Del Mar Beach Cottages and Campsites

Camp Pendleton Del Mar Beach is one of the best military RV parks in the country. The park is staffed 24/7 and are very friendly and helpful. The fee for row 1 with full hook-ups and 50-amp service, closest to the ocean and right on the beach is only $43/day. If you have small children, you will want the south end. The north end is very noisy due to amphibious marine training early in the morning. Best to try to get an RV lot in the middle numbers 13-19. The commissary and Exchange are huge and worth the visit. Great restaurants in downtown Oceanside such as Joe's Crab Shack. There are some very good restaurants in Carlsbad also. If you go, DO NOT use the the GPS guided gate near the ocean. It is closed and you'll play hell trying to turn around. Follow the street signs to the main gate. Security is professional and very polite. Watch your speed on base.

The family stayed here over the 2019 Christmas holiday. The staff was very helpful and courteous. During the holiday season, there was no training so it was very quiet and peaceful. Restaurants in downtown Oceanside and Carlsbad were very good (put Joes Crab Shack on your bucket list). The commissary and exchange are huge and would put any super Walmart to shame. The Marine Police at the front gate were respectful and polite. Caution: Some GPS' will lead you to the back gate. Do not try to enter. It's closed and if you're pulling a fifth wheel or toad, there is no place to turn around. Follow the road signs to the base, not your GPS!

R.W. left this review using the Directory software: - This place was nice, right on the beach. The beach was cleaned daily, the campground was well kept, camp staff and check-in personnel were more than helpful. We have put this on our must come back and enjoy list.

Arrived 24 Dec 13 and stayed till 12 Feb 14. In the Cheap Seats (Long Term #98), don't think you can find a better value considering the location. Holidays were more crowded, but during the week you could see the ocean very well. There was PT every day, and the track vehicles came thru morning and nite. This is a USMC base so what would you expect. Sites down toward end of the park may not be so quiet, but I doubt that they are un-liveable, if they are I'd bet changing sites would not be a problem, staff was excellent. Only Negative I could find was the laundry area, it needed help, a GI party was long over due. As has been said, I SHALL RETURN...................

This was our first visit and have put on our favorite list. We are returning again in March. We were in beachside site 8. Since we have a class A we wanted to face ocean. This sites are designed for back in, but not a problem since we carry extra lengths for dragging under motorhome. This is a very peaceful campground and evening sunsets awesome. Enjoyed seeing the amphibious vehicles going through the campground enroute to training exercises. My only negative is lack of attention to laundry room. Needs good cleaning on regular basis. Staff very friendly and helpful. Exchange and commissary convenient. Exchange is one of the nicest.

This was our second visit to Del Mar Beach, both time the beach made worth the higher cost. The location is perfect to travel north to Disney or south to the zoo. The reality is nothing beats the days to just sit and take in the waves. It does get pretty crowded and noise over the weekends, but during the week is less congested. I do wish site were wider and the picnic table not so heavy. We will be back!

My family and I took our maiden voyage of our new travel trailer to this location and needless to say it was while worth it. The price that we paid for the time that we stayed and the beautiful location right on the beach (space #12) was worth every penny. The only recommendation that I would suggest is make sure that if you have a beach space that you know how to back your trailer up because although it may say pull-through it is not and you will get your truck and trailer stuck. Other than that minor glitch this is an awesome campground and RV park that we will recommend to friends and stay frequently.

We just ended a 3-day stay in the RV park in site #94. I had read a lot of negative reviews about this military campground but our experience was absolutely great! We parked in the 4th row from the beach, for $30 a night. There was no one in front of us and we had a spectacular view of the ocean. The staff was especially helpful and the facilities were first rate. They also had a free daily newspaper! Even the weather was cooperative: warm days and cold nights! We have stayed at San Onofre and Admiral Baker many times and are currently at Seal Beach (which is our all-time favorite!), and I would rank this higher than San Onofre or Adm. Baker. I know it gets super busy in the summer, but for our needs, it fits perfectly.

