Sunday, June 30, 2019

Campsite Review: San Elijo State Beach, Cardiff, California


San Elijo State Beach
A campsite overlooking the Pacific Ocean? I'll take it! 

Where: Cardiff, CA (a short drive north of San Diego)

We can't say enough good things about this campground! The sites are located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Need I say more? The vibe was one of the best we have found in a campground... very chill, kids biking through the loops, lots of groups sharing sites and being respectful of others. All around awesome! While many of the campers are surfers, there were definitely a large number of people who just wanted to relax by the shore. 

Cell Service: Yes! Excellent signal with both Verizon and AT&T

Price: Between $30-50

Hookups: Most sites do not have hookups, there are some full hookup sites and a dump station.


Good to know

While there were a few walk up sites available during our stay, sites do book up early, especially those overlooking the ocean and those with hookups. Hookup sites are extremely limited, with 9 oceanfront full hookup sites. Generators can be used during the day and there are restrooms and showers. Check out a full campground map with sites HERE. We stayed at site 151 but I would take any oceanfront site, they were all great. 

Check in time is 2pm and they mean it! We arrived at 1:45 and were told to "drive around" until check in. Save yourself the headache of navigating around Cardiff and Encinitas with your rig and get there after 2pm! 


Your rig must be under 24' for hookup sites and 35' for non hookup sites. During the high season (March-November) there is a 7 night limit on stays. 


There are several flights of stairs leading down to the beach. If anyone in your group needs accessibility, camp toward the south end of the park were there is handicap access to the beach.

Is it normal to dream about tacos? Asking for a friend.


Grub

While at San Elijo you will not have a shortage of great food to choose from. Fortunately for us, we have local connections who gave us the details on some amazing food near the campground. If you go, be sure to check out The Taco Stand, home to some of the best tacos we have ever had along with the classic California Burrito. If meat is your jam, you cannot miss the tri tip at Seaside Market. This versatile beef is known as "Cardiff Crack" and after you have it, you'll see why. 


Things to do


Being so close to San Diego there is no shortage of things to do. From hanging with the seals and sea lions in La Jolla to biking through Balboa Park or visiting the zoo. Delicious food, great beer and shopping can be found on every corner. I'll confess, the weather was so perfect and the beach so nice and we really made use of the campground on our trip and only left to do a small amount of sightseeing and to bike to grab tacos. 

Amazing sunsets are free with your campsite fees.

The Kid Consensus


While they didn't make any besties at this campground, they LOVED biking and scootering the loops. That along with the beach made this spot a favorite.

Consider this...

The campground is located directly off of Highway 101. While this makes it really convenient and great for getting around, it does mean noise. The street noise wasn't too bad but it certainly was not quiet. There is also a commuter train along the highway that will let you know when it is time to wake up each day. ; ) That being said, the noise did not bother us but if you are looking for a traditional, quiet campground experience San Elijo may not be for you. 


Let's talk about the showers... If you are new to camping at California State Parks there are some things you need to know. In an effort to conserve water, the showers are fee based. You have to exchange your quarters for tokens and 2 tokens (50 cents) will get you two minutes of hot water. I know, it takes some getting used to. The good news is we have gotten really good at taking a quick shower! We compete to see who can do a shower in 4 minutes. The fact that there is a charge for the showers does help to keep them clean. The bathrooms are another story. It is not that they are dirty, but this is a beach so you can imagine... Sand and water are simply a part of the bathroom that you can't escape. Bring your flops! 

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