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Leo Carrillo State Beach
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
16 reviews for Leo Carrillo State Beach
Leo Carillo is awesome for these following reasons:
1. There is camping
2. Dogs are allowed on leash north of tower 3
3. There is a cave
4. Just close enough to go to on the weekend
5. Just far enough that you feel like you went somewhere
6. Dog are allowed at the campsite
This about the only beach in the area that is dog friendly. I wish you could take them off leash but oh well. At least I won't get fined when I bring him there.
Amazing place to camp, all the sites are in a little valley that is shaded, the campsites are spaced pretty well, but I've never been here when it gets full, I would imagine it could get quite busy and loud near the restrooms.
There are lots of trails into the surrounding hills with panoramas down to the ocean, beautiful on an overcast day, must be amazing when it is clear.
The beach is really nice too, didn't go into the water, it was really cold, but just a short walk along the bluffs and you see so much beauty that it doesn't really matter. plus tide pools!
one suggestion: come prepared. their is a store at the site, but it doesn't have everything and the nearest market is a few miles down PCH in Malibu and it does not have the best selection either.
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This is a favorite place of mine to go camping. Years ago, my grandparents used to take all the grandkids here during the summer on a week long camping trip. Some of my fondest memories are right here at Leo Carillo! The camp sites are great, the beaches are beautiful and there's always something to do or someone new to meet. They have restrooms, showers, and a little market for those items you forgot, or if your in the mood for an ice cream or treat!
This place is a great place to camp. If you plan to go anytime during popular holidays like Memorial day, 4th of July, or Labor Day, or if you'd like to go during the summer, you may need to make reservations a year in advance.
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What a great place to camp. I've never been here when it was crowded, but that's because i friggin hate crowds! Do yourself a favor and avoid the masses, set camp a the tail end of summer. The grounds are dog friendly, and man's best friend is invaluable for keeping the squirrels away. As others have reviewed, its best to bring your own fire wood etc, but in a pinch, the store should have what you need. 4 stars and 2 thumbs up!
I give this beach 5 stars because they allow dogs on portions of it. The guard told us north of tower 4 is the dog zone. If you take them to the other areas you'll get ticketed. Technically it's leashed dogs only, but no one else had their dogs on leash today. A lady who seemed to be a regular said no one really bothers people about it on weekdays, but on weekends they might be tougher.
To get to the dog portion heading north on PCH, drive past the signed entrance to Leo Carillo (they charge $10 to park there, even though there is ample street parking). Maybe half a mile past that look for another small cluster of cars parked on the ocean side of the road. There is an entrance here with a bunch of old concrete stairs winding down to the beach. To the right of the stairs it gets really rocky, but there is a nice section of beach just to the left. They don't clean the sea weed away so there are a lot of sand bugs, but this didn't bother me. My dogs happily chased the waves in and out, and I got to spend a great day with them on the beach.
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I found a little patch of paradise: a quiet beach instead of a meat-market; secluded coves in which to nestle or nap; even a few BBQ pits and picnic tables. There are lovely trails and abundant tidal pools to explore and one section is dog-on-leash friendly.
It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday. The highlight for me was our sighting of three short-finned pilot whales. They were slowly dipping in and out of the calm water. Families quietly watched. In fact everyone was so respectful, Leo Carillo seemed more like a nature preserve than a beach. I hope it stays that way.
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Leo Carillo is like a storybook campground. We stayed here last weekend and I don't have anything bad to say about it. The beach is beautiful and a short walk from camp; tidepools are tremendous with lots of crabs, snails, and seastars to find; showers are soothing, sucking in quarters and spitting out warm wonderfulness; bathrooms are broken in and cleaned daily (and why can't women throw away the damn tampax applicators and fem hygene crap instead of throwing it on the floor?); store is super with just about anything you need for your stay from beach chairs to beans and a friendly dude selling the stuff; the camp is very family friendly with kids riding bikes like crazy and a junior ranger program on the weekends.
