This is a cool spot to camp right on the beach. The check is was simple, you can built your own fire, pits are already made from past campers. There are no hookups. There is a beach to play on but it is at the entrance of the park and if you don't have a bike it is a long walk. The down side to place is the parking spots are right on top of each other. The up side there is no bugs and no traffic read more

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This is the best spot to watch a sunset. I love coming here and parking my car and just watching the waves. The perfect place to sit and mediate. There is also a camping area, I always see RVs parked nearby. read more

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Enjoyed a nice campout with a large group. We enjoy an annual gathering. Walking distance to the beach. Relaxation read more

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Took my kids rv camping for New Years 2022. Friendly environment access to the sandy beach. Can't ask for anything else. read more

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Great fishing spot for Barred Surfperch. For all you anglers out there, get to Emma Wood SB in the a.m. at least two hours prior to peak high tide. With a size 2 or 4 Owner mosquito hook you'll guarantee a fish. Good luck fishing read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Good size eating , pan fry. - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

So beautiful and serene. The walking trail towards the back of the campground has a nice sandy beach access! We had the beach to ourselves. Will definitely be coming back read more

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For those wanting to come for the day: the sandy beach here is relatively small, parking is $10 and there are only port o potties. You can park up near the highway for free and walk down. For campers: $40/night and you MUST have a self contained camper with toilet to camp here. No services other than the port o potties at the front entrance and dumpsters. NO WATER, plan accordingly. You are paying for being able to park/camp right up against the beach, but note most spaces do not allow direct access to the water and/or have very rocky/non swimmable beach. Some sites have fire pits made by previous campers, but no picnic tables or shade. Sites vary between back in or parallel parking and have varying degrees of how level they are and how good the concrete pads are (a lot of the concrete pads are very deteriorated/ uneven/incomplete). Bring flashlights if you plan to walk in the evening, as there are no lights and the road is very dark at night. Location: you feel secluded as the 101 is above you, but the site is just minutes from Ventura. The train tracks run parallel but trains have been pretty quiet (no honking). There is a biking trail you can access above the camp ground (by the train track). There is a lot of wind here so there were a lot of wind surfers in the area. read more

Emma Wood State Beach is one of my favorite beaches for day trips. This isn't the beach to take people with physical ailments as it is quite a walk but it is my favorite place for beautiful sunsets, dolphin watching, exploring and a quiet place for reflection. With close proximity to the 101 you initially get some traffic noise until you cross the railroad tracks. Once past the tracks you hear the beautiful rushing of waves and rolling rocks. In the past there has been more trash but recently it appears that more attention is being paid to clean up the trash and encampments. The bathrooms are stinky but are also mid renovation. The water fountains do not work, but there is a shower to rinse your feet. read more

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Wonderful ocean view with the sounds of crashing waves and the smell of salt air while you sleep. No amenities. Beware of the creatures at night. First night there at 4am one of them cut a cable and tried to take my generator. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

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if you're looking for a place to sleep for the night with your camper, this is it. we got in late, had a spot right next to the water with a view. woke up in the morning, saw a TON of dolphins. ended up having a great surf break so we hit that before we left. i personally wouldn't stay there all day, but a great place to stop and rest and surf. read more

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This review is for the Emma Wood Group Camping site, also known as Ventura River Group Camp. The site offers 4 large reservable spots for up to 30 people and 5 cars. There are only 20 parking spots in the campground, so if you have more than 5 cars, you must reserve two spots. We went in July. There was no green grass this time of the year, and the site is covered with dirt, dead grass, and goat-head pokies/stickers. There are flush toilets that are cleaned every morning and a beach style open shower. The site is sandwiched between the 101 highway and train tracks. The train isn't much of a nuisance at all compared to the loud roar of the highway which is particularly noticeable between 10pm and 6am. Bring ear plugs. The city provided all the hardwood firewood we could use and kept a fire going night and day because it was so cold. The wind blows cold all afternoon into the evening. It was a welcome relief from the inland heatwave we were experiencing at home. But be prepared for very cool weather. Straight out from the site about 200 feet is the beach. This stretch is covered with rocks but at low tide you can access a bit of sand. There is a sandy beach 2 miles south. Follow the bike trail for an easy walk. We booked this place because it was available and we had a wonderful time there, but if you plan ahead, you can find a better campground. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - This is how close our site was to the highway. Made for a very loud night and little sleep. - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

