Best Camping near Atascadero, CA

Recent Reviews in Atascadero

622 Reviews of 83 Atascadero Campgrounds

• S

  Sami T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 29, 2024

  North Beach Campground — Pismo State Beach

  North Beach

  Large sites with fire rings, picnic tables, some sites don’t have much shade and some do. Less than 1/2 mile walk to beach. Couple miles from Oceano dunes. Hot showers. Can get windy. Dog friendly.

• C

  Christine W.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  North Beach Campground — Pismo State Beach

  A winner

  I skipped out on Oceano and came here hoping they might have something open. Turns out they had 8 and the park ranger let me drive in to scope it out. I picked a site close to the beach and even better my Oceano reservation could be transferred. Yay. Loved this campground so much. It’s well laid out and all the sites are well spaced and clean. The evening was much quieter, with a sunset and sounds of waves. A ten minute walk to the beach and right next to the butterfly grove. I have already made another reservation to see about the butterflies when they are in season. Pismo Beach is fantastic!

• C

  Christine W.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Oceano County Campground — Pismo State Beach

  You can do better

  Probably just due to the time of year but this campground was way too rowdy for my taste, all the sites are close together and it seemed almost every site was a very large group, generators running after 10pm, amplified music and tv! If that’s your jam you’ll love it. I took off after 1 night.

• 

  Connor B.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 23, 2024

  Old Sierra Madre

  Good spot for a quick night

  pretty easy to find, road is also easy to drive. found a pretty good level spot, definitely camping right off the side of the road. pretty nice and low key tho

• K

  Korey Y.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 10, 2024

  Wine Country RV Resort, A Sun RV Resort

  Very nice!

  Very well kept and clean. Shower area is very nice. Need a key code to go anywhere. Great amenities. Beautiful pool. An outdoor bar, but only open certain months. Nice group camping area. Green grass areas. Mini concrete pads though not perfectly level? Close to lots of wineries and a water park but not really safe to walk or bike to. Probably one of the most beautiful hot tub areas I've ever seen in an RV park

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 30, 2024

  Williams Hill Recreation Area

  Free established BLM campground

  We stayed here for 3 nights in the summer, arriving on a Sunday, and it was great. I was worried about the heat, but it really wasn’t too bad, even on the hot days (low 90s) it cools down in the evening and didn’t get hot until early afternoon. Just be sure to get one of the shady spots! We set up in site #1 when we first arrived because it was private and had nice views, but it was way too much direct sun. We moved to #4 and it was much better- shady and even better views. 

  There were other people here when we stayed here but everyone was very quiet and respectful, and we didn’t hear any shooting like other reviews have mentioned— this may be due to the ban on shooting (and camp fires) at this time because of fire danger, but I was still impressed and surprised that people respected the ban. There is one pit toilet that we didn’t check out, but man you can smell it if you camp in one of the sites near to it. 

  We saw one volunteer/employee come and clean things up while we were here. We were pleasantly surprised that the trash wasn’t too bad here. No trash service so please pack out your waste. Cell service is good up at the campground, though you do lose it in parts on the drive up. We made it up in our 26ft class c no problem, though the road is narrow at times and we were glad we didn’t come across any oncoming traffic. Sites are relatively flat/ fixable with levels. Two of the sites are huge/ pull throughs so would be good for bigger rigs or big groups. If you get up here and all the sites are taken, there are several spots outside of the campground where you can disperse camp. 

  This is an OHV area but we didn’t see any while we were here. We hiked along the OHV trails and there was nothing- but I could see it getting busy on the weekends. 

  There's a 14 day stay limit. No water provided up here.

  My only complaint was the BEES! They were everywhere and aggressive, and all in our face, but didn’t sting us. One of the campers said that this was unusual though. Really nice campground, amazing that it’s free! Thanks BLM!

• J

  Jason R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 22, 2024

  Old Sierra Madre

  Lovely hillside spots

  Picked the first nook from the GPS pin but hiked up road and there are quite a few others, some shaded, some exposed. Bit of highway noise.

• 

  makenna W.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Flying Flags Avila Beach

  Second Time Staying. Disappointed

  This is our second time at this location, first in dry camping, second time in the Jupe tents. As much as I was begging for this stay to be worth the $470 for two nights, it definitely wasn’t. The concept is great but really faulty when executed. 1) they disclose when booking that power to the tents may or may not work. The truth? The solar panels don’t charge whatsoever if there is fog/cloud cover in the mornings. Was told this directly by management. Soooo…. Considering this is a bay site, right on the ocean…. We didn’t have power once. Morning fog happens every single day. (Even though it was completely sunny from 12pm-5pm) this was frustrating, and we would’ve packed accordingly given knowledge that we would’ve been powerless all weekend. The blankets they provide don’t keep you warm either, so if you stay on a night below 50 without an electrical blanket or backups, prepare to freeze. During our stay we were also told that there was only one overnight maintenance man, on a Friday, during Labor Day weekend. That poor man didn’t get a break once all evening and definitely deserves a raise and to be treated better by his employers. He’s the only reason this review deserves a star. For such a beautiful location, this company is really fumbling. Disappointing.

