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Doheny State Beach Camping & Day Use

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Doheny State Beach Camping

Doheny State Beach is located in South Orange County next to Dana Point Harbor. Doheny was California’s first state beach, thanks to Edward Doheny, who donated 41 acres of oceanfront property in 1931.

Until Dana Point Harbor was built in 1971, Doheny Beach was a famous surfing beach. Dana Point was also once home to a unique wave known as the Killer Dana. The break got this name because it came out of deep water and broke on the rocks lining the beach.

Doheny Beach California

Today the waves are tame, blocked by the Dana Point Harbor rock jetty. One advantage of being located next to the breakwater is Doheny’s gentle surf. Smaller waves make this an ideal place to learn surfing.

The northern section of the beach is day use and has a wide sandy beach plus a large grassy area perfect for picnics. You can rent bikes at the concession stand and travel along the bike trail to San Clemente.

Doheny State Beach Beachfront Campsite 92

Doheny State Beach Camping

Doheny State Beach Camping. One hundred fourteen campsites, 16 of which are RV – Trailer only. The southernmost section of the park has a group tent camping area.

Campsites 37 through 94 are the best at Doheny State Beach. All of these have direct access to the beach from the campsite. You are literally on the beach—campsites 27 through 36 back up to the creek.

Tent camping is allowed at Doheny State Beach in the southernmost section of the campground. Pitch your tent on the beach in the designated area and enjoy a fantastic coast view of San Clemente.

Doheny State Beach Tent Camping

Doheny State Beach campground is on the south side of the creek with Pacific Coast Highway and the railroad tracks on one side and the beach on the other.

Campsites along the beach are lovely places to stay, but if you get stuck in the back, you will get a lot of traffic noise, plus hear the Amtrak trains passing by. Most campers use an RV or trailer, but you can also pitch your tent.

Doheny State Beach Campsites Near Lagoon

Doheny State Beach camping reservations are hard to come by during peak season, offseason, except for holiday weekends, you have a good chance of getting a beachfront campsite.

Reservations can be booked up to six months in advance. Plan early for summer camping trips. Doheny Beach is a top-rated destination.

Beachfront Picnic Tables

Nearby Attractions Doheny State Beach

Doheny Beach is next to Dana Point Harbor, with boat rentals, whale watching trips, and plenty of dining options. Dogs are allowed in the campground. They must be leashed and attended to by an adult at all times.

Mission San Juan Capistrano 3 miles, San Clemente Pier 5 Miles, Outlets at San Clemente 4 miles, Laguna Beach 8 Miles. Doheny Annual events Doheny Blues Festival

Dana Point Harbor South Jetty

Getting There

Doheny State Beach is just off Dana Harbor Drive, over one mile from the  I-5 freeway.

Parking is all day per vehicle at the state park. If you only want to visit for a few hours, a parking lot off Dana Harbor Drive charges by the hour.

State Beach is perfect for a camping trip or a day at the beach. During the summer season, Doheny Beach can be very busy. The offseason can be very relaxing.

Doheny State Beach Camping

Doheny State Beach Campground Map

Doheny Beach campground map

16 RV Trailer only campsites – 97 standard campsites – 1 group tent site.

Southern California Beach Camping Spots

San Clemente State Beach

Dana Point Harbor

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Comments

  1. landa says

    Hello I’m looking to come for a few days in October. Are all of the beachfront campsites capable to hold a 34 foot RV?

    • DayTrippen says

      Hello Landa

      Looks like the majority of the beachfront campsites can hold a 34 RV. There may be one exception.
      I would go ahead and reserve a site soon, especially if you want beachfront. Reservations can be made 7 months in advance.

      Have a great trip and thanks for visiting our website.

  2. Kim says

    I’m looking into tent camping at Doheny and called the reservation number as suggested in an above post saying that tent camping is separate from the rest of the campground and to call the 1800 #. I called the number however they said there is no separate tent camp area. It’s all at the main campground and to book any standard site for tent camping. Anyone know if this is untrue?

