There are many beautiful beaches in California. Although most of these have many activities available for day-use, not all of them provide facilities for camping and allow overnight stays. This article lists the best beach camping parks in California and gives you some of the hightlights of each park. We have broken the beach camping parks out into three sections: Northern California, Central California, and Southern California, so that you can locate beaches in just the region you desire.

Northern California
Clam Beach County Park is located just south of Little River State Beach, north of Eureka. It is one of the few parks that allows camping right on the beach. Beachcombing, clamming, fishing, picnicking, camping, kite flying, and building sand castles are all popular at this beach.

Gold Bluff Beach is within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. The campground is located in the dunes along a beautiful 10-mile stretch of golden beach. The campgrounds lie between the Pacific Ocean and a bluff thickly covered with Redwoods. It is located about 50 miles north of Eureka.

Westport-Union Landing State Beach covers over 3 miles of rugged and scenic coastline. There are approximately 100 campsites located on the bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is located about 19 miles north of Fort Bragg.

Central California
Half Moon Bay State Beach offers 4 miles of broad, sandy beaches. This picturesque setting is ideal for sunbathing, hiking, biking, fishing, picnicking, and camping. It is located near San Mateo in the San Francisco Bay area.

Manresa State Beach is a large, beautiful sandy beach, which offers surf fishing, surfing, swimming, and camping. It is located on Monterey Bay just south of San Francisco.

New Brighton State Beach is located in the town of Capitola, just south of Santa Cruz. This beach camping park offers swimming, fishing and a nearby forest. The camping area is located on a bluff overlooking Monterey Bay.

Seacliff State Beach is best know for its fishing pier and concrete freighter just offshore. There is swimming, fishing, camping, and hiking trails. It is located on Monterey Bay near Aptos.

Sonoma Coast State Beach is one of California?s most scenic attractions. It has long sandy beaches below rugged headlands. The craggy coastline has natural arches and features secluded coves. The beach is located north of San Francisco between Jenner and Bodega Bay. There are many campsites to choose from. Fishing, hiking, horseback trails, and many other activities are available.

Sunset State Beach features pine trees, mountainous sand dunes, and oceanside picnic spots. The beach is 16 miles south of Santa Cruz.

Southern California
Carpinteria State Beach is approximately 12 miles south of Santa Barbara. This park offers a mile of beach for swimming, surf fishing, tidepool exploring and camping. Seals and sea lions can be seen in the area December through May.

Doheny State Beach is two parks in one. Camping is located in the southern area and the northern area is limited to day-use. There is a five-acre lawn with picnic facilities and volleyball courts. Surfing and surf fishing is popular here. It is located just south of Los Angeles.

McGrath State Beach is famous for bird-watching. The lush riverbanks of the Santa Clara River and the sand dunes along the shore create just the right environment for our feathered friends. There is a nature trail for hiking, and 2 miles of beach for surfing, fishing, or swimming. It is located near Ventura.

Morro Strand State Beach is a coastal frontage park with excellent picnic sites and about 3 miles of beach. Fishing, windsurfing, jogging, kite flying and camping are popular at this park. It is located near San Luis Obispo.

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As the weather in North America starts getting colder and colder, many residents travel south to enjoy the sun and the warmer temperatures. But are they traveling far enough south? Instead of traveling to the south-east or south-west, maybe you should consider traveling a little further, all the way to Australia. Since Australia is on the opposite side of the equator from North America, the seasons are opposite as well. As we are moving towards winter, Australia is moving towards summer, with beautiful weather and beautiful beaches.

Of course the weather is only one reason to travel to Australia, which provides beautiful scenery and gorgeous sites year round. The temperature in Australia is moderate all year, which means no matter when you visit you will have great beach weather. There is an added benefit of going to Australia during our winter, since you get to experience the great summer climate in Australia, and you also get to avoid the cold here, but really any time of year is a great time to visit.

A trip to Australias Gold Coast is a trip to a tropical paradise. The Gold Coast beaches are majestic white sand beaches where you can swim or tan. There are numerous water activities available on the Gold Coast, underwater diving, surfing, swimming, are all an amazing experience. Surfers Paradise offers great surfing all day, and an excellent nightlife scene so you can continue having a great time long after the sun goes down. The Gold Coast region of Australia is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world, with some of the finest beaches that you will ever see.

In just a fourteen hour plane ride, you can be in paradise, among the rainforests, beaches, sounds of the ocean and natures wonderful creatures. An Australian vacation will provide your with a natural environment, adventurous theme parks, fabulous swimming, relaxing boat trips and deep sea diving.

There are very touristy areas with all the most modern facilities and some accommodations that are nestled right in the heart of the rainforest themselves. There is shopping and galleries, music and rides. If golf is your thing, you will find some of the most incredible courses in the world scattered across this breathtaking countryside. No matter where you choose to stay or what you choose to see, be sure to put the Gold Coast region of Australia on vacation hot spots for the winter months. A tropical getaway may be just what you need to kick those winter blues.