San Clemente State Beach RV & Campground Guide
California
- Home
- State Parks
- California
- San Clemente State Beach
As the most popular beach in the entire state, San Clemente is a must for any California vacation. Located right between San Diego and Los Angeles, it's great as a focal point or a stop along a larger trip.
With warm to moderate weather throughout most of the year, there's rarely a bad time to visit San Clemente State Beach. There's a ton to do in and around the sand and surf. This versatility is one of its main draws, making it a great destination for an RV vacation.
Spring 54 - 71 F
Summer 64 - 79 F
Fall 58 - 77 F
Winter 48 - 68 F
RV Resorts & Campsites in San Clemente State Beach
Taking a trip out to San Clemente State Beach is easy and fun when you have an RV on your side. Whether you own a motorhome or you're taking advantage of the convenience that comes with an RV rental, check out some of these fantastic RV parks and campgrounds near the beach that you can stay at while on your trip.
San Clemente State Beach Campgrounds
San Clemente State Beach has its own campgrounds for people to use with a reservation. The spots start at $40 a night depending on the type of lot and how long you stay, and you can enjoy spots with full electrical hookups, showers, restrooms and more. While the park lacks Wi-Fi at the campsites, you'll have excellent access to the beach. It's also pet-friendly, meaning you'll be able to take the entire family on your trip if you stay here.
Orangeland RV Park
Orangeland RV Park in Orange, California, provides a delightful getaway for you and your family while you're out on the road. This park is located right up near the water, so you can enjoy an amazing view while also taking advantage of things like full-power hookups, restrooms and showers, a convenience store and more. Wi-Fi and cable TV are both free throughout the entire pet-friendly park, providing maximum comfort for your entire stay. There are also amenities like a heated pool, a mini-golf course, cornhole games and a clubhouse with kitchen that you can take advantage of while you're there.
Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park
At the Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, you can reconnect with the great outdoors while on your RV vacation. Though it's also an outdoor park, it's a pretty stark change of pace compared to the sand and surf of San Clemente. It's located in a pristine forest, so you can take advantage of the many hiking and biking trails as well as the many chances for bird-watching or picnicking that present themselves under the warm and shady trees. Though amenities like hookups are minimal, the park does have shower and restroom facilities to use as well as a playground.
Hollywood RV Park
Located in Los Angeles, Hollywood RV Park is as luxurious as the name would imply. While it's a bit of a drive from San Clemente State Beach, it's more than worth it to stay in this kind of comfort. Full hookups, a beautifully maintained property, free Wi-Fi, a gym and proximity to many of the best tourist destinations in the city make for one great place to stay. You can even take your dogs here.
What to Do at
San Clemente State Beach
Inside San Clemente State Beach
San Clemente State Beach is the most popular beach in California for a reason. Between the swimming, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, boating and more that goes on here, you won't catch yourself wanting for things to do. It's equally nice to just lie out in the sun or under an umbrella and enjoy the nice weather. Nearby, you can enjoy the picnic areas or the many hiking trails in addition to any events or programs happening at the visitor center.
Outside San Clemente State Beach
If you've soaked up all the sun you can handle for the day, you might also want to consider doing some things outside of San Clemente State Beach. Luckily, you have a ton of options in the nearby cities and towns.
Restaurants
Pho Thanh Binh
If you're in the mood for some fantastic Vietnamese cuisine, Pho Thanh Binh is the place to go in San Clemente. It's affordable as it is delicious, and you'll have your pick of items like egg rolls, fried wontons, and noodle soup.
Type: Vietnamese
Location: San Clemente, CA
Pizza Port
Pizza Port is your place in San Clemente to grab a slice along the water. Tons of topping options, great chicken wings, and beer that never stops flowing all equal one great night.
Type: Pizza
Location: San Clemente, CA
Hapa J's
For an unconventional treat in San Clemente, Hapa J's is the place to eat. Inventive Polynesian-inspired dishes like Kalua pork, pickled mango, fresh salmon, and more all get served up each day here, with the flavor and presentation meaning you'll definitely be coming back for seconds.
