SAN ONOFRE STATE BEACH

From: richard@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews)

  SAN ONOFRE STATE BEACH is preferred by many over the more famous
  Black's.  The hike isn't nearly as steep, and it is less crowded with
  fewer gawkers.  It is quite aggressively patrolled by the regulars who
  chase off the various problem types that are known around Black's.

  San Onofre Beach is near the San Diego County / Orange County border.
  You should get there early because they close the gates when the parking
  lot fills up -- paying extra for an overnight parking/camping spot can
  sometimes get you around this, though.  Take I-5 to the Basilone exit.
  Drive west then south a few miles past the nuclear power plant (can't
  miss it; looks like two large breasts with nipples on top:-)) to the
  beach parking entrance.  Pay the $6 parking fee for a day visit or $16
  for an overnight camping spot (1994 prices).  Ask the rangers where the
  nude beach is.  They will tell you, and it is good that they know you
  are there to go to the nude beach.  Drive down as far as you can to
  Trail 6.  Trails are fairly well marked.  Head down to the beach and
  walk about .5 miles south.  As you pass lifeguard station 6, you will
  see the volleyball nets and all the folks properly unattired and having
  fun.  Trail 5 is an easier but longer walk.

  Alternately, many recommend avoiding the parking hassle by bicycling
  in.  Drive to the Las Pulgas Road exit from I-5, just an exit or two
  south of Basilone Road (the Los Flores exit has also been mentioned).
  Park to the east of the freeway in a lot there.  From here, it is an
  easy, pretty, three or so mile ride down a bicycle path to San Onofre.
  Bicyclists can chain their bicycles to the chain link fence across from
  the bathrooms; we've been doing that for a long time and no one has ever
  bothered the bikes.

  You can get naked anywhere from the last lifeguard station (the lifeguards
  reportedly tolerate it) on down into the Camp Pendleton Marine base.  There
  is a new Commandant at Camp Pendleton who is alleged to be very hardline
  about trespassing onto the base.

+ Weather reports for the area can be found at
+   gopher://spinaltap.micro.umn.edu/00/Weather/California/Los%20Angeles

  	[Original from Norman Kraft <nkraft@bkhouse.cts.com>,
  	Bruce Hamilton <hamilton@vine.OsbuSouth.Xerox.COM>,
  	and Jeff Foster <foster@mtechca.maintech.com>]