Beach Truck Camping Spots

My wife loves the beach, and I love truck camping, so I’m trying to create a list of places where we can combine the two and go BEACH TRUCK CAMPING! My focus is places north of the Mexican border – so that’s the continental US and Canada – but lots of TW.com members are from the islands, are deployed around the world fighting for our freedom, or like to drive out of North America, so feel free to add spots anywhere on the planet.

Please consider including the following:

1. Where’s the spot, and how do you get there if it’s off the beaten path?

2. Can a stock 2WD Tacoma get there, is 4WD advisable, or is the trail challenging enough to require mods?

3. Is it legal to camp there, and is it legal to drive onto the beach?

4. Are reservations/registration required, and are there any fees?

5. When’s the best time of year, and are there any specific dates/events that would be cool to check out or should be avoided?

6. What’s the safety situation, and is it family friendly or best for adults only?

7. Are there any amenities (public restrooms, park facilities, local shops, restaurants, etc.) or is it undeveloped and isolated?

8. Can you legally fish, and what’s the best catch for beach cookouts?

…and remember to add your pictures!

 

Cool idea for a thread. I don't know any beach truck camping places. So sub'd to learn about some.

 

well since the idea is there, it sounds good, but makes me think of a book by a scientist named Willard Bascom, a young graduate student from the midwest who signed up to do a special project. before the beginning of the project he had never seen a beach let alone camped on one. Bascom wrote a book called "Waves and Beaches", a study of wave action on beaches, some of it is pretty dam boring, but the part of the book I like is his story of how they did the project which entailed driving 32 foot long trucks up route one, california, oregon, washington, driving out onto the beaches of choice and then powering into the surf and out to the farthest set of breakers, some of which were easily as tall as the trucks were long, turning around then surfing the breaks...

 

Well, I guess this thread is going to die. Can't believe nobody has ever truck-camped on or near a beach.

 

Outer Banks NC places like Corolla and Nags Head but the best is Portsmouth Island very remote and little to no traffic.

 

Or north to Canada and Alaska. Brrr!

 

Pismo Beach is the only place in California (that I know of) where you can drive on the beach and camp.

It's called Oceano Dunes SVRA.
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1207

Most people visit to play on the sand dunes with quads, dirt bikes and other OHV but any vehicle is allowed on the dunes with a flag. The sand dunes are 18 miles long but it's not all open to vehicles.

It can get very crowded on holiday weekends.
On windy days the blowing sand can be a problem.
You can pretty much camp anywhere, they charge $10 a night to camp and there is a limit they will reach only on busy weekends.



https://youtu.be/GUZFvbNPgEE

 

Looks cool, and I enjoyed the video. Looks like it would be a good idea to carry a flag along anytime you're heading for the coast.

 

In addition to Pismo, the camping spots at Jalama County Beach are right on the beach, but no driving on the beach.
If military, you can camp beachside at San Onofre Beach - but again, no driving on the beach.
All require reservations, but you are setting up camp on the sand
There are no locations in Southern California that allow driving on the beach - Pismo is Central Cal.

 

I've truck camped and motorcycle camped on the beach a whole bunch in Baja. I know you said North of Mexico but Baja is not like the rest of Mexico. There is tons and tons of beach camping and some of the best surfing, kayaking, scuba, snorkeling and fishing on the west coast. Most of the roads there are 2wd capable. You'll more than likely have the whole place to yourself. You can buy legal big fireworks in Mexico.

Now for the downside. Crossing the border north sucks. Camping on the beach sucks. Sand gets in everything....mostly if it's windy which it probably will be. It's humid near the water so all everything will get wet..which makes the sand stick to it. The sand has salt in it so make sure you really hose your truck off well after spending a night in the salty air and having salty sand all over it.

 

Looking for something like this?????????? A little more detail on SargeBSA's suggestion



1. Where’s the spot, and how do you get there if it’s off the beaten path?
Portsmouth Island, Cape Lookout National Seashore, NC https://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/directions.htm
Two miles off NC coast; Eighteen miles of uninhabited island
Access by boat or private ferry only



2. Can a stock 2WD Tacoma get there, is 4WD advisable, or is the trail challenging enough to require mods?


Your call. The cost of getting stuck and not having someone around to pull you out is kinda steep.

Just kidding, well sort of After dropping my tires to 16 psi or so, I run in 2WD most of the the time while over there but 4WD is usually required to cross the dune lines at the ramps. I wouldn't chance it unless I had friend(s) along with 4WD. The first photo was taken when we were crossing the slough from the beach to the Village. Most driving is done between the water and the dunes where the sand is typically well packed.


