“1.5 miles of pristine beach”
Leo Carrillo State Park has 1.5 miles of beach for swimming, surfing, windsurfing, surf fishing and beach combing. The beach has tide pools, coastal caves and reefs for exploring. Hiking trails range from easy to hard. Canyon Campground offers well-shaded sites for RV and tent camping.
Reviews of Leo Carrillo State Park Campground
15 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 4G/5G
Confirmed by 7 users | Last reported on April 15, 2024AT&T 4G/5G
Confirmed by 6 users | Last reported on April 15, 2024T-Mobile 5G
Confirmed by 1 users | Last reported on March 28, 2024Reviews
I am an LA native and have such happy memories of playing in the Leo Carillo coves, as a child, again as a young adult. I am 50 now! Surprising how this exquisite location has lived in my memory but truly too few visits over half a century. (ouch!)
Anyway--bought a travel trailer--found campendium (thank you!) and all sites app--arrived at leo carillon (note:apple maps kept taking us to the closed coast side entrance.) Only after looping multiple times and about to give up did we see the sign on the east side of pch just a scootch south of the west side closed gate.
So we made it! We (australian shepard, cat and i) had an idyllic time. off season so very sparsely inhabited, everyone quiet and cool. The camp hosts have firewood for $7 and were helpful and kind.
Sites 102-70 run along the stream. That's right! There's a stream which has been dry for ages, according to camp hosts, but the recent rain blessed the land with beautiful happily running water.
The rules about dogs on trails are strict but if you have a service dog is ok. And dogs can be on the beach north of station 3, leashed of course, service dog or not.
Ditto the other reviewer. We had 2 bars at our nice site deep in the campground but towards the highway it jumped up to 5 and i was uploading pics to instagram as we walked along the beach--shameful la iphone addict.
Could not have been a better maiden voyage. GO.
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 89
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 4G
We live in LA and came to the park a few time to visit the dog beach and decided to book a long weekend to take the van. Our site had a lot of trees and was more private than a lot of others in our loop, but overall the sites are somewhat close together, so the noise level just depends on those around you. As we walked around, it really looked like the sites in the 100s were more private, but then you’ve got a longer walk to the ocean. The park was incredibly clean — especially the bathrooms — and the staff was super helpful and nice.
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 3
RV Length: 17 ft
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
Good spacing between campsites for privacy. Restrooms/showers are clean. Small camp store. They do sell wood, drinks, canned goods, ice creams and other refrigerated items. Rangers are all very friendly and helpful. Tents, camper vans, RVs, pull trailers, saw a wide variety of campers. All ages from early 20s, young families and retirees. Cell service is not good and some times non existent the deeper your campsite is in the canyon. The canyon walls block the signals. The day use parking area at the front of the parks has fantastic cell service. Even if you are at the back of the campground it is still a short walk to the beach. Beach access is at the end of the day use parking lot and you walk under the overpass. So it is safe that you don’t have to park on the highway or run across the highway to get to the beach. Right now, the underpass is full of mud that came with all the rain we have been getting. But accessing the dog beach, you will need to cross some water to get to the side where the dog beach is. Access road that would make it easier to get to the dog beach is closed at the moment. I’m sure they will open as soon as they can clear all the mud. Saw lots of open spaces even though it looks like it’s always sold out. We arrived Friday and stayed for 2 days. Rangers said to come talk to them if we wanted to stay longer. So, folks are obviously cancelling or not showing up.
Nightly Rate: $60.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 12
RV Length: 24 ft
RV Type: Class B Plus
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
We wanted a beach that our dog could enjoy with us. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, beach very crowded, Monday morning, blissfully deserted and easy walk from campground although North beach area (for leashed dogs) can be challenging to access. Site 139 close to bathrooms but not too close, it was a bit challenging to back in our 16 foot Bambi but we just managed it. Sites are roomy and some with electric hook ups but still not much privacy. Bone dry for our visit, dusty and be careful with storing food due to aggressive squirrels and ANTS. Lots of kids on bikes, scooters make the place bustling, wouldn't say it's peaceful and or particularly scenic due to heavy use but its ok. This wave of campers mostly good neighbors, lots of tents and RV's, surfers, families, rules to keep pets on leashes and on leads in the sites mostly observed, one woman told us her dogs were attacked by a dog not properly restrained. Very important to come prepared to properly restrain your dogs given the volume of people and pets to keep everyone safe. At night quiet hours observed. Covid precautions? Mask requirement posted, many wore masks, some did not. Limiting numbers of campers at the sites, not so much. Read prior review that said rangers will help in extending your stay, but the rangers we asked weren't super helpful even though plenty of empty spaces, said we could only extend our spot, which was booked, but would not offer to book us into another available site. On a Monday? No cell service for AT&T, not the place to work remotely. Would camp here again in a pinch, best for groups or family beach experience.
Nightly Rate: $60.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 139
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T
We stayed here in August 2020 with our puppy at site 128, which is about a 5 minute walk to the beach and a 10-15 minute walk north to the dog beach. You're camped in a canyon without highway noise, unlike many other beach campgrounds in Southern California that are basically parking lots next to PCH. The spots near 128 are small, very tight or too small for a 25'+ trailer or motorhome; we stayed in a rooftop tent on our pickup truck. We reserved for Summer 2021 in the sites further inland (Site 64), which appear much larger and shaded with big trees. I've stayed at several state park beach campgrounds, and this is my favorite (or at least a close tie to South Carlsbad State Beach). Very nice campground to walk around, and the camp store has tons of necessities like coffee and other things you might forget to bring with you. The reason we chose to go here again is because there is a dog friendly beach within walking distance, something that is pretty rare among state beaches. Cell service is very spotty in the campground itself, but if you walk to the main parking lot or near the entrance to the campground it is full 4G high speed internet on cellular (T-Mobile and Verizon).