Type: Polynesian
Location: San Clemente, CA
Shopping
Beach Town Books
Beach Town Books is a new and used books store containing more than just secondhand goods. Tons of classics and hidden gems line the shelves that you can peruse freely and at your leisure, and the shop in San Clemente offers complimentary coffee and reading spaces to anyone who's interested.
Location: San Clemente, CA
Salon Zinnia and Lifestyle Boutique
At Salon Zinnia, you can take advantage of the extremely skilled and knowledgeable staff to get a makeover of not just your looks but your life. As a lifestyle boutique, it offers plenty of hair and skin services as well as goods you can buy to take home with you after your vacation in San Clemente comes to a close.
Location: San Clemente, CA
San Clemente Antiques
San Clemente Antiques is anything but ordinary. It possesses some of the best valuables and collectibles from around the world, so you would have a hard time stopping inside and not leaving without a little something to take home with you.
Location: San Clemente, CA
Sightseeing
Surfing Heritage & Culture Center
If you've ever wanted to take a closer look at the practice of catching a wave, the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center in San Clemente is the place for you. At the SHACC, you can learn about the history of the sport of surfing, the culture that's grown around it, the technology employed in surfing, cutting-edge developments in the sport and much more. You'll also get to visit a whole museum of boards.
Location: San Clemente, CA
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
The Casa Romantica Culture Center and Gardens is a unique museum and exhibit focused around the history of San Clemente and its founder, Ole Hanson. Learn about the life and times of Hanson, the founding of San Clemente and much more as you explore the campus and take a relaxing stroll in the on-site gardens.
Location: San Clemente, CA
San Clemente Wine Company
The San Clemente Wine Company is downtown's own little slice of wine heaven. Providing a varied and delicious assortment of designer wines, it's a treat to behold both for the history and majesty that goes into making the wine as well as for the many great flavors you'll get to try during a tasting.
Location: San Clemente, CA
How to Get to
San Clemente State Beach
To drive to San Clemente State Beach, you first need to get on to Interstate 5. If coming from San Clemente, the nearest city and easiest place to make the journey from, that would be I-5 South, specifically. Travel around 3 miles until reaching Exit 71. Get off there and head down Basilone Road for around a third of a mile, at which point you'll see the entrance to the beach.
By Car
Entering San Clemente State Beach
There's a one-time fee of $15 required for each vehicle that comes in to San Clemente State Beach's parking area. Once paid, however, you can park there for the entire day from the opening at 6 a.m. until the closing at 10 p.m.
San Clemente State Beach Per vehicle : $15.0
RVing down to San Clemente State Beach is a wonderful way to spend a summer. Whether you're off on a solo adventure or taking a trip with the whole family, you can't go wrong when you choose to visit this fun and fantastic place. If you're planning to go to the beach soon, RVshare would appreciate it if you let the team in on some of the fun, too. Tag RVshare on social media or send some vacation pics to [email protected] so that the site can see what you did. RVshare might even feature you in one of its upcoming blogs.
Frequently Asked Questions About San Clemente State Beach
The on-site campground at San Clemente State Beach contains 160 total campsites, and 72 of them are designated RV sites with full hookups. The RV campsites can accommodate vehicles between 32 and 42 feet long.
San Clemente State Beach offers opportunities to observe many amazing wildlife species. Visitors should always keep their eyes open for California sea lions, coyotes, southern alligator lizards, greater roadrunners, and even whales.
While dogs and other pets are allowed around San Clemente State Beach, they are not permitted on the beach itself. Pets at the park must be kept leashed and under control at all times.
San Clemente State Beach experiences warm, sunny weather throughout most of the year. Summertime temperatures are typically between 65 and 90 degrees, and even the winter months usually stay above 55.
There's no wrong time of year to visit San Clemente State Beach. The weather is almost always perfect for water-based recreation, but the most comfortable months are usually May, June, October, and November.