Dockweiler RV Park

The only good thing about this rv park is the view.

The day we arrived, there was a homeless person in the ladies shower. The days after that day, I still smelled her.
My boyfriend wanted to take a shower, but the camping host locked the showers for a unknown reason and the camping host told him to take a shower another time. The restrooms are not very clean.
The planes did not bother us. Yes you can hear them fly over, but it is not annoying at all.

We would not stay here again.

This park(ing lot) is right on the beach in Playa del Rey in the Los Angeles area, giving the rare and fantastic opportunity to stay in your RV right on the beach! It literally is a parking lot - 100% concrete - but well maintained and right on the beach. The spots are close together but not unreasonable, and each has a picnic table and grill. There are firepits on the beach. The bathrooms and showers are fine. Did I mention this place is right on the beach?!

Two significant drawbacks: 1) it is literally adjacent to LAX and takeoff flight patterns are right overhead. A lot. Many times a day, particularly in early morning and late evening. Very loud. 2) The space is illuminated at night like a Walmart parking lot - daylight level - all night long.

Dockweiler is in Playa del Rey, a small, charming coastal community. Camping sites are in three long rows, one of which is along the beach. Have stayed here twice, the second time right on the beach, which we really enjoyed. The long beach features a bike path that goes for miles, with a steady stream of colorful bicyclists and pedestrians for great people-watching.

Most of the time I had good Verizon cell service.

We had to be in LA for work for 2 weeks and this location just happened to work best for us. If the LAX Airport wasn’t directly behind the campground this spot would be killer. But unfortunately it is..... every 2-5 mins a jet rolls over your rig shaking everything leaving it impossible to have a conversation. Not to mention the constant stink of big rig septic waste. This is definitely a vacation spot for friends and family that want to get loud and have fun on the beach and a few drinks in the evening. This campground may not have been our cup of tea but if we were to ever come back we would pay the extra $10 bucks for a beachfront spot. Not everything was bad. There is an incredible beach that has fire pits for evening bonfires and miles of recreational path for cycling and running. Downtown El Segundo is just minutes away with plenty to do.

The summary says it all, I suppose. I loved the proximity to El Segundo and the rest of the South Bay, but I don't think we'll be back.

The staff were super nice and the sites were clean - just cramped and plain. It's a big asphalt lot with a strip of grass between two rows of sites. Backing into our spot with a 34' trailer proved difficult. We arrived on a weekend so it was a bit frustrating getting it parked with all the cars in the road (there's only one loop in the park and everyone had to pass us to get out) but once Sunday afternoon rolled around the RV park completely cleared out and it was pleasant to be in.

Since we didn't have a "beach front" view the dune didn't bother me, and you can walk ~2 more minutes to get around it to see the ocean. I'm sure that sucks for people who paid for a beach-front spot, though.

The big con for me was the smell at night. Oh my god, the SMELL! It was so bad. This park is near a water treatment plant and you could tell in the evening. Honestly - the worst. I would never dream of sitting outside at night, or even leaving your windows open. Good god.

Dockweiler is a pretty nice RV park right on the beach in El Segundo. It is mostly an open lot that is really busy with RV's, but they do have lots of amenities. Every site has its own power, water, sewer, picnic table, and charcoal grill. They do a good job with the landscaping, and there are plenty of trash cans and toilets.

This spot is all about location. There are not a lot of options for RV's in the LA area. If you know how to work it you can stay for free in this area, but it requires moving the rig every morning and night. We decided to spoil our selves for 2 days and just pay to stay at the beach. There is lots to do here. The bike path along the ocean will take you from Redondo Beach to Malibu. There is good surfing just a short drive to the south at El Porto or you can find beach breaks within walking distance. This is also one of the only spots to have a fire on the beach in LA area. The fire pits do fill up at night so get yours before it gets to late.

The down side to this area is that it is expensive and noisy with all the traffic and planes. And Internet and cell can be spotty.

Well-groomed grounds, but tight quarters. Dune obstructs the view of the actual ocean, even for the premium 'ocean-front' sites. Under the approach for LAX, so approaching and departing planes are VERY, VERY loud - be ready to keep your AC/FAN on high to drown out the noise. Really ruins the atmosphere on the beach. Adjacent to sewage treatment plant, although I didn't.. Dog runs are very small.

Showers are little more than beach showers. Lukewarm water!

Nonexistent wifi. Not worth the premium price.

Check in went smooth. The girls working in the office were friendly and helpful.

First things first.... This park is right by LAX so planes are taking off non stop and it can get very loud. I think it stops at night though cause it never bothered us at night when we were sleeping.

Video I made of the park: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HY1n1AwYoGQ

It's weird that the "beach front" spots have to back in.
If you decide to ride a bike from this park using the 22 mile long bike path, I can tell you that it's 21 miles round trip to the Santa Monica Pier and back. The ride to the Santa Monica Pier takes you thru Venice Beach which is cool to see. Venice Beach is a good place to people watch if that's your thing.

Pros:
Great Staff
Excellent access to the beach
Great Bike Path
Clean Park
Dogs allowed on Beach

Cons:
Sites are close together
Noise from airplanes taking off from LAX
Weekend warriors that come in on Friday and leave on Sunday
Kids driving their remote controlled cars all around the park.

Overall I would stay here again.

If you look out at the ocean, you can imagine that you're the only one there. But, in reality, you're pretty packed in here and there's a waste water treatment plan just east of you.

Though it's pricey, Dockweiler is a great base camp for exploring LA's coastal vibe. There's an awesome beach bike path that allows you to get around LA without traffic.

You can enjoy a beach bonfire at night, with the sounds of the ocean in the background.

The facilities are clean. You will need a water pressure regulator for your hose. And any guests that might visit will have to pay $7-8 to park and walk over.

This is urban camping but you get the ocean!

If you're looking for places to park your RV close to Los Angeles, you'll notice there's not a lot of options. Dockweiler is basically just a parking lot on L.A.'s least desirable (but bonfire-friendly!) beach. It's minutes from LAX, which is both convenient and very loud since planes fly over every few minutes. However, you ARE steps from the beach and less than 10 miles away from L.A.s best beaches (Manhatten, Hermosa, Venice, and Santa Monica). Plus, you can enjoy all that L.A. itself has to offer - Hollywood, Beverly Hills, world-class dining, shopping, etc.! This could also be a great place to stay while visiting Disneyland and Universal Studios since both are less than an hour drive away (depending on traffic, of course!). We think Dockweiler would be a great group camping location. It would be an awesome place to enjoy partying with friends at the beach all day while having the convenience of full hook-ups and tons of nearby activities!

You can't beat this RV park for location. It's on the beach, and a short drive to a ton of bars and restaurants. It's also driving distance to any of the usual LA attractions.

Yes, the sites are small (it's basically a parking lot for RVs). But it's SoCal, so space is at a premium. And the price, while higher for an RV park ($65-70/night), is reasonable when considering that hotels in the area could easily cost 2-3x that amount. Also, wrap your mind around the fact that it's near the airport so you'll hear planes. Some noise should be expected since you're essentially staying in a city.

There are full hookups, showers, and bathrooms (note: the ones on each end have an access code and are far nicer than the middle ones). Each site has a picnic table and charcoal grill. There's also a biking/walking/running path along the ocean.

Book early. This place fills up quickly.