Rincon Parkway

"The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul."

Wyland

Visualize being parked parallel with the ocean on a 47’ paved RV pad below Highway 101. Running below that highway are rail tracks that carry up to 27 trains in a 24 hour period. And finally, at beach level, Highway 1 which defines your site boundary. You are parked bumper to bumper and then asked to pay $28.00 for your site. I think most of you would ask…Michael, what enjoyment can you have with all that impact from the road noise? You are getting ripped off, so why did you even consider parking there? Poor Imkelina!

Based on the few facts I have just shared, your point is well deserved…but those noisy trails of transportation are but smokescreens and mirrors. The spot we are talking about is Rincon Parkway…yes theee Rincon which is renowned as one of the most famous surf spots in California and yes, the same Rincon referenced in the classic 1962 Beach Boy song Surfin’ Safari. This waypoint is pretty awesome and definitely unique. 

Ok…now visualize this…awaken to the smell of bacon and sipping some freshly brewed coffee as you take in the cool ocean air. Now add the spectacular 180 degree views of the Pacific and Channel Islands from your beach front window. You are parked with only a row of boulders between you and over a mile of beautiful sandy beach. In the background, you can see a pod of dolphins porpoising during a feeding frenzy and huge pelicans gliding above swells, then diving straight downward toward a fish below. I would say that to be a Million Dollar view!

And then coming into my peripheral view are my two best friends…Imke and her sidekick Sydney, lifedancing on the beach since the break of dawn. When you are on that beach, the only sound you hear is that beautiful sea always letting you know she is there. Imkelina and the “beach dog” love their beach…joy, joy, joy and more joy. Now that is Priceless!

Rincon Parkway is a linear campground that spans enough beach to provide 127 primitive, but paved RV parking spaces…only for RVs, no tents. To get your toes in the sand, you need to do some easy rock hopping about 10’ to the beach below. The most stress we had this trip was building a rock firepit. We were told fires are allowed, so we enjoyed one each evening. And if you need water or your tanks to be emptied, we saw truck tankers driving slowly by each rig offering those services.

Although each of the rigs are parked bumper to bumper, you have some privacy on your patio, as your vehicle and that of your neighbor provide “walls” front and rear. We even had more alone time as the 5 rigs behind us and the one in front of us were all vacant. The owners just parked them there ahead of time to secure a spot for their upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. We met a few folks that paid up to 5 nights extra to make sure they got a spot. Apparently, during that holiday week it will be impossible to secure any site. In any book, that is a hefty storage fee…but well worth it to those folks. 

No doubt we will stop at Rincon again, whether it be en-route to or on a return trip from any trip South. Either way, we won’t be disappointed with the quality of beach time...or vegging time.

At Waypoint 34.328000-119.397960