Emma Wood State Beach

We only spent one day/night here but we absolutely loved it. Only minutes from downtown Ventura, with bike paths, and running trails right outside our mobile human habitat-- we knew we had found a special spot to spend the evening. We went for a lovely beach run, came home and had dinner right on the ocean's edge, before going to sleep to the pounding sounds of the Pacific Ocean. We will definitely return!

Arrived and checked in with no problems. We had reservations although I'm not sure we needed them. We arrived on Labor Day and there were plenty of empty spaces all week.

Ranger warned us to make sure generator or anything else valuable was locked up. We had no issues. We felt very safe camping there.

The space is very rocky so you need to be careful walking around. It is a little bit of a walk to get down to the sandy beach but all in all, we loved it.

First time here and we love it. Rustic Beach Camping where you are almost right on the sand. In California no less. No frills. No water. No power. No dump. But what an amazing view from any window in your RV.

This will be a common stop for us now. The only reason I don’t give it 5 stars is that there is no dump station. For 40.00 per night I would expect at least that.

There do have porta-potties and trash bins.

We checked out all 4 parks in the area. Faria Beach Park looked the nicest to stay at. Rincon Parkway is the cheapest, but Emma Woods was the only one where the surf was breaking while we wanted to stay. So we shelled out $40/night for no hooks up in a disintegrating beach front parking lot.

The water front views are great, but if thats what you want the other parks are better options and come with more amenities and cheaper price tags. You are nestle between the ocean on one side and a train and the highway on the other. There were lots of warnings about thefts in the area and to keep your stuff locked up.

cell service was fine with AT&T, did not check Verizon

We love Ventura. Getting to camp here was even better. We didn't stay long, as it is pricy, but you get what you pay for. An amazing view on the shore with waves crashing all night. If you snag a spot closer to the entrance, you're lucky to have sandy beaches and water to play in. We were further down and from the trailer to the water were huge boulders. Our kids didn't mind, as they enjoyed climbing and playing on the rocks. We played on the beach during the day and enjoyed watching the pro surfers we admire catch waves. Downtown Venture is fun and enjoyable to grab lunch and walk the farmers market. We did have loud neighbors, as you are in close quarters along the shore, but everyone is friendly. They also say to make sure to lock up your belongings at night. Apparently people stop along the highway, climb down take items, but we didn't have any problems.

We agree with what most the previous reviewers have stated. It is a very tired state beach, which has been our experience with state beaches in this area.

There was a lot of availability off season and midweek. There are porta potties at the entrance, very old porta potties. There are trash and recycling bins throughout the camping area.

Dogs are not allowed on the beach but to the north and south of the camping area there are beaches where they are allowed, at least we did not see signs prohibiting them. There is a bike path to enjoy that goes either direction for miles.

Some sites are definitely longer and wider than others. Very big rigs can even find a spot long enough to accomadate their size.

It is noisy here! The train tracks are a stone's throw followed by the highway. If it weren't for beach front access, we would not return.

The entrance to the campground is more complicated than it should be. Once you find the entrance and follow the road, you wait in a line (this wasn't so bad) just to get to the booth where there you find a curmudgeon waiting for you.

I camped here with a Cub Scout group and there were only a few others here. Instead of being placed in the large group campgrounds we were promised (which were completely vacant), we were put in a giant dirt lot meant for RV's. After setting up our tents, we created a barricade around our group with the cars to prevent drunk drivers from crashing into our campsite.

The beach was, however very close. Besides that, the location was incredibly inconvenient. To your right, there was the freeway, and to the left, train tracks with trains that ran at midnight.

Overall, a pretty bad experience.

What an enchanting and fabulous place to camp! For a mere $40, you are RIGHT ON the beach. As I write this, the surf is breaking 20 feet from my window. This is pure boondocking, though there are some porta-potties by the ranger station. Reservations recommended.

The farther you get from the ranger station, the more remote this feels. Sites are pretty close together, but people are pretty cool (who isn't happy camping at the beach?). There are miles of beaches to walk the dog, and a bike path if you don't like sand. Yes, the train goes by often, but isn't the train a lovely, if slightly mournful, sound? And as another review said, the sound of the crashing waves nearly overpowers it. Playful, surfing seals and passing porpoise provide plenty of entertainment. There are rock firepits at just about every site.

Ventura, only a couple of miles away, is a gem of a town, with a large old downtown and a very lively craft brew community. Great Verizon service, even without a booster.

Tell no one.

We try to come to Emma Wood at least once or twice a year. You are parked at the ocean's edge and you truly feel like you are away from all the stresses in life. There are no amenities at all, so no tent camping, which I am totally okay with. The beach is large stones, especially now after the recent storms, but the kids love exploring in them. A quick 2 minute drive just outside the camp will get you to a sandy beach that you can spend the day at if you prefer.

The only downfall is trying to get spots here in the non-reservation season. We usually have to take the trailer out a few days before the weekend to ensure we get a spot (that means paying for a few extra days too). We've even had the unfortunate experience of not getting a spot and having to bring the trailer home and unpack it. It's all worth it though, for the times we've stayed.

I gave 2 stars for Site Quality because the sites tend to be a little rocky and uneven, again especially since the recent storms. I gave 3 stars for Noise because there is a train track behind the sites and occasionally a train will go by, however that noise is usually mitigated by the ocean noise, and the ocean noise is what you are there for!

We always stay at Emma Wood State Beach Campground during our Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Hobby Stocks, Focus Midgets, Sport Compacts, and Mod Lites fall racing excursion to Ventura Raceway, over at Ventura County Fairgrounds, California.

So peaceful and quiet at Emma Wood Campground, after a long day at our VRA races. Always good folks there too. See the Pacific Ocean's old WWII artillery ruins (bath), and relax at The Denkes Fire Pit at night. Come have a cold one with the boys!

Garry Denke