Best overnight in the LA area

[vanster]

We are planing to take our Caravel to Southern California (Santa Monica)
for Thanksgiving to see the parents and grand kids
We have been looking and looking for a decent place to spent T Day weekend
in our Caravel and we are coming up with donuts. Malibu is booked etc
Any secret spots within 20 miles of Santa Monica?

Van

[Johnco]

I've not stayed there, but Dockweiler State Beach is located close to LAX. Not the best area, but friends who have stayed there said security was good and facilities were well maintained.

[Mike91208]

It's at the edge of your 20 miles, but this is a great CG if you get a preferred view site:
East Shore Rv Park Home Page

[xo1rider]

This might be on the edge of 20 miles, perhaps a bit more. I've stayed here a few times and it's a very pleasant state park, no hookups but there is a dump and bathrooms and showers.

Malibu Creek SP

[LawChick]

We stayed at Dockweiler three nights in September. No problem. It's on the beach and is a parking lot. It's a bit pricey, but better if you don't stay on the front row. You can still see the beach from most of the second row spaces - just a little less sand in the trailer.

It's a county park. We felt safe enough, but it could be better kept. Employees are lax about trash, etc. Biggest hassle was we were visiting our son and he had to say he was coming to pick us up just to drive in. Guests are supposed to park way up at the public parking lot and there's a charge. They change the gate code weekly but we were told employees sometimes give out the code to friends, who then come and take all the firepits on the beach for parties. We saw this happen a couple of times.

Get this- we arrived about 40 minutes before check in and they wanted $17 to let us pull into our empty space. So we waited outside the gate. Then others lined up beside us, blocking us in so we had to wait until they got checked in.

We had trouble with their electric outlet and had to use the hookup at aspace beside ours.
They fixed our outlet when they needed the other one a day or so later.

I hate LA & would never go there if our son didn't live there! Still, we'll probably stay there again if we ever tow back to LA. (UNLIKELY) It is an overpriced, poorly managed parking lot, but its convenient.

[LawChick]

STAY OFF the 405. It is one bumpy, alignment ruining piece of road!

[Jim Foster]

Originally Posted by Johnco

I've not stayed there, but Dockweiler State Beach is located close to LAX. Not the best area, but friends who have stayed there said security was good and facilities were well maintained.

We stayed at Dockweiler a couple of years ago. As I recall, it was OK. The noise from the airport was not bad, and it was right on the beach.