Wasn't sure what to expect after reading the reviews about the small spots,noisy train,squirrels and rude staff I didn't encounter any of the above .I was greeted by 2 employees who were very courteous and friendly and barely noticed the train noise and didn't see one squirrel the entire time I was there? This was a great experience and I will be returning soon hopefully My spot was #85 I guess the spots between 37-94 are the best here Thanks Doheny state beach !! read more

Doheny State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I come to this beach all the time to surf. The waves are usually always good for long board surfing. Swells can be different all the time, so I can't really rate or review the waves, but they are consistently good waves to surf. Not too big, so it is great for beginner surfing. Be careful when surfing when it is low tide since it is a mainly rock bottom beach - you don't want to be riding a wave and then hear your board scrap the rocks, or when paddling. It is a good idea to wear booties in the water. I usually go with bare feet and just stay on my board as much as possible in the shallow parts. The water sometimes can seem not so clean, but normally it is pretty good. For parking, there is a huge lot for the state park and you can use your state park pass or pay the daily entrance fee. I think it is 15 dollars (I normally have a yearly pass). Or there is a small one closer to the jetty that is pay by the hour. read more

Doheny State Beach - Merry Christmas from the beach! - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Its a nice place to stop, but there are much better beaches nearby. Laguna and Huntington. Dana point and harbor is nice place to walk. Stopped walked around the park and beach. The sand has rocky areas. There are volleyball nets up,nearby and we kicked around a soccer ball. One nice thing about this place its off the tourist rounds so its less crowded. We parked ourselves at the picnic benches and had dinner. There is a shack that rents bikes and one of those four person riding toys. Of course there are the minuses. The water quality is not great, think Santa Monica water quality. And a visit from the resident mouse. This place is low on the orange county stop, but I was visiting friends nearby. Remember to stay out of the water. read more

Doheny State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

Best place to get away camping by the beach. If the inland gets too hot....head to doheney beach!!

I frequent this park/ beach for the last 50 years. My family supports all water sport events of all kinds they donate time money etc.... I have been treated by the rangers in an uncivil matter including but not limited to cussing at me telling me to get out of there, go somewhere else.to being followed out of there and pulled over and harrassed . I am handicapped and live in a nice apt and I like to visit my state beach.i was harrassed by the rangers the other night. This is not the first time and probably not the last. But I'm fighting back. read more

We came here to do a quick bonfire and catch some grunion. The bonfire area was really nice, but a ways away from the actual beach. Not used to that growing up in the LBC area, but it's fine. The area was clean and modern and really nice bathrooms. Lots of benches for people to use to sit and decently lit. The beach area wasn't too big, but it was fine. The people at the booth were really nice and helpful. Not that many parking spots, compared to other beaches I've been too, but this place feels a bit smaller. First time here, and it was at night. 10pm and the rangers start driving by and telling everyone it's closed. I guess things are a bit different now a days. I don't know how it is in the day time, but I'm sure it's just fine. Nothing amazing, but pretty convenient for those people that like clean, stocked and modern public bathrooms. read more

Pretty beach especially from the road, the water looks an aquamarine blue. It's a state beach so be prepared to pay $15 for the day unless you get an annual pass that allows for you to go to all the parks. It's not a bad deal, under $200, if you go to the beach around here at least once a week you will get your money's worth. It's not too crowded here probably because you have to pay. Some people have told me that there is parking by a near hotel but I would rather pay then try to cart everything down. There is always plenty of parking even on the weekends. If you like volleyball there are plenty of nets & serious players as well as people just having fun. The water quality here is not the best but I've seen worse. The waves are slow and rolling waves great for beginners. They have an area where you can order sandwiches, beers, & other refreshments. I was really surprised that the prices were not sky high like most beaches but very reasonable. Overall nice beach but not my favorite. read more

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I would like to know where the camp hosts are tonight..11:10 pm and a very large , loud group next to us too large for the limits and pitching a tent in OUR campsite. So frustrated! Already asked them to quiet down and told them they could stay until am since tent was sent up but fearful they won't move in am. Very disappointed this far. Sight 92. read more

This was A-OK beach, but the deal breaker was the rough sand. And, parking isn't free here - $15 per car/all day. (But, I do have an annual state pass so parking was free for me.) At this beach you could see lots of beginner surfers practicing in the water, available spots to have a picnic, several volleyball nets, you could walk/bike on the trail, food court, and so forth. This beach location to me seemed more of a campground area, which is nearby/connected. Overall: This isn't a beach I would keep in my bookmarks but nice to say I have at least visited and most likely won't return. read more

