Pismo allows camping south of Post 2 on the beach and in the open dune area.
Don’t confuse the SRVA with the nearby Oceano Campground at Pismo State Beach, where the 82 sites, some with electric hookups, are screened by dunes from the prevailing winds on the ocean.
10. Morro Strand State Beach
Some of California’s most spectacular scenery is located along the coast at Morro Bay, where volcanoes, tectonic plate shifts and erosion have sculpted the rocks into uniquely beautiful shapes.
About halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the area is close to Hearst Castle, but Morro Rock, an extinct volcanic cone, is its most prominent scenic attraction.
At Morro Strand State Beach, the campground is located immediately on the beach with 85 sites, including several with full hookups.
There’s no shower house here, but campers can show proof of registration and use the facilities at nearby Morro Bay State Park where the 134 campsites include 30 RV campsites with water and electric as well as a dozen ADA accessible sites.
Other amenities at the State Park include a marina with boat rentals, a boat launch, a boardwalk and the Museum of Natural History. Both parks offer spectacular views of Morro Rock.
11. Limekiln State Park
If you’d like to camp on the ocean along the Big Sur, you have one option (if your rig is small enough).
The small Ocean Sites campground at Limekiln State Park, 52 miles south of Carmel, has a dozen developed campsites close to the beach access. RVs here are limited to 24 feet, and trailers to 15 feet.
Another campground in the redwoods is for tents only. Three hiking trails follow Limekiln Creek’s tributaries through the redwood forest.
12. Monterey Bay State Beaches
A favorite with families, Sunset State Beach has walk-in sites for tent campers, as well as 90 RV sites with no hookups for RVs up to 31 feet set amid stands of Monterey pines on bluffs overlooking the dunes. One of the unusual features of Sunset is the non-motorized glider field here, but note that drones are not allowed.
Closer to Santa Cruz, Seacliff State Beach offers 62 campsites, about a third of them have full hookups along the oceanfront.
Attractions at Seacliff include two miles of shoreline on the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, a visitor center with museum and a fishing pier, as well as the off-limit remains of the S.S. Palo Alto, a 435-foot concrete freighter that dates to 1917.
Another unusual feature at Seacliff is its reservation system. Some of the no hookup campsites are sold by lottery each day. You and your RV (no tents) must be at the park before noon to sign up. Remaining campsites not taken in the lottery are first-come, first-served.
13. Sonoma Coast State Park
On the coast north of San Francisco, Wright’s Beach Campground in Sonoma Coast State Park offers 25 no-hookup sites immediately adjacent to the beach.
The park extends 17 miles from Bodega Head to Vista Trail, running parallel with Coastal Highway 1, where more than a dozen vantage points allow visitors to watch the annual gray whale migration which peaks December through April.
Not far from the campground, hundreds of harbor seals congregate around the mouth of the Russian River at Goat Rock, where they give birth to their pups, March through June. Another state campground, Bodega Dunes, with hot showers and dump station, is located along the shoreline of Bodega Harbor.
On the other side of the harbor, Doran Regional Park features a wide, 2-mile stretch of beach between Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean, with 120 dry tent and RV campsites, hot showers, dump station, boat launch and a birding trail.
14. Caspar Beach RV Park and Campground
Along the North Mendocino coast, Caspar Beach Campground has full and partial hookup sites with wifi and cable TV able to handle RVs up to 50 feet that are set immediately adjacent to the ocean.
The campground, on ocean cove, sits in a canyon that protects it from the prevailing winds. Abalone diving and fishing are popular here, as are beachcombing and every form of water sport. An on-site store sells all the gear you’ll need.
Nearby, Caspar’s sister campground Westport Beach offers 75 full hookup sites, plus tent sites next to a creek or directly on the beach. Attractions in the area include the town of Mendocino, less than 4 miles away, Ft. Bragg’s famous Glass Beach and the Skunk Train through a redwood forest.
15. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park
Way up the California Coast, north of Eureka, in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, the rarely visited Gold Bluffs Beach Campground offers several unique experiences.
