Campsite A, Thornhill Broome State Beach, Point Mugu

What a drag, our favorite campsite, A, was booked every weekend this summer. But we did stop by and visit a few of the dozens of campers who left their footprints around one of 63 sites dotting the sand 15 miles south of Oxnard. For $10 to $12 a night, they got an ocean view (plus crashing waves to drown out the tire-hum of Pacific Coast Highway) and easy access to the nearby Big Sycamore Canyon hiking trail in the Santa Monica Mountains.Rose Marie Braxton (in black baseball cap), from Altadena, with three generations of assorted relatives.

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HOW LONG WAS YOUR STAY? Three nights.

S’MORES? “Oh, yes, definitely. My daughter Michelle is the s’mores queen. She couldn’t make it [here] this year, but we had a niece that came through for us, so the night was saved.”

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: Squirrels, mice, dolphins, seals and sea gulls, who “pick away at anything. My plate tipped over with a chili dog on it, and I said to your photographer, ‘Back up, buddy, they’re going to swoop in.’ ”

LASTING MEMORY: “There’s nothing like nighttime. We build a bonfire and tell spooky stories to the children, and all their little eyes are gleaming in the fire. Afterward, they huddle together, then no one wants to go to bed.”Dave Baggenstos, from Bellingham, Wash., with his son; Neal Sherman (in jeans), from Marina del Rey, with his girlfriend, her son and friends.

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HOW LONG WAS YOUR STAY? One night. Says Sherman: “We had a real hard time getting in, so we basically walked to the end of the campsite and introduced ourselves to Dave. He said, ‘I have one car, but three spots, so come on in.’ ”

S’MORES? No. “We roasted marshmallows, though.”

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: Dolphins (“awesome”), sea otters, large pelicans all lined up in a row--”at full speed, they looked like an airplane.”

LASTING MEMORIES: “We were playing guitar all night and singing well into the evening. The waves were crashing very loudly and consistently.”Sara Andersen and her girlfriend, Lydia Rivas, from Huntington Beach, with their dog, Stinky. Cats Precious and Little Orange Kitty not pictured.

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HOW LONG WAS YOUR STAY? One week.

S’MORES? No. “We made a lot of hot chocolate.”

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: Dolphins, hawks, a baby seal, pelicans, pigeons and sea gulls.

LASTING MEMORY: “The beach was gorgeous, and the cliffs and mountains were right there. Precious, it was her first experience being outside. She was so in awe, she was like, ‘Wow, birds!’ She just thought it was one big litter box.”Richard Lopez, from Long Beach, with his kids Alexis, Natalie and Zach.

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HOW LONG WAS YOUR STAY? One night.

S’MORES? “Absolutely. The 5-year-old made a shopping list that was phonetic, with drawings of graham crackers, marshmallows and hangers on it.”

WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS: Dolphins, seals that were “just kind of bodysurfing. [The kids] got fired up about that. It was the first time they’d ever seen sea lions.”

LASTING MEMORY: “We were playing Frisbee football, and a big wave came and swept everything away. We were screaming. They really enjoyed it. It was their first experience literally camping on the sand. That night the tide got about four feet from our tent.”