Refugio State Beach | Established Campground

May 14th, 2023 by blessedveteran

It is closed. Gate locked. Doesn't say how long.

May 7th, 2023 by sharpsusan

gorgeous beach with a walking trail, basketball court, and swings. good surf today. outdoor showers aren't working. check out is at noon, but you can stay until sunset if you move to the day use area.

December 21st, 2022 by TheWhiteWhale

Stunning views! Absolutely no privacy between sites but the views make it worth while. Hot showers $0.25/2 minutes. The staff was super nice. $45/night

December 3rd, 2022 by Milou

Nice location directly at the beach. We were there when it rained and it kinda flooded. Beautiful scenery tho and lovely people. It was really quiet and we didn't hear any trains or cars at night, just the sound of the waves.

October 25th, 2022 by calhoun

This and Gaviota just down 101 are gorgeous.

August 29th, 2022 by Amestoy Vincent

A bit noisy but very nice view, the HB area is directly next to the beach. Water and restrooms are accessible. A few quarter necessary for the shower. Only constraint : no electricity in the campground

August 15th, 2022 by RunningGunExpedition

Nice spot if you don’t mind being overcharged. We got one pretty close to the beach and it was level. Quiet campground, mostly just families with young kids and retirees. There are coin op showers and a sink for dishes with water points strewn around the sites. The guy working the gate was kind of a dick when we went to check in. Not many waves, but it’s a decent beach to free dive or a simple scuba dive. Vis was about 10 feet and you only have to go out a couple hundred yards and it’s about 25 foot depth. Probably won’t stay here again because the price seems exorbitant for what it is. Good ole CA state parks system. Cell service is awesome (Verizon) loads movies instantly.

March 8th, 2022 by seth

Hiker/biker sites $10. This is much quieter than El Capitan State Park just up the road because the freeway is perched way above the camp sites unlike at El Capitan, where the hiker/biker sites are nearly level with the freeway and therefore incredibly noisy.

June 2nd, 2021 by gypsyq143

Our bus is 37’ and it fit perfect in space 61 right across from the beach.

It’s dry camping, no convenient store or snack shop. $45 a night and $10 for extra vehicle unless you tow it in. If you arrive before or after hours, there’s a kiosk where you can pay for a spot with your card, doesn’t accept AMEX. The camp host or ranger will drive around to see who’s who, and they’ll let you know if someone has reserved your spot or not, so best bet would be to check the list at the window for spaces available, and ask the camp host prior to paying for a spot. You can also reserve a spot online https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=603

About 14 miles from the nearest gas station, grocery store or fast food.

The beach is not crowded at all. There were times we had the beach to ourselves. You can hear the eaves from your rig throughout the day.

SKOOLIES welcome! Follow us @gypsyq143

March 27th, 2021 by transformative2020

State Park campground with about 70 campsites. Lots of families with children and dogs. Noisy on a Saturday night but it quieted down by 10pm. It borders the beach, so walkable access and great tidepooling, swimming, boogy boarding and surfing. Full amenities.

December 3rd, 2020 by ashleykirzinger

Established campground with first come availability. Right on the beach with exceptional views. Bathrooms, showers, camp store. It is expensive. $45 a night.