12 Best Beaches in Southern California for Families

Grab a blanket and gas up the RV to find the perfect beach in Southern California. No matter the age, kids love the beach, including teens with boards and babies in ruffled-bottomed swimsuits. The National Parks TravelingMom spent a few weeks traveling up the California coast and found the best Southern California beaches for camping plus a whole lot more, including amusement parks.

Best Southern California Beaches for Camping

Waking up to the sound of crashing waves in California has been on my bucket list for years. Since I didn’t win the lotto or know a hooked-up Hollywood star with a beach house, I decided to camp up and down the Southern California coast in a rented RV. Here’s a list of the best Southern California Beaches for camping and day trips.

Hearst San Simeon State Park

Jalama Beach County Park

Carpinteria State Beach 

San Clemente State Beach 

Silver Strand State Beach

Why Rent an RV

Since I wanted to wake up and see the beach out my window, I rented a JUCY RV Van for my California beach trip. And I’m not the first TravelingMom to rent one! Read what another TravelingMom had to say.

I got an easy-to-drive mini conversion van, equipped to sleeping four along along with a kitchenette. And here’s why I loved it:

• Easy pick-up and drop-off near LAX airport in Los Angeles (a location in Oakland too)
• Easy to drive Dodge Caravan
• Great gas mileage for an RV
• Conveniently-sized for easy parking

What it’s like to Camp in a JUCY RV Van

Since I was headed up the California coast, I hopped on LA’s 405. Then I merged on the 101. With its legendary traffic, Los Angeles driving is no joke. But I had no problems with my JUCY RV Van, just like driving a standard mini van.

JUCY RV Vans offer a compact yet equipped kitchen. I found a one-burner stove along with one fuel canister. I also had a small sink with a 5-gallon water tank and dishes, utensils and pots and pans for four people. The refrigerated drawer kept my food cold for days. The JUCY RV Van comes with an interior table that can be set up and used in the passenger area.

My JUCY RV Van came equipped with a full-sized folding mattress inside the van. There was also a pop-up area on top to sleep when traveling with more than two people.

JUCY RV Vans do not offer bathrooms. So I recommend camping in campgrounds with toilets and showers. Boondocking in areas without restrooms facilities isn’t the best option.

Changing clothes in the JUCY RV van requires lying down on the mattress to pull on pants. And since the front window doesn’t offer a curtain, I just took my clothes to the campground’s restroom to change.

Charging my phone was no problem since JUCY RV vans offer an auxiliary battery. By driving for 30 minutes, the auxiliary battery charges up and powers the refrigerator drawer along with the USB port.

While spending the day at a beach, we found the JUCY RV Van so convenient, especially the sink for rinsing hands or fruit. The refrigerated drawer meant I didn’t have to hassle with a cooler full of ice to keep my food cold.

Best Central California Coast Beaches

West Coast beaches can’t be beat for sunsets. Catch the fiery sun as it rips below the horizon and watch the sky fade from aubergine to indigo. And the Central California coast offers secluded beaches rich with marine life and tide pools.

Hearst San Simeon State Park

Along the central California coast, media mogul William Randolph Hearst built an American icon, Hearst Castle. Set on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean, it’s now a state park. Find the castle along with over 20 miles of beaches.

Elephant Seal Boardwalk

Inside Hearst San Simeon State Park, head to Elephant Seal Boardwalk to see the sea mammals napping on the beach in a large rookery. This facility offers a boardwalk to safely watch the massive seals. During our visit in June, the males fought each other for mating rights with bellows and battles. The boardwalk is located along Highway 1, 5 miles north of Hearst Castle Rd. (watch for roadside sign) and free.

Hearst San Simeon State Park offers over a hundred campsites for tent and RV camping. It features a bathhouse with hot showers ($) along with flush toilets. And the RV size limit for all camp sites is 35 feet.

