Best Glamping near Avilla Beach, CA

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.

RV hookups , pool , huge jumping pad for kids about a mile walk to the lake . They have yurts for tent & cabins.

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.

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!

We 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!

Long 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.

This 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!

Lopez 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

If you’re headed up or down the 101, Avila is a must stop. Located just north of Pismo Beach, Avila is tucked away down a hill that is totally worth venturing off to. It’s a beautiful place to camp and has an awesome little private beach town with restaurants, bars, and shops. I do not recommend camping here during peak times in the Summer. My advice is to wander here late Spring and Fall while the temperatures are still warm enough to enjoy while beating the crowds!

We stopped here for a few nights so we could hook up to shore power for a bit, do laundry, dump etc. The campground itself is small and old so the sites can be a little small for the larger rigs. Bathrooms and showers were clean. People who run it were extremely accommodating - it was difficult for us to access the dump hookup in our first assigned site (we have a macerater with a very short hose) so they moved us to a better site. Easy walking/biking access to Avila beach (4.8miles round trip), and quick drive from Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo. They allow leashes pets and have a small dog park and pet “walk,” and while these are great, I also like to walk my dog around the whole campground when we can’t take her walks elsewhere, and this campground is very limiting. They have several signs up where dogs aren’t allowed.

Overall, this is a great location if you want access to the beach and nearby towns with nice basic amenities.

Rude manager, staff! Really load! Tight place Wont come back until this manager is there!

The managers are horrible and snobby. Lack of professionalism. Sorry to hear they are affiliated with K.O.A There is no customer service. Tourist aren't appreciated. This place is filled with transients roaming through the campgrounds and they don't care. They want you to deal with it. The place is crowded. Dumpsters are full and smelly. They freeway next door is super loud you can't sleep at night. Just keep driving it is not worth the headache.

This is one of the cleanest KOAs we have been to since we started camping many years ago. The amenities are great & the location is very conducive beach lovers, hikers & cyclists. There’s even a farm across the road with the best pies! Big plus is the camp is very dog friendly.

This KOA is older, but super quaint. Staff is really nice and bathrooms, campsites and showers are very clean. Campground is tucked away within the mountain and there are many things to do just outside the campground. Beach, trails and golfing all within 5min. Spaces are a little small, not much room to hang out in your space.

Not only wAs this campground clean, but so good if you want tons of things to do. We biked to the beach. Swam at the pool. Watched an outdoor movie. Played shuffleboard, etc.

This place is small but super clean and comfortable. There is highway noise but the facility has a lot of options for kids and a amazing grounds. There is very limited space between sites and they are small! But I found it very reasonable.

Avila is beautiful! The camp sites are very tight but the staff is very helpful with parking. The facility is very clean. Short drive to the beach.

This was our first trip in our RV and I think it worked out well. The location of this place is perfect with lots to do in the area. 1 hour south of here was Solvang and Ostrich farm, 1 hourish north is Cambria and San Simeon. There is also Avila beach about 5 minutes away and pismo about 10 min. If you need anything, San Luis Obispo is 5 minutes away.. the facility was very nice, with lots of trees that give the "escape" feeling and the people that work here are FABULOUS!! The only downside was the noise. You are really close to the highway so you hear cars zoom past all night, not great for a light sleeper like me.

The spots are very small. The staff is less than friendly.

We are staying no hook up sites not used to live with the generator on but really good experience