Best Tent Camping near Descanso, CA

Recent Tent Reviews in Descanso

1051 Reviews of 17 Descanso Campgrounds

• W

  Wes L.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 9, 2024

  Dos Picos County Park

  Great Setting, Peaceful, and CLOSE to home!

  This place is a jewel, and if you live in San Diego, right in your backyard! Rangers are super helpful and friendly, the campground is clean and quiet, and the setting is beautiful. There’s a tranquil pond, nice hiking trails, places for kids to play…. Just a fantastic option close to home for locals and well worth consideration for visitors to the area.

• 

  E.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 2, 2024

  Blair Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  Great escape from the city!

  I followed the coordinates provided and it took us right to the trailhead. We saw a few other campers but overall, the campground was ours for the weekend. We did some light hiking and exploring but otherwise took advantage of the peace and quiet that was available to us. Gorgeous sunsets and sunrises and epic star gazing! Being a dark sky community, we were able to see so many stars and constellations. We saw shooting stars nearly every minute and we were also able to find Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus,  and Neptune all with the naked eye! Next time we will pack a small telescope and I'm sure we will see more! 

  Watch out for cactus and needles that are buried in the sand. It is not recommended to bring dogs or walk barefoot for this reason. Our sandals and boots both had many needles stuck in the rubber soles after the trip. Being in the valley, the winds were very light but there is a possibility of strong winds and sand storms so be prepared. Temps averaged 70-75 during the day and dropped to 38-42 at night but with a small fire and proper gear, we were plenty comfortable. Fire rings are provided at some locations however the ranger informed us we could build a rock ring and line it with tin foil which worked great. 

  The road in was a bit rough in some areas. Wash out and silty sand could pose problems for smaller vehicles or campers so use your best judgement. Single track roads in/out so you will need to yield off the main road when encountering larger oncoming vehicles, which could also be difficult for inexperienced offroad drivers.

• F

  Frances L.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 1, 2024

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Too close to highway

  Campsites are right on top of each other. Highway is breathing down your neck. Beach is nice though.

• 

  Sade H.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 30, 2024

  William Heise County Park

  Fun but Dusty

  We went in October with our AHG group. It was great and super dog friendly but WOW so much dirt created so much dust in the air and it got on everyone and everything. With that being said… TONS to do! Such beautiful sights to see! The drive up was amazing. They had plenty of water to wash and drink with a lot of bathrooms as well.

  You can walk trails, stargaze, take your bikes around and so much more!

• 

  Sade H.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 29, 2024

  Observatory Campground

  Love this place!

  I brought my family with our 2 dogs for Thanksgiving and unfortunately we left early because it was a major danger for our dogs with the very bold and brave coyotes.

  We tent camped but I feel like if we had an RV it would have been safer for the dogs.. for us alone with out the dogs, tent camping would have been fine!

  Other than that. BEAUTIFUL!!! We loved every single moment from the colorful drive up to the stars and checking out the observatory which was also pet friendly. It’s SO FUN to see all the different color leaves and the sunsets, the sunrises, the crisp air, the views on the way up….all of it was so beautiful.

• 

  Jeff T.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 21, 2024

  Dixon Lake Campground

  Great forestry feel. And good price ($30)

  We stayed here multiple times to car camp and have stayed in sites 3, 6, and 28. We really enjoyed site 28 due to the spectacular views of Escondido. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because their can be some creepy people occasionally like some old guy was following my son in his car. But other than that we had a good stay. If you are in a camper I would recommend Escondido RV resort instead due to the more inviting feel (we stayed there in our Coleman travel trailer). But if you car camp a lot like myself I would recommend staying here at Dixon lake. Great stay overall👍😊

• 

  Osborn T.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2024

  Rancho Los Coches RV Park

  Natural Language Processing

  I would like to emphasize that the implementation of natural language processing(NLP) technologies https://lightpointglobal.com/services/data-analytics/data-science/nlp-services can significantly improve customer interactions. With the help of solutions such as chatbots and virtual assistants, you can automate answers to frequently asked questions and provide round-the-clock support, which will increase customer satisfaction. NLP also allows you to analyze guest reviews, determine their mood and extract valuable insights from open data, which will help in further development and adaptation of services. Language translation capabilities expand accessibility to an international audience. Thus, integrating NLP into software allows you to improve user experience and increase the efficiency of business processes.

• W

  Wendy R.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 22, 2024

  Dos Picos County Park

  Harassing Ranger

  I have never had a bad experience at a camp ground with any ranger. They have all been wonderful. Not at this park. My registration tags went to my home so I did not have current tags. I had to have a family member collect my mail and forward to me on my travels so it was delayed. I did have a receipt which I was required to provide. However, the ranger barged into my campsite in a huff, treated me as if I were vomiting a crime and demanded my receipt on the spot in front of all. It was quite over the top. Later the same man barged back into my campsite throwing accusations at me that I hadn’t paid my measly $4.00 parking fee and breaking the rules of the park. He had the nerve to argue with me after I explained that in fact I had paid. He backed down after realizing I had. He then returned to harass us for the kids using chalk. There were kids from several campsites using chalk. We apologized and made them clean it up, no big deal. But the ranger was didn’t simply ask for it to be cleaned. He was threatening and confrontational. I dealt with one other ranger here who was quite nice and helpful but this other was awful. I discovered I was not the only one to have this experience here. I would recommend Sweetwater or Lake Jennings in San Diego area or Aqua Caliente where they are quite friendly. Yikes this was horrible

• C

  Charlie W.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 22, 2024

  Provisions Farm

  Delightful Area, Delightful Hosts

  Wow, Highland Valley is beautiful!  This is a great place to camp your RV - especially if you love the farm vibe.  We stayed in the front spot, up against the property line, which felt private.

