Horse camping is the perfect way to enjoy Avalon. If you're an equestrian lover who prefers nature-based adventure, yet still wants comfort, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Whether you own a horse or are joining a tour group, equestrian camping is an adventurous and unique way to experience the city. Search horse campsites and discover top-rated spots, as reviewed by other campers.
The Arroyo campground offers 79 campsites varying in size to accommodate RVs or tent camping for up to eight people per site. Reservations for individual sites can be made online, by phone or in person. The park offers eight large group campsites for parties of 17 or more and five equestrian campsites, each equipped with horse corrals, barbeques and fire pits. Reservations for groups of 17 or more can be made by calling the park office at (949) 923-2260.
$20 / night
While the park does now have water, the showers remain closed. Water is limited, though, so please plan accordingly.
Caspers Wilderness Park is an 8,000 acre protected wilderness preserve nestled among the river terraces and sandstone canyons of the western coastal Santa Ana Mountains. The park's many fertile valleys are overtly complemented by specimen groves of native Coastal Live Oak and magnificent stands of California Sycamore. These areas are further accentuated by seasonal wildflower displays and running streams. Wildlife is abundant and can be readily viewed from any of the park's numerous trails.
$20 - $25 / night
Traveler
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.
GuideSITE:
This site is great if you like hiking, biking, MTB, and running. It is very clean, and the showers are free and clean as well. It's tucked back in the canyon, but you will still hear all the traffic from the road. Since it is a canyon, many loud cars and motorcycles zoom past at high speeds.
Free dump station.
SURROUNDING AREA:
There aren't too many shops in close proximity, but there are shops down the road a few minutes away if you need supplies.
ACTIVITIES
The campground is located next to Oneil Park, which is huge and great for bike and running. There are many hiking trails nearby in all directions. I usually ride to Caspers from the campsite or Trabruco creak up to Holy Jim.
TravelerMy 3 dogs and I stay here often, as it's the lowest cost in Orange County and allows dogs. It has several restrooms, showers, equestrian areas, nature trails and picnicking for day use too.
Scout
My boyfriend and I love this campground! It’s gorgeous and filled with trees, the rangers are awesome and there’s several hiking trails nearby. We will definitely be back
Scout
The Dyrt shows "Tent" sites, but it's only for RVs
ScoutSite #13 Electric - plenty of room for four people in two tents with two trucks. Not camping-camping but great for an overnight when you just need to sleep under the stars. They sell wood for $5. Only real con was that we encountered a tarantula and had to remove it from our camping area. Great place for kids first camping experience.
LegendTucked 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.
ScoutAlways clean and safe. Has showers that are free. Has a crowd in summer but really nice in Spring and Fall. You can camp year round and you cannot beat the price. County operated by Orange County and people here have been great. If you want to eat out, restaurants and stores are just miles away but the campsite makes you feel so far away. Come sample some of Orange County’s best.
RangerSure, here's the review of Sea Breeze at Seal Beach:
I recently stayed at Sea Breeze at Seal Beach and I must say, it's my favorite RV resort on a military installation. The security is tight, as it should be, which made me feel safe and secure during my stay.
The campground itself is very nice, well-kept, and has large spaces for RVs. It was also surprisingly quiet, which allowed for a relaxing stay. I will definitely stay here again and look forward to my next visit.
One of the best things about Sea Breeze is its location. There are plenty of restaurants close by, as well as the beach. It's a great spot to stay if you want to be close to the water and enjoy the ocean breeze.
Overall, I would highly recommend Sea Breeze at Seal Beach to anyone looking for a great RV resort. It has everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable stay, and the location can't be beat. Whether you're traveling alone or with family and friends, this is a great option for a safe and relaxing vacation.
Guidethis area is emaculately kept. we enjoyed roaming throughout the various areas of the Park. No water as of March 2023 but stable electricity and clean dump area
GuideA well kept secret with one drawback; everyone has to have an ID card to get on the base or be pre approved by base security.
ScoutTo be honest was looking for a spot to park overnight and I saw this spot open and I am thankful for this camp ground for being open at late hours thank you seriously thanks
GuideWe absolutely loved coming here for a little get away right outside of town. Sights were really nice a few bugs but what’s new. We really enjoyed our sight as well. Will definitely be coming back!
GuideHad a great stay here, bathrooms are clean as well as the sights were nice and very spacious. Only drawback was the bugs but it wasn’t enough to change my opinion on this place. People were respectful who camp here as well as close to town.
ScoutNice area. No water right now. Quiet. Port-a-pottys are maintained.
GuideThis is a great park in Southern Orange County. I have tent camped here for years with my kids in the Live Oak campground and never had a bad experience. There are hiking trails everywhere with lots of wildlife to watch. I switched to a travel trailer several years ago and now use Ortega Flats campground. The sites are big and well spaced, with 30 amp electric. The water is off for the time being. The dump station is very close by and easy to access.
TravelerI was nervous to stay here after reading some reviews but it’s not bad. Definitely some interesting characters “camping” but no one bothered us. It was a pretty clean camp ground but there were cigarette butts all over our site. There aren’t full hookups, so I don’t know why it says there are. Water is available at the sites along with a bbq and fire pit. There is an area for dumping your tanks by the front of the park. Heard coyotes at night. Didn’t have any noise issues and workers are nice.