Nightly Rate: $60.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 128
This is a tight campground. You'll want to pay close attention to the pad size when selecting a site. Don't assume you can squeeze in an extra couple of feet. Odds are you can't. They seem to be measuring distances from the axle to the hitch so you'll need to back in with your rear over the cement curbs. On the positive side, the parking pads are double-wides so you may be able to squeeze in an additional vehicle. If you can't, there is overflow parking easily accessible near the entry kiosk. Our site, 103, was large and private (despite the short parking pad). That did not appear to be the case for many other sites. The park makes up for these deficiencies by being a very short walk from multiple lovely beaches. The main beach closest to the campground gets crowded and has a litter problem. However to the northwest are a few secluded beaches and the very large dog beach which are worth the extra five minute walk. There is also a nice loop trail that begins near the entrance kiosk and heads up the mountainside to a great overlook.
If you have a larger rig I would recommend scoping out the dump station before pulling into it. It's a tight loop but I did see large rigs make it through unscathed.
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 7
Site Number: 103
RV Length: 28 ft
RV Type: Travel Trailer
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon 4G
AT&T 5G
This is a busy campground near Malibu that’s right across from the beach. The spaces are nicely spaced but the pads are small. My rv Is 25 feet and I had to hang the end over the curb. Not sure how they let larger rvs in here but the kids running the kiosk did not seem to care. There is no cell service unless you walk down towards the entrance. Lots of liter around the campground and the views are trees and brown Southern California style hills which are not that great. But the beach is really nice and to the north it’s dog friendly so that’s a plus. … nice little store if you forgot anything.
Nightly Rate: $60.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: -
RV Length: 25 ft
RV Type: Class C
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T
My site 112 was listed as a "pull through" but it's really just a wide spot on the road and my 22' vintage Airstream barely fit with my vehicle. I think this site and others like it would be better for Tent camping because the majority of the site is up the hill from where you park and there was a flat spot for a tent under a cool looking tree where you would feel like your in the woods. It's an awesome beach, especially if you surf and/or do wind sports. The hiking trail from the campground is beautiful with views. Nice to have the store on site as there isn't much else near by. I was working so I needed a signal. It's was crazy cause there for 3-4 bars in the day use lot, that disappear after a few steps into the CG. The showers take "tokens" which was kind of a pain...taking quarters is enough of a hassle. All in all, I had a magical stay and will be back. The staff were very friendly and helpful.
Nightly Rate: $60.00
Days Stayed: 5
Site Number: 112
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
Love this campground! It has everything you need. It is only a short walk (or drive) to private dog-friendly beach. There are also trails leading out of the campground up the back-side into the canyon. Foliage between sites for some privacy. It has a general store, decent showers, and a dump station. Even though it is only a short drive south to Malibu or north to Pt. Hueneme and Oxnard, it feels very remote. Highly recommend!
Nightly Rate: -
Days Stayed: 4
Site Number: -
RV Type: Travel Trailer
Cell Coverage Rating
AT&T 4G
We had a great time camping at Leo Carrillo State Park Campground. The campground is conveniently located close to Los Angeles and the ocean. Although it was affected by recent storms, the beach is still accessible, albeit through a rocky path from the campground. This turned out to be quite an enjoyable experience. The campground is dog-friendly and the staff is visible and attentive. The bathrooms are cleaned daily, and the campground store is well-stocked with snacks, ice cream, bread, and other essentials. They also sell firewood for around $10, including tax. At night, you can fall asleep to the soothing sounds of frogs from the nearby river, and wake up to the chirping of birds in the morning. The campground's atmosphere reminds me of the 100-acre woods in Winnie the Pooh, with its big trees perfect for climbing, hanging a hammock, or just swinging. The camp lots are very generous. Some are along the river that flows through to the ocean. The others face the beautiful mountains. It is gorgeous. Although I could see my neighbors, we had the privacy we needed. There are multiple access points to water for washing dishes or clothes. And access to electricity at at least 50 lots. There are also accessible nature trails to explore. Cell service is available near the entrance, but if you're staying past the store, you'll be unplugged for the duration of your stay. This could be a good thing! Cold showers are free but if you want hot water, use the token machine. It's basically one dollar for two tokens and each token is a 2-minute hot shower. It takes a while for the hot water to arrive. The machine also takes 5s and maybe 10 dollar bills. We definitely will visit again. :)
Nightly Rate: $45.00
Days Stayed: 3
Site Number: 43
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
T-Mobile
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Leo Carrillo State Park Campground
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Has RV parking changed? Let us know.
Good for hiking, surfing, and swimming.
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Back In RV Sites Count
- 20
- Check In
- 2 PM
- Check Out
- 12 PM
- Last Nightly Rate
- 60.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 28 ft
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 45.0
- Max Length
- 31 ft
- Max Stay
- 7
- Sites Count
- 135
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Swimming Pool
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Paved Sites
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Fifty Amp
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Full Hookup
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Rec Facilities
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Pull Through
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Tent Sites
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Dump Station
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Big Rigs
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Open Seasonally
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Age Restricted
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Back In RV Sites
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Boondock
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Cabin Sites
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Dispersed Sites
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Firewood
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Fulltime Residents
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Group Tent Sites
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Laundry
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Mobile Homes
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Permit Required
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Potable Water
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Propane
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Public Water
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Showers
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Sites
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Standard Tent Sites
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Vehicle Wash Permitted
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Water Hookup
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Outdoor Seating
Campground, Parking, Dining, Restrooms
Nearby Hotels
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