Located between the ocean and a magnificent stand of old-growth redwoods, the campground area is frequented by a large herd of Roosevelt Elk, which puts on a noisy display during mating season, August to October.
One of the park’s most popular features is the easy trail through Fern Canyon, which served as a filming site for “Jurassic Park.”
The 26 sites at Gold Bluffs have no hookups and vehicles are limited to 24 feet. No trailers allowed, but showers, restrooms, and water are available.
The campground is open year-round but may close in the winter due to weather conditions. Camping is first-come, first-served. Elk Prairie, the park’s other campground, has 76 dry camping sites, that accommodate rigs up to 27 feet.
16. Patrick’s Point State Park Campground
Closer to Eureka, Patrick’s Point State Park Campground has 124 campsites and is located on a beach among large coastal redwoods. Still no hookups, but you’ll find hot showers and flush toilets here, along with ocean swimming, hunting for agates, and chance encounters with seals, sea lions and whales.
Oregon Coast RV Parks on the Beach
17. Harris Beach State Park
Close to the border with California, Harris Beach State Park sits about 150 feet above an excellent beach, with views of sea stacks and Bird Island, a National Wildlife Sanctuary and home to numerous seabirds, including tufted puffin.
A short quarter-mile trail leads down to the beach; another leads along the coast to the day use area and town of Brookings. The Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor begins just up the road.
The campground, which sits in a grove of fir and spruce trees, offers 65 full hookup sites, 25 with water and electric, and 59 tent sites.
18. Sunset Bay State Park
Sunset Bay State Park, just south of Coos Bay, is a great beach destination in summer when the sheltered waters here make this the best place on the Oregon coast to swim in the ocean, although you should be aware of occasional problems with high levels of bacteria.
The campground, a short walk from the beach, has about 65 sites with both full and partial hookups available, plus tent sites and rental yurts. Kayak and SUP rentals are offered on site.
Hiking trails connect Sunset Bay with the nearby state parks at Shore Acres and Cape Arago, with views of Cape Arago lighthouse along the way. If golf is your game, there’s a public golf course next door.
19. Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park
Located on the inland side of Highway 101, the campground at Carl G. Washburne Memorial State Park is unique in the Oregon system in offering all their campsites, 41 full-hookup, 14 water/electric, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The five-mile-long sandy beach is reached via a short trail that passes under the highway. Several trails lead from the park, including the short and fun Hobbit Trail, with a gentle slope suitable for kids.
20. Beachside State Recreation Site
Popular for whale watching and kite flying, Beachside State Recreation Site has a small campground, with 32 water/electric sites and 42 tent sites, just steps from the beach. Beachside is open seasonally from March 15 – November 1.
Just to the north, Tillicum Beach Park in the Siuslaw National Forest, also open seasonally from March through the end of the year, has 60 campsites, including 18 with water/electric. Sites are close to the beach, with scenic views
21. Sea & Sand RV Park
Just three miles north of Depoe Bay, the private Sea & Sand RV Park provides direct access to a seven-mile-long beach with several campsites directly on the sand. Terraces accommodate additional sites, all with full hookups and free wifi.
22. Nehalem Bay State Park
Occupying a four-mile sandspit between the ocean and the bay, Nehalem Bay State Park has beaches on both sides. The 265 campsites, most shady, all have electricity, and 18 yurts are available to rent, the largest concentration on the coast.
Equestrian campsites are also available, with horse rentals offered during the summer. Guided kayak tours explore Nehalem Bay. The park, just two hours’ drive from Portland, also has an airstrip for fly-in campers.
RV Parks on the Washington Coast
23. Grayland Beach State Park
A popular spot for kite flying, Grayland Beach State Park is open year-round, with 60 full hookups and 38 water/electric sites, including several ADA accessible and several that can accommodate very large RVs.
Finding an RV Rental in Seattle is only 2 and a half hours away and it’s a great way to enjoy the coast. Sixteen rental yurts are available as well, with a dozen of them ADA compliant. Five short trails lead from the camping loops onto the beach.
Saltwater fishing and clamming are popular activities, state recreational fishing license required.
