El Cariso Campground, near Lake Elsinore, California, is a straightforward spot for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle without straying too far from the road. It’s a small campground tucked away in the Cleveland National Forest, offering a cozy atmosphere with basic amenities like picnic tables and fire pits for a classic camping experience.

Visitors often mention the convenience of the campground's location, just off Ortega Highway, making it easy to access. While some road noise is to be expected, many appreciate the tree coverage and the nearby hiking trails that provide a nice escape into nature. One camper noted, “This small campground was perfect for our teardrop family,” highlighting its suitability for various camping setups.

The campground features clean facilities, including bathrooms and water faucets, which campers find handy. With fires allowed, it’s a great place to gather around the fire pit after a day of exploring. If you’re looking for a quick getaway or a base to explore the surrounding area, El Cariso Campground offers a no-frills experience that many find enjoyable.

El Cariso Campground will be CLOSED from June 27th to June 30th for administrative reasons. Please plan accordingly. Refunds will not be issued. For more information, please contact the Trabuco Ranger District at 951-736-1811 24 sites.

El Cariso Campground

Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Lake Elsinore, CA has a lot to offer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Lake Elsinore, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Lake Elsinore, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Lake Elsinore

The Best Camping Near Lake Elsinore, California

The campgrounds are small with small sites. But there is few people there. Road noise is a problem but if you are just looking to get out locally and cheap it's a go for me.

Great unplanned trip

Camped here as a launch point to see the blooms near Lake Elsinore. Very standard campground with basic amenities. Road noise was a little rough for those looking for a quiet getaway. 

Good for what we needed. 

Campground has at least 2 water taps and very clean bathrooms. There are over 20 spots, designed for tents but we fit in our pop up camper. Anything longer will be hard to get in. The parking spaces have posts around them so you cannot park on the dirt etc. There is no overflow parking.. so all has to fit in a 20-30 ft paved slab. There is another part of this campground across the street with more spots.
You can hear traffic from the road, but not bad.
Verizon signal is about 60mb/s.
Plenty of clean space! We would come back!


Very clean, plenty of space and shade

El Cariso, Cleveland National Forest, was a last minute stop on our way home from Bierbaum Pepper Farms. 

The campground was right off the highway, cost affective ($15/night), and there were no reservations needed. There were 24 sites tucked in the woods. A few water faucets &amp; bathrooms throughout. 

Across the street was a Fire Station and Visitor Center. Directly behind the visitor center was a 1.4 mile looped trail we took our six year old and dog on around 3:00pm. The firefighter was helpful and guided us in the right direction. The trail ended at the Firefight Memorial. Pretty cool. 

The campground was empty on the Friday afternoon in February - when we arrived. We stayed in site 10 after my 6 year old reviewed all 24 sites!

Fires were allowed. It was a good stop. Nothing special but worth it too. 

CLEAN & EASY.

This small campground was perfect for our teardrop family. Albeit it’s just off the road and Ortega highway is fairly busy at all hours of the night, so road noise was a little annoying but not bad. Self pay was easy and quick. There is lots of tree coverage, plus nice trails to hike. We didn’t need the bathroom and water amenities but it was nice to have available just in case.

A little road noise, cozy camp spot 

Just a turn off of Ortega makes the campground very easy to have access to. Unfortunately because of how close it is to the highway there is some car noise that comes along with it.

Close to the highway, but still very pretty

Little campground just off of the highway. Cool to pitch tent and relax if you don't mind the cars driving by. I spent the first 4o minutes picking up small trash from the ground left from other visitors. Glass and plastic pieces don't make for a clean camp. Other than that I liked that it comes with a fire pit, a BBQ and a picnic bench. All in all not bad but don't expect much true seclusion. 

Nice but common.

I grew up camping here. It’s always been a little small and basic, but a good get away if you just want to stay close. 

Small but decent

Lots of road noise! Few sites are level. NO T-Mobile connection even with a signal booster. 

Photos of El Cariso Campground

Real photos from real campers