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This page last updated January 18, 2001 by Lloyd
Johnson
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I have been to San Onofre Beach dozens of times from 1991 to 2000. Nudity is tolerated at the southern end of San Onofre State Beach. Tolerance on Camp Pendleton depends on how close you infringe on Red Beach, so don't go too far and don't let others go too far.
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Before you go you might check the Oceanside cam on my
weather page.
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The beach is wide and has a mixture of fine and coarse grained sand. There is gravel just under the surf. You will have to walk over that gravel to enter the water. There is always a volleyball net on weekends for those who wish to play. Some people bring wind breaks, as the afternoon winds make it rather cool. The surf is very rough and seems favorable for surfing. I don't surf. I free dive. While free diving, I have found a few hermit crabs on the bottom and I often see dolphins from the beach. Take a look at some of my underwater photos. |
San Onofre State Beach is located just north of Camp
Pendleton and just south of the San Onofre Nuclear Plant.
From Interstate 5, exit at Basilone Road. Turn west. The
road will curve left, continue south on the access road.
You will have to pay $3 at the gate for day use, $18
for camping. Last time I went through the gate there was a
sign informing
visitors that nudity is illegal. Don't worry. They have
always posted the official policy.
Follow the road to the south end and park near trail 6.
Parking is scarce at trail 6. You might want to use the
bathroom before going further, since there are none at the
beach. Follow the trail to the beach and head south. A little
beyond the last lifeguard tower is a wash. The nude portion
of the beach begins here. You will recognize it from a
distance, since there are suddenly lots of people and
umbrellas ahead. If you continue past the chain link
fence, you will be on the Camp Pendleton Military Base.
If you want to avoid the parking problems, you can
exit south of the immigration check point, at Las Pulgas
Road. East of I-5 is a small parking lot. People park
there to use the three mile bike trail. I use the three mile
bike trail, since it connects to the south end of the San
Onofre State Beach parking lot. I bicycle those three
miles, carrying towels, food,
water and umbrellas. It takes about the same
amount of time as it would driving through the check
point, driving back south along the access road, paying
at the booth and driving through the long parking lot.
I've also seen people walking and roller-skating on the
path.
