Cardiff-by-the-Sea is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Cardiff-by-the-Sea is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Discover great camping spots near Cardiff-by-the-Sea, reviewed by campers like you.
Provisions Farm
30 min away
Vintage in the Vineyard
40 min away
$50 - $650 / night
"South Carlsbad is another Cali jem set up on a bluff overlooking the pacific. It is long and thin so it has a nice thinly populated feel. All bathrooms are clean."
"The breeze kept the bugs and beach heat at bay. Bathrooms were fairly clean and non-pottable water spickets also available for rinsing after the beach visit."
$50 - $520 / night
"Fun beachside campground in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Not quiet or remote at all. Nice local market and lots of restaurants nearby. Great surf spot."
"If you wanna go on a surfside southern california adventure and keep it fun and cheap then this place is great."
$24 - $100 / night
"Pets welcome. Fire pits and picnic tables at each site. Tent camping available as well."
"The missus and I decided to do a midweek overnight escape and chose Dos Picos Park due to its close proximity.
Great little campground with partial (electricity & water) hookups."
$39 - $50 / night
"Make sure you bring a shower caddy and some water proof laundry bags because there aren't many wall hooks to hang your towels or clothes.
- **Flushable toilets with drum roll SEAT COVERS!!"
"They clean the fire pits out etc. Some of the 40 series sites are very secluded and have excellent lake views."
"There are 5 spots where you can walk your stuff and camp right on the beach. Each spot was secluded and had a picnic table and a good size area for your tent."
"Overall liked this rv park, close to town for us to explore all the restaurants close by. Beach is a 5-10 minute walk. Staff was friendly ask for Diana sweetheart."
"Set up our 16’ travel trailer at a lakeshore full hookup site #27 (no fire pit though). Kids loved the convenient fishing right behind our trailer and the swimming pools a short drive away."
"I wish they would stock a little more fish. Great areas of campgrounds. Great water park for kids and everyone. Full hook ups. Small supply store on site."
$35 - $140 / night
"Lake Jennings Campground is a great campsite tucked away in Lakeside, CA. There are a good amount of campsites, and plenty with great views of the lake (“Preferred View” sites)."
"Just 30 minutes from San Diego, with friendly staff and partial or full hookups. We were in a preferred lake view site#96 which had water and electric hookups."
"Heated pool, jacuzzi, bike rentals, and more. They loan you fire pits if you don’t have one. And deliver wood to your site. There is even a cafe if you don’t feel like firing up the grill."
"Neighbors' campfires are 10 ft away from your trailer and makes your camper smell like smoke the whole next day when they start a campfire."
"My family owns a 1987 VW Vanagon Westfalia since 2020 and use The Dyrt to find hidden gems near our home for weekend camping."
"The kids all love fishing at the pond on site. Plenty of space between campgrounds. No issues with hook-ups or amenities. Pool was still closed due to COVID restrictions but looked clean."
$30 - $50 / night
"Bathrooms a pool and a game room. Plus there are many trails to walk. Light fishing and a mini mart as well. It is fun"
"We stayed here next to the lake for a few days and just loved it."
TravelerSouth Carlsbad is another Cali jem set up on a bluff overlooking the pacific. It is long and thin so it has a nice thinly populated feel. All bathrooms are clean. I was here during week of 4/20/15 and it was as nice as always. Like San Elijo it has a private feel at your site with the mature growh btw each site. You are along the rr tracks but that's a small price to access the sick beach and the incredible view. There is a nice hilton with a pool across the street. In. Are your kiddies need some creature comforts(I didn't say pool 'hopping' just using facilities as a client of the restaurant...), or daddy wants a bottle of red and a crisp flatbread without driving anywhere. There are nice a frames north and south, plenty of waves for all.
TravelerFun beachside campground in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Not quiet or remote at all. Nice local market and lots of restaurants nearby. Great surf spot. I’ve dry camped here many times and have always enjoyed it. Dog friendly beach! *on leash
GuideI stayed here three weeks in February. I stayed up top and site 91 was great! I would stay here again and request that site.
Cons:
Pros:
LegendWe camped here on a trip up the coast and found this spot at the end of the day. There are 5 spots where you can walk your stuff and camp right on the beach. Each spot was secluded and had a picnic table and a good size area for your tent. It’s a newer retro campground with spots for RV’s, tents, cabins and yurts. There are a lot of option and facilities with showers, bathrooms and laundry.