Hearst San Simeon State Park Campground is located at 5000 San Simeon-Monterey Creek Rd. in Cambria. Primitive campsites start at $20 a night and $35 a night for sites with utilities plus $7.99 reservation fee for all online reservations.

To tour the Hearst Castle requires a separate timed ticket available online or at the Visitor Center at 750 Hearst Castle Rd.

Moonstone Beach

Beaches offer more than shells and sand. And at Moonstone Beach, I found tiny tumbled moonstone, jade, and bloodstone along the waterline. Located south of Elephant Seal Beach and the Hearst Castle, find a boardwalk for exploring Moonstone Beach.

Moonstone Beach is located on Moonstone Beach Drive off of Highway 1. Find the entrance of the boardwalk across from the El Colibri Motel.

Jalama Beach County Park

If you pine for a hidden beach with amazing sunsets over the Pacific, you’ll love Jalama Beach County Park. Since it’s surrounded by private property and Vanderberg Air Force Base, it’s secluded.

In 1943, Santa Barbara County received 24 acres to develop into a park. About an hour from Santa Barbara, Jalama Beach County Park offers a quiet beach to walk, fish or surf.

Make it a weekend and reserve a site. Find tent sites, RV sites, day-use sites along with one and two-bedroom cabins for rent. Basic sites start at $30 a night and premier sites are $50 a night. The cabins start at $190 a night. Day use fee is $10. Jalama Beach features a bathhouse with hot showers ($) along with flush toilets. (One minor complaint – the restrooms could use a renovation.)

A stocked store with camping necessities is located on property. Or grab a bite at the Jalama Beach Grill. Don’t miss Amtrak’s Surfliner train chugging up and down the coast on the tracks just outside the park.

Jalama Beach County Park is located at 9999 Jalama Road. Don’t expect cell or data service, though you’ll find a pay phone in the park.

Carpinteria State Beach 

Just 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, California is the charming beach town of Carpinteria, named by Juan Cabrillo during his California explorations. The Chumash people lived in the area.

After it was originally donated in the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed the park. Carpinteria features one mile of beach access; at low tide, we found tide pools. With its protected location, it’s one of the safer beaches for families to surf and swim.

The campground offers four different camping loops. And I found a bathhouse with hot showers ($) and flush toilets.

Beach Row sites in the San Miquel Loop at Carpinteria State Beach have size restrictions and vehicles over 19 feet aren’t permitted. And the RV size limit for all camp sites is 35 feet.

I packed into my site as required and was able to pop my rear door from the driver’s seat of my JUCY RV van. Instant relaxation when I heard the sound of the Pacific. And it’s sheer joy to fall asleep while listening to crashing waves.

Carpinteria State Beach is located at 205 Palm Ave. Campsites start at $45 a night and $60 for premium beachfront sites. It’s $70 a night for RV hook ups plus a $7.99 reservation fee for all online reservations.

Best Los Angeles Area Beaches for Families

Forget about the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and sample the beaches in the LA area. But keep in mind –  most beaches in LA don’t allow overnight parking or camping. And if it’s the weekend, start early in the day to find a parking spot. Come prepared to spend the day.

Zuma County Beach

Malibu Lagoon State Beach

Will Rogers State Beach

Santa Monica State Beach

Huntington State Beach 

Zuma County Beach

Just north of Malibu, Zuma County Beach offers surfing, volleyball and wide beaches. Despite almost two miles of beach, it’s not listed on most road atlases and paper maps. Zuma offers showers and restrooms, as well as beaches protected by lifeguards. Watch grey whales in the winter from Zuma too.

Zuma County Beach is located at 30000 Pacific Coast Highway. This beach uses metered parking and is a day-use only park.

Malibu Lagoon State Beach

Where Malibu Creek meets the Pacific Ocean find Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Also known as Surfrider Beach, it’s a popular surfing spot.

Malibu Lagoon State Beach is located at 23200 Pacific Coast Highway. Parking is $12 a car. Malibu Lagoon State Beach is a day-use only park.

