Random camping along Central and South Californian coastline

Random camping along Central and South Californian coastline - Top view of paper world map with continents and different countries oceans and seas placed in sunny room

I'm from the UK and I am planning on spending about 6 days driving from San Francisco down possibly as far as San Diego and then back up again.

I'd love to stop at random beaches/interesting places along the way and doing a bit of surfing/sight seeing and then move on. Since I clearly lack any planning I don't want to book hostels in advance. Will I be able to wing it this freely without getting stuck with nowhere to sleep?

I'm thinking if I see a reasonable motel along the way then great but if not am I allowed to just drive off road a bit and put up a tent? Or if it is not strictly legal will I get away with it? There is only two of us.



Best Answer

You would probably take CA-1 from SF all the way down to Los Angeles. I'm not sure if you can just sleep on the beach, but there are towns with motels along the way. You can probably find a place to stay in Monterey, San Louis Obispo and Santa Barbara along the way. There are also camping sites in Big Sur.

From Los Angeles to San Diego its all urbanized/militarized, and lodging shouldn't be a problem. You can take CA-1 along the coast (but its in fact a bunch of streets), or you can take the I-5/I-405 and exit in various places (Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Carlsbad etc).




Pictures about "Random camping along Central and South Californian coastline"

Random camping along Central and South Californian coastline - Picturesque scenery of green shore of river and wooden houses with triangular green roof located in row on sunny summer day
Random camping along Central and South Californian coastline - Black and white bearded young male surfer in summer clothes recreating in SUV car trunk and looking at bonfire at night
Random camping along Central and South Californian coastline - Seashore With Rocks Under Blue Sky



Can you camp along the California coast?

Enjoy sweeping views of the Pacific when you camp in the dunes at Gold Bluffs Campground. The Golden State boasts 840 miles of biodiverse coastline and an abundance of beachside campsites.

What beaches can you camp on Central Coast?

Camping on the Central Coast
  • Tallow Beach, Putty Beach and Little Beach in Bouddi National Park.
  • Freemans and Frazer in Munmorah State Conservation Area.
  • Casuarina, Pines, Olney and Turpentine in Olney State Forest.


What beaches can you camp on for free in California?

Best Free Camping in Northern California
  • Rocky Point West. ...
  • No Mans Trailhead. ...
  • Pinnacle Rock. ...
  • Mariners Point Shoreline Campground. ...
  • Lacks Creek. ...
  • Modoc National Forest. ...
  • Cherry Lake. ...
  • Mud Lake Trailhead.


Can you camp for free on the California coast?

Free Beach Camping in California You don't get much for free these days, and California beach camping is no exception. Every single place that offers proper beachfront campsites charges a fee, even the ones with porta-potties and no running water. Sadly, you may also find incorrect information in some guides.



FREE CAMPING along the California Central Coast, visit The Hearst Castle, Morro Bay...




Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Nothing Ahead, Quang Nguyen Vinh, ArtHouse Studio, Jean van der Meulen