San Clemente State Beach

I relocated to Flagstaff from San Diego in October of 2020. While I love the mountains of Northern AZ, I missed the beaches of Southern CA.

First, Apple maps was not correct. You have to continue down the road about another half mile to turn left and then another left into the campground. This might be very hard to see in the dark.

Once I arrived and checked in I bought my firewood at the entrance. The attendant mistakenly said that firewood was also available at the campground host. Luckily, I had the common sense to get it before getting my rooftop camper set up at the entrance. I didn't find out that the host did not have firewood until the following day. Also lucky for me that the host was leaving in a week and had extra firewood he was gracious enough to offer at no charge.

The campground itself was a little confusing, but after cruising around the parking areas it became obvious as to the layout. Though the signage really does need some work. I couldn't imagine pulling in after dark with a big rig, as it would be very difficult to find your way around.

The grounds are beautiful and the sites very spacious. I chose my space due to the close proximity to the bathrooms and showers. (Space 108) It was also conveniently located next to the host. There were 2 large parking spaces for the site with plenty of room to set up my rooftop camper that has an extendable ladder on the passenger side that supports the second half of the floor of the tent. Backing in was very easy.

The fire pit was far enough away from the camper so as to not be bothered by smoke or embers. And, was also downwind which also helped.

There was a huge picnic table and a shade structure that somehow didn't provide much shade during most of the day, but it was nice to have.

I had read some reviews that indicated the beach was a long distance away from the campsite. This is true, but it was not hard to get to the beach at all. It was a bit of a climb back up, but it was on a paved road so there was no climbing down the cliffs like in some other locations.

The beach itself was gorgeous!! And, there were only a handful of people actually on the beach. This was December, and with Christmas only days away that might have been a factor. It was also midweek (Tuesday-Wednesday) so there weren't a lot of crowds at all.

The freeway noise was pretty prominent, so I would recommend ear plugs for tents, but it wasn't loud enough to loose any sleep at all. I'm sure if you were inside a camper you would hardly notice the freeway noise at all.

The place had a very family friendly atmosphere and vibe, with lots of kids of all ages, though there weren't many people there.

The bathrooms were clean and everything worked well, though hot water wasn't coming out of the faucets for some reason. But, I didn't let it run very long either. There were no paper towels in the bathrooms, which was my only complaint.

The showers were way better than I expected due to some of the other reviews. They must have repaired the water heater as my shower was very hot, but it would never get hot enough to scald anyone. (Which is important for the kiddos)

The prices were totally in line with other campgrounds around the country, and I felt the value was quite good for my stay.

I think the distance from the beach was a benefit from the standpoint of not having the noise that crowds on the beach can bring, and can see how the walk from the beach after sunset could be an issue for someone who had some challenges walking that far.

Overall, this was a very nice and relaxing experience. I will most definitely be back again. And would highly recommend it to friends and family.

Update 30 Sept 2022: I lucked out getting a 7-day reservation in site 59. Part of this row has a great view over a bluff and to the Pacific Ocean with a fatabulous view of the sunset. The onshore breeze was constant picking up to significantly in the afternoon. I believe the breeze in less prominent in the interior of the park. Ants are a problem throughout the park. The park permits only diatomaceous earth to deter them, no poison. It worked for me.
So nice, just a few miles to downtown San Clemente and the pier. It's a short walk down a steep trail to the beach, though I did it with a chair and a cup of coffee, to enjoy the sunrise. The sites are large, paved and fairly level in the full hook up area. Freeway noise is loud at night, earplugs help. 3 bar AT&T service.

One of our favorite so cal beach campgrounds. we really like the ability to walk the beach trail to the pier area for food and drink (about 1.8mi).Trail is dog friendly, beach less so. Only negatives are the highway noise at night and Camp Pendleton sometimes has training where large explosions rumble from a distance. Staff is always friendly, bathrooms clean, well run.

New to RVing, Just purchased our TT in December 2019. San Clemente was our 2nd trip for Valentine's Weekend. Easy to get to, full hook ups was a pull-thru paved slot which is great for newbies. Everything was clean and well maintained. Great for families, lots of kids playing around and riding bikes. My kids loved the hike down to the beach. Only gripe I had was that you could not see the ocean from our site and I think from most full hook-up sites. The tent sites or dry camping have the best views of the ocean.

This campground was very well maintained, bathrooms and showers were very clean. It was relatively quiet in the evenings and early mornings. Our campsite was clean,spacious, and conveniently close to the restrooms. Our children had great time riding around the trails on their bikes within the campground.The beach was about a 10/15 minute walk down a steep bluff. Make sure you take everything you need with you, as walking back up the steep bluff is exhausting. The beach was not very crowded, which is a plus in the summer. The Lifeguards were extremely nice and helpful. Only disadvantage was there are a lot of skunks roaming around the campground. so make sure you dispose of your trash and store all food in plastic containers. We cannot wait to camp here again.