Looking for the best options for tent camping near Costa Mesa? Find the best information on tent camping near Costa Mesa, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
All campsites at China Camp Campground are HIKE-IN SITES for tent-camping only. Visitors must handcarry all equipment from the parking lot to the campsites. Campsites range from 50-300 yards from the parking lot. Eight persons maximum are allowed in each site. Check in time is 2pm or later and check out is Noon.
Enroute camping is available for RV's with a grey water holding tank for one night only. No dump station or hook-ups are available. Enroute Camping is limited to space availability. Check in for enroute camping is 6pm and check out is 9am.
A "Hike and Bike" site is available for those who travel to China Camp on foot or by bicycle.
$35 - $175 / night
Hermit Gulch Campground is Avalon’s only camping facility located within city limits. The campground is situated in Avalon Canyon near the Nature Center and the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden.
The campground offers a nice view of the surrounding hills that are home to a wide variety of endemic plant and animal species. Hermit Gulch Trail is accessible from the campground, and there's access to other hiking trails nearby.
Hermit Gulch is great for first-timers and experienced campers alike. Being so close to town allows easy access to groceries, shopping, restaurants, tours, sight seeing and nightlife.
Camp high in the clouds at Manker Flats Campground. This campground sits at 6000-feet and offers 21 campsites open year-round. However, piped-water is turned once temperatures reach freezing. Each site comes with a spacious spot for all your family camping needs and includes a picnic bench, fire ring, and vault toilets. It's located within a short drive to historic Mt. Baldy Schoolhouse and Visitor Center where visitors can discover the land's Native American roots. Close by, hikers have several options to begin their day's adventure including, Mt. Baldy Bowl trailhead. This trailhead can be combined with another major route, Devil's Backbone, to reach the summit (10,069') to form an impressive 11.3-mile loop hike. For the more casual hiker, a 1.4 mile round trip to the 75-foot San Antonio Falls is available. Bears are very active in this area, so it is recommended that all campers use provided bear boxes, personal bear canisters, or seal all food as to eliminate scent.
$12 / night
Gate may be closed due to High Fire danger. Elevation: 1900-Foot ElevationAmenities: 6 hike-in__campsites- Picnic tables and campfire rings, vault toilets, no piped water.__Seasonal stream water may be available (treat before using). However, water flow may be low or non-existent due to reduced rainfall.Hiking: Just a short hike__to the 50' Millard Falls. __Fees: Camping - Adventure Pass/America the Beautiful Pass Required. Campsites are first come-first served. No reserving or holding of campsites allowed._ Day use -__Adventure Pass/America the Beautiful Pass Required.Millard Trail Camp may occasionally be closed due to bear activity. Be Bear Aware.
Falcon Group Campground has three individual group campsites just off the scenic Ortega Highway in Southern California, which connects San Juan Capistrano and Temecula Valley Highway. The pleasant climate, scenery, trail system and convenient location, make this a popular destination for groups from Los Angeles and San Diego. Hiking is especially popular among campers.
Hikers of any level can find trails that challenge and accommodate their recreational goals around the campground. Among them are the Falcon Trail, a 1.4-mile easy trail that connects to the campground, and Trabuco Canyon Trail, which provides scenic 6.8-mile hike into the backcountry. The San Juan Trial, which is popular with mountain bikers, has a trailhead at Blue Jay campground, adjacent from Falcon Group Campground. The trail climbs a very steep set of stacked switchbacks from the floor of Hot Springs Canyon and traverses briefly before steeply ascending a ridge toward Sugarloaf Mountain. There are also many ideal picnic spots and scenic overlooks along Ortega Highway.
The campground sits at an elevation of 3,300 ft. off the Ortega Highway scenic drive in the Santa Ana Mountains, a route that offers beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, valleys and forest. The area lies in a mixed forest and chaparral ecosystem and is inhabited by a variety of birds, plants and wildlife.
The closest town is Lake Elsinore, which has various shops, restaurants and recreation opportunities.
$120 / night
Scout
I can’t say that it was awesome but it wasn’t jaw dropping. Nothing to write home about but not uninviting.
Scout
Well secluded sites each with an incredible view!
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.
Guide
Visiting family in Santa Ana and LA. Not to far for them to come to us and all to go to beach. Park clean and well maintained, personnel very kind and friendly Beautiful view from our site on area B. Crowded on weekend, much less during week Campground is not associated to adjacent Frank Bonelli Regional. Charge $12 to enter with vehicle but no fee to ride in on bikes
Traveler
Clean dump station, beautiful sites, very strict on rules. We came 10 minutes early before check in time, they made us wait. Campsite comes with wifi but very weak. We have t mobile and had bad reception. Would come back again for beautiful views, small hike, sandy beaches with lots of sand crabs.
Traveler
Just stayed 8/15-18/24, although hot during the day, it was the getaway we needed. The Burkhart trail to the waterfall was beautiful. Clean campsites. Some neighboring camps were louder than you'd hope but it is what it is. Our second trip here and will return for sure.
ScoutAlthough 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!
Traveler
The parking lot is next to the beach on the one side but also next to the highway on the other side. So the view and the breeze is beautiful, but the traffic noise in the evening and morning is not so nice. With earplugs everything is fine! ;) The host Jim is very kind and helpful!
Traveler
It was overall a nice campsite. Our site seemed to be pretty large it came with a picnic table & fire pit. The walk to the beach was close seemed maybe about 10 minute till we reached the beach from our site. It is on a hill you need to walk down & back up. The only down side was the bathrooms on the same road as our site were pretty dirty did not seem to have any maintenance during our stay.
