Orange County Beaches

The beach is open for day use only, from 6 a.m. to sunset daily ($10/day fee). San Mateo State Campground is the closest camping alternative.

This state park just south of San Clemente and across the border in San Diego County offers serenity, seclusion and serious surfing.

Serenity is possible because development stops abruptly at the county line, giving San Onofre a 360-degree view of open coastline and rolling hills. Seclusion is available along the many pathways through brush and down eroding cliffs to the water, where you can't be seen from the highway.

The beach is good for surfing of all kinds, but you must hike to get to it.

The beach at San Onofre used to be part of the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps reservation and was off-limits to the public, although there was a private beach club. Surfers could not resist those enticing waves. They climbed the fence and walked the railroad tracks, persistently risking punishment to surf this shore, all the while lobbying for official public access.

After years of negotiations, the authorities gave in and dedicated to the public an almost four-mile stretch of ocean frontage seaward of Interstate 5. Now most of it is a state beach; the remainder of the land is for a nuclear power plant.

Over the years there have been fatalities from people fooling around on the tracks and trestles near the northern end where trains take a lower tack. Be careful, there are several trains daily through here.

Seeking the sun in the shadow of a nuclear generating station may not be everyone's idea of a fun place. Edison Co. swears it is very safe, of course. So if your skin feels radioactive, it's probably because you forgot to apply sunblock.

Campers of all types, from tents to motorhomes, are welcome in the state park, which is adapted from a section of old Highway 101. Sites are stretched out in a long line, so a camper has only two neighbors, max. There is usually lots of space, even on Saturdays and Sundays. The big drawback is being beside the railroad and freeway. But on the west side of camp is your quiet opening to the rugged and undeveloped coast. Follow one of the rabbit trails down gullies to the beach; all are about equal in distance. Some campsites do not have a view of the water because of road cuts, so ask for a site with a view. There is no place to buy lunch or anything else within walking distance of the state park, so don't leave home without all your necessities.
— Los Angeles Times

San Onofre Surf Spot
Several fair-quality reefs break along the cobblestone coastline just north of the San Onofre nuclear power plant. The main break is Old Man's, the scene of Orange County's seminal surfing period during the '50s and '60s. Old Man's is a combination of very slow rights and lefts, so don't bother unless you're riding an outright tanker. San Onofre is best on big south swells with calm winds. The name "Old Man's" is no joke, since some days you'll share the water with living legends like Mickey ''The Mongoose'' Munoz. San Onofre breaks on all tides and can be very crowded. Most of the pack goes left, so if you're willing to go right you might just get some waves to yourself.

To get there from Los Angeles, take the Interstate 5 Freeway south through San Clemente. Exit Basilone Road, turn right. Follow Basilone Road to second stop sign, turn left into state park. Day use fee is required.
— Van Weyden

- Los Angeles Times