The sand is sooo soft! Beautiful sunsets it was a little overcast when we went but still a good…read moretime. Stairs lead you straight to the water or take the ramp right off the pier.

Our yearly beach visit. We stay close by at the worldmark at wyndham timeshare. We been coming here…read morefor 14 years. Then on the walk back, we visit the ice cream shop. Nice beach and easy walk. Thanks Oside!

Went to this beach for the first time while on a work trip last week…read more There were still quite a few people on the sand to catch the sunset. Had to circle for parking a lil while before finding a spot on a residential street very close to the stairs leading to the beach. Be persistent. Your parking space will find you. Very beautiful stretch of sand within walking distance to many food and drink options.

Tamarack state beach is a nice beach but this time there were so many rocks along it. My grandkids…read morewere getting hit on the legs with the rocks once the water receded. The parking lot is really small, and we were able to find 3 spots after 10am but it's a hassle trying to get out! You get one car waiting for someone to pull out and it blocks and stops everyone else. My husband literally had to ask the guy to move over a bit because 8 cars were waiting in the line behind him to get out. There has to be a better set up to get out of there. All in all, everyone still had a good time, regardless of the rock situation.

I want to say I hate this place so it doesn't get packed…read more But, kinda love it here. Parking isn't horrible, but it's definitely a smaller beach and peaceful

This spot is located between North Ponto Beach and Carlsbad State Beach. It's a local hidden gem…read more Instead of finding hoards of tourists, you'll find a serene beach with cliffs, tidepools, and surfers. Park on the dirt road, find the secret staircase and head downstairs. Things to keep in mind...no bathrooms, no lifeguards.

Some of the best beach camping can be foun d at South Carlsbad State Beach…read more Reservations are not the easiest to get. You've got to get online early and keep at it. Luck and perserverance help. If you do snag a spot, you will find great camping sites on the bluff with absolutely stunning views. The crash of the waves at night drowns out any city sounds that might otherwise be heard. It's so peaceful and just lulls you to sleep. Beach access is relatively easy, but there quite a few stairs to traverse. Sites are clean and the grounds are well kept.

Carlsbad is a beautiful city with a lot of nice restaurants and little shops so I opted to try the…read morebeach here today rather than Oceanside where I usually go. I lucked out and found a super close parking spot in the neighborhood across the street. The beach itself was VERY short compared to sand length at other beaches so people were almost on top of each other. There was a pretty intense drop off about half way down the sand so it limited space for people to put down their stuff and lay out. I'm not sure how normal it is at this spot but there was a TON of rocks. It was way too much to be able to enter the water without having them beating your feet and ankles. My friend was bleeding after trying to check out the water. The surf was also a little intense that day so I'm wondering if that had any effect on the rock situation? This was a very clean beach with restrooms at the bottom of the ramp from the street so it did have that going for it but we decided to leave and head for a beach where we could safely go into the water that day. I'll have to come back another time to get a better idea.

What a gorgeous little beach. But beach may be a stretch as its very rocky, and even at low tide…read morethe water comes pretty much to the edge. Stairs leading down to the beach. The beach itself is lined with private property. If you brave the water you can walk north and hit Buccaneer beach, which has sand if that's the kind of beach you want. But I'm not into sand and preffered sitting on the seat benches on the stairs and staring out into the water. Great place to catch the sunset. The first time I went I was able to see a few dolphins, or were they sharks? I'm hoping dolphins. You could see the pier from this spot. Pros: - Plenty of street parking (though be aware of when they do street cleaning) - Few benches along the stairs, and at the top near the street - Great views - Dog on leash friendly, especially if you dog loves the water. Saw plenty of people walking their down up and down Cons: - Not the kind of beach you would lay out on a towel on - Low tide left you only a few feet width of wet sad you could walk along - Bigger rocks piled had multiple signs saying how unstable they were and be careful, though I saw plenty of kids/adults risking it and climbing all over them to get a great spot Would I come again? Yes

Gorgeous beach in Oceanside. Absolutely perfect vibes on a spring day. Hard to heat the sunshine,…read moresound of the crashing waves, and wonderful breeze. The tide was super high to the point where the shoreline was submerged in water haha. Nonetheless, the upstairs area with the benches was the perfect place to digest lunch and share a wonderful conversation. Plenty of street parking. Clean with trash cans available nearby. Definitely looking forward to returning!

