This beach is an amazing spot for camping. There are three campgrounds located high up on the dune, with the beach stretching out in both directions below. All the campsites are within walking distance of the beach, but the furthest ones are quite a long walk, so it's probably better to drive down for convenience. My kid's school dad's club has an annual camping trip here, and we go every year. The experience of beach camping depends a lot on the weather - if it's nice, it's amazing, but if it's foggy or drizzly, camping on the dune can get messy with sand stuck all over the kids and gear. Plus, there's not much to do if the weather doesn't cooperate. It's also quite a long drive from San Francisco - if you hit traffic, it can take 3 hours on a Friday afternoon, especially going over the Santa Cruz mountains.