San Elijo

https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=662 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Elijo_State_Beach San Elijo State Beach is near San Diego, by San Elijo Lagoon, adjacent to the Cardiff State Beach. San Elijo State Beach offers swimming, surfing, boogie-boarding, skim-boarding, showers, picnicking, and camping. Campsite reservations are made through Reserve America, and sites book up to 6 months in advance. The narrow, bluff-backed stretch of sand has a nearby reef popular with snorkelers and divers. Also, at low tide, there is a tide pool that many walk to in order to see the sea life. The campsite is great for family and friends. It is located on a bluff right above the beach. It is perfect for photographers everywhere to get that perfect shot of a sunset. Jellyfish are frequent in the area, many see them either during the day or when at low tide.

T his southernmost part of the Golden State, with its warm beaches, sculpted bluffs and historic adobe buildings, has been a mecca for individuals seeking a better life. Today, more than ever, it is the destination of millions who pursue the modern equivalent of the “California Dream.” Our Mission The mission of California State Parks is to provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. California State Parks does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the park at (619) 688-3260. To receive this publication in an alternate format, contact: CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS P. O. Box 942896 Sacramento, CA 94296-0001 For information call: (800) 777-0369 (916) 653-6995, outside the U.S. 711, TTY relay service www.parks.ca.gov Discover the many states of California.TM San Diego Coast State Parks 4477 Pacific Highway San Diego, CA 92110 (619) 688-3260 Cover photo courtesy of Susan Myrland. © 2002 California State Parks (Rev. 2009) Printed on Recycled Paper San Diego Coast State Parks T he San Diego Coast is world famous provides beach-level camping between the communities of Coronado and Imperial Beach. Day-use beach access is available from Carlsbad State Beach to Border Field State Park. Early California history, recreational opportunities and natural wonders await you in San Diego Coast state parks. of Spanish soldiers, priests and explorers led by Captain Gaspar de Portolá and Franciscan Father Junípero Serra, arrived in what is today San Diego. They built a chapel dedicated to Saint Diego and a fort on what is now Presidio Hill just to the east of present-day Old Town. As time passed, the town built up around a typical Spanish plaza, and the first San Diego community was born. Since 1769 it has known the rule of Spain, Mexico and the United States. Today the historic park reflects the cultural elements of its exciting and romantic past. Guided tours are available. For more information, call (619) 220-5422. for its mild year-round climate. This fiftymile stretch of coastline, from the U.S. Marine Corps base at Camp Pendleton to the Mexican border, contains some of California’s most interesting and rare examples of natural and cultural heritage. San Diego’s early history comes alive at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, Old Town San Diego State located in the heart of the city, and at San Historic Park Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park, near San Diego’s famed Wild Animal Park in the Explore the rich heritage of California by north county. touring the unique museum exhibits and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, the shops in the historic adobe buildings of Old home of rare and endangered Torrey pines, Town San Diego. Today’s Old Town bustles lies thirty miles north with activity while of the Tijuana River preserving the National Estuarine essence of one of Research Reserve California’s earliest and the international settlements. border. The On May 15, 1769, Research Reserve an overland party provides protection for a designated Father Junípero Serra “wetland of national importance” and offers an educational Bandini House in Old Town San Diego facility for students and visitors. San Diego Coast state parks provide visitors with three areas for camping and many day-use beaches. South Carlsbad and San Elijo State Beaches in the north county have full-service campgrounds with all the amenities except hookups, and Silver Strand State Beach in the south county Painting of early San Diego by Lt. William H. Emory, 1846 San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park An award-winning visitor center interprets the Mexican War, as well as the history of the San Pasqual Indians and the development of San Pasqual Valley. On a cold, wet December 6, 1846, in the valley known as San Pasqual, United States General Stephen Watts Kearny and his soldiers met Whimbrel 80 armed Mexican Californios under the leadership of Andrés Pico in a battle for the sovereignty of California. The Battle of San Pasqual was the bloodiest battle fought in California during the Mexican War. For more park information, call (760) 737-2201. Carlsbad State Beach Carlsbad State Beach is one of San Diego’s most popular beaches. The Tamarack Avenue area is a favorite surf spot. The reef provides gentle waves, perfect for long and short board surfing. Certain areas are set aside for swimming only. A seawall promenade stretches from Pine Street to Tamarack Avenue and offers views of Agua Hedionda Lagoon. From the walkway, visitors may watch marbled godwits and whimbrels troll the beach and gulls, cormorants and pelicans fly over the waves. Marine mammals such as dolphins, sea lions and harbor seals splash offshore. Carlsbad State B