We camp here whenever we can and "LOVE IT". The beach is one of the best on the west coast. Parking right on the beach and having full hookups is outstanding. The only real negative I have is the military style restrooms, that stainless steel toilet is a little cold in the fall and spring. Their checkin has a few candies and drinks but could use a little store which would be helpful. The mini-mart is only a few miles away but not within walking distance. Lots of dogs but we have one too so we put up with it. Occasionally a tank might drive by which is kind of cool. My grandchildren absolutely love it and they stay on the beach the whole time.

Luxury Villa - our family can't wait to stay here again. I saw so many negative comments that contradicted our visit. We are a family of 4 (2 small children). I can only compare this to a Marriott on the beach (- breakfast). Our cottage was clean, modern, & the front desk was pleasant. The safety, really nearby playground, bonfire pit, & that it is right on the beach were +++ for our family. We have stayed at a few other so called beach fronts in Cali & Hawaii, but none were as nice nor really beach front. The price may be a little steep for some military, but try staying at civilian hotels "on the beach" and the prices are much higher with fewer niceties. The sofa does not open into a bed was probably the only disappointment I can state.

We currently are stationed at Camp Pendleton and stayed at Del Mar for a 'trial' before we took our new RV far from home. We had a BLAST at this camp ground. It is RIGHT on the beach. You have a choice between sand or paved spots. Since we only have a FWD SUV we wanted to keep our RV on the paved portion (just so we would not get stuck, which we have seen some RV get stuck in the sand) and it was wonderful. We had a nice fire pit behind our RV on the sand. A guy came around a few times that evening to sell some firewood at $20 cash. You can also go to the local exchange to get a bundle of wood for $5 if you prefer. The bathrooms were not very clean when I went. The entire bathroom was cement and stainless steal potties, not too welcoming. However, we will be staying here again next month (December 2009) to enjoy our new RV again.

Del Mar is the best beach camping in California. We had our whole family there 2 full hook up campsites were great. We all enjoyed the tanks driving it was really cool. We would hall our easy ups and coolers out to the beach and hang out all day. No negative comments here.

We just returned from two weeks on the beach at Del Mar, one week while I did some reserve duty, a few days hangin' with the wee ones in the sand, with drill weekend on the end. By far the best and cheapest beach front in SoCal. It's our second trip there, first being a quick overnighter on the first row about a month ago. Spring starts getting busy and although I was on the second row this time, I was on that row all by myself! and during the week I had awesome views of the beach and ocean. Maybe a dozen rigs total spread out over the CG. The weekends, however, were completely insane. I'd go to work Friday and come "home" to a totally different and packed beach. Everyone seemed to respect the quiet hours at 2200, but the only downside was the thick smoke created by all the fire pit rings in the second and third rows, comes right in the trailer, due to placement of pits vis-a-vis the RV sites and prevailing winds. It would've been nicer if our upwind neighbors would've doused their fire with water or sand when turning in for the night. (I snuck out and finally did it myself!) The first row doesn't have that problem, so if you get a spot there, you're fine. I never used bathroom/shower facilities, but did a walk through. Nothing fancy but seemed okay. Laundry was further down the beach where the day visitors hang out, in between camp sites and cabins, and there's a playground on the beach near the cabins. Staff was perfectly nice, even the evening security guards (young Marines wanting additional income) were pretty knowledgeable. I wish they had WiFi - wouldn't matter for a weekend trip but for two weeks or, like some of my during-the-week neighbors, four weeks!, it would be nice for taking care of business, paying bills, etc. Overall, a great trip on a great beach!

Since apparently there was at one time some dissatisfaction with the manner in which this campground was operated, we want to describe my recent experience. We liked this campground so much that we extended our stay four times. Each time, the staff worked with us to keep us in the first row (right on the beach). Their response to my praise was that it was their job to keep us happy. The only fault we found was that the dryers failed to dry our clothes properly.

