Best Tent Camping near Banning, CA

Recent Tent Reviews in Banning

1539 Reviews of 46 Banning Campgrounds

• K

  Kandi R.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 17, 2024

  Indian Cove Campground — Joshua Tree National Park

  Amazing Joshua Tree Gem

  Love, love this campground. Beautiful rock formations set amidst the magical Joshua Tree National Park. RV sites are good size, no hookups, but campground does have vault toilets and endless exploration opportunities!

• 

  Kara S.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 8, 2024

  Indian Cove Campground — Joshua Tree National Park

  Joshua tree np without the fee

  I’ve camped at Joshua tree national park numerous times but this is the first time at this site. It was great. Lots of climbing at hiking at this spot. Great Joshua tree experience without the long drive and entrance fee.

• 

  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.

• 

  Karen D.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 5, 2024

  Ryan Campground — Joshua Tree National Park

  Beautiful and quiet

  We stayed two nights here in a campervan. It's a really great location to explore the park. The rocks give some good shade. Space #9 was shady in the mornings. The toilets were fine. It was really quiet, they're were a few other campers mostly in tents. No sign of any rattlesnakes or other critters either. Except loads of cute squirrels, and some mice and lizards.

• T

  Tony B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2024

  South Ridge Yellow Post Sites

  Awesome dispersed site with amazing views

  Very nice to find a campsite this private on a weekend in southern California elevation is high enough that temperatures were very enjoyable (mid 80's)

• R

  Rosalina P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 22, 2024

  Mesa Campground — Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

  Fun for groups!

  Just had the best weekend even with the 3 bears that decided to come by. Group of 30 . Definitely a good time. Be careful with the bears! 😮‍💨🥰🏕️

• 

  Carol L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Shabby Shanty

  cool

  What a stunning view from this hillside property! Overlooking the dry lake bed with a neighbor half a mile away sounds like the perfect retreat for those seeking peace and privacy. The proximity to downtown Joshua Tree and JTNP offers the best of both worlds—seclusion and convenience. If you’re considering moving to such a beautiful area, it’s important to communicate your vision clearly. That’s where https://stateofwriting.com/uk/sociology-writing-service comes in. Their expert writing services can help you craft compelling content, whether it’s for a personal blog, a real estate listing, or any other writing project. Enjoy the tranquility of this amazing location!

• 

  Annie G.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Fry Creek Campground

  Very beautiful

  This is a very nice and quiet campground and everyone there was very respectful of quite hours. The place was very clean and very beautiful. The only con was that there are way too many insects everywhere, My base camp got bombarded with a swarm of wasps, And I was forced to leave a day early, and had to leave my cooking pot behind because of the swarm of wasps... I wish there were some kind of rangers or someone there that I could have asked for help about this, or I wish someone would do something about this issue but I guess it is what it is at this location lol 😆 Other than not being able to cook and eat without wasps in your face and In your food, it was really nice

• M

  Molly A.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Tool Box Springs - Yellow Post Campground

  Canpsites a plenty

  There’s a few designated camp areas up this way. Went out in early Sept 2024 and the road was fine. I drive a lifted AWD overloaded Honda Element and I had no issue. There were two sections on the final ascent loop to the top of Thomas Mountain that were a little scratchy. You do not need to complete the final ascent to the top to enjoy the camping areas. Although if your car is capable there’s an excellent spot at the very end of the loop.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 14, 2024

  Jumbo Rocks Campground — Joshua Tree National Park

  We were too big

  Heads up about this place if you’re in an RV like we are. We reserved spot #40, we are a 26ft class c (28 ft total length) and the length limit for this spot is 30 ft, and RVs are allowed. But we felt like we barely fit side to side, and definitely wouldn’t have put our slides out. Not to mention it was so unlevel that we wouldn't have wanted to take the slides out anyway. The spot was cute, a little spot by itself between a hill and the “bump out” type parking spot where you’d park your vehicle. There’s a picnic table, a grill, and a fire pit. We ended up parking there for a bit, walking over to skull rock and the discovery trail to face rock (dogs not allowed on trails), walked back, and left. We would have been way too uncomfortable if we’d tried to stay the night. Oh well- we only lost $20. 

  There are dumpsters throughout the campground, and recycling at the entrance. We didn’t see any hosts or staff. There are pit toilets as well. We did see some other RVs in spots that looked fine, but overall I’d recommend this place for tents only unless you know for sure you’ll fit in the spot. Zero cell service in the entire park.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 14, 2024

  Black Rock Campground — Joshua Tree National Park

  Beautiful

  This place is reservation only, through recreation.gov. The rangers at the visitor center do not handle anything with reservations whatsoever. We managed to get two nights fairly last minute, only to arrive and find the campground mostly empty. That’s pretty aggravating, probably due to people making reservations and not showing up. 

  Sites are $25/night, and rec.gov does not charge a processing fee, which is so nice. 

  The roads throughout the campground are in terrible shape, but we managed in our 26ft class C. The roads and many of the sites are washed out and crumbling. Most sites are not level. Our site,#90, was ok with leveling blocks. 

  There’s recycling here (no glass accepted), trash dumpsters, flush toilets, and a free dump station with potable water fill. No showers here. There are many hiking trails directly from the campground, which is nice, but dogs are not allowed on the trails. 

  ATT had good service and Verizon was usable but very weak.