As a general rule for Yelp, I only write 5 star reviews. This flaming abomination of a campsite has forced me to negate this longstanding respectable tradition. We arrived late and planned to crash with some beverages in efforts of getting up to surf at dawn. Before we got too far, we were ambushed by the state park authorities, ring-led by a lady that would make the DMV look pleasant. Reading us a relished riot act, she informed us that camping wasn't possible at this site without an RV and proceeded to evict us, which -- in all seriousness -- is about the dumbest rule for any campground I've heard in my life, given that it's a campground and all. A campground is hardly an appropriate term for this freeway underpass, and the site would be better labeled as a $40/night parking lot. Anyhow, after being rudely infiltrated by this hawkish excuse for a state park ranger, she employed her Darth Vader-esque rhetoric in kicking us out of "her" park (the phrase "your reservation has been terminated" was actually utilized). Looking back, even though she kicked us travelers into the abyss of Ventura at 11 PM with no concern for how or where we were going to sleep that night, maybe we were better off avoiding the expensive parking lot under the robust litter-ridden pillars of the 101. read more

This is a review for the left side of the beach and the attendant that told us conditions were perfect and the beach was nice. We parked in the parking lot and walked over to the water area. We went left off the path to the beach and there was nothing but rocks and washed up tree limbs and wood. There was no sand entry to the beach and it was too dangerous to approach from the rocks. We tried to make the best of it and find some water access, but it wasn't there. We didn't go to the right off the path and it did appear there was some sand in that direction that we noticed when we were leaving. The attendant told us it was a beautiful beach and it was far from what we were expecting. $10 parking for a few hours. read more

First time here and we love it. Rustic Beach Camping where you are almost right on the sand. In California no less. No frills. No water. No power. No dump. But what an amazing view from any window in your RV. This will be a common stop for us now. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is that there is no dump station. For 40.00 per night I would expect at least that. There do have porta-potties and trash bins. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

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Had a great time camping with my family here, being able to enjoy a bbq just a few feet from the ocean was amazing. The have great areas to build a bonfire and make s'mores. Everyone on site was very friendly and helpful, only thing I have to complain about this place is the parking, the rv parking areas are very uneven and some not very long at all. Not every parking has the room to fit a good size RV. But great location for a get away and enjoy the breeze . read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

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Love this place... a bit noisy with the road and the passing train... but the beautiful crashing ocean almost filters it. The only thing is your lucky if your Not next to some inconsiderate knucklehead running their generator way before 10:am and most of the day... beware they are out there... and they Don't give a ... Nevertheless the less it's a beautiful place... read more

Last time I was here the place was overrun by homeless on wheels as you can tell who they are with their ratty run down motor homes and trailers. Theft must be a big problem because there is a sign at the entrance warning you to lock up your belongings ( not surprising) read more

Stayed here for 3 nights. It is dry camping and sites are very close.....but the views are phenomenal! We walked down to the beach to boogie board by the lifeguard and the guards were amazing. The current shifted and there was a small rip tide and they went out and talked to the kids. They also explained to the parents about the sand structure on the ocean in the area (sand bars and super shallow but then 8 foot drop). The park was clean and we didn't run across anyone other than campers (some reviews talked about homeless thieves staking out sites and campers to rob). We felt very safe. We didn't leave out anything of value...but we wouldn't any way. We treat camping like our house....when we are at home we don't leave bikes in our front yard unlocked either....so we don't when we camp. I highly recommend this campground! read more

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Excellent campsite. Highly recommend especially during this time where we are keeping our distance. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Sunset at Emma Wood SB campsite. Beautiful place to stay. Highly recommend - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