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I grew up surfing Doheney. My mother use to drop my friends and I off at 6:00 in the morning with our surfboards, and pick us up at 6:00 in the evening. No sunscreen, no hats, no unbrellas, and somehow we have all survived. Life was so simple and easy then. Over the years, including up to today, there are several activities that my wife and I enjoy constantly. My favorite is the Longboard Collectors Club Meet the first Saturday of every December. Great running into old surfing buddies, and many of the old surfing greats. read more

Picture this... 1964... So Cal teenagers who love to surf, flirt and surf some more. I was 9, 10... but my brother and his friends were much older and worldly at 16 and 17. Our family spent a lot of the summers camping at Doheny. It was fun for us all. My brother Gary met Cindy, suddenly, fireworks! I met Belinda Jean and at 10, there were no fireworks but we became pen pals and such... so many memories of fog, campfires on the beach and learning about Life in So Cal of the early 60's....... read more

Mice beautiful beach. Easy to find and friendly staff that works here. It's clean!!! Beautiful and clean!!!! Nice bathrooms with a beautiful changing area, a snack shop with good selection of snacks. I saw some beach toys as well. They have a small ramp and gazebo for beach goers in wheel chairs to enjoy. Plenty of parking and a fun little aquarium at the front too. read more

Disclaimer - we didn't do any cooking, swimming, or boating but as far as a beach that is pretty to look at and walk along this one is great. We stayed a hotel across the PCH from the beach so we walked across the pedestrian bridge to get there. The beach was clean and nice to walk along, we took the kids and they had a blast. I saw that a few others had trouble with the showers when they were there, but they worked fine for us. read more

Doheny State Beach - Doheny State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

Earplugs anyone? Review for Campground. The neighbor next to me started a loud generator at 2:00pm and did not turn it off until 8:00pm. Although there is a rule about NOISE: Radios and noise producing equipment shall not produce noise that exceeds the confines of the campsite day or night. There is a conflicting rule that lets loud generators be used until 8:00pm. In the morning I walked around the site and could hear and see 4 loud generators in use. This is not paradise anymore, instead I prefer to think of it as mental torture. I pad $60 for 1 night and I can say that I want a refund. I do not recommend the Doheny State Campground. read more

It was the cleanest beach I have ever been too, and the water was fine. The only issue I have with this beach is the amount of rocks in the water and on the beach itself. I've been able to walk barefoot on several beaches before this one, but This one wasn't as smooth. There were no seashells to collect either, and you have to climb down a ledge to get to the second half of the beach, which wasn't hard for us, but I saw Mommas with little babies trying and it could be a bit difficult! I didn't mind, but the waves were so strong, too! Just be careful if you have pets or little ones. Overall I liked the beach, but probably wouldn't go back willingly. Pets allowed: ???? The site said no, but I saw several fur babies hanging out and playing! So I assume they are welcome. Parking: 15$ for an all day pass ( expires at 10pm) Would you go back; Most likely, no. read more

Doheny State Beach - A little part of the beach. - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

It was closed! So sad. I gotta come back again. We really had nothing to do with this stay at home order so we wanted to drive along PCH, and yes stay in the car. So they had a sign that says 25 feet or smaller RV's allowed. I guess I'll have to rent something in order to camp there. Looks like a nice place. Super close and just would be wonderful to actually camp out there. Looking forward to it in the future! read more

Nice looking beach but the sand is a little rough. It is good place to look out onto the ocean and see surfers on their boards, catching the waves. If you are looking for a picturesque beach, I would recommend going to another beach for finer sands and amazing view. read more

Doheny State Beach - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

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Parking is a B-I-T-C-H! AND surf is small and slow. That's all I have to say about that.

If you're imaginative enough, you can picture how the greed took over this area. "Killer Dana' was unique in surfing history where big waves wrapped around the headland to march in numbered sets that some compared to Pipeline. They were that good and others say the best in California. All that is gone now, replaced by a huge parking lot for motor-yachts and other gas-spewing, smoky boats that keep the developer's pockets filled with the lucre of wealth at the cost of a natural wonder. It's still pretty, if you look hard enough, like a duckling that had once been a swan, you might see a trace of flight-feather under the duckling-down. "Killer Dana" is now feeble and inert, a punch-drunk tired Muhammad Ali taking useless swings at fading shadows...it used to be the greatest. read more

Doheny State Beach - Space #57, right on the beach. - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

