Best Tent Camping near Aliso Viejo, CA

Recent Tent Reviews in Aliso Viejo

907 Reviews of 21 Aliso Viejo Campgrounds

• 

  Jeff T.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 21, 2024

  Dixon Lake Campground

  Great forestry feel. And good price ($30)

  We stayed here multiple times to car camp and have stayed in sites 3, 6, and 28. We really enjoyed site 28 due to the spectacular views of Escondido. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because their can be some creepy people occasionally like some old guy was following my son in his car. But other than that we had a good stay. If you are in a camper I would recommend Escondido RV resort instead due to the more inviting feel (we stayed there in our Coleman travel trailer). But if you car camp a lot like myself I would recommend staying here at Dixon lake. Great stay overall👍😊

• A

  Ana B.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  San Mateo Campground — San Onofre State Beach

  Comfortable- Yes…but not jaw dropping.

  I can’t say that it was awesome but it wasn’t jaw dropping. Nothing to write home about but not uninviting.

• 

  Brittany W.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 5, 2024

  Cherry Valley Lakes

  Convenient Location for Seeing Family

  Staff all friendly and facilities while dated are kept very clean. Campers are respectful and quit at night but it’s a very noisy location right next to the freeway which took some getting used to the first few days.

• 

  Kyle F.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Champagne Lakes RV Resort

  REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS!

  Let's start off with the fact that this"resort" has REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS living there and TWEAKERS SELLING DRUGS. When I mentioned it to the management they could care less, didn't say a word and walked away laughing. They DO NOT perform ANY BACKGROUND CHECKS and especially with children in the park I find that very disturbing. They nickel and dime you for every little thing and the rent has gone up 3x in one year. The water supply smells like sewage when you take a shower. Because they do pump outs the resort smells like human excrement most of the time. The lakes are polluted as well and completely full of cyanobacteria AKA green algae which is a respiratory hazard. POTENTIAL BEWARE.

• 

  Ben M.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 4, 2024

  The Secret Place

  Incredible view

  Well secluded sites each with an incredible view!

• 

  jennifer G.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 1, 2024

  O'Neill Regional Park

  Great little campground in south OC!

  Clean, quiet campground located in one of the OC Parks, with plenty of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. I stayed here on a weekday, and there were a few couple of vacant campsites in my area, so it was an extremely quiet visit. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked for my stay. I didn’t use the showers since I was only staying one night, but I heard they were free!

  Rangers were very friendly and firewood was only $5 for a decent bundle that lasted me over 2 hours.

  The city of Rancho Santa Margarita is right up the hill, so you can grab food and any necessities if needed.

  My site backed to the creek, so I never had people walking through my campsite.

  My dog & I slept in my van, but there was room for multiple tents, and a decent amount of shade in my spot.

  My spot didn’t have its own water spigot, but there was one at a site across from me.

  I was fortunate that all of the campers around me were quiet and considerate. I know that it doesn’t always work out that way, and having obnoxious neighbors can really ruin your experience.

• 

  Anita A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Bonelli Bluffs

  Less crowded ocale while visiting family nearby

  Visiting family in Santa Ana and LA. Not to far for them to come to us and all to go to beach. Park clean and well maintained, personnel very kind and friendly Beautiful view from our site on area B. Crowded on weekend, much less during week Campground is not associated to adjacent Frank Bonelli Regional. Charge $12 to enter with vehicle but no fee to ride in on bikes

• 

  Kim N.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Crystal Cove Backcountry — Crystal Cove State Park

  beautiful beach

  Clean dump station, beautiful sites, very strict on rules. We came 10 minutes early before check in time, they made us wait. Campsite comes with wifi but very weak. We have t mobile and had bad reception. Would come back again for beautiful views, small hike, sandy beaches with lots of sand crabs.

• 

  Michael W.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2024

  The Secret Place

  Peaceful, Private, Beautiful

  Although we booked a campsite, it felt more like we were invited to Mazen's home. He was communicative and responsive, happily answered all of our questions, and was beyond generous. I can't say enough about the beautiful views of Lake Elsinore! We can't wait to visit this campground again!