The weekend we were there a rare storm blew through. We could feel the thunder vibrate through the ground and hear it echo across the canyon. We stayed at Campsite 19 (or was it 91?), which is close to both the bathrooms and store, but not in a bad way like people gettin all up in your business, and a lot of trees for shade. You'll need to book 6 months ahead of time if you want to get in during the summer months. That means going online and snagging it before anyone else.
Tips: Bring your own TP (toilet paper) unless you like thin sandpaper to wipe with. Watch out for the seagulls and hide your food when you're at the beach. Ground squirrels are breeding like crazy so keep your food stored in camp too. Wear protective footwear when exploring tidepools. Surfing/kite surfing, windsurfing, are popular here. There are lots of little private coves that you may find. Take your honey here for a romantic evening. (lots of engagements or engagement pictures happen here)
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I am sad I'm not the first review, but happy that everyone else loves this place as much as I do. I am sad there are only 7 reviews, but happy that this can still be our little secret. I am sad... no, I'm not, I'm happy! This beach makes me so happy. It's the cutest thing I've seen in a long time. Maybe since this: http://icanhascheezbur....
It's perfect for families - not too many places to lose kids (except that big vast body of water, I guess) and close to bathrooms and showers. And also perfect for 2 maybe-lamer-than-we-thought 20-somethings who just wanted a good clean day at the beach without the hassle of hot surfers. Wait... what?
Anyway, I love this place enough to promise to name my first child after Leo Carillo. I will name him ... Leo Carillo. And the rest of the family will change their name for him.
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I had a beautiful day at Leo Carillo with my family visiting from out of state in early October. It seemed like we had the entire beach to ourselves, although there were a few people here and there. I'm a more natural beach kind of girl - I like the rockiness and rugged terrain versus the flat, touristy beaches with tons of restaurants and things around. I'd much rather bring a picnic and enjoy, crowd-free.
I must say, no one warned us about the rockiness of the sand near the water...or maybe that was just our specific location. We attempted to wade and the ocean hurled thousands of tiny little rocks at us, literally to the point of injury. Not fun. Although it made for great rock collecting if you were quick enough to run from the waves, just not conducive to swimming. I'll definitely have to explore more of this beach next time, and check out the tide pools everyone talks about.
Leo Carillo is a jagged poem, a rocky point break boneyard coupled with a overture of wind, waves, sand, sea, and sky. If Crystal Cove is the quiet gem of Orange County, then this stretch of coastline is a ragged uncut diamond, sworn to fun, loyal to none.
Since the takeoff point at The Rock is for only a few of you at a time, then the closer you are to the inside, the more dangerous it can become -- breaks best on a medium tide. A solid inside section leads to a rocky shore, and if you're lucky, on a good day you can ride nearly the entire lineup. Good for shortboards or long.
Leo Carillo is the kind of beach that defies time but not place -- there are few beaches in California that offer inspiration and solitude, but which are also easily accessible. Get away with smuggling assorted contraband as long as you avoid lifeguard authority. Parking on PCH can be slightly hazardous if you have kids or dogs, so try the lot off northbound PCH.
Some of the best undeveloped and gorgeous bluffs give way to steep cliffs, but if you're careful, you can find your way to The Cave. A few small crescents of sand offer a more private experience, if you can find them unoccupied, which can be rare -- especially in summer.
If you're hungry, Neptune's Net is just up the road. Further north is more camping and eventually, Oxnard. This section of coastline surrounding County Line forms a dramatic three-act synergy of road, sea and sky: Leo Carillo, Thornhill Broome, and Pt. Mugu.
Footnote: there are a few smaller beach areas south, accessible by tiny parking lots off PCH, which offer alternatives on busy sunny weekends.
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Leo Carillo is a lovely little spot hardly 30 miles up PCH from Santa Monica, just outside the Malibu city limits. It is a rocky beach and chaparral canyon where Mulholland Hwy. has its northern terminus.
