San Clemente State Beach, San Clemente

This is an awesome vacation spot, for both day trips or longer stays. The Rv and tent campground books up very quickly for popular dates like summer weekends, so check in advance if you want to stay overnight. Otherwise, you can purchase a day use pass at the ranger station. There is lots of space on the beach and lifeguards on duty, but be prepared for a short, steep walk down from the parking lot to the beach. Waves can be big and undertow can be fierce, so be careful if bringing down kids.

We took our 7 month old here for her first trip to the beach, had lunch on the pier and visited the shops. This beach is more quiet than others further north but it had a very welcoming feel. We were sad to see elevated bacteria warnings posted, so we stayed out of the ocean, but still made plenty of great memories here.