Looking to get away and reconnect with nature? Glamping near Arroyo Grande is the perfect choice. Glamping near Arroyo Grande is especially popular among campers who enjoy beds and electricity. You're sure to find glamping for your California camping excursion.
Oceano Camp (sites 1-42)
$40 / night
Located just ten miles east of Arroyo Grande, California, Lopez Lake Recreation Area is one of the top choices for camping and leisure trips. With 22 miles of shoreline and summer lake temperatures around 70°F, there is something for everyone; camping, fishing, boating, picnicking, hiking and equestrian trails, mountain biking, zip-lining, birdwatching and so much more. The warm climate of the Central Coast makes Lopez Lake the ideal, year-round recreational destination. Once covered by the sea, the surrounding hills of Lopez Lake are rich with relics of ancient days and studded with oak trees. Over 175 species of flowering plants, and more than 150 species of birds have been identified within the park. The naturally beautiful canyons were once hunting and fishing grounds for the Chumash Indians. Later, homesteaders and ranchers inhabited the area and harvested grain crops for Mission San Luis Obispo. Lopez Lake was then created in 1969 to provide domestic water for the Five Cities area of the Central Coast.
Lopez Lake with its 22 miles of shoreline is the ideal year-round recreational destination for everyone. There are 377 campsites to choose from. Many overlook the lake, and others are nestled among picturesque oaks. There are primitive, electrical, full hook-up, and group campsites available. Hot shower facilities are at several campgrounds. Camping reservations can be made up to one year in advance.
$60 - $70 / night
$225 / night
Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort is the most unique RV resort in California's Pismo Beach region, with rolling sand dunes and rollicking waves in the beautiful Oceano Preserve. At Pacific Dunes Ranch, you'll enjoy an RV resort that highlights breathtaking vistas and trails to the beach. In California, we call this a winning combination - secluded and quiet but not remote. With its coastal location, Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort lends itself to numerous water sports and activities. Swimming, boating, fishing and surfing are popular forms of recreation at our RV resort in California , and biking and hiking are at the top of list for those without their sea legs. Secluded RV Resort in California Whether you're planning a retreat for the whole family, a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Pacific Dunes Ranch RV Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
Cerro Alto Campground is a well-known hiking and mountain biking paradise. It is located a short distance from the sandy beaches of Morro Bay, where visitors enjoy surfing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and more. While the campground offers a serene, relaxed environment, both Morro Bay and the nearby town of Atascadero offer numerous dining opportunities, shopping, museums and other activities. Wine Tasting in the Tempelton, Paso Robles Area is also a very popular experience.
Visitors enjoy ample hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding opportunities, along with a 360-degree view of the Central California coast and inland valleys. The 4-mile Cerro Alto Trail, which leads to the peak, begins within the campground. Morro Bay beaches are less than 10 miles from the campground, offering wide sandy stretches and swimming, surfing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and more. An 18-hole championship golf course is located in the oceanside town.
The campground is situated in a mixed oak, pine and sycamore forest at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. It lies in a verdant canyon pass along a semiannual mountain creek. The roads are paved, but narrow, winding and single lane with turnouts to each site.
Paso Robles, which is quickly becoming known as a premier spot for Central Coast wines, is located 20 miles from the campground. Wine tasting tours are offered daily, or visitors can select individualized tours of numerous wineries located in the area. The campground makes a great base camp for motorcyclists or day-trippers to visit the quaint, neighboring towns of San Luis Obispo, Cayucos, Harmony and Cambria, all of which are within 35 miles of the campground. Tours of historic Hearst Castle are also available. Visitors can spend time relaxing at the many available day spas located at nearby Avila or Grover beaches. Off-road vehicle trails are available on famous Pismo Beach.
$35 - $39 / night
Land near Jalama Creek was once a Chumash Indian settlement named "Halama". In 1943, 23.5 acres of privately owned land was donated to the County of Santa Barbara from the Atlantic Richfield Oil Company, and thus, our park was formed. Jalama Beach is a respite from typically bustling seaside parks, yet offers many conveniences. Groceries, personal care sundries, firewood, fishing bait and tackle, ice, beer, and wine may be purchased at the Jalama Store. Other services include mailing, facsimile, and video rentals. The store and its popular Grill are open daily from 10 am.
