San Onofre Beach offers many fun activities including beachcombing, sunbathing, wildlife watching, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, tidepooling, fishing, bodysurfing, windsurfing, paddle boarding, boogie boarding, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and jet skiing. If you are planning to go into the water near San Onofre Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here has rip currents. The water near the beach is home to many animals including seals, sea lions, dolphins, and migrating grey whales (between December and April). San Onofre Beach is also a popular fishing spot - depending on the time of the year, you can catch many kinds of fish here including surfperch, smelt, and mackerel. The beach is popular among clothing-optional visitors due to its secluded location. However, if you are planning a clothing-optional visit to San Onofre Beach, keep in mind that nudity is illegal under local regulations.
Gaviota State Park is a 2, 742-acre oceanfront state park that offers many fun activities including camping, hiking, biking, horse riding, swimming, and fishing. The state park has a pier which is a popular fishing spot and is equipped with a boat hoist. Hikers can also explore more than 2,000 acres of oak woodlands in the state park that also has the Gaviota Peak (that is a part of the Santa Ynez Mountain Range), the Gaviota Hot Springs where you can take a refreshing dip, and an interesting sandstone rock formation known as Gaviota Wind Caves. In addition, the portions of Gaviota Creek passing through the state park are known to have an incredibly vivid riparian habitat and are considered as one of the most pristine riparian habitats in Santa Barbara County