GuideFree showers and restrooms available. Tmobile and at&t service both were intermittently fair to good. Campsites are all mostly level. Dogs are not allowed on some of the trails. Each campsite has a table, fire ring and grill. They do allow car camping and there were more than a few car campers there. Seniors camp for $15/night. Generators are allowed and unfortunately the camper nearby ran theirs allllll day. They have equestrian camp sites and group sites as well. Water spigots are at every site or nearly every site. Trash bins are also plenty.
GuideYou should try to book a campsite in advance, but it's not always necessary. We camped here once before and again over the Christmas break. Even though it rained, we totally had a blast! There's plenty of hiking trails, a nature center, and even a playground. The playground was super helpful for when the little one got bored. She had a great time because the playground is pretty big. Our campsite had a nice view of the hillside, and the river bed. Both times we've camped here we saw a few coyotes, and a variety of different birds. Also, you arent so far out that you lose cell phone service. It's a great campground, and we definitely plan on going back.
ScoutDon’t be afraid of coming here. Very cheap. Close from the beach and civilizations. Very well maintained. Big lots. Nice trails around.
TravelerStaff here is really nice. Really beautiful has quite a bit of wild life. For Weekends you need a reservation weekdays just call to check but you should be fine. right now there is no running water in the pipes which is fine since we brought our own water. No bathroom no shower. Yes porta potty. It was clean. If you want there is a nature observatory to explore you can hold some snakes if you choose and if the snakes are willing. Bring your own firewood. Great for bird watching. They have astronomy night the first Saturday after the new moon with high power telescope. Also a good place to take wedding pictures. Do check the weather before coming. We are not high up and its towards the beginning of Ortega highway before a lot of the winding road.
GuideI took my family here for a 5 night stay during the week from Sunday to Friday.
Although the park itself is clean and rangers are nice I did not feel safe with the amount of permanent campers and sketchy characters camping here. There were mostly beat up rv’s with beat up cars next to them and very few families tent camping.
The gates never closed so there were cars coming and going at all hours of the night. The first night we had neighbors right next to us show up at 10:30pm to setup camp. They were extremely loud and didn’t care who heard them. We gave them the benefit of the doubt for a good hour or more thinking once they got their tent up they would quiet down. That never happened. This couple continued being loud and even left in their car at midnight playing loud music to then come back and continue being loud once inside their tent. We could not sleep with their constant talking. At one point they left their campsite on foot and went right through ours. When they returned about an hour later they were laughing and doing who knows what in their tent. They continued their own party until 4:30am.
Although there is a host on site rangers seem to disappear and go home well before 10pm which is considered quiet time.
There was absolutely nothing we could do from our tent. There was no answer when calling so we lost a whole nights sleep.
Once the sun came up we decided to see what these neighbors looked like so we could kindly ask them to be quiet the next night as we were staying 3 more nights. They looked like the type of people who wouldn’t care and we did not want them to retaliate against us. We did talk to the ranger station but they didn’t seem to want to address the situation besides offering a different site for us. We had to tear down everything and move camps. After multiple loading trips we were at our new campsite. We were just happy to be away from those sketchy people.
The next nights we tried to make the best of it but I wasn’t fully comfortable and didn’t feel safe in this campground knowing anyone could just drive in whenever they wanted.
If you’re looking for a safe campground to take your family look at a campground that has a strict quiet policy and a closing time so there is no entry after 10pm.
TravelerMy family and I came here for a quick end of year camping trip. We wanted something close to home, but able to get away. In this, the campground excels. It’s literally five minutes away from civilization, which we took advantage of on several occasions.
The campground is well maintained, the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. All of these are huge pros, and if that’s where the story ended I’d be giving this campground five stars.
However the biggest issue my family and I had was with our neighbors. From generators running all night (the staff refunded our night, and rangers spoke with the rv owner) to people coming and going all night. The park for some reason doesn’t have a closed gate policy, and that encourages people to come and go as they please all day and all night. On our first night we had a camper setup next to us at 1030pm, well after quiet time. They played music and stayed up until 4am. When I brought this to the staffs attention they offered to move us, which we accepted, but it was a huge inconvenience to have to tear down our camp and setup elsewhere due to our neighbors behavior.
The campground also had an air and culture of permanent campers, very few families, and very few tent campers. Most of the sites were full of old tore up cars, and old tore up rvs filled to the brim. We had a few moments where we joked we were on breaking bad. I understand that folks have to do everything they can to live their best life, and times aren’t always easy. That being said, if you’re camping during the week like we were, I’d expect to find the campground filled with folks that might not make your experience enjoyable, possibly even uncomfortable.
RangerLovely campground in the Orange County foothills. Great hiking and equestrian trails. Excellent equestrian camping with a private corral right next to each campsite in the equestrian area.
Room for large rigs and good space for tents with flat pads.
ScoutBeen here quite a few times it's a great park, lots of hiking trails to explore, but beware if you have a diggo they are only allowed certain trails. But they have warm showers and full bathrooms which is very nice.
ScoutGood
LegendMust have military clearance to rv here
Horse camping in California offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds that cater to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Avalon, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Avalon, CA is Seabreeze At Seal Beach with a 4.7-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Avalon, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 3 equestrian camping locations near Avalon, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
