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Trails - San Onofre State Beach, United States

Stay in San Onofre: see the trip Its beds, the way there and every spot near it.

Also within 20 km of San Onofre

All 17 on San Onofre's map

Watch this spot We email you when Trails - San Onofre State Beach is worth the trip.

GoldenGateBridge BakerBeach MC
California, the wider area. Photo: Christian Mehlführer, User:Chmehl, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Trails - San Onofre State Beach

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.

The spot faces SW (226°), so it takes swell from the SW. The wind blows offshore from the NE (46°). It is exposed to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 2–9 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves gently: 10 m deep about 800 m out (1 in 78). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 15°C in January, its coldest month (4/3 wetsuit and boots), and 22°C in August, its warmest (2 mm shorty). For intermediate surfers the best months are usually January, March, April and May, with about 2 good days in 7. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is San Onofre, 4.8 km away (about 10 min by car).

Water about 20°C: 2 mm shorty. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

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From Chicago: about 7 h 25 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.

  1. Fly. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to SNA, direct.

    See flights ORD → SNA · Skyscanner from about £215 returnAd

  2. Getting there. 1 h 10 from the airport to Trails - San Onofre State Beach.

    Car hire · Discover CarsAd

  3. Accommodation.

    Stay in San OnofreAd

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote.

    Room photos are examples, not these hotels (credits).

    See all places to stay on Booking.com →

    Closest towns to stay in

    Typical prices for a double room that month, not a quote. Drives are estimates.

  4. Hire and lessons.

    Surf lessons in San Onofre · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in San Onofre · GetYourGuideAd

Everything else for the trip

Where it is

Trails - San Onofre State Beach on Google Maps · Directions

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Forecast

Trails - San Onofre State Beach does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.

The score for intermediates, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small

DayScoreInter­mediateSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 18Oct603 ft13 ssoft356kJ23°C
Mon 19Oct694 ft13 ssoft418kJ22°C
Tue 20Oct664 ft12 ssoft345kJ21°C
Wed 21Oct553 ft12 ssoft264kJ21°C
Thu 22Oct443 ft11 ssoft157kJ20°C
Fri 23Oct433 ft5 smushy50kJ21°C
Sat 24Oct352 ft12 ssoft144kJ23°C
Sun 25Oct292 ft12 ssoft106kJ24°C
Mon 26Oct242 ft11 ssoft65kJ24°C
Tue 27Oct242 ft7 smushy43kJ23°C

Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.

Your trip, day by day

6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for intermediate surfers. Change dates

  1. Mon 19 Oct
    Travel out

    Direct flight ORD to SNA, then 1h 10 by road. About 7h 25 door to door

  2. Tue 20 Oct
    Surf Trails - San Onofre State Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 4 ft at 12 s, wind 2 kn (5 km/h).

  3. Wed 21 Oct
    Surf Trails - San Onofre State Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 12 s, wind 7 kn (13 km/h).

  4. Thu 22 Oct
    Surf Trails - San Onofre State Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 11 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  5. Fri 23 Oct
    Surf Trails - San Onofre State Beach

    Best 08:00 to 11:00 local time: 3 ft at 5 s, wind 6 kn (11 km/h).

  6. Sat 24 Oct
    Rest day

    Too small: 2 ft at best.

  7. Sun 25 Oct
    Travel home

    Direct flight ORD to SNA, then 1h 10 by road. About 7h 25 door to door

The trip from San Onofre, with every spot near it

Rough cost

About £1,010–£1,825 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book.

WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to SNA, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag£215–£445
To the UK airportparking or the train, there and back£35–£65
Hire car6 days, shared£115–£190
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, shared£270–£455
Food7 days eating out£260–£480
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about £85 to fly your own£115–£190
Total£1,010–£1,825

Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.

Book the trip

Getting thereAd

Flights · Skyscanner Car hire · Discover Cars

Where to stayAd

Places to stay · Booking.com

In the waterAd

Surf lessons · GetYourGuide Board and wetsuit hire · GetYourGuide

Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.