Looking for the best campgrounds near Chula Vista, CA? Chula Vista 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. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
GoodVibes Ranch & Farm
28 min away
Corte Madera Mountain
1 hr 19 min away
"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."
$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."
"Heck, someone even built a track for RC cars to race on, and there is a laundry center as well. Showers were nice and warm, and not coin operated - a rarity given the water droughts around CA."
"Locations near Jamul Casino. Staff is kind and professional. Full hookups sites. Fill propano available. Spot are very big. The pool and kid playground are great."
"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."
$24 - $90 / night
"The showers and bathrooms were clean and the staff working were very friendly and welcoming."
"There are nice trails and walking paths right from the campground."
$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."
$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
"If you wanna go on a surfside southern california adventure and keep it fun and cheap then this place is great."
"Some sites are: big, medium and small; right next to each and a little distance; and beach side or inland."
$50 - $175 / night
"Plenty of room for beautiful hikes on their many acres of land packed with some great views a few decks scattered around the property. "
"Saw lots of flowers, a seasonal creek, sage, views of the valley & nearby mountain. Played some pool. The disk golf course is on the awesome hike I took. They have live music on the weekends."
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.
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.
RangerLots going on here but felt peaceful midweek in Jan. 3 spring-fed pools, hot showers quarter operated, clean flush toilet bathrooms, water, hiking trails and ample roads to walk the dog on. Mountain lion country - be alert. Friendly rangers. Clean facilities and well-kept grounds. Horseshoe pits and large group picnic areas. Cute cabins for rent - no pets allowed in those. Will definitely visit again. Many of the tent sites are close together - if the campground was full you’d have little privacy but it’s a large place and there were hardly any tent campers when I was there, though more RVs and vans in the hookup section. Tent site 106 is very private. I liked 109 it was in a kind of bird thicket with privacy from the road etc.
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.
ScoutWe will not return here. We live in our travel trailer/camper. Good things first: bathrooms are clean. The grounds crew and store personnel are helpful and friendly. Plenty of dumpsters. Reasonably close to the things we wanted to do/see in San Diego. Good number of shaded spots, if you can get into one. Bad things: we were under the impression that the entire campground had full hook ups. Only the south side has full sewer, water, and electric hook ups. To get a spot on the south side, you have to go through a complicated first come first serve/wait for people to leave/list/lottery/nonsense. Our check in was more of a hassle than a breeze. It was not mentioned that not every RV spot on the north side had water and electric. The sites are not well marked. It looked like picnic tables were moved so other campers would not be close. We couldn't tell how far we were on or off our site. Buildings are dilapidated. Camping areas are not maintained. There was a lot of litter that could have been raked up and disposed of. The North side of the campground is neglected. There was no obvious signage that the washers and dryers did not except debit/credit cards. There was only one place in the grounds were you could get a preloaded laundry card, and it was broken. The ladies at the check in station were very clear that a serviceman was called and they were getting a new contract. But that didn't help get the laundry clean. Several of the washers and dryers were out of service. It's a 10 mile drive to Chula Vista for services. It was made clear before our stay that there was little to no cell service. However, Lake Whitney, Texas Thousand Trails provided free wifi for all in their lodge. That is not the case at Pio Pico. This is the third Thousand Trails campground we have stayed at, and we're considering leaving before our full seven days are up.
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.
GuideThis was a great place to disconnect and was close to SD. It was an easy and scenic drive up. Each camp site was large and had privacy but since it was hilly, some sites may have few flat spaces to pitch a tent.
TravelerBeautiful view of the ocean with access stairways. The sandy shore is littered with rocks washed out from the hillside. We watched surfers and played in the waves until the kids tired out. Fires are permitted and firewood available onsite. 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. It was our first time camping beachside and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Only drawback is tents and campers were intertwined so you might hear generators running outside of quiet hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Chula Vista, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Chula Vista, CA is San Diego Metro KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Chula Vista, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 36 glamping camping locations near Chula Vista, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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