This is a great campground for a lit of reasons. First, the beach is pretty top notch. Great surfing (you'll see the guys all handing out on the left side of that rock) and tide pools to explore (low tide only? Didn't seem 'em this last time). Head north along the beach at low tide to find a cool natural tunnel.
Second awesome thing is the large ass campsites. There are shady spots, sunny spots, spots near the beach, secluded spots... I recommend 126 cause it is shady and near both the store and the restrooms/showers. Each spot can have 8 people and 3 cars max. Good stuff.
Another great thing is the wild life. You can see ground squirrels, frogs, rabbits, deer, quail, woodpeckers, blue jays, falcony thingies, and more. It's like freaking bambi, just chaparral. Be careful about the squirrels though; they will raid any unattended site. Put your food in locking containers or in the car before you leave. Learned this the hard way. Hope you enjoyed your pears and graham cracker, little freaks...
Bring a fly swatter as well. The flies and yellow jackets can get kinda out of control at times.
Also, they have hot showers here. It's like $0.50 for quite a while. I had to wait after I was done showering before the hot water turned off. Bring a friend. ;)
Now for the things to watch out for. You need reservations to stay here. Summer is packed, so plan ahead. Once the kids go off to school, it is a lot easier to get a spot.
Also, one night is a little expensive. $25 a night is the most expensive CA state parks get for camping. That plus the $7.50 reservation fee when getting a spot online does not make this little piggy's piggy bank happy.
The camp store is a little iffy. The guys there seemed more interested in watching some movie than ringing us up. Firewood is $6 a bundle, bring some from home if you can find it cheaper. Ice is $2.75 a bag. Store is closed on Mondays.
Last issue I have with this place is the trash. I guess being a popular campground near a large city really takes its tool. All the trash is little stuff like bottle caps and used water balloons and those little rings on gallons of milk... but it all adds up and now the place is really kinda trashed up. Please pick up as much trash as you can while you are here so future generations can camp somewhere that isn't a landfill. If you are above picking up someone else's trash, just don't go camping, okay?
All in all, good stuff.
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They say the best beaches in SoCal are in OC or SD, I say BS! Leo Carillo is a majestic, beautiful strand of rockiness, wilderness, camp-sites, and clean sand and sea. Its also much less populated than any other beach I've been in southern California, and particularly less crowded than its neighboring beaches, such as Malibu and Zuma.
I think what keeps this beach such a gem is two-fold: 1) its far.... its practically the last beach in northwest LA County before hitting the Ventura County Line(ts NOT in Wilmington as the Yelp address purports above). And, 2) you have to pay $10 per car to visit (parking anywhere else besides the designated area is impractical). I'm not sure what it costs to reserve a camp-site, but I hear you have to make reservations far in advance.
Regardless, a visit to Leo Carillo is worth the drive and the money. I plan on visiting many more times this Summer.
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so.. ya i guess summer weekend reservations need to made a couple months in advance.. :(
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/18/2009
State park camping walking distance to beach with tide pools
families, surfers, dogs allowed on camp… Read more »
I have good memories of camping here. I love visiting tide pools in the morning. Its beautiful. Someone had to warn me to stop stepping from rock to rock in flip flops. This is a lovely place to see with friends.
I admit that a drive there from LA can be a hassle, especially if you drive during 4th of July traffic! But after we have all committed to continuing driving we were truly rewarded by our stay on this beautiful beach. The 10$ parking lot was full, so we parked on the PCH and walked down to the beach. The waves were huge and the water was sky blue! It was amazing! Rocks, waves, wilderness, grills, wind, nature, calmness beyond the breaking point of the waves. You can spend a whole day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful nature of southern California!
Hint: To avoid PCH traffic take 101 North and Exit one of the canyon roads, such as Kanon/Dume, the closest one to Leo Carillo.
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Wow, I love this place...even though Yogi Frigaan Bear stole all our beer from the cooler during the night. But hey you can walk your dogs on the beach anywhere north of lifeguard tower 3...that alone is worthy of three stars! And the tide pools......amazing!
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