Best Tent Camping near Aliso Viejo, CA

Tent Camping Reviews near Aliso Viejo, CA

1010 Reviews of 21 Aliso Viejo Campgrounds

• 

  Luis N.

  Guide

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Parsons Landing Campground

  Beach side campground

  One of the most amazing campgrounds I’ve ever stayed at. You’re on a sandy beach with waves crashing on the shore. There’s only a handful of sites, so try to book this early. Sites have rocks stacked up as a wind shield, it really helps! You’ll also have a picnic table, food storage box, and a fire pit. Vault toilets are available. No water on site, you must bring your own. Water, firewood, and fire starter are available for purchase. You can buy them at two harbors, which is where they will give you a key for a locker that is at parsons landing which will have all those items. I believe it’s 2 gallons of water.

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• 

  Luis N.

  Guide

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Black Jack Campground

  Great site!!

  Great campground that is very accessible to the trans Catalina trail. The campground has potable water, lockers, vault toilets, an outdoor shower (very cold water), trash cans, picnic table, fire pit, food storage box. Foxes are common on this campground as they look for any food, campers may leave behind so make sure you clean up after yourself

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  Oct. 20, 2023

  Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park

  A World Away from the City Surrounding It

  Tucked on the outskirts of Mission Viejo is an oasis of green grass and groves of the twisting and searching limbs of Coastal Live Oak trees.  If you stuck me in the middle of this park, I’d never know that I was miles away from the sprawl of suburbia of a major metropolitan area…shhh don’t tell anyone.

  There are 3 campgrounds within this regional park -- one soley dedicated to RV's that require electrical hook-ups (Ortega Flats), a group campground (San Juan Meadow), and another which is a mix of tents and off-grid RVs (Live Oak).  This review is specifically for the off-grid Live Oak Campground which s aptly named because you’ll find yourself enjoying the ample shade of these amazing arbors, but plenty of sun to run our solar powered system.  

  The campsites can be reserved but there is plenty of room for first-come first-served travelers as well.  The sites offer enough space to tuck away a tent in the corner, or set up the longer trailer, as well as the typical picnic table and fire ring.  Plenty of port o potties are scattered throughout the campground and served the large groups gathered here on Easter weekend.  We indulged in making a fabulous brunch of Wood Fired Waffles to celebrate the holiday!  As of April 2023, they were still experiencing a well water issue, so no water was available from the faucet, but the river running through the park was useful for obtaining water to wash dishes.

  Hiking, biking and horseback riding trails meander throughout the park. The campground borders on a small creek for fishing, but is off-limits to wading and swimming because of the instability of the opposite bank. Keep an eye on the kids!  Be sure to check out the volunteer-run Nature Center on the property which is full of great information about flora, fauna, and native history.

  The closest store for firewood, and groceries is just a few miles back toward town.  And, the closest beach is just about 30 minutes away, so a great option for a day trip.

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• 

  Tony C.

  Ranger

  Jun. 24, 2019

  Henninger Flat - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

  Great local campsite

  I recently moved to WA from Los Angeles so this review is legit 😁 This was and still continues to be one of my favorite campsite close to Los Angeles, I have plenty of fond memories with close friends at this site. It’s completely exposed all the way to the top, a well worth 3 mile uphill hike to three different camp sites. My favorite is the middle site where you get a clear view of the city, beautiful views at night. They say there’s no water but there is, there’s a spout located by the restroom close to the museum, you’ll have to treat it before using (but don’t take my word for it, they tend to shut it off so take plenty of water for your time there and check it out if you need more) If you continue past the middle campsite to the upper site, you’ll have plenty of space for tents and hammocks just no view due to the trees on the edge. If you continue on that trail for another 3 miles i believe, you’ll get to idlehour campground. It’s a small site right next to a creek, you can continue on to Mt Lowe campground and inspiration point. Back to Henninger, plenty of trees for hammocks and sometimes they have firewood collected. At the museum you can buy soda cans so take some change. Hauling a 24 pack of cold Modelos in my pack was not fun at all, but boy did they taste good at the top hahaha. Bugs can get annoying so carry some bug spray, hang your food and PACK IT OUT!!! Leave no trace behind.

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• 

  Luis N.

  Guide

  Jun. 19, 2020

  Little Harbor Campground

  Must visit!!!

  This is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever been too. The view of the beach and the palm trees and all of it is amazing! If you’re backpacking through here, I highly recommend you stay the night. A camp site includes potable water, fire pit, picnic table, food storage box. Everything you need. Porta potties available. Careful with all the buffalo poop. There is almost no cell coverage here except on top of a large rock on the shore.

• 

  Tim J.

  Ranger

  Sep. 10, 2018

  China Camp State Park Campground

  Secluded and Quiet

  This is more of your traditional campground where you must carry all your food and gear to the campsite.  It is a short hike from the parking lot to the camping area and the camp hosts can provide containers to carry your items.  The campground was not busy and this allowed me to pick a spot hidden away from others. There are restrooms and a place to get water, but when I was there the showers were closed.  There are many hiking opportunities and chances to see wildlife (deer, wild turkey, rabbits, squirrels, racoons, and birds). Sites include fire pits, picnic tables, and food storage box.

• J

  Johnny G.

  Traveler

  Feb. 18, 2020

  O'Neill Regional Park

  Great for Camping with Kids

  If you're looking for primitive dispersed camping, this is probably not your spot.

  If you're camping with kids, it doesn't get much better than this!  We stayed at campsite #58 which we felt was very large are private. Will definitely come back.

  For our purposes:

  • Dog Friendly: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Kid Friendly: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  Pros:

  • Clean facilities, flushing toilets and hot showers, well maintained sites.
  • Very affordable
  • Friendly staff and atmosphere
  • Recently paved streets (perfect for scootering, skating, biking)
  • Great playground for children
  • Easy and fun "Story Trail" hike for children.   The hike features a new book every month, each page is mounted to a placard along the trail.
  • Nice creek for kids to explore
  • Close to town if you need a quick drink, lunch, or shopping.

  Cons:

  • Traffic noise from nearby roads (not terrible, but reminds you that you're not fully engulfed in nature.
  • No alcohol (not an issue for us, but may be an issue for some).
  • No hammocks or anything hanging from trees.
  • Dogs 100% must be on leash at all times.  If you're a dog owner, they do patrol the park frequently and your dog must be leashed.

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• 

  Brittany N.

  Legend

  May. 11, 2017

  Spruce Grove Trail Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO FIRE

  Adorable campground

  This is a backpackers campground. First come first serve, picnic tables and fire rings included. I think there is only about 8-10 sites. Nice creek flows though the campground. No bathrooms beautiful hike in. Close to the camp that's up there

• 

  Mandy E.

  Guide

  Aug. 31, 2018

  Parsons Landing Campground

  Very Remote and SO worth it

  This is the final campgound on the Trans Catalina Trail and one of my favorites. Reservations are required and you'll need to purchase water and firewood in a locker since it is walk in only and trust me you won't want to try and carry it. Also be sure to utilize the bear boxes even though there aren't any bears. The birds there are relentless and will poke holes in everything including water jugs if you turn your back for even a second. They even know how to get into unlocked lockers. But the exploring and sunsets are hard to beat. Just be prepared for lots of wind and rocky ground.