Crystal Cove State Park

Just like another review below stated, the ant issue here is insane. We just spent a month driving across the entire United States and never experienced anything close to this. I’m not even sure we saw an ant the entire trip, but now we’ve seen enough to last us forever.

When we arrived, we noticed lots of sites had 4-5 faded white circles on the ground. Weird. We got settled into our site and within an hour had a line of ants going from one side of our RV to the other, totally ignoring peaches, a glass half full of kombucha....and there were hundreds of them. We thought it a fluke, closed up all food items (though the ants didn’t seem to care about food) and got rid of the ants we could find.

By the time we got back to the rig from a trip up to Huntington, the original line was back but this time it was thousands of ants. I pleaded with my husband to ask the gate guard if they were aware of this issue and when he returned, I was shocked to hear that yes, in fact, they do know about it AND recommended a product to us but didn’t inform us or warn us when we checked in. So, at 9:30 at night we headed back out towards Huntington to find a store that was open that carried anything that could help remedy the situation.

Shame on the staff here - it was like they were laughing, waiting to see how long it would take for the ants to show up.

Bring diatomaceous earth to protect your rig before checking into this otherwise beautiful park. Our neighbors said they were “spraying” for ants, which is a terrible disservice to the longevity of the park and water quality - a quick fix would be for the staff to be honest and possibly stock a product at the gate or store for campers to use or buy.

UPDATE: 9/22/19
This is an update to my previous review about ants at Crystal Cove. We stayed there 5 days ago and are STILL having massive attacks of ants inside our rig from where they got in between the outer shell and the interior. What a nightmare.

We are from So. California originally, so have been to Crystal Cove in years past, but this was our first time coming in a long time. There are several entrances to the park as a whole. None of them indicate where the campground is and the entrance to the CG (at the El Morro entrance) is a little unusual. It looks like you are turning into a school with a very narrow street coming down the hill beside it. That is the entrance and is not fun if you arrive when school is letting out since you have to yield to downhill traffic.

We arrived at 1:30 and were told that under no circumstances would they let us in until 3. We asked if there was somewhere we could pull over to wait and were told "No" although, we did end up going to the Visitor Center and found space there with a couple of others who were also waiting. One ranger told us he would go ahead and register us and make an exception and let us in at 2:30. But when we came back at 2:30, a different ranger was very upset and denied that anyone would have said that. He said he wouldn't let us in until 2:55.

Eventually, we got to our site and decided to pull front in so we could take advantage of the beautiful views. We weren't settled for 30 minutes when the camp host said we were going to be ticketed if we didn't turn around and go back in instead of front in. He also didn't seem to be enjoying his duties.

The sites are packed sand and gravel and marked with an area your tires need to stay within. There is a spot for your tow car beside it and a large area to put chairs out behind with beautiful ocean views.

The maximum length is listed as 35' and our 32' fit with enough room to pull our car in front of it. The dry camping sites are listed as max. 25', but a rough measure of them indicated we could have fit in a number of them, also. We would have definitely taken advantage of them if we could because they are half the price and at $73/night with no sewer, etc., the upper sites are expensive.

The beach is walking distance. The tide pools are almost empty of sea life. There were a few sea anemones, but that was it. Very different from how it used to be. There is also a lot of tar on the beach so check your feet when you come back up the hill to your RV.

There are pretty, well maintained hiking trails within walking distance of the CG. Our granddaughter did the Jr. Ranger book. Most of her ranger experiences are so positive and engaging, but again, the ranger seemed very unhappy.

There were many campers who packed more than the maximum number of people allowed into their campsites. It was VERY noisy at times. Also, people were bathing and doing dishes with the outside water hose to avoid paying for the showers causing a lot of detergent, etc. to go on the ground.

Before leaving, I asked a ranger why you couldn't pull in front first to take advantage of the view. His answer was that they needed to see the ticket with your check-out date on it. I asked why it couldn't be posted on the back window and he said no one ever asked.

Beautiful ocean views and walking distance access to the beach are hard to beat no matter what.

So many people recommended this place to us, and while it was perfectly nice- we didn’t really feel the wow factor. Now maybe we’ve been ruined by spending the last 3 months on the coast staying in as many beachfront and ocean view spots as possible.

We stayed in a “tent” spot with no hookups since it was all that was available and it was half the price. Our spot was fine and more than large enough for our 23 foot rig. But the lady at the check in kiosk pretty much scared us from hanging out outside saying there are coyotes and rattlesnakes everywhere and we shouldn’t let our dog into the grass or bushes. Add that to dogs aren’t allowed on trails or the beach here and you quickly find yourself driving out of the park to do things other places.

It is a convenient location to explore Newport and laguna and you do have views of the water, but the beach is a bit of a walk.

Cell service was fine.

Showers are 2 tokens for a dollar and each token gets you 2 minutes. You don’t get to control the temperature at all but it was hot enough.

My second time staying here and might stay again (Campendium, we need a "maybe" for the would you camp here again.:-)) Showers are clean and warm enough. Pitches have zero shade but there is a nice breeze almost constantly. Nice view of the ocean, but no dogs on the miles of trails or the beach. Convenient to Laguna. Pricey though for just water and electric. A bit difficult to find off the Highway. Can be a bit noisy...Californians like to party.

Great location nestled between Laguna Beach and Newport, this location has a lot to offer. The beach is nice, and the hiking trails are even better. For kids there are plenty of places to ride bikes and scooters along the paved coastal trail away from traffic.
Several sites have hookups, and I think they all have a true ocean view.
It’s obvious the state takes great pride and care with this place, it’s very well lit, cleaned and maintained. Very friendly staff as well.
A nice feature is also the natural brush and trees between each site offering more privacy than we are used to.

Fees: $75 a night plus a 7.99 reservation fee. Water and electricity.
This campground overlooks the Pacific Ocean. All of the camp sites have a view of the water since the park sits on a bluff and the campground is terraced. It’s quite a location. The rest of the park is also fascinating. There is access to the beach and wonderful tide pools full of sea life. Even though the park is above the Pacific Coast Highway (Route 1) there is only a bit of traffic noise

The public facilities are relatively new and well-maintained by the staff. The showers require tokens which cost 50 cents each and give 2 minutes of water. This is surprising given the high cost of a campsite.

There is a historic section in the park of cabins right on the beach that are being rehabilitated and are for rent. The rents are surprisingly affordable. The historic section has been saved from the bulldozer by a non-profit that wanted to protect an area that has been an ocean playground since the early part of the twentieth century.

This park is in the midst of some of the most awful examples of the excesses of the wealthy. It is a nice like oasis of nature and calm.

This is a solid 5-star state park. I can’t say enough good things about this park. The staff is awesome, the views are amazing, you can walk to the beach, and the list goes on. Laguna Beach is 10 minutes to the south. Corona Del Mar and Newport Beach are 10 minutes to the north. You can easily get to the freeways. The sites are a mix of asphalt and dirt. They are very spacious and you have vegetation between each site. It doesn’t seem that any site has an obstructed view of the vast Pacific Ocean. All in all, a great park.

What a beautiful view of the ocean from high up on a bluff over the sea. The beach is amazing. I think it’s over two miles long with tidal pools to explore. There were lots of trails into the hills. We walked for an hour on one and found it quite peaceful. There was a Trader Joe’s about five minutes from the campground. The bathrooms were a little dirty. One dollar for a four minute shower that wasn’t very warm. No soap nor hand dryers in the bathrooms:( overall, an amazing location.