• J

  Jason R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  TV Tower Road Dispersed Camping

  Spots along road when pavement ends

  Didn't have to go as far as GPS pin led me to believe, spot on right shortly after pavement ends. A bit trashed, wish I had a bag to clean up, some bigger stuff like a kids bike, to etc

• K

  Kim G.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 20, 2024

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Not our scene: hot, crowded, buggy

  We had reservations for 2 nights on an Augugst Friday / Saturday at Lopez Lake in a full-hook-up site in Bandtail (Site 38). The reviews of this place were great, and the photos were beautiful. We arrived to find a HUGE park (yes, I should have noted how many campsites there are). Check-in involved parking our van and standing in line like Disneyland. The park employees were nice though. There were big signs all around "NO FIRES" (more on this later) and I was also told at check in that there were no fires. We found our site easily enough, only to realize how closely packed the sites were in Bandtail. Some nice folks to our right had three sites - 11 kids and 21 people between them. The kids rode their bikes all over, and even onto our site (while also running around our van chasing a chipmunk). We had our daughter's dog, so tried sitting outside in the shade, only to find that in addition to the heat (it was mid 80s), there were biting flies. :( Poor puppy got bit or stung more than once. So we went in our van and turned on the AC (it could run on low with the 20A service there). Then, after dark, a dad and his young son arrive on our other side and had to back in their boat in the dark. We got out of our rig and helped them (twice) with our portable lights and guidance. In the morning, they spoke in very loud voices and we were right next door. We did take one of the trails in the heat, but they are not at all well maintained - basically trampled grass that could easily hold a snake. While the area is pretty, it is just way too crowded for our taste. Oh, and the bathrooms were dimily lit, had a couple of non-functioning toilets, and were dirty. We were ready to get out of there and will not be back. Lastly, though the fire danger was marked as extremely high and "NO FIRES" signs at check-in, along with verbal warnings of no fires, I saw two campsites had open fires in the fire pits. This blatant lack of regard for rules and safety didn't sit well with me. And no one was enforcing the fire ban. Sad.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 17, 2024

  Oceano County Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Great Campground

  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.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 17, 2024

  Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Campground

  4 x 4 recommended

  We love being able to camp directly on the beach, and have done so many times in Texas and in Louisiana, but wouldn't recommend it here unless you are in a 4wd. We did see 2 skoolies on the beach, but then we also saw a pickup truck stuck in the sand in the parking lot outside of the beach, so there's that.

  Camping overnight is only $10, and the beach is wide open for camping. It was very busy during the day on a weekday in August, so I can imagine the weekends are packed. 

  This is a fun beach in a fun, low key beach town, and we love coming here.

• E

  Elyse B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 4, 2024

  Old Sierra Madre

  Nice Car Camping Spot

  Pretty solid! Had great cell service and was a lovely drive to get there. Probably wouldn’t recommend if you have a tent or RV as the spots were a little small and rocky. But I only went a little past where the directions take you, so not sure what else is up there.

  Arrived just at sunset and loved the views! It was very peaceful and far enough from the highway. It seemed like the same truck was driving up and down a couple times which was the only downfall.

  Overall a good experience.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 3, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Nicer when it's not crowded

  We stayed here last year when the area was getting hit by severe storms and flooding - so the campground was almost empty. We loved the campground then and gave it 5 stars. This year when we stayed it was packed, and definitely not as nice of an experience.

  The previous review mentions the awkward walk to the showers, and I will agree with that. You either have to go through someone's site, or walk all the way to the end of the road. We got lucky and got to cut through some vacant sites to get to the showers.

  We do still love this campground though, because of the boardwalk in the estuary and all the bird sightings there. We got to visit the museum this time as well, small and cute and well worth the $3 entry fee. The restaurant is still there but we didn't go this time. Next time we go we will rent kayaks and explore the water some more. There's a golf course here adjacent to the campground as well.  The town of Morro Bay is cute and relaxed and fun to visit.

  There's a dump station here but it's not free even for campers - it's a $10 fee you pay with your credit card right at the dump.  Showers were ok, no complaints.

  This is a good, low key and decently priced campground that we'll definitely stop at the next time we're going through the area.

• 

  Jack W.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 2, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  "Last resort" campground, 3 stars at best

  - PROS -

  Beautiful location <5 minute drive away from the beach and Morro rock. SLO is close, and the coast is always nice. There's a pretty boardwalk trail next to the site as well (see photos).

  - CONS -

  These aren't camp sites, they're parking spots with a fire pit on dead grass and weeds. You're packed like sardines next to adjacent campers. It's unclear where the boundary of each others' site is. For facilities, they do have big bathrooms, showers, and dumpsters… but they're all filthy and unkempt. And even though the bathrooms may be right next to your site, there's no way to get to them without walking through another person's camp site or going all the way around– down the road or around many camps. We had a crotchety old man get mad at us for walking somewhat through his site. I enjoyed my stay, but only because I wasn't the one paying for the site.