• 

  Chris M.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 6, 2024

  North Shore Campground - Lake Almanor

  Filthy, Dusty, Rude, One and Done

  Booked this campground for 3 nights, in large part for the hot showers. The showers and bathroom facilities are frankly disgusting and not something we would us, nor would our friends who were there with us. The staff was rude and provided the typical"we don't provide refunds" when we told them respectfully we we're leaving after the first night. The campground was a wierd mix of what looked liked full-time campers but mostly no one was occupying the sites that there campers and belongings were left at. Post apocalyptic vibe, can you say ghost town. North Shore Campground is a dusty one and done for us. Caveat emptor.

• 

  Ben M.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 4, 2024

  The Secret Place

  Incredible view

  Well secluded sites each with an incredible view!

• 

  Rhyn E.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 3, 2024

  Tool Box Springs - Yellow Post Campground

  Oasis of calm

  Labor Day weekend. We occupied the only spot out of five. Lots of wildlife. Raccoons in the night, gray squirrel, other squirrels, many birds. So much

• 

  Rhyn E.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 2, 2024

  Pinyon Flat Campground (San Bernardino National Forest) — San Bernardino National Forest

  Good Place if Needed

  The campsites are fine. Well used. There are pit toilets. Fresh water (you can fill water without camping). Had spaces on Labor Day weekend. It’s cooler than Palm Springs. (It feels like summer, not hell). Fire pits. I guess that works when fire risk is low. Note: I can faintly hear dogs and chickens from nearby houses. Oh, and the road traffic.

• 

  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.

• m

  melinna

  Scout

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Holcomb Valley Campground

  2 nights at Holcomb Valley Ranch campground

  Just got back from a 2 night stay with a group of 6 at this camp. Enjoyed the ample space between camps because it allows for extra privacy and less noise from other campers. However, we stayed on a night where a wedding reception was taking place and the DJ sound system was blasting until about 10:15 pm— this is unacceptable for a campground. They should’ve closed the sites all around the wedding area down, we were about a 3 minute walk away and this really tarnished the experience for Saturday afternoon thru evening. Pros- clean accessible bathrooms and showers, gorgeous horse meadow with about 40 horses roaming free. The road into the camp is totally unpaved, so truck & suv recommended. Camp manager Ed was very kind and helpful.

• C

  Carson S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 25, 2024

  BLM Dispersed Camping at Joshua Tree

  Definition of Dispersed Camping

  Everything about this site is not only free, but literally free to park and camp anywhere. There are private properties around, so just double check, but for the most part its wife open land to camp. Also currently in a fire ban, but that should be getting lifted in October. So campfires would be a great idea out here as well.

• 

  Heather L.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 22, 2024

  Stone Creek Campground — Mount San Jacinto State Park

  Some of the Campsites are great, others not so much

  We traveled as a group of 17 campers and were able to disperse evenly between 4 close together campsites. We were in 19, 20, 21 and 23. Even though the website says it allowed 2 cars per site we were charged for the 2nd vehicle. In each site. I had also checked online prior to make sure we would have cell service with that many people meeting us. Only those of us that had Verizon had only a single bar. The campsites in the inner ring (ours was #21) are VERY close together. Not at all private, your camp is literally up against a couple others. We had children from the other sites running all through ours and it was so close you could hear everyone else’s private conversations. #19 and #20 were on the outer circle but just enough space to park and then walk through very sticky manzanita trees into the campsite and picnic table area. None of them had much or any shade. Our saving grace was our 4th spot - which gave us enough room to have all of us sit out of the way of the sticky trees and one tree in the middle to give us a touch of shade throughout the day. It had 2 picnic tables and was much more private so we didn’t disturb anyone and we didn’t have everyone else disturbing us. The vault toilets (yes, I know what they entail, and yes, it’s summer) were horrendous and barely useable, but we had 2 within very quick walking distance of us. They do allow dogs (we had 5 dogs and 3 cats with us) and it’s a short drive into the little town of Idyllwild. It’s a campground that served its purpose in getting all of us together and of course we had a blast, but it’s not on my “must camp here again” list.

• 

  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!

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 13, 2024

  Sawtooth Canyon Campground

  Great, and free

  This is a great BLM campground, FREE, individual sites with varying levels of privacy and levelness, no reservations. Each site has a shade structure, table, fire pit, and grill. There are pit toilets but no other amenities. No water and no trash service- please pack your trash out! We had to pick up after some other campers which is just so dumb to have to do. There was a camper there who looked like they had set up for long term residency, and the sheriff came by and kicked them out.

  This is also a big rock climbing destination so you’ll have climbers coming in for the day as well. There are some “dispersed” type sites in the brush area so if you show up and all the spots are taken, you can sleep in one of those spots in a pinch until morning. We were there in late December and there were only a couple of other campers, and then again in early January and it was busy on weekends but quiets down during the week. 

  The road coming in is 1.6 miles of washboard and some big dips, but it’s doable. Cell service is very spotty throughout the campground. Parts of decent ATT or Verizon service, and parts have zero. Lots of hikes and trails and places to walk and scramble.

• 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.

• D

  Dee M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 23, 2024

  Mill Creek Dispersed Camping

  Over a dozen sites

  There are lots of sites on this road. The closer you are to the road the more dust will get in your site from the vehicles passing. The road here. I went a to the second fork after the Bluff lake fork. There’s a private campground near the Bluff Lake entrance which made noises i can hear from my site which was before Bluffs lake fork. There are over a dozen sites along the main road. If you can pull in, it’s a site. Some better than others and spaced out so you may not see your neighbors from your site. 2x4 accessible as long as it’s not muddy or after snow. I saw a Prius on the trail.

• 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.

• 

  Connor M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Mill Creek Dispersed Camping

  Plenty of Spots

  Overall great campground, there are definitely some permanent residents but there is more than enough spots to have some privacy.

• 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