This is as close as you can get to the Pacific Ocean without owning a boat. While the RV park itself is older, has no water, power or more than 3 porta potties and the gate, what it does have is a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean. I highly recommend the sea wall spaces. You can literally open your door and sit in the comfort of your rig and see dolphin, sea birds, boats and other sea life roaming around. If your self contained, you will enjoy this spot! Difficult to get a spot during the summer, but off season, it's pretty easy. Spots are very big and will accommodate even your biggest Class A's. Only 60 miles from LA, it is a great Southern California beach camping experience. read more

Whatever you do.. DO NOT PARK YOUR RV/ TRAILER ON SPACES #60-70. You will have a view of "THE WALL" the whole time. I was ecstatic about my visit to Emma Wood.. till I got there and saw our spot :( We were located by the "infamous WALL", I didn't quite understand what the guard meant untill we pulled up. This wall was muddy, from "high tide" the night before. Our spot was a complete mess. Our rugs were full of mud and everything we came in contact with was dirty. There was no reason to even set up here but we did. My husband and I got our chairs and put them on the back of our truck bed just to see the water. I would have to say, It was pretty bad. We were a little depressed for the whole wknd. If these spots are the only ones available the next time I book.. we will NOT be returning. Otherwise, the rest of the campground was awesome! It seemed like all the other spots were really nice. I was curious about tenting in this area(since this isn't the tenting spot), and I did see quite a few tents set up, as long as you stay close to your RV or trailer. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - I hate the dumb wall #60-70. - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

As for the beach, it's quite lovely! Definitely quiet and peaceful compared to the more crowded beaches further down South, and in that way it could be considered a more hidden gem. The sand is nice, there are quite a few logs to climb along. We went night swimming here without much fear of tides or other troubles. But, the campground sucks. It has nice fire pits and flat ground to lay your tents, but other than that it's basically pointless. There is a "trail" nearby that leads you through some tall grass to the railroad tracks, but it's not much exciting - and you can see the road the whole time. You can HEAR the road the whole time you're camping too, as the freeway is right there and town is practically walking distance away. It's not that I can't sleep with road noise, it's just that I want to hear nature when I'm camping and not cars. I want to be able to go explore when I'm camping! There wasn't really anything there to explore. Overall, it really just felt more like tent sleeping in a backyard rather than actual camping. Might be nice to stop by for a quick visit, but that's it. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Cal State Fullerton's Adventure Club camping trip at Emma Wood! - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

If you have never been here its hard to find in the dark. When you exit State Beaches off the 101 it's easy to miss the Emma Woods sign and left turn. If its light out its easy to see but in the dark you could miss it. I really enjoyed this place, camping right on the ocean is great. There are no hook ups, however you can run your generator from 10am to 8pm, some people kept theirs on longer. There are plenty of places around if you forget something. When we arrived we were warned about increase of theft, so lock up your personal belongings. You're allowed one vehicle per campsite besides the RV additional cars are $10.00 per day. Dogs are allowed at campsite but not on the beach. Emma Woods is a great beach camping our family had a great time. read more

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Secluded beach and peaceful. You can primarily focus on the ocean horizon and the waves crashing into the shoreline. Perfect to explore and certainly a great place for taking your dog on a walk. Dog owners we came across were respectful. They were thoughtful enough to use a leash while we cross paths. It's one of those things when two dogs may not like each other. If you are a dog owner, please do the same. If you are into camping, they do have a camp site within walking distance. read more

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Great beach here camping for the first time! Love it very secluded but also conveniently located next to the 101 the beach in front of you and the mountains in the back with fog around them look like Hawaii! Honestly a gorgeous place and very dog friendly that's a huge plus for us! read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Our dog at Emma Wood! - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

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Day use area and camp sites north on Hwy 1 are like having ocean front property. I visit frequently to enjoy the views of the Channel Islands, dolphins, migratory birds, and tidepools . There's a small day use parking area at the first part of the park, and a long line of primitive camp spots with no hookups but fire rings. There's only portable toilets, but it's only minutes north of Ventura off the freeway on Highway 1. Annual State Park pass gets you in free for the day or $10 for day use, $40 primitive camping high season, $30 off season. There's a booth at the entrance to collect the fee-day use is dawn until dusk. There's a sandy beach, and surfing, but it's a scramble down boulders to the beach in some seasons. Walk the length of the park, and after the trail crosses a small bridge, cross the train tracks, climb the hillside, and access the coastal trail which connects with the promenade. The trail leads you by the group camp before crossing the Ventura River. read more

