San Clemente Pet Friendly Camping: Our Foil Grill Fail
If you are planning a San Clemente pet friendly camping trip with your dogs, here is our honest story, campsite tips, and the real campfire foil grill lesson we learned.
The Four Hour Scramble for a Campsite
We had just checked out of our first campsite in Malibu, and true to form, we had zero plan for where we would sleep that night. Finding a pet friendly camping spot with almost no notice is hard enough on a holiday weekend, but finding one that would take all three of our dogs felt nearly impossible. Every private campground we found either capped it at two dogs or wanted an eye watering rate for the privilege.
Four hours deep into scrolling and about ready to call it quits, my husband found it. One single cancellation slot at San Clemente State Beach. We practically screamed, booked it on the spot, swung by Whole Foods for firewood and food, and hit the road. By the time we pulled in though, the sun was long gone and we were setting up camp by flashlight.
Cooking in the Dark (and Rescuing Dinner Off the Ground)
Halfway through setting up dinner, we realized we had forgotten literally everything you need to grill. No tongs, no heat proof gloves, not even the grill grate itself. So we did what any slightly unprepared campers would do. We layered a few sheets of foil over the fire pit and called it a grill. It was actually working pretty well until, mid sizzle, our meat and chicken slid straight through the foil and landed in the dirt.
No panic though. My husband just grabbed a cup, filled it with water, and rinsed everything off right there. Welcome to survival mode. Somehow that dinner, dirt detour and all, tasted better for the effort.
Quick tip: bring actual tongs and heat resistant gloves. It changes everything. And if you do forget your grill grate, a few layers of heavy duty foil will get you through just fine. On a later trip we had the grate but no stove, and we ended up cooking every meal on a campfire grate for three straight days. Tongs and gloves made the gear list in my post about cooking on a fire pit too, along with everything else we used on our last trip.
The Best Branzino We Have Ever Had, Cooked Over Coals
By the time the fire had settled into a good steady glow, we had basically leveled up as campers for the night. Instead of olive oil, we drizzled sesame oil, the one thing we had actually remembered to pack, over a whole branzino, hit it with some coarse salt, wrapped it tight in foil, and set it right on the coals.
It came out impossibly moist and perfectly seasoned. Honestly one of the best fish either of us has ever had. Eating that quiet, simple dinner under the stars, watching the fire, felt like the whole point of camping.
A Sunrise Walk Along the Bluff Trail
We woke up early the next morning to that cool ocean breeze and soft morning light. Leashes on for all three dogs, we headed out to the San Clemente Coastal Blufftop Walk, also known as the Bluff Trail, which runs right along the edge of the coastline with sweeping views of the Pacific.
As a total ocean lover, taking in that fresh, crisp air, the cool sea breeze, and the scent of the ocean felt absolutely amazing. Seeing all three dogs trot happily along the dirt path, tails wagging with excitement in the breeze, instantly melted away all our fatigue from the night before. Walking along the cliffs with the ocean stretched out below us with my family was one of those simple, perfect moments I will cherish for a long time.
One Last Stop: Laguna Beach and the Best Gelato of Our Lives
On the drive home, we made a quick twenty minute detour to Laguna Beach. We wandered along the shore, soaking up that classic Southern California sun with the dogs, and stumbled onto a little gelato shop called Gelato Paradise. It fully lived up to the name. Between the foil grill chaos and that peaceful walk along the bluffs, San Clemente ended up giving us one of those trips we will be laughing about for years.
San Clemente State Beach: Everything You Need to Know
📍 Location: 2251 S El Camino Real, San Clemente, CA 92672, right between LA and San Diego, an easy stop on any Southern California road trip.
How to book: Reservations go through ReserveCalifornia. Weekends fill up fast, but cancellations do pop up (that is exactly how we got our spot), so keep checking if it looks sold out.
Facilities: A mix of RV hookup sites and standard tent sites, with clean showers and restrooms on site
Pet Policy (important)
- Dogs are welcome in the campground and on the Bluff Trail with a leash no longer than 6 feet.
- Dogs are not permitted on the sandy beach area itself.
San Clemente is not the only California state beach that takes dogs. If you are working your way up the coast, Leo Carrillo State Park runs its campground much the same way.