24. Ocean City State Park
Less than two miles from the beach resort of Ocean Shores, Ocean City State Park has over 150 campsites, including 29 full hookup sites, a dump station and hot showers, close to the ocean.
The campground backs up to the North Bay Natural Preserve, a popular spot for birdwatching. Getting to the beach is generally not a concern here as in most seasons you can drive directly onto the beach. Guided horse rides and moped rentals are available at the park.
About 15 miles to the north, Pacific Beach State Park offers 42 water/electric campsites, with 22 of them directly on the waterfront. This is a small, 17-acre park that also allows you to drive on the beach seasonally.
25. Quileute Oceanside Resort & RV Park
On the ocean side of the Olympic Peninsula within the Quileute Indian Reservation, La Push’s three beaches provide unique camping opportunities. Second Beach and Third Beach, where primitive camping is allowed, both require lengthy hikes to reach the shore.
However, at First Beach, the Quileute Nation operates a resort that includes two full-service RV campgrounds. The Quileute Oceanside Resort offers 66 full hookup sites, plus numerous tent sites stretched along the scenic beachfront.
Motel rooms and cabins are available as well, including the Twilight Cabin featured in the TV show of the same name. Guests are invited to participate in the many tribal events including weekly healing drum circles. Bald eagles, sea otters, seals, and sea lions are frequently seen along this shore.
Farther north along the coast, at the very tip of the Olympic Peninsula, the Makah Tribe operates the Hobuck Beach Resort at the end of Highway 112. Ten full hookup RV sites are available at the south end of the beach with tent camping at the north end.
All RV and tent sites are first-come, first-served. A range of cabins can be reserved. You can find out more about the tribe’s history at the Museum at the Makah Cultural and Research Center. Rentals of surfboards, SUPs, kayaks, and bikes are available.
26. Crescent Beach & RV Park
Located along the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula, Crescent Beach & RV Park offers oceanfront campsites and a gorgeous private sand beach on the Strait of Juan de Fuca just a 30 minute drive from Port Angeles.
The half-mile beach is wheelchair accessible and safe for children. Surfing, kayaking and skin diving are popular activities. This private park offers full hookup sites, including 50 amp sites, free wifi, and dry camping.
Just east of Crescent Beach, Salt Creek Recreation Area, a Clallam County park, offers amazing views, hiking trails, tidepools and the remnants of World War II Camp Hayden.
The campground here has 39 electric sites, along with numerous dry camping sites. Salt Creek, a well known birding site, is on the Whale Trail and the National Audubon’s Olympic Loop of the Greater Washington State Birding Trail.
Like the other parks in the Clallam County system, Salt Creek doesn’t charge a day use fee.
27. Camano Island State Park
Located an hour from Seattle, Camano Island State Park provides a unique camping experience on an island enjoyed by generations of vacationers. Sweeping views of Puget Sound add drama to the 88 dry campsites, some suitable for RVs up to 40 feet, strung along the waterfront.
A one-mile trail leads to Cama Beach Historical State Park, a popular family resort from the 1930s to the 1950s. Today it offers boat building classes, rents boats and cabins, and serves meals in the Cama Cafe.
From surfing in Southern California to digging clams in the Northwest, RV beach campgrounds along the West Coast of the United States offer the perfect locations to indulge your passion.
Related Reading:
– 25 Best Luxury RV Resorts Across the USA!
– 21 Best RV Campgrounds Along the Oregon Coast
– 10 Most Googled RV Rental Destinations
Mike Scarpignato – Bio
Mike Scarpignato created RVBlogger.com over five years ago in 2018 to share all we have learned about RV camping.
Mike is an avid outdoorsman with decades of experience tent camping and traveling in his 2008 Gulf Stream Conquest Class C RV and 2021 Thor Challenger Class A motorhome.
We attend RV Shows and visit RV dealerships all across the country to tour and review drivable motorhomes and towable trailers to provide the best evaluations of these RVs in our blog articles and YouTube videos.
We are 3/4-time RVers who created RVBlogger.com to provide helpful information about all kinds of RVs and related products, gear, camping memberships, tips, hacks and advice.