• J

  Jennifer T.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 14, 2024

  Bolsa Chica State Beach Campground

  Beach view

  The parking lot is next to the beach on the one side but also next to the highway on the other side. So the view and the breeze is beautiful, but the traffic noise in the evening and morning is not so nice. With earplugs everything is fine! ;) The host Jim is very kind and helpful!

• M

  Mary K.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 12, 2024

  San Clemente State Beach Campground

  Camping

  It was overall a nice campsite. Our site seemed to be pretty large it came with a picnic table & fire pit. The walk to the beach was close seemed maybe about 10 minute till we reached the beach from our site. It is on a hill you need to walk down & back up. The only down side was the bathrooms on the same road as our site were pretty dirty did not seem to have any maintenance during our stay.

• I

  Isidoro V.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  The Secret Place

  Friendly, knowledgeable and respectful hosts, best views I have ever experienced.

  We couldn't find any campgrounds, after calling multiple places we came across "The Secret Place". They have the best views I have ever experienced! Especially during sunset and as the city lights start to twinkle. Very nice and quiet place. No full hookups, but good bathrooms and showers available. The camp host was knowledgeable about the area and recommended great things to do. Very helpful, very respectful and very friendly. Will definitely stay here again, made our honeymoon trip very memorable! A+ recommend.

• 

  Madisyn L.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 28, 2024

  Woods Valley Kampground

  So beautiful, quiet, and very nice employees !!

  My fiancé and I were last minute camping and this campground was beautiful, quiet, and very aesthetic! There is a lot to do near by, a very convenient store about 5-10 minutes away called valley center foods! Employees were sooo sweet and friendly! DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! Ps isn’t that expensive when tent camping ⛺️ 🙌🏻

• 

  Bo L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 21, 2024

  Oceanside RV Resort

  Solid spot for being near the beach

  Nice little site that is right in the middle of everything.

  It's crowded and you don't have much space, but if your using this instead of a hotel room it works great.

  It had a game room and pool so kids had something to do. There were families all over with kids riding bikes. We had a quick stay over while we were seeing family in the area and it worked great .

  Only issue we had is both entrances have a hell of a dip, we scraped the ass end real good going in and out with our 24ft class c.

• G

  Grant M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 20, 2024

  Blue Jay Campground

  Hidden gem

  Awesome spot, lots of sights and some even have overlooks of the entire park. Can get crowded but no one was there on a Friday night in July. Bathrooms, trash, water and even buckets to fill to put out your fire. Fire pits, benches and grills nothing more you could want.

• J

  Jeff E.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Pechanga RV Resort

  Pechanga

  Great rv resort. Close proximity to casino.

• J

  Jeff E.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Launch Pointe Recreation Destination and RV Park

  Great family campground

  Great campground for families. Lots of activities for the kids to do, like smores by the fire, art, splash pad, and play ground. Facility was clean

• S

  Stephen G.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 12, 2024

  Olive Dell Ranch

  Olive Dell Resort

  I have been a member of this place for 20+ years.

  Most times if someone has a problem at the front gate. It because of the many background checks and or any one of the Screening Process...

  The previous review does not mention anything about that factor???? I wonder why??

• E

  Ella Z.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 3, 2024

  Manker Campground

  Mankers campground

  We spent 3days and 2nights here and enjoyed our stay, the caretaker was so nice! Although the restroom are very dirty but overall it was a great stay!

• d

  daniel H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 19, 2024

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Nice Camground!

  Nice campground. Mostly no hookups, but has toilets and fresh water throughout. Great little restaurant serving pizza and snacks over looking the ocean. Beach access. Lots of sites.

• 

  Vincent B.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 10, 2024

  San Mateo Campground — San Onofre State Beach

  Nice spots with shade, clean facilities

  Site had tree cover which had some nice shade to provide relief from the sun. Lots of room for a couple vehicles and tents. Clean bathrooms and showers, but we stayed midweek and the place was very, very minimally occupied. Good access to walking and biking trails.

• J

  John A.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 6, 2024

  Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes RV Resort

  Always something available

  There is always a spot or 2 open. Staff are always polite.

• C

  Cora R.

