San Onofre State Beach
RV Guide

High bluffs surround the beaches at San Onofre Beach, making the beach an ideal environment for swimming. The sand does not get too warm here, even at midday, and the scenery is stunning. Swimmers can stay and play at the beach for hours because there are restrooms and showers nearby. The water quality is usually high at San Onofre State Beach, although bacteria levels may rise for several days after major rainstorms. Before heading to the water, it’s a good idea to check for rain advisories. Lifeguards and rangers are on duty at Trails Beach, Trestles, and Surfing Beach, but only sporadically, so swimmers should enter the water at their own risk, especially if they plan to venture too far past the shoreline. Swimmers should always be shark-aware because the beaches are hot spots for juvenile great white sharks cruising the coastline for their fish dinners. Shark bites are relatively uncommon, but it’s best to use common sense when swimming near this beach; use the buddy system, don’t swim if you are bleeding, and stay out of the water when there is a shark advisory.

Surfers who are planning a visit to this unique beach will want to pack their surfing gear in their rig before leaving home. Since the 1920s and 30s, when people first started coming to San Onofre, the beach has been regarded as a legendary Southern California surfing destination.

One of the more popular surfing beaches is Trestles. The Trestles is a series of surf areas in the southern portion of the state beach. It consists of the Upper Trestles towards the north, the Lower Trestles towards the south, and the Middle Trestles, which is situated between the two. The Lower Trestles is often referred to as one of the Crown Jewels of California surfing because of its consistent pattern of waves. The World Surf League and National Scholastic Surfing Associations frequently hold competitions and events in the Lower Trestles.

Another favorite surfing beach is Trails. If you have a longboard, this area is for you. There are six numbered paths that run from the sandstone bluffs down to the sandy beaches. This beach tends to be less crowded, and the waves are usually relatively consistent and gentle.

Surfers should also check out Surfing Beach. This surfing area, better known as Old Man’s, is further north than the other surfing spots. A coral reef creates varying breaks in this surfing area, and it is considered to be one of the top surfing areas for beginners in southern California.

Surf fishing and board fishing are popular activities at San Onofre State Beach. Unless you fish from a board past the breakers, you will want to wait for high tide to cast your line because low tide's exposed rocks and the presence of kelp make fishing difficult and less productive. Some of the fish commonly caught along this beach include perch, halibut, and both yellowfin and California corbina croakers. Surf fishers can use clams or sand crabs as bait to catch croaker after croaker. Cast your line out as far as possible, but watch out for surfers, especially in the southern portions of the beach. The best to fish tend to be either the extreme north or extreme south ends of the beach. If shark and ray fishing is more your style, then you are in luck. Small leopard sharks and stingrays are abundant at this location and can often be lured in by using squid as bait, especially after dark. Be aware that this fishing area is also a hot spot for great white sharks, particularly juvenile sharks around one to three years of age. While juveniles typically stick to eating fish, they still range between six and nine feet long and may see your catch as a tasty meal.

Once one of the largest of the ancient Acjacheman villages, Panhe, is situated at the confluence of Cristianos Canyon and San Mateo Creek. Originally developed over 8,000 years ago, it now serves as a burial site as well as a sacred ceremonial and cultural site for contemporary Acjacheman people. Panhe was also the first place that European explorers connected with the area’s indigenous inhabitants. When the Spanish first arrived in the late 1700s, the population of Panhe was estimated at around 300 individuals. In 1769, Father Francisco performed a Christian baptism on two young girls from the Acjachman village, and it became the first recorded Christian baptism in the Acjacheman culture. Each spring, generally in March, an annual festival, a celebration of native cultures, is held at the San Mateo Campground near Panhe. Large crowds of people from many cultures gather to observe traditional performances and ceremonies based on the history and beliefs of the Acjacheman people.

Birding at San Onofre State Beach is a popular activity as this beach, as it is one of the many locations along the Pacific Flyway. During the winter months, when the beach isn’t as crowded, it’s possible to see over 400 species of birds here. The tidal pools attract stopover birds, which are birds pausing between migratory flights. Stretches of this beach are protected, and the protection provides a sanctuary for several threatened and endangered sea birds, including Cassin’s Auklet, black-footed albatross, and California least terns. Brown pelicans, a species that has rebounded from their endangered-species status given to them at the beginning of the century, are often seen at this beach as well. The abundance of sea life also attracts a variety of raptors to this beach, including bald eagles, Cooper’s hawks, ospreys, and peregrine falcons, as well as migratory birds such as golden-crowned sparrows, whimbrels, and varied thrushes. While visiting San Onofre State Beach, bird watchers may also catch a glimpse of some native Californian birds, like loons, condors, western grebes, and Merlin falcons.

This state beach boasts a handful of walking and hiking trails to help visitors explore this gorgeous beach. The Panhe Nature Trail is a family-friendly loop of about a mile-long that has educational markers which provide facts about the plants and animals that reside at the park, as well as information about the history of the area. The Trestles Beach Walk is a 1.2-mile paved pathway that connects the San Mateo Campground to Trestles Beach. The Christianitos Fault Loop is a 3.8-mile trail which traverses along a major fault line, less than a mile from the San Onofre Nuclear Power plant. Another trail, known as the Bluffs Beach Trail, goes high up into the bluffs, where the views are quite lovely. While leashed or confined pets are allowed at the campsites at San Onofre State Beach, pets are prohibited from visiting several of the beaches, and they are only permitted on two of the trails.