San Elijo State Beach in Encinitas's Cardiff by the Sea extends two miles along South Coast Highway 101, anchoring a blufftop campground with approximately 170 sites that include standard inland spots, ocean-view premium sites, and full-hookup RV pads accommodating rigs up to 35 feet. The campground's surf-culture identity connects to Cardiff Reef, Pipes, and Turtles, breaks that draw the same coastal athletes fueling up at Surf Brothers Teriyaki and Catering across the highway. Stairway and ramp access from the bluff descends to a narrow sand beach backed by boulders, where a nearshore reef supports snorkeling, diving, and tidepooling at low water. The California Department of Parks and Recreation operates the facility year-round, with a camp store and snack bar near the entrance running March through December, plus coin-operated shower facilities, laundry, an RV dump station, and an amphitheater for campfire programs. Visitors crossing the 101 for supplies find Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in Cardiff, part of the walkable Restaurant Row that makes San Elijo one of the few California state beach campgrounds where campers can leave the car parked for days. Reservations through ReserveCalifornia book up to six months in advance, with ocean-side sites 145 through 171 commanding the northern bluff's unobstructed sunset exposure.