San Onofre State Beach, California

We have been using this time to explore beaches we've never visited.  We drove up to San Onofre State Beach, near the SONGS nuclear reactor.  It is an interesting beach, because there is a good view of  different types of rock strata and also the Cristianitos fault.  The fault is considered no longer active.  You can see it because the layers of rock are plainly twisted and folded.  The reactor is in the process of being de-commissioned.

Beach access is courtesy of Camp Pendleton.  It is a short walk from the parking lots to the cliff overlooking the ocean.  Then, there is a short, but very steep walk down to the beach.  This is not a good swimming or walking beach, because the a lots and medium-sized rocks.  There are lots of surfers and they slowly make their way over the rocks to the ocean.

It is a good area to look for wildflowers.  We saw many different species along the trails to the beach.

There are picnic benches and restrooms.  

It is a fine beach to set up a beach chair for a relaxing day.  It is also a good beach to look for nice beach rocks.  Many of the rocks were red and there were rocks that appeared to be quartzite.  It is also a nice area to read the informational signs and examine the rock formations.