Established in 1949 as a 507-acre California State Park, Cardiff State Beach in Encinitas's Cardiff by the Sea community draws 14,800 monthly searches as a primary coastal destination keyword. The gently sloping sandy shoreline supports swimming, surfing, and beachcombing along a stretch of South Coast Highway 101 where post-beach dining anchors the local economy — a corridor shared with The Taco Stand in the Encinitas restaurant district. San Elijo State Beach and its blufftop campground sit immediately north, connecting Cardiff State Beach to the 27,100-monthly-search San Elijo camping draw that peaks each summer. The adjacent San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve protects 721 acres of wetland habitat for migratory and nesting bird species, a conservation zone whose trailhead traffic also fuels the craft-beer scene at Pacific Coast Grill on the 101. Beach wheelchairs are available through the San Elijo campground entrance kiosk, and leashed dogs are permitted along the full shoreline under a six-foot-leash requirement enforced by California State Parks rangers.