Will Rogers State Beach

Just north of Los Angeles, Will Rogers State Beach has about two miles of beach to explore. The area was named after the 1930s movie actor, Will Rogers, whose widow donated the land for the beach after his death.

Find a playground, volleyball courts, a bike bath and walkway. Will Rogers State Beach also offers showers.

Located at 17700 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Parking ranges from $4 to $12, depending on the season. Will Rogers State Beach is a day-use park.

Santa Monica State Beach

With three miles of beach and an iconic pier packed with an amusement park, Santa Monica State Beach is a symbol of LA. Find wide sand beaches, sand volleyball courts along with a bike path.

The Santa Monica Pier divides the state beach into a north section and a south section. It’s a day use only beach. Find lifeguard stations sprinkled along the beach.

The Santa Monica Pier is located at 200 Santa Monica Pier. Street parking available by meter. Restrooms and rinse-off showers are available all along the bike path.

Huntington State Beach 

Visit the beach where surfing got started in 1910; it’s nicknamed SurfCity USA. The Hawaiian father of modern surfing took a wooden long board into the surf to demonstrate the sport at Huntington Beach.

Huntington State Beach is a day use only. Find lifeguard stations sprinkled along the beach.

Huntington State Beach is located at Magnolia Avenue and Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway). The daily use parking fee is $15 for standard vehicles.

San Clemente State Beach 

Located between Los Angeles and San Diego, San Clemente offers an escape with sand stone bluffs and a popular surf spot. It was originally developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which built the visitor center and the park infrastructure. The sand at San Clemente is a bit pebbly.

Along with water sports, San Clemente State Beach offers over 100 campsites with restrooms and hot showers ($). Tent campsites start at $45 a night and $65 a night for RV sites with utilities.

Best San Diego Area Beaches

I love the San Diego beaches for family fun. With a several wide beaches families can park a beach chair and umbrella and stay for the day. Or experience a California classic and enjoy an amusement park steps from the sand.

Mission Beach

The quintessential SoCal beach experience. Rent an umbrella and a beach chair or a cruiser and board to spend a perfect day. Or walk to Belmont Park, an amusement park built in 1925, steps from the sand.

Mission Beach offers a walk and bike path along with restrooms, showers and life guards. Lots of beach rental shops, restaurants and snack places within walking distance.

Located at Mission Blvd and West Mission Bay Dr. and find free parking in Bonita Cove. Arrive early on weekends for limited parking. It’s a day use park.

Coronado Beach

Located on nearby Coronado Island and in the shadow of the legendary Hotel del Coronado, the beach is open to all, not just hotel guests. Let the kids chase waves, fly a kite or arrange a special treat. Hotel del Coronado will set up a campfire to make s’mores at the beach for your family.

Located at 919 Ocean Blvd. on Coronado Island. Find free parking along Ocean Blvd. or at the Ferry Landing Marketplace. It’s a day use park.

Silver Strand State Beach

With access to the Pacific Ocean along with the San Diego Bay via pedestrian tunnels, get the best of both. Along with traditional beach fun, Silver Strand State Beach offers a seasonal café and ranger programs. Arrange a surfing lesson for the kids or even yourself at the Coronado Surfing Academy.

Silver Strand State Beach offers camping but for full size RVs only, equipped with a kitchen and on-board restroom. The premium ocean-front sites are $65 a night including utilities with 50 amp service. The other sites are $50 a nights along with utilities. All sites charge a $7.99 reservation fee for online reservations.

Located at 5000 Highway 75, about four-and-a-half miles south of downtown Coronado. Find a interpretive area along with restrooms.

Tips from a Traveling Mom

• Be prepared to pay for parking with cash, just in case a location doesn’t take cards.
• Remember a hoodie or fleece for the late afternoon; it gets chilly at the beach.
• The southern beaches have warmer water.
• Arrange a surfing lesson if your kids want to learn how to surf.