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Close to the beach! Well rocks that is. Either way it was a fantastic place. Our feet are a little banged up, but that's ok. We were able to stay for 3 nights Sunday to Wednesday, sites 76 and 77. Spots were small but with a small trailer we fit no problem. My friend with a fifth-wheel, just barely fit. Overall it was great. It was dry camping at its best. Zero hookups so make sure to a generator and water on hand. We were told about bike theft, so we made sure to lock them up with 4 chains and locks! So no issues there. The beach was very rocky but if you go to the entrance there's a nice sandy beach. We got lucky on our trip to have sand behind our sites due to a tide surge 2 weeks prior. But unfortunately it was washed away by Wednesday morning. Note: stay away from sites 60 - 70 there is no beach but a wall that the waves crash onto and splash over into the sites. read more

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Love the fact that you can camp right on the beach! There's good surf, lots of open space and you're not out in the boonies if you need to run to the store for anything, there's a Vons about 10 minutes away. Always a good time! read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Doggie beach Day! - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

Beautiful state beach that is like a hidden gem. It is very quiet here. You'll see people sitting on the driftwood and having their quite moments together. Little groups will hike the trails. But overall, it's a pretty secluded place that is very picturesque (check out my photos). Flat trails makes it easy to walk on. Come here to watch the sunset. It sets beautifully on the waters. There are large rocks that look like dinosaur eggs, so wear good walking shoes to step over these large babies. There's also a nice active train track that is great for pictures. Watch out for trains though. The Amtrak runs through there. read more

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We have camped here several times and enjoy the beach and bike rides, but as many people have stated, there is a major problem with theft and homelessness. We had our mountain bikes attached to the back of our RV and my husbands was stolen right off the back during the night. You really can't leave anything out at night. With all the theft here, I would think a night security guard is really needed! read more

Nice beach, the camping ground though is so crowded and the space to park the RV is very close to each other, no privacy at all. No ranger at night and there's an ongoing bike theft that's been happening at night, but nothing has been done. One of our bike was stolen during our 3rd night stay. There's only one available Portable toilet located at the entrance. Unhappy camper $40 per night and they only accept cash. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - View of the sunset from our camping site - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

Yeah I am giving this a 5 as one of the best beach camping sunrise ever. Number one we came in Winter. Number 2 it was a weekday. Number 3 this made for place mostly to self! Plus we parked just north of the first surf wall. The Tide was higher than usual and the surf was up. The sound of surf in the cabover camper thrillingly serenaded me throughout the night. I woke pre 5 AM to check the tide and surf. By 5:15 up and watched the most glorious spectacular sunrise with waves pounding against the surfwall sending splashes 30' high at times! WOW is all I can say for this grand morning. Unfortunately a few weeks later we wanted to stay here again but it was closed due to surf. I would however never stay here on a weekend or in summer. I would not like this place full. 5 stars is what we experienced and it was FANTABULOUS! read more

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Hi - We were surprised that the walkway to the main beach from the road / parking was gone. New road protection large rocks with no opening for unstable people; Handicap parking with no beach access. Found others walking around looking for a reasonable way to get in to the beach. For us, a trail down the bluff behind a lower number RV site worked. Some amazing RV camping sites that get you within 20' of the largest ocean in the world; runup at 6' tide. Enjoyed watching the hydrofoil surfing; a wave to get the surfboard up above the water and then a pumping action by the rider to propel the board and surfer, both above the water, quickly down the coast. Ubercool. read more

Nice place to dry camp.your able to see the Santa Cruz Ilands, dolphins sealions, you are 30 min from Santa Barbara. But as far as the camp sites you are very close to your neighbors. We unfortunately had neighbors that had a lot of kids that were distructive They took are fire pit apart to enlarge there's through trash in front of our trailer and being loud until 1200 when quite time is 800p.m. along with there generator going great last day. It was quiet up until that time. You go to places to have a good time. But you need to respect the other campers around you. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Brown seal sleeping on the beach. - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

