SoCal beach areas
I will be in SoCal this summer. I have read a lot about Black's Beach. Are there easier c/o beaches to get to in the San Onofre/San Clamente area? I did read about San Onofre beach trail 6, but it sounds like they put the kibosh on that one. Help! Please!
San Onofre is not a nude beach but if you walk south of the fence on the beach you can be nude. You will be on Camp Pendleton which the rangers cant give you a ticket for being nude on. Now if the MP show up they can but I have yet to see them. The people I have talked to have been told to leave by the base by the MP without getting a ticket. The people that have gotten tickets are the ones that act like an asshole to the MPs or are having sex.
I used to go to San Onofre before the "kibosh". It was okay. Not horribly crowded. And, yes, easier to get to than Black's. However, it cost to get in. As for the kibosh, I've lost track whether or not people go anymore - yes, there is a distinction between one side of the fence and the other, and some may continue to go to the Camp Pendleton side.
But I've not kept track, because Black's is, by far, my favorite place to go. Yes, it's far from me, but, to me, totally worth it. Yes, the climb down - and UP - can be a trek. But you get used to it. I can get down fairly quickly - in sandals. And I'm almost 50. As for the trek up, I just make sure I still have water for the trip. Yes, it's high. But take your time, stop when you need to, enjoy the views, and now that you know about the trek, it won't be a surprise. I'm sure you've read all about Black's, so you know there are no facilities down at the beach. Hit the port-a-potties in the parking lot up top before you head down. I bring a backpack with a filled CamelBak water reservoir - lasts me all day. Plus, lunch, book, towel, sunscreen, etc. I personally don't bring a chair or umbrella, which makes my commute easier.
Black's is wide, long, crowded on weekends, with still tons of space to choose between hanging amongst the crowd or choosing a spot more isolated. Life guards patrol in trucks throughout the day on the beach.
As for other beaches, there is a currently successful movement to reopen the nude beach at Bates Beach in Santa Barbara, and there is Pirate's Cove in San Luis Obispo. You can find info about both of them on the internet. I've also heard of More Mesa, but I've never found it, nor do I think it's an official beach.
Hope that helps,
Ben