Jalama Beach is approximately an hour drive from Santa Barbara and a 45-minute drive from Lompoc. A sign 4.5 miles south of Lompoc off Highway 1 will direct you onto Jalama Road. Follow this scenic 14.5-mile road to the coast. The park entrance will be at the end of the road. Jalama is subject to high winds and rough surf. Lifeguards are on duty during the summer months, however, visitors swim at their own risk.
Day-use picnic areas provide tables and raised fireboxes. Additional activities include surfing, whale-watching, birdwatching, nature photography, and fishing the surf or rock outcroppings for perch, cabezon, kelp, bass, or halibut. Many protected California native plants like sand verbena, saltbush, and sea rocket, grow within park boundaries.
While you're here, visit the Jalama Beach Store and Grill and have a "World Famous Jalama Burger." They also have an extended menu that includes homemade clam chowder, chile verde, and "Aunt Ruth's Raw Apple Cake."
Jalama Beach offers twelve walk-in sites (seven basic and five partial hook-up) that are first-come, first-served. These sites may not be reserved online, through the Call Center, or through the Jalama Gate.
Whether you’re the kind of person who enjoys taking photos or just taking a little extra time for yourself, you’ll love staying at Flying Flags at Avila Beach. Wake up to postcard-perfect ocean views and leisurely walks on the beach. Evenings in Avila Beach are perfect for cozying up around your fire pit. Picnic tables make al fresco dining easy for the whole family. Find dog relief stations around the property to make it easy to keep your best four-legged friends comfortable too. You will find unbeatable access to some of the Central Coast’s best hiking, biking, and paddleboarding with unending sights and sounds of the Pacific. Both recreation and relaxation come naturally here.
$35 - $395 / night
$40 / night
With a s’more in your hand and a brand new friend at your side, you might not remember all the things that inspired you to visit Flying Flags in the first place. Like the fact that it’s surrounded by miles and miles of lush, Central Coast vineyards. Or the fact that it’s just down the road from an outrageously charming ostrich refuge. Or the fact that it’s on the edge of the village of Buellton—the home of split pea soup. Because when you’re at Flying Flags, you’ll see that these grounds create a village in themselves.
Here, poolside cabanas keep families cool late into the afternoon. And expertly groomed bocce courts host brackets late into the evening. Front porches foster interactions between neighbors. And fire pits tend to spark a few stories among them too. Sure, the beauty of this place is more than enough to inspire you to come for a vacation. But the beauty of our community is what just might inspire you to come back.
Guide
I spent the weekend at the bandtail campground at the Lopez Lake Recreation Area.
The lake is about 10 miles East of Arroyo Grande. The campground is well maintained and patrolled by rangers often.
The views that can been seen from the campsites are incredible. Take a look at the photos.
THINGS TO KNOW
You can make reservations online and you can reserve a spcific site. They have sites ranging from primitive to full hookups.
Check-in is at 2 pm, but they normally will let people in earlier, checkout is at 11 am.
The cost is $20.00 a night. This includes one vehicle per site, you can pay an extra $10 a night for an additional vehicle.
Dogs are allowed in the campground, but they must be on a leash at all times. Dogs cost $3.50 a day.
There a launch ramp and marina store in the campground .
There are multiple trails throughout the park that range in their level of difficulty.
Ranger
The resort offers RV camping, cottages Airtream rentals, canned ham rentals and safari tent glamping. Endless amenities include soccer field, basketball court, bocce ball, pool/spa, playground, store, restaurant, LP refills, self service ice machine, firepit rentals, covered bike parking. Impeccably clean and well maintained. The site staff is very friendly, helpful and quietly accomplishes their tasks with hardly any disturbances to campers. Much appreciated. Was pleased to see roaving security regularly.
Scout
One of my all time favorites - started camping there in the 4th grade... cough cough 35 years ago... still one of my favorites... can be a bit windy but the sunsets, walking the cliff lined beach, watching the surfers at Tarantula's - taking a Harley ride there for the day is amazing... burger and fries are crazy good... my friends and I have actually gone up camped and only bought food from the burger stand... 100% worth it. Not a fan of the cabins on the hill side but I guess if you are into glamping it's ok.
