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Moderate temperatures help make Emma Wood State Beach popular for swimming, surfing and fishing. Catches include perch, bass, cabezon and corbina. The Ventura River estuary is at the mouth of the Ventura River at the southeast end of the park. It attracts a variety of wildlife including raccoons, songbirds and great blue herons. Dolphins are occasionally seen just offshore. The park also features the crumbling ruins of a World War II coastal artillery site. The offshore Channel Islands can be seen from the beach.
Emma Wood State Beach offers family camping for self-contained vehicles only and group camping is available at Ventura River Group Camp.
Emma Wood State Beach offers primitive camping for fully self-contained vehicles ONLY. Tents are not permitted. No water, restrooms, electricity, fire rings, or phones or dump station are available. There are 90 campsites, which are not level and may contain a mixture of asphalt, dirt, cobble and ocean debris. Maximum vehicle length is 40 feet, due to small turnaround areas.
High tides may close the campground at any time. Railroad tracks and Highway 101 are adjacent to the campground which can be noisy. Leashed dogs are permitted in the campground only, and are prohibited on the beach.
Emma Wood State Beach is located west of Ventura. The family campsites are two miles west on Highway 101 (State Beaches off ramp). Ventura River Group Camp is at the west end of Main Street in Ventura.
This is a great beach and fairly secluded too. When the tide is out, is has great tide pools and rock pools for kids to play in…. We also saw dolphins and seals swimming just off the waves too. There is a bike track that runs along the beach too . We did not camp here but there are some facilities for campers too
Nice local beach. Easy parking during the week. A bit harder on the weekend. Great for families and kids. I feel safe there.
Great spot to camp right on the ocean. I have driven by this place for several years and always wanted to stay we got site #77 and it backs right up to the sand and rocks. There are these great stone fire pits people have built and there's plenty of driftwood to use for kindling. The campground is very simple as you have to bring everything you need with you. Only RVs, trailers and self-contained vans are allowed. There is a train that runs close by the campground, but I usually slept through it. The highway is further up the hill, so the road noise wasn't bad. I loved falling asleep to the sound of waves. As people have noted, there are no services here like restrooms or showers. Great spot to watch the waves. It does get windy in the afternoon. There are plenty of great restaurants close by in Ventura to eat. The beach in front of the campground is Rocky, but you can walk just north or south to find some sand.
Nice Long Beach line. Road goes along the coast with free day parking for a couple miles.
I do note that although it is posted no night parking… quite a few rvs and campers along that stretch.
Surfers like the spot. Good waves.
Was a nice place to hang for the afternoon until sunset without many people. It’s not amazing. It beautifully quiet tho. At times I’m betting as I’m here in February 24.