    • DayTrippen says

      Hello Kim

      There are 16 RV campsites only. The balance of the campsites you can use a tent. There is also a separate group tent site at the far end of the Doheny State Beach Campground. You can see this tent only area in the image in the article above. As long as the campsite is not RV only you can drive in, walk in or bike in and set up a tent.

      Hope this clears things up.

      Daytrippen

  3. Julissa says

    If we make a reservation and have to cancel is there a fee and how far in advance? Also, is there a number to call to make reservations? One last thing, can RV and tent sites be by each other or on the same one site or in the same area on the beach?

    • DayTrippen says

      At Doheny Beach, the tent camping area is separate from the rest of the campground. Toll-free telephone number 1-800-444-7275 for reservations. Good luck getting through.

      Here is the breakdown on Cancellations from Reserve America.

      Cancellations can be made up to and on the day of arrival.

      Cancellations after 5pm PST/7pm CST/8pm EST the day prior to arrival date will also be charged the first night’s use fee.

      A reserved site is held until 12pm (noon) PST the day after arrival date. After 12pm (noon) PST the reservation is cancelled as a no-show.

      Cancellations will also result in the cancellation fee of $7.50 being deducted from your refund for each site reserved.

      Total fees deducted from your refund are $15.50. The $8.00 non-refundable reservation fee + the $7.50 cancellation fee.

      • Kim says

        I called the 1800# about the separate tent site camping area and they said there was no such area. Tent camping at Doheny is booked with a standard site in the main campground. Anyone know if this is untrue?

  4. Makayla says

    would dates July-10-16 to July-18-16 be available bu,t on beach preferably. plus maybe get 2-3 campsites all together? We have a large group that’s looking for this exact thing just finding reservations are difficult and, campsite alongside each other are hard. One last thing are dogs allowed if so are there fees?

    • DayTrippen says

      Good news is dogs are allowed in the campground, not on the beach. I have seen campers with a dog sitting on the beach in front of their site.

      Reservations are difficult to get, 2 -3 sites together all but impossible. Keep checking the reservation link in the above post and you may be able to pick up a canceled reservation. (they happen all the time)

      Thanks for visiting DayTrippen.com

  5. Jen says

    Wondering about safety. We are tent camping 4 days in June. I’m assuming we will need to pack up everything in the car if we want to drive around and see more of the area. It’s probably not safe to leave your tent unattended? Is theft a problem there? Would you consider it a safe camping site for 3 women in their 20’s?

    • DayTrippen says

      Hello Jen

      I would say it is defiantly safe to leave your tent at the campsite. Of course do not leave any valuables inside the tent when you are out exploring the area.

      Doheny State Park has a park ranger on duty along with a campground host. You can talk with them about any concerns you might have when you arrive at the campground.

      Have a great trip and thanks for visiting DayTripping.com

  6. Beth says

    Hi, I have reserved site 74 for two nights but I have read other reviews that the ocean water there is very dirty and the sand is very rough with lots of rocks. I would like your opinion on this if you don’t mind. We are visiting from out of state. Site 74 also looks very small. I would appreciate your feedback. I was thinking on canceling and just going somewhere else for the day. I have 2 small children. Thank you for your feedback.

    • DayTrippen says

      Hello Beth

      All of the Doheny State beach campsites are the same size. The Beach here can be rocky at low tide however there is plenty of sand for kids to play on.

      If you are looking for squeaky clean campground and beach check out Moro Canyon Campground.

      Hope this helps with your choice

      Thanks for visiting Daytrippen.com

  7. Daniel Kaylor says

    Hello, my name is Daniel. I was wondering if you have any available days one 5/22-5/24?

    • DayTrippen says

      Looks like there are no open sites for 5/22. Weekends fill up fast. There are sites open weekdays before and after that weekend. You might try San Clemente State beach or San Onofre State Beach. Use the blue link at the end of the article to search for campsites.

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