  Scout

  

  May. 29, 2024

  Applewhite Campground (Ca) — San Bernardino National Forest

  Great place

  I had a positive impression of this small campground, located just 5-7 miles away from the 215 highway, amidst natural surroundings. I can join many activities here such as playing merge fruit. However, I was taken aback to discover that the campground was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It would be great if they were open full-time, although it didn't affect our stay as we had planned to leave by Monday night. While the bathroom facilities could benefit from some renovations, the actual campsite itself was quite enjoyable. Despite a previous reviewer mentioning that the road near the campground was busy, we personally didn't find it bothersome as there were only occasional cars passing by during the day, and the traffic volume was relatively light during our visit

• 

  Roxanna L.

  Guide

  

  May. 21, 2024

  Canyon RV Park

  Anaheim CA

  This is our second stay here and probably our last. It was super expensive this time and we were put in the back (overflow) lot which name I use loosely as when it rains it floods. Had to park the car at the office so it wouldn’t float away. Upon our arrival my husband pulled up in our 42’ 5th wheel and parked to go into the office. There is a painted line on the curb where I guess you’re supposed to park but our unit would have been longer and wider than that space provided. She also could have used some tact and nicely asked if he could park the unit in the space provided but she was asking for a fight. He went to register and a lady with longer gray hair and glasses, who I’d seen there before, greeted him with..you need to park by the curb in the designated area- you’re blocking my driveway!! That kinda set the tone. He said I thought you’d open the gate so I could get out of the way. About that time I pulled up in the car and he was storming out the bldg saying I have to get out of the way- park in the designated area! So I went in and couldn’t understand why he hadn’t registered already. She very hatefully said I told him to move he was blocking my drive! (There was nobody out there but us). The tone could have been better, but I wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation- she took my information and said you’ve been here before so you know where you’re going! Maybe she is the owner or maybe an employee but it wasn’t a great way to start off our 2 wk stay at the rate of $2k! She was a real bitch!

• 

  Michelle W.

  Ranger

  

  May. 10, 2024

  Manker Campground

  Clean and near trails

  I went on a Wednesday afternoon in May and got my pick of sites.  There were only 4-6 other campers each night so it was very quiet.  Bathrooms were clean and supplied with TP.  

  No AT&T service.  Only one car per campsite.

• 

  Matthew W.

  Traveler

  

  May. 3, 2024

  Bonelli Bluffs

  Quiet & Peaceful

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

  Our experience at Bonelli Bluffs Campground was mostly positive, but there were a couple of aspects that could be improved. As a family with young children, we were hoping for playgrounds or similar amenities to keep them entertained throughout our stay. Unfortunately, the absence of such facilities meant we had to get creative in finding ways to occupy their time during downtime.

  Additionally, while the campground's proximity to the lake was appealing, the walk to get there was longer than expected, especially with little ones in tow. This made spontaneous trips to the lake less feasible and slightly inconvenient.

  However, despite these minor inconveniences, the campground itself was well-maintained, and the surrounding natural beauty made for a peaceful retreat. The staff were also friendly and helpful, adding to the overall positive experience.

  In summary, while Bonelli Bluffs Campground could benefit from adding playgrounds and reducing the distance to the lake, it still offers a pleasant camping experience for families looking to reconnect with nature.

• M

  Mike G.

  Guide

  

  May. 2, 2024

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Glamping of Campsites

  PROS:

  This site offers amazing sunsets and ocean breezes. There are plenty of facilities, and the camp store is great. The live music is always good, too. 

  A grocery store is nearby, just over the freeway. 

  CONS:

  It can get very crowded and packed. 

  Hard to get a site

  Many generators are always on.

  If you get a site at the far ends, it's a hike to go in and out. Try to get a site closer to the entrance and the store. But you will get a lot of traffic through your site. 

  Don't try to get there earlier; they usually won't let you in before check-in. 

  Biking and Running:

  Great if you want to ride along PCH. This stretch has good bike lanes that take you into Oceanside or Encinitas. 

  Good running. You can lap the campsite, which is almost 1 mile, end to end. I usually run down towards Encinitas along PCH.