ScoutWe 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.
Guide
Nice little site that is right in the middle of everything.
It's crowded and you don't have much space, but if your using this instead of a hotel room it works great.
It had a game room and pool so kids had something to do. There were families all over with kids riding bikes. We had a quick stay over while we were seeing family in the area and it worked great .
Only issue we had is both entrances have a hell of a dip, we scraped the ass end real good going in and out with our 24ft class c.
Traveler
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.
Scout
Great rv resort. Close proximity to casino.
Scout
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
Scout
I have been a member of this place for 20+ years.
Most times if someone has a problem at the front gate. It because of the many background checks and or any one of the Screening Process...
The previous review does not mention anything about that factor???? I wonder why??
Traveler
After trying to find an escape from the fireworks and trying campgrounds in surrounding areas to this one and all of them being full, we just kept driving (ended up off-roading) and found this hidden jem. Quite, dark, and one dirt road in n out. No amenities besides a picnic table & fire pit. There's an outhouse, but it's pretty gross..
Scout
We spent 3days and 2nights here and enjoyed our stay, the caretaker was so nice! Although the restroom are very dirty but overall it was a great stay!
GuideSite had tree cover which had some nice shade to provide relief from the sun. Lots of room for a couple vehicles and tents. Clean bathrooms and showers, but we stayed midweek and the place was very, very minimally occupied. Good access to walking and biking trails.
Scout
There is always a spot or 2 open. Staff are always polite.
Scout
I had a positive impression of this small campground, located just 5-7 miles away from the 215 highway, amidst natural surroundings. I can join many activities here such as playing merge fruit. However, I was taken aback to discover that the campground was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It would be great if they were open full-time, although it didn't affect our stay as we had planned to leave by Monday night. While the bathroom facilities could benefit from some renovations, the actual campsite itself was quite enjoyable. Despite a previous reviewer mentioning that the road near the campground was busy, we personally didn't find it bothersome as there were only occasional cars passing by during the day, and the traffic volume was relatively light during our visit
Guide
The turn is not marked well, in fact the coordinates are a little bit off. If you miss the turn like we did you have to go 5 miles or more to get a turnabout big enough to turn around. You climb a big steep hill to get to the turn in. On the way back down from the turnaround we almost burned out or brakes. We decided not to go to the site because it looked like a one lane road and too tight for our 35 ft bumper pull. Disappointed because pictures from others looked great and it is a beautiful area. We found a spot near the road that I’ll post for others.
Guide
This is our second stay here and probably our last. It was super expensive this time and we were put in the back (overflow) lot which name I use loosely as when it rains it floods. Had to park the car at the office so it wouldn’t float away. Upon our arrival my husband pulled up in our 42’ 5th wheel and parked to go into the office. There is a painted line on the curb where I guess you’re supposed to park but our unit would have been longer and wider than that space provided. She also could have used some tact and nicely asked if he could park the unit in the space provided but she was asking for a fight. He went to register and a lady with longer gray hair and glasses, who I’d seen there before, greeted him with..you need to park by the curb in the designated area- you’re blocking my driveway!! That kinda set the tone. He said I thought you’d open the gate so I could get out of the way. About that time I pulled up in the car and he was storming out the bldg saying I have to get out of the way- park in the designated area! So I went in and couldn’t understand why he hadn’t registered already. She very hatefully said I told him to move he was blocking my drive! (There was nobody out there but us). The tone could have been better, but I wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation- she took my information and said you’ve been here before so you know where you’re going! Maybe she is the owner or maybe an employee but it wasn’t a great way to start off our 2 wk stay at the rate of $2k! She was a real bitch!
Scout
Nice sized spot. We stayed on site 15, with a great view. Fire pit came in handy with a cooking grate and parking spaces are large enough for a small RV.
RangerI went on a Wednesday afternoon in May and got my pick of sites. There were only 4-6 other campers each night so it was very quiet. Bathrooms were clean and supplied with TP.
No AT&T service. Only one car per campsite.
Traveler⭐⭐⭐⭐
Our experience at Bonelli Bluffs Campground was mostly positive, but there were a couple of aspects that could be improved. As a family with young children, we were hoping for playgrounds or similar amenities to keep them entertained throughout our stay. Unfortunately, the absence of such facilities meant we had to get creative in finding ways to occupy their time during downtime.
Additionally, while the campground's proximity to the lake was appealing, the walk to get there was longer than expected, especially with little ones in tow. This made spontaneous trips to the lake less feasible and slightly inconvenient.
However, despite these minor inconveniences, the campground itself was well-maintained, and the surrounding natural beauty made for a peaceful retreat. The staff were also friendly and helpful, adding to the overall positive experience.
In summary, while Bonelli Bluffs Campground could benefit from adding playgrounds and reducing the distance to the lake, it still offers a pleasant camping experience for families looking to reconnect with nature.
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.
GuideWe didn't particularly care for the area, it was not far enough out to feel like in serene nature but still far to drive to anything. Well kept campground, enjoyed the mini golf (probably our favorite TT mini golf so far) but weren't too majorly impressed overall. It didn't help that it rained a lot and the streets turned into lakes - so not only did you have geese on your roof but also right outside your door. ;)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Costa Mesa, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Costa Mesa, CA is China Camp State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Costa Mesa, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 tent camping locations near Costa Mesa, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