GuideLake Jennings Campground is a great campsite tucked away in Lakeside, CA. There are a good amount of campsites, and plenty with great views of the lake (“Preferred View” sites). We stayed in site 91 for 4 nights from Monday to Thursday night while the campground was pretty empty. I imagine it would be a little louder when it’s at full capacity, but we had no noise issues from fellow campers. However, there was plenty of random noise from the military helicopters that randomly flew overhead. It wasn’t disruptive, just unexpected. This campground is not secluded by any means, so the air traffic shouldn’t be a surprise. Honestly, it’s hard to go anywhere in San Diego County without air traffic interruptions.
We chose Site 91 because it was at the top of a moderate hill at the end of the road, in an attempt to experience reduced traffic from other campers. The site was a Preferred View site and it did not disappoint! Views of the lake at sunrise and sunset were amazing and made for the perfect vista from our RV bed. An added benefit of the Preferred View sites is the privacy since no one is camped behind you. Our particular site even had useful shrubbery on each side to create a quasi sense of privacy between sites. Each site has a nice little fire pit and picnic table, and there was plenty of room for a second vehicle in addition to our van.
There are plenty of restroom facilities sprinkled throughout so nothing is inconvenient. The restrooms are individual bathrooms with showers that are hot and NOT coin operated, so enjoy a full hair washing session if there’s not a line. The only caution: pincher bugs. Just brush them off and go about your business. But like everything, check the toilet seat and your clothes before proceeding.
Finally, internet service was great for Verizon. We got 23 Mbps with 3 bars of 4G LTE unboosted, and 69 (!!!) Mbps with 5 bars using a simple MIMO antenna. We live and work in our RV (20’ Class B) full time, so this was crucial. The staff was also great. They were regularly driving by, cleaning or maintaining the grounds. In the end, we will definitely camp here again.
TravelerJust out of the town of San Juan Capistrano, one might think that it is too city like. Once you get into the park however, you feel like you are in a remote woods with the city far behind you. The electric hook up camp area to me unfortunately it’s too close to State Route 74 however I have never stayed there so I do not know what the noise is like. It is a nice area though and much better than camping in a trailer park that is filled with concrete. Live Oak is where my husband and I stay and I am not going to tell you the space because it is the most perfect of all. There is plenty of space between most of the campsites. It is quiet And very scenic. Upon arrival they were fliers and signs that warned us to be careful because they were mountain lions in the area. We have stayed there at least a dozen times and have never seen a mountain lion. There are also rattlesnakes and although we have never seen one, a friend who was visiting us so saw one on the road on their way to our site. We have truly enjoyed this campsite and campground. I have an area where they display the history of the area and the animals in the area. Very beautiful view as well up on the hill. Although we have never gone hiking, I hear there are many many trails that are very beautiful. I am disabled but the sides and the showers and bathrooms are very friendly to those who are disabled. This is one of my favorite campground and you don’t need to get on a year in advance to get a reservation! We did have a coyote one night in our campsite in our kitchen area, while we were sitting around the fire. Once we shooed him away, he ran off. Probably why no pets!
ScoutStayed in site #73 this past weekend. I wouldn't recommend that spot. It is too close to #74. They are both large spots but the actually fire pits are too close to eachother. Luckily there was a nice family staying next to us so we hardly noticed them. Had they been too loud it could have ruined the trip. Also this spot had very little shade in the afternoon when the sun was the hottest.
The bathrooms were shut down for maintenance in that loop so they offered portable toilets which got full quick. The hand washing station ran out of water the second day and was never refilled so you had to go back to your site to wash your hands. The running water coming from the spigot was orange and frothy and had a sign saying not to use it for drinking.
The hiking trail that was near by was the best part. Tons of wildflowers everywhere and beautiful views.
I probably won't come back to this campground next time I got camping. There are campgrounds closer to San Diego that are have bigger sites.
GuideGreat county park. Quiet and well maintained. Pay showers. $29/ night. Pets welcome. Fire pits and picnic tables at each site. Tent camping available as well.
GuideWhen we Arrived at the gate we were 14th in line. It Took 40 minutes to enter the park. The CG was very full, it was noisy all weekend. There were barking dogs, dogs not on leashes, remote control cars, electric scooters, loud stereos. People up partying till after 1am around their fires. It Appears all “camp rules” are ignored. Bathrooms were clean. Our Fire pit at spot was left dirty and had trash in it when we arrived. The park in general is very nice. This was our 4th time here and only time it had been so loud. Make sure you check out the camp store and walk down to the lake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA is South Carlsbad State Beach Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 77 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 43 glamping camping locations near Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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