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I love the fact that the beachfront sites are actually on the sand. I stayed in a beachfront site, which is considered one of the best. The sites themselves are smallish, but adequate for three or more medium size tents and asphalt parking for up to three cars. It's a great campground if you have kids. I also love that it's less than a two hour drive from eastern San Bernardino county, and there is a supermarket, numerous restaurants, Costco, and a Big 5 nearby. (I highly recommend the Little Asian Kitchen restaurant.) What I don't love: the sites are close enough that we could smell the gasoline from our neighbor's generator and whiffs of their septic tank. I absolutely hated that the neighbors had 30 plus people gather at their site every afternoon for a big party that went on each night until almost midnight. There was absolutely no sense of being out in nature, between the generator all day and the party at night. Even sitting on the beach in front of my campsite, kids and adults from the neighbor's site were playing ball and games all around me. The only peace came overnight, when I could finally hear the roar of the waves and barking sea lions. I was more than ready to leave on the third day, and I rarely say that about a camping trip. Tips: The campsites along the road are extremely noisy, even noisier than the beachfront sites. Between cars, trains, and people, you are bound to be very annoyed if you camp in one of those. It's just not worth the aggravation, unless you have nerves of steel. Bring toilet paper. The ladies bathroom ran out each night and wasn't replenished until mid morning. Bring dollar bills to exchange for shower tokens. Two tokens per dollar. Two tokens give a decent shower time. Be aware the shower cuts off without warning when you're out of time. All things considered, I really don't know if I will return. read more

Great location. Easily accessible if you want to come and go from your campsite. Steps away from the beach and not a lot of traffic. Only complaints are the homeless people using the campsite showers. One morning I saw one leave after sleeping in the shower stall all night and there was blood all over the floor. At least they got on it and clean the showers daily. I was there during Earth Day, which they had a lot of volunteers come out and plant new plants throughout the campsite. The sites are close together so be prepared to hear noise. Otherwise, campers are typically respectful and friendly. read more

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It used to be a very nice place where you could enjoy your day having a picnic with your family surrounded with green grass, swim in the ocean, take a shower and go home with great memories. I was there again today and it's totally different. The lawn was yellow, no water in the showers, there was no water in the toilets either to wash your hands. I mean I know the reason, but we are not wasting water, we need to wash our hands while visiting men's room, that's a basic need. After all, if we are getting less in return, why are the prices still the same? read more

It is pretty cool being able to camp near the beach and hear the waves crash. It's not cool waking up hung over at 5:30am to the sound of a train rushing by, followed by trains every 20 or so minutes. I wasn't smart enough to realize the camping spot was literally 50 feet from a train line beforehand. My bad. Other than that, they keep their facilities pretty clean and it seemed like most of the other campers kept to themselves. It's not "real" camping, and it's $35 for a tent camp site, but that's what you pay to camp near the beach. There was some homeless looking skateboarder guy who looked like he was in his 40's and he kept lurking around the bathrooms throughout the night. We saw him in the morning skateboarding around looking sketchy. He didn't seem like he was causing any trouble, but you never know. read more

First stay at Doheny Campgrounds It was nice walking around in the camp. Pets are welcomed but keep them on a short leash. Witnessed man come out of bathroom with his very large dog that really shoved its face in a woman's behind and never apologized. I personally, got locked inside a shower stall because there was no inside door handle. Heard someone say their husband was trapped in shower stall for 45min!!! two years ago.Tokens for taking a warm shower ran out and toilets are covered in wet toilet paper. Lastly, Amtrak train passes day and night. read more

Here's my day at Doheny. 1) There was a group playing 'golf' with over sized clubs and balls. They couldn't care less where they played. Into someone's campsite, no problem. Into someone's personal space. No problem. Very rude. 2) I was in the water with my daughter when a man, who was walking with his wife, decided he had to pee. Never mind the toilets 50 yards away. He exposed himself, in front of my child and family members, and pissed on the shoreline. 3) A couple showed up and set up their spot. They started making out, then one thing lead to another and they starting having sex. On the beach. In the middle of the day. With my child and other family members less than 30 feet away!! I have never been so angry. 4) There was more trash on the beach and more trash washing ashore than I have ever seen. I found enough clothes to fit a small family. Oh, and the dead shark was nice too. State budget cuts has caused this once great beach and campground to turn into a heaping, steamy, pile of crap. read more