BE SAFE AT THE BEACH RIP CURRENTS The ocean can be dangerous at any time of the year and in any location. Every year people drown because they do not understand the dangers posed by the massive power and strength of ocean waters. The most important lesson? Learn to swim (before you go) and never swim alone! A rip current is a channel of water flowing away from shore. Rip currents, which are quite common, will typically form at breaks in sandbars or near structures, such as piers. A rip current can be very narrow or may be more than 50 yards wide. They can quickly increase in speed and therefore may change from moment to moment in terms of the threat they pose to swimmers and waders. The average speed of a rip current is one to two feet per second, but they have been found to be as fast as eight feet per second — faster than an Olympic swimmer! Rip currents can carry even the strongest swimmer out to sea, sometimes just beyond the line of breaking waves and other times possibly hundreds of yards offshore. If you find yourself caught in a rip current, the first thing to do is stay calm and don’t try to fight the current — it will win, not you. Instead, escape the current by swimming in a direction parallel to the shoreline. When you are free of the current, swim away from the rip current and at an angle toward the shore. OCEAN SAFETY TIPS • Always keep an eye on the surf — Large waves can hit the shore without warning, crashing much farther up the beach than normal waves. They can knock down both children and adults and drag them into deep water. • On steep beaches, be wary of backwash — Even normal waves can create a dangerous rush of water that can knock you off your feet and pull you out into the ocean. • Do not dive headfirst into the surf — Divers may hit hidden rocks or the shallow bottom, resulting in paralysis or death. • Know what a rip current is and how to free yourself if caught in one. INLAND CAMPSITE $35.00 INLAND HOOKUP $60.00 OCEAN CAMPSITE $50.00 OCEAN HOOKUP $75.00 SECOND AND THIRD VEHICLES $15.00 ADDITIONAL Only one vehicle is included with the reservation and all extra-vehicle fees are paid at the park entrance. This popular oceanfront campground is located between Encinitas and Solana Beach, 40 miles north of San Diego. Stairs lead to the beach. PARK FEES are due and payable upon entry into the park. Use the self-registration system if the entrance station is closed. Campsite fee covers ONE VEHICLE. Extra-vehicle fees are collected upon arrival and cannot be paid in advance. OCCUPANCY: Only eight (8) people and three (3) vehicles per standard site. No equipment in the planted areas, please. Only two (2) vehicles per hookup site. VEHICLE PARKING: Vehicles must be parked within assigned campsite, not on the roadway, in the planted area or beyond the campsite number. Only three licensed vehicles (includes motorcycles/trailers/RVs) are allowed per standard campsite. Only two licensed vehicles are allowed per hookup site. Additional vehicle parking may be available on a night-by-night basis at the North Day-Use Lot, just north of the campground. The fees are paid by automatic pay machine by selecting the overnight option at the lot. VISITORS: Non-registered guests must exit by 10 p.m. Twenty-minute passes may be issued at the entrance to allow equipment/visitor drop off and pick up. CHECK-OUT TIME is noon. Please leave site clean and on time. Check-in time is 2 p.m. Sorry, no exceptions. RE-REGISTRATION: If you want to re-register, you must contact the entrance station within the first hour of operation. (Summer and winter hours may vary.) PETS/DOGS: Must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet and under physical control at all times. Except for service animals, dogs are not permitted on the beach. Pets/dogs must be confined to a vehicle or tent at night. Noisy/vicious animals are not allowed. Please clean up after your animal. 76 To Los Angeles OCEANSIDE 78 S21 CARLSBAD S11 Carlsbad State Beach MA Palomar Airport 5 South Carlsbad State Beach S12 S10 S11 PONTO LEUCADIA Leucadia State Beach (operated by the City of Encinitas) S10 Moonlight Moonlight g State StateBeach Beach S9 (operated (operatedby bythe theCity Cityof of Encinitas) Encinitas)) Elijo StateBeach Beach h SanSan Elijo State Cardiff diff f State Beach Pa ENCINITAS S9 CARDIFF BY THE SEA ci S6 SOLANA BEACH fi To San Diego ce an HOOKUP SITES: Two licensed vehicles maximum. Only one RV (motor home, trailer, tent trailer, van) per site. SPEED LIMIT: The speed limit is 15 mph. Use good judgment. Children are at play! O CAMPING RESERVATIONS: You may make camping reservations by calling (800) 444-7275 (TTY 800-274-7275). To make online reservations, visit our website at www.parks.ca.gov/sanelijo. ALTERNATE FORMAT: This publication can be made available in alternate formats. Contact interp@parks.ca.gov. 2050 South Coast Hwy 101 • Cardiff, CA 92007 • (760) 753-5091 c Discover the many states of