LegendLopez Lake Recreation Area is 15 minutes behind the “Village” of Arroyo Grande, CA.
Lopez is a frequently visited spot for us - We generally camp in a primitive site the back of the Squirrel Loop of the park. The Squirrel Loop is not a lakeside loop (you cannot see the lake at all from here), but we have found it to be one of the quieter, less trafficked campground in the park. The Squirrel Loop is nestled inside a canyon, surrounded by big, beautiful live oak trees.
Lopez Lake is a very large campground with many different loops, so many of which are nearby the lake. If you haven’t been to the campground before and are not worried about reserving a site ahead of time, take some time to drive around the park when you arrive to see what area you would most like to camp in - there are a lot of great spots here there and everywhere!
Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There are clean plumbed bathrooms, and coin-operated showers. Lopez has full hook-ups for RVs, and a marina to launch boats. There is a small but well-stocked convenience store in the marina with food, ice, firewood, beer, fishing gear, etc. There is also a small cafe located in the marina store, with limited hours.
Lopez Lake is the home of the Mustang Waterpark, a small, but super fun water park. I believe the park is closed during the fall and winter months, but is open during the spring and summer. Swimming is allowed in the lake, and there are some “beach” areas that have been cleared of lake plants and rocks for safe swimming.
Hiking to Big Falls is a fun adventure if you want to leave the campground. There are certain times when the falls are not accessible without 4WD, however, we have been in severe drought conditions in Central California for the last few years, so you don’t have to worry about crossing any deep creeks, if any. A super low clearance vehicle may have a challenging time crossing the creek beds, even when dry. The drive to Big Falls trailhead from Lopez is short, but probably takes 15-20 minutes as you are driving through a curvy, narrow canyon road. The hike is through live oak trees most of the way, so most of the hike is nice and shaded. Keep and eye out for salamanders when crossing the creek beds! While it is unlikely, black bears mountain lions have been spotted on the Big Falls trail, so be aware of your surroundings. Here are directions to the Big Falls trailhead: http://www.hikeslo.com/big-falls/
WARNING : While the possibility of a black bear sighting is fairly uncommon, black bears are seen every year at Lopez Lake. You are in black bear county, and there are no bear boxes/ food lockers at Lopez Lake. I would suggest locking your food and coolers up in the car at night to avoid attracting wild animals to your campsite.
CAMPSITE SPECS
Fees: $35/night (primitive site)
Plumbed Toilets: Yes
Drinking Water: Yes
Showers: Yes (coin-operated)
Picnic Table: Yes
Firepit: Yes
Cooking Grate: Yes
Shade: Yes
Cell Service: No
Animal Bins/Food lockers: No
Trash: Yes
Traveler
RV hookups , pool , huge jumping pad for kids about a mile walk to the lake . They have yurts for tent & cabins.
Traveler
Dusty little place. It was the only one available since all of the surrounding spots were booked up.
Restrooms and showers close at 6p, so only potter potties are available after that.
Also the tenting spots are really close together.
$45 is way to expensive for what it is. Even for California.
TravelerWe recently stayed at Lopez Lake with our three children (all under age 9). The sites are easy to navigate, the wildlife flourishes throughout the area for some fun viewings, the rangers and staff were super helpful and there was plenty of room for the kids to run around. The Lake was low, but this is California so, ya know. Water was chilly but the kids were soldiers and it was a good time and extra relaxing for us parents. For $30 a night, it’s worth every penny!
Legend
We camped right on the lake and were able to pay to have our boat docked overnight. Huge lake awesome experience, we were able to do some night wake boarding which I had never done . Tons of grass when we were there, California has since had a gnarly drought so you might wanna call ahead. Really Great Lake to camp and take the family to!
LegendJust south of point conception. Amazing fields of poppy flowers and then boom right on the coast. This is a very windy location, with offshores howling in the early morning and then offshores howling during the day. That is not really the problem. The problem is the run down campground. The bathrooms are insufficient for the amount of campers and they are on the disgusting side. Think California State parks bathrooms were dates, check out this county park. In need of a major overall!
