Within Los Padres National Forest, Escondido Campground provides a US Forest Service-managed facility with water hookups and standard amenities. The campground accommodates RVs up to 50 feet and allows campfires, pets, and alcohol. Access involves rough roads that require careful navigation.
Sites include picnic tables, and the forest service maintains toilet facilities and trash service throughout the camping area. The terrain combines forested sections with open areas near water features. Reservations are available for this drive-in campground, which operates at $30-$34 per night. Campers should prepare for challenging road conditions when planning their arrival.
Description
Overview
Escondido Campground is one of the best kept secrets in the Santa Lucia Mountains. This family-friendly campground boasts scenic vistas that will take your breath away. Surrounded by spectacular rock formations and sprawling oaks this campground rests in a beautiful grassy meadow. The outdoor activities are endless. Hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, picnicking, and bird watching are just a few of the activities you can do while visiting this Los Padres National Forest gem.
Recreation
Escondido Campground has trailheads located near the campground and is only a short drive to multiple other trails with access to backpacking, hiking, biking and horseback riding. Hitching posts for your horses are available at the campground trailhead. Sandstone landscapes, wildflowers and wildlife are part of the experience in this pristine part of the forest.
Facilities
Open daily and year-round, there are nine campsites and each include a picnic table and fire ring. Two vault toilets are located near the campsites. You should plan to be completely self-sustainable for the duration of your trip. There is no potable water (drinking water) onsite. There is no dump station.
Natural Features
Escondido Campground has a diverse and thriving environment that contains ponderosa pine, oak madrone and sycamore trees, just to name a few. The Arroyo Seco River runs through this canyon terrain and only a short distance from the campground. A variety of wildlife viewing and backpacking opportunities await at this hidden treasure.
Nearby Attractions
Hiking trails, biking, fishing, horseback riding are within minutes of this campground. The San Antonio Mission, one of the oldest of the California Missions, is within a 15-minute drive.
RV Road Trip Guides
Map & DirectionsEscondido Campground is located in California near Lucia
Directions
Take Highway 101 to Jolon Road, turn onto Mission Road, to Del Venture Road. Travel 12 miles to the campground. Last 3 miles is unsurfaced.
Coordinates
36.1413 N
121.4931 W
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors
T-MobileNo Coverage- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Connectivity
T-Mobile is introducing T-Satellite to extend coverage in the outdoors- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Reservable
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Water Hookups
Drive Time
- 1 hr 22 min from Salinas, CA
- 1 hr 58 min from Santa Cruz, CA
- 2 hrs 7 min from San Jose, CA
- 2 hrs 12 min from San Luis Obispo, CA