  TLDR: This site functions moreso as an overnight parking spot than it does a campsite.

• 

  Andrew S.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2024

  TV Tower Road Dispersed Camping

  Lots of options

  Along the road, there are lots of exposed options and a few camping options in the trees. I drove the entire road and would not recommend doing that without four wheel drive. Was pleased with all the options though. Stay in the trees to avoid the wind.

• 

  Jack J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 11, 2024

  Lake San Antonio - North Shore

  Weekend Trip

  Great camp ground. Launched the boat and anchored it to shore. Literally had the place to ourselves. Fishing was great from shore in morning and dusk. They had clean bathrooms and showers.

• 

  Rosemary L.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 1, 2024

  Williams Hill Recreation Area

  Great get away

  Clean camp. Restroom was clean. View was beautiful. There was a 6 mile dirt road to the camp. Easy signage. Saw wild boar and dear along the way. Drove a Hyundai Accent.

• J

  Joanne C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Great location, dirty facilities

  You can’t beat the location- across from Marina , trails and walking distance to Morro bay town. , the restrooms and shower facilities were always filthy and running out of toilet paper. Bring your own soap and TP 

• 

  Jeremy F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2024

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Great time with the whole family

  Large sites with plenty of room for tents and all the other camping necessities. This site backs up into the hills and there are black bears that roam the area so be sure to prepare for that. The lake is full and lots of areas to fish.

• 

  Elijah L.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Campground

  It's the beach

  A vehicle beach with unlimited things to do fishing, offroad sand dunes, hike, camp rv vehicle theres class A B C home made its awesome dogs allowed, after 10pm it's so quite

• 

  Michelle W.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 17, 2024

  Islay Creek Campground — Montaña de Oro State Park

  Nice location, my site had no privacy

  I loved walking to the ocean in the morning. Many birds and bunnies hopping around.
  I would not choose my spot again.

• S

  Sebastian D.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2024

  TV Tower Road Dispersed Camping

  Windy with Expansive Views of SLO

  When I saw the TV tower road sign, that marked the last paved road until the actual TV tower hill.  I rode all the way to the end with some medium difficulty off roading there are some steep bits with uneven terrain.  Taking the road up to TV tower are some of the best views you can get from the surrounding area.  John R.'s review accurately sums up the camping experience.  The wind was shaking my tent all night until the morning.  But thankfully I had bugspray the insect problem was solved.  Nightsky was amazing! I saw a shooting star and many satellites.  Would for sure camp again if in the San Luis Obispo area.

• J

  Jack O.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 16, 2024

  Williams Hill Recreation Area

  Quiet and peaceful

  The drive up has around five miles of very well maintained dirt road, but very much worth it. Some dispersed camping areas and a campground with 5 spots with a shelter and a picnic table at each one. Bathroom was very clean.

  Views are magnificent.

• C

  Caitlyn R.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 9, 2024

  TV Tower Road Dispersed Camping

  Beautiful View!

  The road was a bit sketchy, any 4WD would be fine I think. I took my mini van and camped at a turn out along the road because I was a bit hesitant, but again, others would probably be fine. There were lots of people going up the road until very late at night, then turning around and coming back down (I assume because there were no spots?) The stars are beautiful and it's very quiet and cool. Got cold at night but nothing unbearable, lovely sunrise too! I'd recommend bringing a warm sleeping bag and any essentials for dispersed camping. Honestly such a beautiful place, next time I'd like to find a space to set up my tent. Loved it!

• 

  Eva C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2024

  Road's End, Bradley Lockwood

  Beautiful and peaceful

  The sites are clean and the views are lovely. We loved the fire pits and the string lights hanging from the trees. Very nice atmosphere.

• b

  barbara M.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Oceano County Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Beautiful, but a little squirrely

  This campground is awesome. It’s very beautiful, with lots of wildflowers, trees, trails, beach dunes…and squirrels. Lots of them. But we also saw and heard hawks, turkey vultures, owls, and many other birds. We also saw a cute little weasel. There’s also lots of rangers, which makes for very well-mannered campers. Loved it!! You can walk to the beach or drive on the beach. Driving in the beach was fun, but it was so windy and so cold! This was the end of May. Not sure what the weather is over months. The actual campground was not as cold or windy, since it’s behind the dunes. The bathrooms have hot water and Flush toilets. Showers are huge and are self-contained and not in the bathrooms. Tokens needed. Starting in May there’s a market night at the main pier, small but fun to visit. Lots to do, from renting dune buggies to playing at the main pier. Loved it and can’t wait to go back. Oh, and about the squirrels. They’re not afraid. They ate through my little pantry that’s canvas that’s connected under my table. Also, mosquitoes! How could I forget. Bring bug spray and citronella or thermacills. They’re out and about and it’s not fun if you’re not prepared. There’s a Walmart not too far away. After the citronella incense weren’t working, we went to Walmart and it was war! Another note, campsite 68 does not look like the photo. Tree is gone and the ice plant has invaded the site and made it smaller. One tent will fit, not another.