GuideThere's a lot to like about Flying Flags RV park. Its clean, has lots of full hookup sites, an onsite restaurant, clean facilities, as well as tents and cabins for rent. Why a 3 star rating then? Well, per my system, 5 stars are the truly special places (i.e Yosemite, Zion) where one should travel to for multiple days. 4 stars are top-tier spots for locals, and should be part of a larger trip to the region for out-of-staters (examples include Lake Sonoma and Lopez Lake). 3 stars are perfectly fine, but you mostly go there for convenience. Flying Flags in Buellton is such a place. You come here because you can explore Santa Barbara, Solvang, and the surrounding wine region. The RV park itself is big, and the spots are pretty close together, and while it's not necessarily beautiful itself, it is clean and comfortable. If I'm planning a trip to Santa Barbara in my 28' Airstream, this is absolutely a park I'd stay at again. I prefer dry camping (i.e. limited or no hookups) in my trailer, but I certainly appreciate full service as well, and Flying Flags delivers.
If you own an RV, this is a perfect "home base" for exploring the area. Solvang is a town in central California that looks like a Scandinavian village. It was featured prominently in the movie Sideways. Buellton and Solvang are both basically right in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. Many, many wineries are within short driving distance. Santa Barbara is an easy hour-ish trip. The coast in Santa Barbara and just south in Carpineria is some of the most beautiful in California. The surfing is exquisite (these are well known, popular spots so expect the usual "locals only" aggression in the line up). Paso Robles is about 100 miles up the road from Buellton, so it's entirely possible to do an "up and back" in the same day.
Flying Flags RV park won't take your breath away with natural beauty, but it's close to a lot of places that will. It's convenient, clean, and a great place to park an RV for a couple of nights as you explore the surrounding areas.
Legend
We stayed here a few years ago, but on the primitive / non-hookup side. We stayed on the E/W hookup side this time and liked it as well, though it does have the more typical RV/parking lot feel as compared to the other side. There's a nice walking trail that connects the two sides. It's $50 for an E/W site, plus an $8.25 reservation fee.
There's a cool lagoon that you can walk all the way around on, with lots of birds, and much of it accessible as well which is nice. There's a cool visitor center, open 12-4. The beach is a short walk away. There's a great Mexican restaurant down the road also, Old Juan's, it's so good and has great vegan options.
The showers here are nice and clean, and $1 gets you 4 minutes. The showers are individual, private, and non-gendered. There was no host on site when we were there, but the rangers were very present. This campground, like all California State campgrounds we've been to recently, has trash, recycling, and a food compost bin which I love.
There's a fun game for kids where you download an app and go on a scavenger hunt and complete other challenges.
No dump station here, but there's one just 2 miles north at North Beach Campground, and it's $10 for dump and water fill there.
GuideLong time campers in California are probably familiar with the feeling that the prep work required simply to get a reservation at the most popular national and state parks is more than prepping for the trip itself. This is true not just for the most famous parks, like Yosemite, but for many others as well. Wanna camp between late May and early October in a well known state park? Better book that reservation months in advance. This is especially true for RV sites, as there are even fewer of those.
But sometimes you want to just get away on shorter notice. This is where the CA county park system comes to the rescue. County parks are numerous and much easier to get reservations at. And Lopez Lake, part of San Luis Obispo county doesn’t disappoint. The lake itself is a man made reservoir, and the campground sits right behind it. It’s got a mixture of tent sites and RV sites, some will full hookup - although some may only have 15/20A power. There’s lots to do on the lake, and Pismo Beach is a short drive away. Is a weekend at Lopez going to be like that epic 4 day trip you took to King’s Canyon or Zion or Yellowstone that you planned years in advance? No. But if you decide to take a long weekend in the late summer, there’s a good chance Lopez Lake will have spots available, especially during the week. Highly recommended.
