Silver Strand State Beach

So we are just finishing up our stay here and gotta admit this was our least favorite so far. The only Pro to this location is the beach access. Cons: Spots are so tight, I also didn’t want to be facing the neighbors. If you do come we recommend spots 100s & 400’s. There were way too many people just hanging out in the street area and when your driving pretty much ignore that a car is right behind you or trying to get through. They also lock up the gates at night so you have to be back by a specific time and the worse one of all Quiet time is not taken seriously. I mean we enjoy staying up and talking but it was so loud and people still playing at around 11:30pm no Host were going around to check. If I wasn’t pregnant and so tired definitely would have made my way to the camp host. 😕

Yes we had a beach front spot however, that was the only plus thing about this "campground". There were numerous things that were minus in my opinion. #1--cost of site, $65/night (and b/c it was winter the sand berm was built up and we couldn't even see the water). #2--$15/night for extra car (has to be an attached "toad" or you're charged extra). #3--$8 for a friend to come visit a couple hrs. #4--$10 to dump you rig. #5--$8 reservation fee. Felt like they had a "fee" for everything and ended up costing almost $90/night!

Also, I'm 62 but forgot to get my discount when making resv so asked for it when we got there.....denied. Even Yosemite National Park credited my card immediately!! Adding insult to injury, the discount was only $2/night---shameful. We were not happy about all the rules and regulations (no dogs on beach, alcohol allowed in your rig only, bathrooms are for day-use only, gates closed @ 7 pm or you'd be locked out) yeah, we'll never go back. Don't need the headache to camp in a parking lot.

We enjoyed staying so close to the beach with easy access to downtown San Diego being just a few minute drive. Campsites we are clearly marked on the pavement with easy access to restrooms(very clean), dump station and trash. Electric and water was available on site. Campsite was well lit until quiet hours. Family-friendly. Keep in mind, park gates close early pending which season, you will not have a key to open gates. So plan to be back at your campsite prior to park closing. Some military helicopter noise throughout the evening as well as during the day. Overall we had a great stay and would recommend to anyone looking to be close to the beach!

If you like the beach, then this is a prime spot!

Pros:
Beachfront access to a beautiful state park beach!
Not far from downtown San Diego
Close to lots of restaurants, shopping, etc.
Beautiful sunsets
Water and electric
easy access

Cons:
Right off the highway, so highway noise combined with aircraft noise
basically a big parking lot, so you're nice and cozy with your neighbors
$10 fee to dump
They close the gates at night, as early as 7pm in the winter. This means you either have to be back by then (especially if you're in a class c!) or catch a cab ride and walk about 15 mins back to the campground from the gate. Not very conducive to being in a big city.

I use AT&T and my hotspot worked well enough for me to do my work and use video chats

I will definitely be back here!

Great location right on the beach and with bay access. Close to Coronado, military bases, and San Diego. Each site has electric and water hookups. Other than location though there were issues.

• No showers
• No Wi-Fi
• No Hot water in outdoor sinks
• Sites very close together, with out slide extended there was no room to walk on the left side of our trailer.
• Narrow road and sites makes parking difficult
• No dogs allowed on the beach or the bay side. If you bring your dog, you can have them in the parking lot, that's about it.
  
• No sewer hook-ups. $10 dump station in the park but difficulty in hooking up, going to dump and then parking again made that a tough option.
• Check in time is at 3 and they mean business. Do not show up at 2:51 like we did. You'll be told to go to the next parking lot over and wait.
  
• Park gate closes at 7pm and if you aren't in, you're screwed. I have no idea where to park if you miss the gate but it will definitely involve walking.
• We paid extra money for the beach side parking only to find there was a large sand berm that prevents you from seeing the ocean from your site. Had we known, we'd have saved our money.
  

Aside from the location, I find it very hard to recommend this park.

The DW loves her some beach, so this is the second time we've come here. As others have said, this CG is basically a parking lot with water and electric. On the beach. Were not for that, no one would stay here for $50-65 a night. We chose Tues, Wed, and Thurs nights this time, and it was not very crowded. But, it's never quiet, what with the highway on one side, the ocean on the other, and Navy choppers flying around. On the good side, there is great wind for kite flying, and a nice 10 miles of clean, flat bike path, right outside the gate.
Given the not-so-stellar accommodations, the horrendous traffic getting in and out, and the cost, I think we'll find a different destination for our next beach trip!

I would not come back unless I could't find a spot in north San Diego county. It is not a peaceful place to camp. The Navy was doing non stop drills and training; there was machine gun fire in morning, non stop fly overs all night, along with a busy highway that never seems to sleep, all of which made for a not very relaxing time. Also the beach is not dog friendly, but there is a very nice dog beach down the road in Coronado. If you have kids it is very kid friendly and most everyone we met was really friendly. We also enjoyed checking out all the different rigs, even though they stack people on top of one another.

Hereforthebeer's review below sums up a lot of our experience. The staff seemed to be overzealous and itching to slap a pink violation sticker on anything and everything. Arrive 15 minutes before check in? Please pay the day use fee. Spill any fresh water while hooking up? Get accused of leaking sewage (we compost!). We had an adjoining reservation for the same spot due to limited availability when we booked. At precisely check-out time, a faceless hand slapped a citation sticker on our window for being there "past check out". Admittedly, my fault for not getting our new sticker for the new reservation earlier, but the lack of any leeway for campers makes this whole park feel like a prison. At $65 a night for no hookups, we definitely won't be back.

The park website mentions the gate being locked from 7pm - 7am. However, unlike every other state park or campground we've ever camped at, campers do not get a code or combination to get through the gate! You are quite literally locked into the campground (or if you return later than 7pm, locked out of the campground). So if you're looking to explore San Diego at all, it's daytime activities only. There's not even any parking available on the outside of the gate!

Aside from that, you are located right on the beach. Of course, there's a huge pile of sand blocking any direct view of the water from your rig. But if you're looking to beach bum it, this is a good spot for that.

The barebones cinderblock bathrooms continue their prison theme, with only outdoor showers.

No laundry facilities. No dogs on the beach (and yet no dog run area). No wifi. No sewer hookups. All pavement. Spots are tight (about 20' wide total) and shallow (about 35') so you'll be parking in tight next to your rig. Big overhead lights are on overnight. Basically it's a large beachfront parking lot with electric and water hookups.

Overall, if you're not just looking to plant yourself at the beach for a few days, we suggest that you splurge a few extra $ and pick someplace else.