Places to Bonfire in Orange County

At the doctor's office last week I casually perused Orange Coast's July 2007 issue and discovered a list of beaches with firepits in the O.C.

The article points out several important keys to successful bonfires in the OC. The first is to arrive early in the day and stake out your spot, especially in the summer.

The second is to make sure you have the right kind of wood. The article says that the best for a long-lasting, smoke-free fire is pine and Eucalyptus. You can log onto http://www.rosenbaumranch.com/ to learn how to build your wood pile. Here are a list of O.C. beaches with fire pits to test your fire building skills.

Capistrano Beach - 35005 Beach Road.
Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: $1/hr.
Phone: 949-923-2280.

Dana Point - Doheney State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, at el Obispo.
Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. during DST and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST.
Parking; $10.
Phone; 949-496-6172

Huntington Beach - Bolsa Chica State Beach, 17851 PCH, between Warner Ave and Seapoint.
Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone: 714-846-3460

Huntington Beach - Huntington City Beach, 103 PCH, between First St and Beach Blvd
Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone 714-536-5281

Huntington Beach - Huntington State Beach, on PCH between Beach Blvd and Magnolia Ave.
Hours 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone: 714-536-1454

Newport Beach - Balboa Beach/Balboa Pier, on Ocean Front between Island Ave and Main St
Hours; 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: Meters and street parking
Phone: 949-719-6100

Newport Beach - Corona del Mar State Beach, Ocean Ave and Iris Street
Hours; 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone: 949-644-3151

Newport Beach - Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort and Marina, 1131 Back bay Drive, off Jamboree Road.
Hours 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone: 949-729-3863

San Clemente - Calafia State Beach, Avenida Calafia and Avenida del Presidente
Hours: 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone; 949-492-3156

San Clemente - Ole Hanson beach/North Beach, 1900 Avenida Estacion
Hours: 4 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Parking: Metered until 8 p.m.
Phone: 949-361-8265.

San Clemente - Pier, 620 Avenida del Mar, off El Camino Real.
Hours: 4 a.m. to midnight.
Parking: $1/hour.
Phone: 949-361-8219.

San Clemente - State Beach, 3030 Avenida del President at Avenida Calafia.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Parking: $10
Phone: 949-492-0802