Dirt road leading into beloved San Onofre Surf Beach destroyed, closed indefinitely

The dirt road leading into one of the state’s most iconic and historic surf spots has collapsed, indefinitely cutting off access to the Surf Beach at San Onofre State Park.

The dirt roadway at San O, as it is called, has been eroding for months, with each swell and rain storm reducing the number of parking spaces at the beloved beach where surfers, families and beachgoers can pull their cars right up to the sand.

“It’s devastating,” said State Parks Superintendent Scott Kibbey. “We’re trying to wrap our heads around a solution to find a way to fix this as soon as possible. It’s impassible. You can not drive a vehicle around that right now.”

The latest blow – and possibly the reason the area has seen such drastic erosion in recent months – is believed to have come from a fairy shrimp vernal pool habitat that sits above on the cliff. A drainage system, for decades, has funneled water coming down to a concrete outlet near the ocean, where water would simply flow back to the sea.

But recently, the drain broke and runoff water was instead flowing down at the toe of the slope, eating away at the roadway. With the latest storm sending high velocity streams of water from the hillside, the dirt road washed away.

“We haven’t had large surf, or massive high tides, there’s clear indications that drainage is causing the road erosion,” Kibbey said, noting that engineers will also be looking at the impacts of the ocean on the erosion.

The parking lot at San Onofre will remain closed until the next series of storms clear. By then an upper concrete lot with 30 or so spots will likely open, Kibbey said.

But the 175 or so parking spots along the beach will not be accessible.

“We’re anticipating it’s going to be a pretty expensive project and may take us time to get this fixed, we’re hoping with the partnership with the (Camp Pendleton) base, they can help us get this opened back up,” Kibbey said.

The land is owned by the Department of the Navy, but has been leased to State Parks since 1971. The lease expires on Aug. 31, 2024, negotiations are already underway for future use.

The popular beach has a storied history, once a fishing camp before early-era surfers discovered it in the 1930s, drawn to the rolling waves.

Still today, it’s a step back into the past, the large cliffs hiding the tucked away beach from the rest of the world – but it’s no kept secret, with people lining up for hours on warm summer days just to get a parking spot.

The first step will be to work with the military to fix the drainage so the erosion is stopped, Kibbey said.

“Then, we will have to work with the appropriate agencies to do emergency road work to ensure we have access to the Surf Beach,” he said. “I’m hoping we will be able to move relatively quickly, after we are able to get some heavy equipment in there.

“I think we’re very motivated to get this repaired as soon as possible,” he added, “that way people can get back there to enjoy the iconic Surf Beach they’ve been enjoying for decades. We’re just not sure how long it’s going to take to get it reopened.”