Camping can be one of the best experiences if done right. Most families enjoy vacations together but can’t afford to stay at fancy hotels or they might prefer not to. Camping is perfect for families with small children. There’s nothing like packing up your stuff for a weekend out in nature. Beach camping is a favorite during the warmer months. There are so many spots in Southern California where you can camp on the beach that it’s hard to pick which one you want. Here is a list of the top rated beach campsites in Southern California.

Most sites do require a fee.

1. Jalama Beach – Santa Barbara County Park

This is one of the most unique campsites in southern California. If you go during off season you can have the beach all to yourself. Summertime is the opposite. You can find yourself in line early in the morning to get one of the 98 beach front sites. The land surrounding this site is huge. Even when the sites are full the beach isn’t crowded at all. You can’t forget the famous Jalama Burgers. The beauty of the surrounding land is an amazing site to see as well, it looks like it hasn’t been touched for hundreds of years.

2. Leo Carillo State Beach California

This state park has about a mile of ocean front with two areas of sandy beaches. There are a ton of smaller coves to explore as well. They have everything from tide pools to sea caves.

There are 135 sites at this park. There is a small general store inside the campground for necessities. Activities are endless you can fish, hike, Swim, scuba, surf and much more.

3. Refugio State Beach – Santa Barbara County

This campsite is located just west of Santa Barbara. There are a limited amount of sites that are on the beach so reservations are recommended. The most distinctive feature of this campsite is the palm trees that are all over. There are campsites on both sides of the Refugio creek. The creek only runs during the rainy season though,

4. Silver Strand State Beach San Diego

This campground is located on the strip of sand that separates San Diego from the Pacific Ocean. Whole relatively close to San Diego this campground gives you a feeling of being in a remote location. There are 136 campsites that are for self-contained vehicle only. There are camping spots in the north lot that are right on the beach. The sites usually book up and it is a good idea to reserve the spot 3 months in advance. The temperatures at this campground stay in a comfortable 65-78 year round. Extreme cold and extreme hots are very rare here.

5. Gaviota State Park California

The Southern Pacific trestle travels over the canyon of the beach. Although Amtrak and a few freight trains travel over the tracks daily you barley notice the noise. There is a pier and a small snack bar with restrooms. This is a very popular site for fishing and scuba diving. There are 41 developed campsites that allow tents and trailers. The sites are not on the beach though but they are on the other side of the train trestle. The beach is a very short walk away though.