3. Is it legal to camp there, and is it legal to drive onto the beach?
Camping is allowed most anywhere between the dunes and the high tide line except in the cabin area, in the Village or where bird/turtle nesting areas have been roped off. Pretty much the same restrictions for driving. No parking or driving on the dunes.



4. Are reservations/registration required, and are there any fees?
Ferry reservations are highly recommended http://www.portsmouthislandfishing.com/portsmouth-island-nc-ferry.aspx
There is no charge for camping.

The Park Service has twenty or so cabins for rent near the ferry dock and these fill up fast.
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/...oundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=72363


5. When’s the best time of year, and are there any specific dates/events that would be cool to check out or should be avoided?
April-May and September-October are my favorites. Fishing is usually best in the Fall. Hurricane season is mid Sept to late Oct. Mosquitoes and greenhead flies can be bothersome from May through September, bring plenty of repellent. Be sure to bring long stakes and plenty of guy lines if you're tenting.


6. What’s the safety situation, and is it family friendly or best for adults only?
Great place for kids. In addition to the beach, there are trails leading to the sound where the water is calm and usually less than three feet deep out to a hundred yards or more. Bring tubes and floats. Lots of shells and crabs.


7. Are there any amenities (public restrooms, park facilities, local shops, restaurants, etc.) or is it undeveloped and isolated?
The Park Service has public bathrooms with showers and potable water for campers in the cabin area and you can buy ice at the ranger office there. Other than that, there are no shops or restaurants on the island. If you need it, bring it with you!!!! Pit toilets are also available at the north end in the Village area and, if caretakers are on the island, the visitor center there with flush johns may be open.

8. Can you legally fish, and what’s the best catch for beach cookouts?
Salt water fishing license required - check NPS website for current rules. In the old days we'd go over with just bait, beer gas and ice but I got lazy over the years. Now we tell Kari (she owns the ferry service) how much seafood we need and she has it packed on ice when we arrive. Local shrimp, crab and flounder are excellent.


Its not that far from Ohio to NC, come on down and visit with us. If you have questions or need more info, just let me know,


Al

 

Check out Assateague Island MD. It's a straight shot from PA.

 

There's a couple spots across the street from the beach in Los Osos and Big Sur as well, but not like Pismo where you drive onto the beach and setup camp. Less crowded though.

 

Camped here about 15 yrs ago with my old girlfriend
didn't truck camp but used tent
If remember right there is 2 sites close to each other, 1 had out houses the 1 we stayed at had buildings with bathrooms and hot showers
Had great time storm was coming so surf was good lots of dolphins
I think ocean city was pretty close so if you wanted some entertainment could drive to the board walk.

Sandy hook in NJ has a camp area
No truck camping you have park and walk to site
Reservations needed
There is a nude beach some place at the hook
Never been there so cant tell if good or bad

 

Awesome thread!! Great idea OP and thank you all for the references...

 

This is great, and exactly what I'm after! Thanks for the post. I have been to the NC coast many times, just not recently. I vacationed in the Outer Banks as a kid with my parents, and my wife's parents had a beachfront house in Kill Devil Hills when she was young - sadly, it's gone now. When I was a teenager we used to road-trip to the beach at least once a summer. Would would usually tent camp some distace from the beach and drive over. As we hit our 20's we started staying in Myrtle Beach cheap hotels and going to the clubs at night. Good times for sure. It's been awhile since I was there last. My wife surprised me about 10 years ago with a week at The Sanderling in Duck. I have never made it out to the island, so this is going on my bucket list.

Thanks again!

 

Bit far for you southern folk...

1. Clam Gulch, Alaska. Google it, just follow the trail down to the beach, or camp at the campground and walk down to the beach.

2. Lowered 5 lug can get to the campground, 4wd needed for the beach, the worst part is the entrance to the beach with large ~1 foot ruts in loose dry sand. Keep your foot down until through it.

3. Legal to drive and I think shoot too, but check that for yourself. There are commercial fishing outfits along the beach too.

4. No fees on the beach, camp has fees

5. You'll know when to not go. I've gone in the winter and trap shot frozen dead jellyfish, super fun.

6. Anyone can go, families too.

7. No bathrooms on the beach, plan accordingly

8. Fish all you want, clams used to be abundant but can't clam there yet. Read ADF&G reg's.

 

Subd!

 

I love it this time of year! Too many tourist summertime weekends, but paradise outside of that. About 20 miles of 4x4 access.

 

I haven't done it myself yet but you might look into the area near Fort Stevens and the Peter Iredale wreck on the northern Oregon coast. We visited and it was beautiful.






A beautiful area and I saw some driving and camping on the beach but suspect it is limited to certain times.

You might also try camping at Cape Lookout State Park in Oregon. You can't drive or camp on the beach but the campgrounds are great and only 20-100 yards from the beach.