San Onofre Surf Beach
About
San Onofre Surf Beach is a public ocean beach on the California coast within Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, about 6 miles from San Clemente. It has restrooms, lifeguards and accessible access, and a fee is charged. Late summer into early fall brings the warmest weather, with typical highs around 83°F in August and September and lows near 60°F, based on averages from a nearby weather station at Camp Pendleton. Winter days typically still reach the upper 60s, though nights drop to around 40°F. The California Coastal Trail passes just 0.3 miles away, and the Panhe Nature Trail is about 2 miles off. Smugglers Canyon Trail sits roughly 3 miles away, and Doheny State Beach Campground, about 10 miles up the coast, offers a place to stay.
Beach Details
Lifeguards
On duty (often seasonal)
Parking
Available
Fee
Fee charged
Restrooms
Yes
Accessible access
Yes
As published by the managing agency. Lifeguards, fees and dog rules are often seasonal, so check posted signs before you swim.
Location
San Onofre Surf Beach
California
Data: California Coastal Commission, YourCoast public access data. Source metadata
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Year-round. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 69–83°F and lows of 39–61°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Camp Pendleton Mcas, CA weather station, 14 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan69° high40° low
- Feb69° high41° low
- Mar69° high45° low
- Apr72° high48° low
- May72° high53° low
- Jun76° high57° low
- Jul80° high60° low
- Aug83° high61° low
- Sep83° high58° low
- Oct79° high52° low
- Nov75° high44° low
- Dec69° high39° low
Where it is
- Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton · Public land
- Nearest town
- San Clemente, California · 5.8 mi
Source: NIFC Jurisdictional Units; USGS GNIS populated places
Nearby
- California Coastal TrailHiking0.3 mi
- Panhe Nature TrailHiking2.1 mi
- Smugglers Canyon TrailHiking3.1 mi
- Kahuna Shore TrailHiking3.5 mi
- Lost Beach TrailHiking4.1 mi
- San Clemente Beach TrailHiking4.2 mi
- San Pablo TrailHiking4.3 mi
- Doheny State Beach CampgroundCamping9.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
