Located south of San Clemente and north of Oceanside, Camp Pendleton is a major West Coast Marine Corp base. The base is split into North and South and was established in 1942 to train U.S. Marines for service in WWII.
By October 1944, Camp Pendleton was declared a “permanent installation” and by 1946, it became the home of the 1st Marine Division. It was named after Major General Joseph Henry Pendleton, who had long advocated setting up a training base for the Marine Corps on the West Coast.
Today, Camp Pendleton is home to a myriad of Operating Force Units, including the I Marine Expeditionary Force and various training commands. Hotel Miramar San Clemente is located off the I-5 just north of Camp Pendleton making getting to and from the base a breeze.