I know that you’re probably still deep in the chilly days of winter. So you might be wondering why I’m sharing a Bolsa Chica State Beach Campground review. However, if you’ve ever tried to get a campsite at a California State Park, then you know you have to reserve your spot months in advance. Our family camped at Bolsa Chica last summer and I’m so excited to share my opinions with you! We paid for this camping trip, but some links in this review post contain affiliates. All opinions are my own!
where is Bolsa Chica State Beach?
Bolsa Chica State Beach is located on PCH in Huntington Beach, California–my hometown! That’s right, it’s the beach I grew up going to. Surfing, bonfires, visiting the wetlands, I have a lot of fun memories of this three miles stretch of beach. It is only about three miles from the fun Main Street area full of restaurants and surf shops.
First time visitors are often surprised that the water here is not warm. The average ocean temperatures are typically in the 60s, although they can warm up to the 70s in the hotter months–July, August, and September. Huntington Beach (also known as Surf City USA) is also prone to the Marine Layer effect common on the California coast. This occurs because the cool air from the ocean rises and condenses into clouds. The Marine Layer will typically cause overcast skies in the morning that “burn off” by lunchtime. If you’re a born local–like me– you affectionately refer to the am overcast skies at “May gray” and “June Gloom”.
Bolsa Chica State Beach Campground review
Although I grew up in Huntington, we never camped at the beach. In fact, Bolsa Chica didn’t even put in their RV sites until I was a teenager. The past couple of years my husband has tried to plan a summer surfing trip with the older kids. When I learned he wanted to book a site at Huntington in 2024, I convinced him to make a fun family beach vacation.
TOTAL SITES: 50
Water & Electric Hookups: 50
RV Only: 50
Tent Only: 0
Walk to/Boat to: 0
Group: 0
Horse: 0
Other: 0
the campground
If you like to get away from it all and be out in nature, Bolsa Chica State Beach Campground might not be for you. You are basically camping in a parking lot that has electric hookups for your RV. And it’s a small parking lot–we had a hard time maneuvering our 33 foot trailer into our spot due to the proximity to other RVs and trailers. There are 50 sites, half of which line the beach walkway, the other half line Pacific Coast Highway. Reserve your site along the beach if you can! You’ll have a great view of the sunset every night and won’t be right along the highway. There are also a couple of spots with covered picnic benches, which is nice because there’s none at the individual camp sites.
| Read: Tips for Camping with Kids |
There’s a bathroom with showers at either end of the campground. The showers are coin-operated for hot water, and you need a campground code to get in. However, the toilets are open for anyone at the beach to use. To save on money we brought our BeachBox shower to shower with warm water in the shower stalls and it worked pretty well!
An important note–these bathrooms close at 10:00 pm and don’t reopen until 6:00 am. These times are approximate and in our experience the bathrooms didn’t fully reopen most mornings until almost 7:00 am due to cleaning.
the campsites
There are 50 RV sites at Bolsa Chica State Beach Campground and tent camping is not allowed. There is also definitely no space for for a tent or even a shade canopy at your site. Some of the site are different lengths and had a little more space than others, but you are really camping close to your neighbors. All the sites have electric hookups, with no water or sewer. The spots are close together and there’s not a lot of space, but having something like this drying rack can help keep you site organized!
| Read: Camping Packing List Printable |
The benefit to these campsites is really the location. It is so fun to wake up and walk right to the beach, or walk down to grab and ice cream and listen to live music on the weekend at the Sea Salt food stand right there. Or have your kids be able to ride their bikes and scooters down the beach walkway and have their own adventure.
what should you do while you’re visiting Bolsa Chica SB?
Although it’s a lot of fun to just hang out at the beach, there are plenty of other activities in the area your whole family will love! We had fun taking the kids to Main Street in Huntington. We showed them where I used to work (shout out to HSS!) and where we went out on that first blind date. It was actually a little surreal to walk Main Street with my seven children in tow and see how many things had changed–and thankfully, how many things had stayed the same.
| Read: Disneyland vs California Adventure–Which Park Is Right for Your Family? |
Huntington Beach is also very closely located to the Long Beach Aquarium and some of the best southern California theme parks, like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm. Of course, as I mentioned you can spend several days just enjoying the beach with your kids. And while you’re there, don’t forget to walk down to the Bolsa Chica State Beach Visitor Center so your kids can get their State Park Junior Ranger badge! It’s located near the entrance plaza and is open 9:00am – 4:00pm, everyday.
If you liked this Bolsa Chica SB Campground review you might also like:
Visiting Seal Beach, CA with Kids
Thousand Trails Marina Dunes Review
What To Do and Where To Camp in Florence, OR
Follow along with our family’s adventures on Instagram!
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