We first wanted to stay at another facility, but it was booked solid. Out of desperation, I called Delmar Beach. I am so glad the other was full. The staff went out of their way to help us. The location was absolutely fabulous! Camped out right on the beach. I'd promised the kids a trip to Legoland and found that Camp Pendleton was only 6 miles away. Unable to secure tickets before we left Tucson, we just hoped the ticket office at the base was open on New Year's Eve (it was) and was able to purchase tickets cheaper than at the air base near our home. We didn't go off base except to go to Legoland because everything we needed was there (and it was cold and foggy most of our stay). The staff was very friendly and went out of their way to help us. The only complaint I have is that I felt that the spaces were crammed together too tightly. Other than that (and the inclement weather) we had a wonderful experience. Besides, where else in California can 4 people stay for 5 nights for $150.00

Please allow me to clarify the misrepresentations of disgruntled (not happy) campers that have had a less-than enjoyable experience in what is perhaps...the absolute best "military campground" available. Remember, first...this is San Diego!!! OK, maybe just Oceanside, (San Diego County). With its year round sunny climate, and average temperature of 70 degrees, Oceanside's weather has been rated by USA Today as the second most ideal climate in the United States, and the fifth most ideal weather in the world. Families enjoy nearby area attractions including Disneyland, Legoland, the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park, and Sea World. CP´s Del Mar Beach is host to some amazing celebrations each year. The annual 4th of July "Beach Bash". Hah! Try to get a spot for that one. Thousands and thousands of beach goers attend this great party. Yes there is a huge professional firework display launched from the harbor. Then there are also beach concerts that are staged by some very deep pocketed sponsors and MCCS. Some of the guests that show up each year to pay tribute to the troops include; Pamela Anderson, Snoop-Dog, ZZ Top, Jessica Simpson, Blind Melon and Clint Black...trust me, the list goes on. Just a couple reasons this place gets a lot of attention. Oh did I mention the beach...easily 200 yards deep, by several miles of clean, white sand, a lifeguard headquarters and harbor access for those who wish to try their back-hills trout fishing techniques on some of the worlds finest, deep ocean Halibut, Thresher and Maco Shark, and the elusive Yellow Tail Tuna. And when you´re done fishing for the day; you can cruise up to the harbor for a refreshment, then cruise back to the on-base launch ramp (about 50 yards away from the cottages), and back to your campsite to cook it all up. NOW, for the attitudes of the management staff. This place is super busy from late March until early November. Packed every weekend with not only campers, but ALL their family members that are within driving range. So, for every I.D. card there´s about 4 campers or visitors. For a military couple, that means about eight campers or visitors. You want one of beach front spots? Try signing up for active duty. Did your time...reservist...DOD? Wait your turn; there are active duty members that are taking shells to protect your right to go camping. Give me a break! If you don´t have that figured out yet...you deserve the back row. Better yet...select a different campground. Instead of complaining, come during the off months when they have a harder time filling the place. They still need to fill the campground. All this makes for a lot of people demanding stuff from the staff. I think they do extremely well with what they´re given. And they have been given some new facilities over the last couple years. A new office, head/shower facility, laundry facility, new cottages, campsites with sewer hook-up, and several (40?) new (no fire pit) sites, still with full hook-ups and recently...new fire rings. The staff has never given me or my guests any hassles beyond what they (the kids) usually deserve. Speaking of kids...yeah, there´s going to be some noise and the dogs are going to bark. But they don´t bark all the time, just when the whiners are around, and the kids bite only when provoked. Get over it!!! Is this the place for you...depends on if you can handle the finest weather and finest camping area the military has to offer. Bring your towel, some Carne Asada, and a cold refreshment. Stay for the weekend. You might just fall in love. I have been camping this beach for about 15 years. Same beach, same staff, same rules. In the words of Nacho Libre..."It´s the Best"!!!