Beach views outside of LA- GOOD LUCK! Most are booked a year ahead of time. Sometimes you can get lucky with a cancellation . Some (Sea Cliffs in Santa Cruz for one) have 1-5 "first come first served" spots which are offered at something like 7AM "the day of" availability. I am pretty sure that those spots are one day only. Since checkout time is 11:00 or 12:00 (depending on the park), you have to entertain yourself for 4 hours or so before setting up. I have been told (no personal experience) that you have to be at Seacliff by 5:30 AM if you want a "first come" spot. Doheny beach in Oceanside used to allow camping on the beach. Likewise Huntington Beach State Park. Newport Dunes is pricey, but is about 3 miles from the beach, and is located on an estuary of Newport Bay. They also tend to be booked out a year in advance, Daily calls at 7AM to the park of your choice are the secret to catching a cancellation spot. I KNOW (from personal experience) that it is rare to get a cancellation spot after 8AM, although one time I got a Yosemite spot at 11AM because I was the first caller after the cancellation call. I have found that if I start calling early (at LEAST 10 days before the date) and I am obsessive aboout it, I can get a cancellation spot about 60%-70% of the time.