First time here at this no hook ups (and I don't mean dating) RV only beach campground. I swear I almost didn't stop here because of some of the reviews talking about theft, homelessness, trains, etc., etc, yada yada yada. Well I gave it a go, and whad'ya know, I liked it! (yea I rock rhymes as well). Check in was easy, I didn't see anyone that didn't belong there, and we drove back in around 10:30pm later that night (after earlier check in). The hwy and train tracks are above you, I heard the occasional train and cars, but the soothing crash of the waves was so loud it drowned it out for me. I actually thought it was cool to see a train wiz by, it's so fast that it's gone in seconds! There didn't seem to be an enforcer of the night time noise, just the rules written on paper. So if you end up next to a large group (and this goes for ANY campground) you may want to wear earplugs and ignore, or turn into a Ninja and kick some a*ses until you knock them all out lol! I would visit here again if in the area. read more

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This is no frills camping at its best! You don't come stay here for the amenities. You come stay navies your literally parked on the beach. The ocean waves rock you to sleep. I have been staying here over 30 years and it's still a favorite of mine. Close enough to Ventura to be able to go down Main Street for shopping or lunch. Bring leveling blocks for your RV or Trailer cause you will need them! No hook ups, no tents, no nothing.. just ocean! read more

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My wife and I love Emma wood State beach. This beach is for self-contained RVers. If you need hook-ups this is not the place, if you need bathrooms this is not the place, if you you are camping in a tent this is not the place. Being able to park our RV on the water is priceless. The waves drown out the highway noise. I am sorry to say but you do hear the trains. The sea life can be seen from your campsite. My wife and I take joy in watching the whales go by, the dolphins playing in the surf and the sea lions on the beach. Good times. The other postings talk about the thefts here. Transients and hobos are all over this state. We lock up our stuff at night and have yet to have a problem. read more

We enjoyed staying here for a few days. It's quiet with the exception of the sound of waves and the occasional train. As we walked towards the end of the park I noticed some sites seemed closer together. In my opinion we got the best spot (17). There's a slightly bigger open space compare to others and when it's high tide our site isn't too far of a walk to the bigger beach-- by the entrance and where the first few spots are at. I recommend this place if you need a nice break from the city but I'd probably choose spots between 1 - 17 read more

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We've been to Emma quite a few times. Since we only live approx 1hr away it's our quick get away destination. Personally I prefer the end of the row campsites (70-90). They seem to have a bit more room. I agree with others though, you can get packed in like sardines. The longer sites allow a bit more maneuvering room to give you space. As for beach, and sand, only the first dozen or so spots have access to sand, most of the beach is covered in rocks. Just below the last spots on the south side is a nice beach, a reasonably short walk. I always lock my stuff regardless of where I'm at, but yeah there are sometimes some theft problems there. Usually in the middle of night. I buy the thick cable locks without the pad locks. Unless they have a radial saw they wont get through them. Boltcutters (at least ones small enough to fit in a backpack) will not cut through. One of our favorite things to do there beside kick back on the beach is to ride our bikes to the Ventura pier. It's roughly a 20 min flat ride. We ride there in the morning for breakfast and a mimosa. There is a bike path that goes all the way to the boardwalk/pier. Be forewarned, if you follow the trail at the south end of the campground you will need to carry your bike over the railroad tracks. Once on the other side it picks up the bike path. You can go north to the entrance of the park and pickup the bike path there without crossing the tracks, but it adds a bit of distance. read more

Emma Wood State Beach - Campsite 87 Emma Wood - Campgrounds Near Me - Ventura, California

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We brought our 1956 Shasta trailer here for 3 nights. It's beautiful. The closest we've ever camped to the ocean- it's literally a stones throw away. They are super serious about the trailer completely self contained. There are no bathrooms or showers. Well there are porta potty's down by the day use area but they were pretty full. And quite a distance from the camping area. We stayed in site 52 and made a bench out of drift wood and other ocean jewels. We saw a group of dolphins ever night around 7pm and even a seal! We will definitely be booking this place again. read more

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