LegendThis campground is right next to the beach and is well loved by the many return campers I spoke with. The best campsites are 63 and 64 (right on Abalone Point, with some scrubby trees you can hang a hammock in and access to the beach). There is a premium charge for these premium sites ($20 more than non-beach side). If you are hard-siding (RV), the best spots are 105, 112, and 115-117 (up top, great views of the migrating whales in early spring!!!). The showers and restrooms are older, but clean. The big claim to fame is the Jalama Burger that is served at the Store and Grill, but I can’t substantiate that as I did not try it. There is definitely a laid back California vibe here, no one was in any hurry but everyone was happy to chat, giving this campground a real homey, family, vacation feel. Even the campground rangers were relaxed and happy to be here. All the standard campsite amenities of picnic table, fire pit, and a place to park or pitch a tent. You can reserve a site, so be sure to do so!
LegendWe rolled through on a Friday night in May with no reservations and got absolutely lucky to snag the very last site. Would not recommend chancing it on weekends in the high season. We only were able to get a site because the ADA sites are released at 5pm and we happened to be there right at the right time to get one.
Very nice campground - one side is hookups at $40 (electric and water only), and this side is kind of boring with RVs all lined up in a row. FYI there are no sewer hookups here and no dump station. You can drive two miles up the road to North Beach and use their dump station and water fill for $10. We stayed on the tent side for $25, no hookups and much more pleasant and green and beautiful.
There's a lagoon and a boardwalk to walk around it, but the boardwalk ends and the trail turns to mud and it was pretty much impassible when we were there - thick black muck that will suck your shoes off and get your dog's belly all dirty. Watch for mosquitoes, especially the sites along the lagoon.
Beautiful walking trails to the beach - we saw a coyote here! We heard them yipping all night as well. Interesting experience for us to see and hear them right on the beach.
As with all state parks now, there are recycling and food waste bins available, thank you California!
The visitor center is right at the entrance of the campground and there's a good Mexican restaurant within easy walking distance as well.
Overall a great place, amazingly cheap, and we're happy we got lucky and snagged a spot!
LegendI’m sure I could imagine a more idyllic central coast beachside campground, but it would probably look a lot like this one. The road winds for 14 miles through farms and the California coastal sage scrub ecosystem which when we were there, April, was just going off with wild flowers. Gorgeous sunsets to boot!
There are very tightly packed full hook up sites on the upper loop, know your backing up skills, in addition to some dry camping sites down closer to the water for those running off solar power or just old-school tenting. In a twist of irony, the lower loop sites without electricity offer more space than those with hook ups...go solar folks! The beachfront sites are always the first to book out, and are truly lovely.
The camp store and cafe has a few good grocery options, in addition to ice, wine and beer, and also serves the famous Jamala burger, even in a vegetarian version! It’s a delicious option for when you don’t feel like cooking. Definitely check this place out, it’s exactly what you imagine a beach side burger to be.
The flush bathrooms are clean and the coin operated showers were efficient - when they say 3 minutes, they mean it, but they were hot and clean. Great dishwashing sink too!
There aren’t a lot of hiking or biking options in this park, simply the beach or walking on the road. This beach is popular with surfers and is a great spot to just walk up and down and do a little tide pooling. The Amtrak train goes through a couple of times a day, but since it’s a passenger rail it doesn’t offer the long and annoying disruptions of a freight train.
The closest services are in Lompoc or Buellton, where you can find groceries, gas and restaurants -- everything that the camper might need -- but it's a heck of a drive there, so stock up before you come down.
Legend[ PROS]
Super close to the beach! There are a couple beach trails that lead you right to the ocean.
Love that you can walk to the dunes and spend the entire day there.People bring the craziest beach set ups and have bonfires and cookouts here. Souped up trucks with ATVs roll through and drive right along the beach. It’s quite the sight to see.
Very convenient location to ATV rentals, beach/convenient stores, and a few eateries.
Fantastic park rangers serveiling the campgrounds every hour. The ranger presence definitely keeps the rowdy crowd here in check.
There looked to be a very nice Visitor Center. For some unknown reason, they were closed both days that we were there.
Really big and clean showers and restroom facilities. They were very well maintained considering how packed and heavily used they were. Toilets ran out of toilet paper so make sure you come prepared.