One of the most beautiful camp sites I have ever been on. Amazing. If you reserve on the beach side - you are on the sand. Its wonderful to sleep in a tent and listen to the waves. I made sweet ginger sesame Salmon over the fire in Aluminum foil. We had it with corn on the cob we did in the coals of the fire. We had marshmallows and chocolate with graham crackers for dessert. We sat around the fire like old times -but next to the ocean. You could do volleyball, surfing, swimming, knee boarding etc...if you wanted. You could also bring beach chairs and a cooler and drink beer while watching other people do all those things. I noticed a few people that went more that direction and they seemed to enjoy it. This is not rustic camping. But is a good medium range for people that want to camp but don't like to rough it. There is a store nearby and the same place that you drive by to sign in for your campsite also sells firewood. So, I would say - pick a night or two - and do it. Its a lot of fun. And there is some good eats down in Dana Point on Golden Lantern Drive. If I had kids I would be down here all the time. read more

We have been camping regularly this summer In our little Vintage trailer. The grandkids live the bike rides and the beautiful beach. It's become a great meeting place for friends and family who visit for the day.. The facilities have no hook ups however the bathrooms and showers make it workable for those like my wife ,who want some comforts. I check for available campsites almost every day. I resently scored a campsite for a four day stay.I guess when someone cancelled it became available. Just love this place in my my new resent retirement. . Even if you do not have a camp spot you can spend the day for $15 per car load. Pack a lunch head to beach..what a deal... read more

I would like to give this campground a bad review just to keep others from visiting, but I must tell the truth, I love this place. For a beach campground with mostly RVs, this still feels like camping and not sitting in a parking lot. Some of the sites are small and close together, but others feel roomy and the trees and bushes give you some privacy. There is a sand dune between the camp and the beach which helps with wind but blocks the view. Generator hours are from 10am to 8pm. The rangers don't do the best job enforcing that rule. There are crews working everyday cleaning vacated spots and the general campground. The waves are small but the beach is relatively clean. There are the typical transients that hang out in the parks day use area, but they don't seem to bother anyone. As far as the train noise, yes you definitely hear the train go by, even at night, but not terribly often. I would take this train noise over freeway or road noise any day. Overall this campground is family friendly and pet friendly with lots of bike riders and runners going by. The ocean view is beautiful and a relaxing place for a vacation or nice weekend. read more

I don't think it's very commonly known that Doheny is consistently and by far THE MOST POLLUTED BEACH IN AMERICA as measured by fecal bacteria counts. This is due to a combination of untreated sewage runoff, tons of seagulls, and lack of ocean circulation due to the jetty. Google 'doheny pollution' if you think I am exaggerating. People do get sick here. http://articles.latimes.com/2004/may/27/local/me-beaches27 read more

I have camped at Doheny since I was a kid! Every couple years or so I get an urge to come back. A week ago I randomly decided to look to see if there were any sites available and there was one left so I booked it! We were towards the back in site 8 and yes- traffic is loud and you can hear the train but it's not THAT bad! Yes - there are a ton of trailers and RVs but we saw a ton of tents out just like us! The sites are rather small and super close together - ocean view/beach sites are $60/night and regular sites are $35/night. One car is included in the fees and a 2nd car which I believe they only allow 2 is $10/night. Some bathrooms are cleaner than others but are decent nonetheless. They have showers and the token machines are right next to them. The picnic tables have been updated since the last time I came and are heavy duty- you can't move them at all! Pet friendly of course and they sell wood for $8 per bundle. A cheaper solution for wood - if you go to Walmart on Pico (10-15 min drive) they sell bundles for just under $5 and 10lb bag of ice is around $2.50! This is a neat place for an easy, local camping trip and great for families w/ kids. If you are looking for peace and quiet and privacy in your camp site I would not recommend coming here! Oh - and as some other yelpers stated we did see a few homeless people (they even asked us to watch their stuff... A different story) but they seemed completely harmless and were just searching for vacant sites to camp at themselves. read more

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First of all as far as I know first come, first served means exactly as it states!!!! Well not here it doesn't! So glad my husband wasted his time sitting at the kiosk waiting 30 minutes as the first walk up to get a site when actually was the only person to walk away without one! DO NOT put first come, first served if that is not at all what it is......it is called a lottery. You can be the last one to come and the first one served because you draw numbers and if you draw a high number you lose! Lowest number chooses what site they want so on and so forth. EXTREMELY MISLEADING! Change the website that states first come, first served!!! read more

I'm not sure which part of my camping trip was the highlight of my weekend. The noisy street, the loud wedding across the street, close quarters with neighbors who snored all night without a break, or the roaring Amtrack train. Needless to say I didn't sleep much. I won't be back unless I get a site away from everything I mentioned. read more