My favorite part of this beach is the ocean street entrance by the lagoon…read more It's more of a local spot, but tourists find us in the summer lol. It's definitely a quieter beach area, which is my vibe. Parking can be rough since it's only (free) street parking, and during the summer it fills up fast! Get there early, and you can typically get a spot quickly.

Very accessible beach, fantastic sand, lots of different entrances, perfect for swimming, people…read morewatching, walking, running, anything beachy. There are bathrooms, there is still this feeling of having anything you need from downtown just right outside this beautiful beach bubble. Clean and easy to find parking too.

Such a cute park. Parked on the street and walked on over. The beach is covered in pebbles. So…read morebeautiful. Saw a bunch of people surfing and boogie boarding. It's a perfect place to chill. Very peaceful. Very clean.

DOG FRIENDLY (5 stars)…read more On the beach but not on the beach... if you know what I mean. Don't care for sandy feet, this location is great for a post up. Unfortunately dogs are not allowed on the beach area until after a certain hour. We arrived to watch the Surfer Girl Competition and right next to the beach is this grassy park where we were able to post up and watch as if we were in the beach. Occasional weirdos coming by but that's expected... it's Oceanside.

Beautiful spot to take a break on the drive down to San Diego. Take a good look at the wildlife and…read moreview but watch out getting pooped on by birds! The entire floor is just bird poo... so don't stop unless you gotta if you hate bird poo. Don't let the seagulls see you with food cause they will crowd up your car even if you didn't feed them. lol As an animal person, I enjoyed being there to watch the wildlife. Just don't bring a super nice car there unless you don't care you are risking scratches and bird doo doo on your baby.

If you're scared of potentially damaging your car or getting bird turds on it, this isn't for you,…read moreor at least park at the periphery away from people who are clearly feeding the animals and not following the signs. Saw a guy feed the gulls and he was swarmed INSTANTLY. All over his car, perched on it, orbiting around it, flying towards him. For those who are scared of birds too, not a great place either lmao. But if you want to pull over and get a view of the beach and ocean, especially around sunset, it's quite a nice place. You can see the shrubbery and grasses growing along the water's edge too, along with the rocky denizens. Lots of ground squirrels. If they think you have food, they may hold your hand (at your own caution). There's also lots of little shrub birds living near the ground too and other song birds, mixed in with the large gulls. Also saw some gull variations I don't see usually either. Neat goth looking one with muddled gray feathers and a bright red beak. Cool.

I really enjoy this little harbor. There's so much going on. There are a bunch of restaurants, you…read morecan rent boats, kayaks and paddle boards and they host different events. It's a beautiful walk and you can walk as long or short distance as you desire. One direction leads to the beach the other leads to the Oceanside yacht club. People bring picnics or go to the nearby happy hours. Sunsets here are always lovely too!

The Oceanside Harbor is another place to check out if you are near the pier and in the area. There…read moreis a lot of paid parking if you want to park steps away, but if you are willing to walk 750 feet or so, there is also free parking. The harbor has a mix of shopping, dining, whale watching, and other assorted businesses to check out. There are restaurants, coffee shops, boat rentals, jet ski and kayak rentals, places to store your boat, souvenir shopping, etc. There is a lighthouse, and there are sidewalks so you can walk from one end all the way to the other end out by the ocean. And down by some of the boats are plenty of seals / sea lions to check out. They like to hang out on the dock sunbathing, fighting, frolicking, and general shenanigans. During the holidays they have boat parades, and it is fun to watch them cruise by all lit up. Pictures and videos attached.

Wait staff - 5 Wait service - 5…read moreFood Quality - 4.5 Food Quantity - 3.7 Vibe/atmosphere - 4.3 Parking - 3 (Street) Cost - 3.7 Location - 4.6 Bathroom cleanliness - Public Bathrooms Total Score - 4.2 Dog Friendly- Yes Outdoor seating- yes but limited Rating system 4-5 - must go even if it's a little out of the way 3-3.9 - great place to go if you're in the area 2-2.9 - Not a bad spot if convenient 1-1.9 - if you're desperate 0-.0.9 - Do not Bother

I walk or jog up and down the strand. I don't really have much of a choice since I'm staying at the…read moreSeabird. On the weekends there are plenty of cars driving through the strand and they are very respectful of pedestrians. I do love that there are food stalls along the strand The amphitheater is also located here. The main reason why I give the strand 3 stars is the amount of homeless people hanging out here and the high amount of police presence. I appreciate the police being here but there's obviously a higher crime rate here which is a bummer.