Adventure 16 Blog » Surf Safari: San Onofre State Park near San Clemente, CA

By: Jay Golien, Adventure 16 Art Director, Corporate Office

July 24th & 25th, 2008
I arrived at San Onofre on a Thursday and experienced light traffic on I-5 and a light crowd out in the line-up. (On weekends you can expect to wait 30 minutes to an hour just to get into the surf park.) A clean south swell was serving up 4′ - 6′ glassy reef break waves that San Onofre is famous for. Longboarders have been surfing there since the 1930’s. If you pay attention, you might see a famous or professional surfer out in the lineup. On this trip, legendary surfer/shaper Skip Frye was surfing. (Skip captured national titles and represented the United States team internationally in 1966.)
In addition to surfing, San O. offers three miles of beautiful sand beaches for hiking, beach-combing and tide pooling. There are fire rings, picnic tables and restrooms available making it family friendly.

After surfing I made the short drive to San Mateo campground and checked in. After I got set up at my campsite, I went back to San O. for my second paddle out. Sunny skies and no wind made it a perfect combo for fun surf. Just as I was getting out of the water two pair of Dolphins leaped and rode a few waves, giving the beach crowd a free show.

Back at camp I enjoyed a peaceful night by the fire. I checked out of the campground by 8am Friday and went for another surf before heading back to San Diego. As a surfer I realize how wonderful it is to live in Southern California. World-class waves are only an hour away!

San Mateo Campground is located at the southern edge of San Clemente. Take Interstate 5, turn off at the Cristianitos exit, go inland 1 mile and San Mateo Camping Area is on the right side of the road.

This campground is near full all summer, so you should reserve a spot online. San Mateo campground has four loops with sparsely landscaped sites. The main feature is the proximity to the beach; there is a 1-1/2 mile walking/biking trail to the beach from the campground.

This is the campground that would be shut down if the 241 toll road project gets approved. (The Transportation Corridor Agency is seeking to build a sixteen-mile long toll road highway that would connect the current terminus of the 241 Toll Road to Interstate 5. You can read more about this ridiculous proposal here: http://www.surfrider.org/savetrestles/blog/)

Gear Review:
Patagonia Wavefarer II Board shorts: Bullet proof board shorts that are durable, water repellent and fast drying. I like the self-draining side-zip pocket with key loop, keeps my car key safe while I surf. I wore these babies all weekend. (not the same pair)

Jetboil Personal Cooking System: A small self contained stove perfect for one person. Great for fast coffee in the morning.

Marmot Never Winter Long Sleeping Bag: The Never Winter is an ideal summer bag for camping and beach trips, but it also has enough down insulation to keep you warm when there is a nip in the air.

EXPED Comfort Foam Mat 7 DLX: Great mat for car camping. (and it uses recycled foam cylinders) There are two valves so inflation is super fast. You just open the valves and the matt self-inflates to about three-fourths capacity in about 30 seconds. A half dozen breaths of air and inflation to full comfort is complete. The pad deflates as quickly as it inflates: just pull both (rotating/locking) valves and roll away.

GoPro Digital waterproof camera: I love this new toy! It is small, yet shoots good quality video or still photos.

Leatherman Wave II Multi Tool: This is a great camp tool. I used it to change fins on my board, cut the bundle of firewood loose, and open my favorite beverage.

Tip:
Wear some sort of foot protection, such as 5 Fingers footwear, for walking on the rocks. Avoid campsites near the shower/bathroom building.

Highlight of trip:
6′ Waves, Dolpins