1 minus star for the ridiculously rocky sand border when you first step into the beach/ocean... I was literally saying "ow ow ow ow ow" every step of the way until I completely went farther out into the ocean. I love socal beaches in general. I was extremely happy that I was able to swim with not even being cold!! The weather was perfectly warm and the water was too! In general, it is not the cleanest, most perfect beach.. but which beach isn't when there are tons of families!?! Perfect for family/big group outings.. There are BBQ pits/multiple volleyball sand courts/bath houses( not too dirty when i was there!!). I loved the atmosphere, where there is also a grass area further back from the beach for group games or even for tanning. If you come here late during the day though, parking lots are packed and it will be impossible for you to get any bbq spots or whatnot.. Unless you are just willing to tan and relax then that is do-able to get a spot. Lots of activities available, group bikes, jet skis and etc.. There is a boat port which is also a nice of scenery. I got to surf here!! The waves were perfect for the day!! It made me want to go surfing more but Norcal requires a wetsuit! Friendly people I got to meet while tanning and reading.. Overall a great experience for my first time at Doheny State Beach! I can't wait to explore other Socal beaches on my next trips! read more

If you want a beach campsite, book the ones that are tented on the beach. You have a spot to park two cars or even a RV. It's the best campsite for pets. Overall the campsite is really clean and very peaceful besides the train that runs through. There's not a lot of shade so bring a canopy. But if you're looking to do rugged camping this campsite is not for you. It cost a quarter for a 10 minute shower. Down the street, there are stores, restaurants, etc...so if you forget something you're okay. read more

Visited this beach for the first time on the 4th of July weekend because Dana Point was a mad house! So happy we did! Loved that they have umbrella and chair rentals and a snack bar. Parking was $15, but we happily paid that amount to avoid parking sharks and unsuccessfully driving around a lot for an hour. There is a grassy area near the bathrooms and a lot of space to picnic and rest from swimming. The beach area itself was nice, though a bit rough at the shore break - my husband's feet and ankles got some nicks and scrapes from all the rocks - but it didn't keep him or our kids out of the water at all. We definitely will visit again! read more

What a wonderful spot, if only I could go down here more often. nice grass area for bbq's fire pits, volleyball. and ummm duh THE OCEAN. Yeap! me likey. read more

Not the best beach I've ever been to, but sure has some good surf! It may be too rough and rocky for little toddlers. Check out Baby Beach by the Ocean Institute, which is safer. My little cutie pie tried looking for sandcrabs among the rocks, to no avail. He was a little disappointed. It can get pretty packed here. There are picnic tables, grills and grassy area. Bring your own umbrella, not much shade to park your stuff. We will definitely bring our boogie boards next time! read more

I wasn't very impressed with Doheny's campground. Sites are itty bitty. Seriously, very small. Also, I don't recommend going here if you want to go real camping, you know, with tents. RV's take over this campground and they will take up their entire spot as well as some of your spot. The first night we stayed here we were sandwiched between two RVs. Also, noise is a huge factor. If you're one of those people who don't wake up right when the sun comes up then this is not the place for you. Our tent was literally right next to the fire pit of our neighbor, only thing separating us was a 5ft bush. Well at 6:30 am we were awoken by the noise of the whole group surrounding the fire pit, not to mention they lit a fire at that time which the wind pushed the smoke into our tent. We decided to move to the beachfront camping which I will say is very nice because you're right on the beach but because you're right on the beach everyone from the campground comes right to you. We had people walking through our campsite to get to the beach, we even had people post up right in front of up with chairs and an ice chest which blocked our view of the ocean. Also, there is no shade at these campsites. We stayed at both a normal site and beachfront and no shade at all. Thank God for the overcast. read more

Train doesn't bother me. What bothers me is, loud music, no privacy at all, kids running through your campsite, no camping educate and unleashed dogs. read more

Doheny State Beach - Neighbors tent! - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California

I grew up less than a mile from Doheny. My mom used to camp there in the 50s and 60s. It's featured in two Beach Boys songs about surfing (Surfin' Safari and Surfin' USA). It was the first state beach in the state. These are all good reasons to visit Doheny. Its employees are fun and knowledgeable and they have events throughout the year to spice up your visit. It's a little bit park, a little beach and a little bit old California since the park has pretty much stayed the same (in a good way) since the 60s. A big positive is the lack of cliffs you have to walk down to get to the beach like other parks in the area. Everything is at sea level. read more

Doheny State Beach - Do you know who this guy is? Maybe you do.... He's a big fan of Doheny - Beaches Near Me - Dana Point, California