We saw tons of cool birds around the campsite. My favorite of the weekend were the swallows that flew around dusk. They fly like bats! We also enjoyed seeing a couple ospreys by the beach. We even saw one catch a fish!
Campfire is sold here for$8/bundle at the camp host.
Each site comes with a picnic table, fire ring, and 2 parking spot. Our neighbors had 3 cars so we let them use one of our parking spots since it was a madhouse here.
**[ CONS]
**
Hard to find availability. This place is usually pretty booked up.
Very, very crowded campsite. Sites are extremely close together so there is very little privacy. It feels like a giant parking lot
Sites are small so setting up two tents feels very cramped already. Luckily we just stayed in our tent trailer on a parking spot so we felt like we had a little more space.
Loud campground! This place attracts a party crowd so be prepared to listen to people roll in with their loud souped up trucks and blast music on speakers throughout the day. Hope you like listening to hip hop from 10am-9pm!
It doesn’t seem like the 8 person max/site rule was regulated. People had upwards of 12 people at a single campsite so you can imagine how crowded the place was.
There was constantly a long line for the showers throughout the day.
Overall, this is not my favorite place to camp by far. It feels more like a giant tailgate party than it does camping. We were looking for a nice relaxing weekend by the beach so had an unexpected weekend. This is one of the few places left in California that allow cars, trucks, RVs, and ATVs to drive right on the beach. It’s pretty weird to see. They also allow people to have bonfires right on the sand so be careful where you walk. There’s ash and coal everywhere. And sadly, also lots of trash left behind from people.
Scout
Simple campsite, no laundry facilities. Internet connection is poor. No family with kids, but dog friendl
ScoutThe spaces between RVs are too tight. It feels you almost look into the others van. No security and no management on site. Everyone can just come in,no gates. Nothing to do there. Nothing happened but I didn't like it. Its ok to stay overnight and move on.
TravelerWe’ve stayed here twice over the thanksgiving holiday while on our way to the SF Bay Area. Spots are close and no pool, but the beach is a 5 minute, easy walk. We plan to return again.
TravelerFriendly and helpful customer service, front clerk and groundskeeper.
Super clean bathrooms/showers.
Level sites, small rocks.
Quiet park.
Close to the beach.
LegendThis is a great spot if proximity to water is important to you. Sites are well maintained but hard to come by—make reservations in advance! Hop away from water and another highlight are the nearby monarch groves where the butterflies migrate to the trees and you can walk through on paths.
GuideNothing wrong with driving your truck on the beach and camp. Beautiful weather, can get windy! Busy holidays can have people being loud all night!, but worth it for the view. If going deep into the dunes make sure to air down tires and having a 4x4 helps. I helped plenty of trucks and Suburbans out stuck in the sand. Will be back for some more camping! They also have quad rentals on the beach and wood for sale...you will have a blast!
TravelerThis place is rad. You can stay here until 11pm if you don't have a camp reservation. You can also rent ATV to ride at the dunes which is super fun
TravelerWe didn’t like it here, no shade, the absolutely won’t let you check in until 2:00 pm, no exceptions.
LegendNorth Pismo State Beach is a good campground right on the beach and next to a Monarch park. The bathrooms are clean and have showers. The showers take tokens which you can get from the machine next to the bathrooms. The sites are all drive thru.
The campground is about a mile from downtown Pismo and is a great place to have lunch or dinner. To the south is Pismo state beach where you can actually drive your car on the beach for $5. Can't beat that deal.
TravelerThis place is beautiful!! We had a wonderful experience, we’ll definitely be going back!!
ScoutThis was our first run with our new RV and we couldn’t have been more happy with this location. It’s basically 5-10 min from anything you need to explore from downtown pismo, Avila beach etc.
-Walking distance to beach with trails from the campsite -crazy clean bathrooms with huge ADA size showers -lagoon with a trail (photo) that is right within the campground
There is a train close by but it wasn’t too loud and honestly with a 2 year old that’s kind of a plus. 😂
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Arroyo Grande, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Arroyo Grande, CA is Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach with a 4.1-star rating from 61 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Arroyo Grande, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Arroyo Grande, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