• 

  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

• 

  Kyle F.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 17, 2024

  Champagne Lakes RV Resort

  REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS!

  Let's start off with the fact that this"resort" has REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS living there and TWEAKERS SELLING DRUGS. When I mentioned it to the management they could care less, didn't say a word and walked away laughing. They DO NOT perform ANY BACKGROUND CHECKS and especially with children in the park I find that very disturbing. They nickel and dime you for every little thing and the rent has gone up 3x in one year. The water supply smells like sewage when you take a shower. Because they do pump outs the resort smells like human excrement most of the time. The lakes are polluted as well and completely full of cyanobacteria AKA green algae which is a respiratory hazard. POTENTIAL BEWARE.

• 

  Gabriel S.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2024

  Pine Creek Road Camp

  Nice quick and easy getaway

  Quite easy to get to. I drive an Acura RDX and had no problems (I actually had a lot of fun driving the road). 

  There were way more flies than we were expecting. Prepare to get swarmed. Luckily just gnats and no mosquitoes from what we experienced.

  We applied for a permit on Friday and did not get it by Saturday when we departed. Luckily, no rangers patrolled during our stay.

  Some spots with good shade.

• 

  Lisa D.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 11, 2024

  Mission Bay RV Resort

  Wasn't Thrilled

  Overpriced for a dirt spot, no ocean view at all. Ocean view sites full of expensive RVs that can afford the price. No market or cantina, for those you have to walk to Campland, not a short walk. Should've just stayed at Campland

• d

  david

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Pine Creek Road Camp

  Peaceful and secluded

  A great spot if you want to get away and enjoy some alone time. It’s a little warm in the day in august this time of year so you can’t hike around or explore too much. My girlfriend and I stopped in Julian on our way out to get a late lunch and then head to the campsite. The road is paved until you turn off Lone Creek Road and then it is a dirt road. I have a stock Rav4 and it was able to drive on it although there are a few spots you need to be careful at so you don’t scrape the bottom of your car. We only spent one night but we never saw another person during our stay

• 

  Glen C.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 29, 2024

  Laguna Campground

  Wonderful for dry RV or tent camping

  The scenery is incredible and varied from deeply forested to open meadow.  There are miles of hiking trails.  The campground layout is nice and for many of the loops it is possible to find a site that feels separated from your fellow campers.  This place fills up during the weekends in the spring through fall seasons, so book sites early on recreation.gov.  As implied by my title, there are no hookups here so any RV camping is dry camping.  For RVs with a good solar array, it is possible to find open spots that keep the energy flowing throughout the day.  There is one loop dedicated to longer RVs.  As a personal note, I don't recommend Site 62 for RV camping - it is angled and has some erosion issues coming off of the asphalt pad.  I have been to this campground several times as both a tent camper and an RV camper and have not had any problems with cleanliness of the facilities or excessively noisy neighbors.

• 

  Rose D.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 9, 2024

  Blair Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  Quiet

  Peaceful dispersed campground. Wide open great views. Didn’t even know I had neighbors until I walked around in the morning and saw neighboring campers over the hill. Clear skies when I went back in November, could get pretty windy. Saw some coyotes pass by my camp.

• 

  Madisyn L.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 28, 2024

  Woods Valley Kampground

  So beautiful, quiet, and very nice employees !!

  My fiancé and I were last minute camping and this campground was beautiful, quiet, and very aesthetic! There is a lot to do near by, a very convenient store about 5-10 minutes away called valley center foods! Employees were sooo sweet and friendly! DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! Ps isn’t that expensive when tent camping ⛺️ 🙌🏻

• 

  Bo L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 21, 2024

  Oceanside RV Resort

  Solid spot for being near the beach

  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.

• J

  Jeff E.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Pechanga RV Resort

  Pechanga

  Great rv resort. Close proximity to casino.

• 

  anna I.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 10, 2024

  Kitchen Creek Road

  Decent spot to stop

  Pretty small spot off the road, does get kind of loud from cars but overall a decent and clean spots

• J

  JOSE V.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 23, 2024

  Observatory Campground

  Great place! Bad timing!

  The pictures can be deceiving. It’s beautiful there, however, other than the picture showing flat ground, and wide space, this isn’t accurate.

  This time of year, mosquitos and flies everywhere to the point where it really ruined the experience. No matter what sprays, lotions, candles or anything we tried, it was not working.

• d

  daniel H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 19, 2024

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Nice Camground!

  Nice campground. Mostly no hookups, but has toilets and fresh water throughout. Great little restaurant serving pizza and snacks over looking the ocean. Beach access. Lots of sites.

• M

  Michael

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 12, 2024

  Silver Strand State Beach

  Could have been 3 stars without road noise

  This is an RV only camp. All units need to be self contained. They lock entrance gate and restrooms around sunset. Sites are about 25 feet wide, mostly level. But no separation between sites. Road noise is high. A pedestrian tunnel under the road leads to San Diego bay and an aquatic center that rents kayaks and paddle boards. Also nice hiking trails overlooking the bay and navy ships. If you ant a beach camp and don’t mind road noise or very close neighbors, this may be just for you.

• 

  Carter M.

  Scout

  

  May. 30, 2024

  Blair Valley Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  Beautiful area but lots of bugs

  Here in late May and the bees and other bugs have been nonstop on me the whole time I've been here. It's a really beautiful area and the spots are spacious

• N

  Nani D.

  Scout

  

  May. 27, 2024

  Pine Creek Road Camp

  Dispersed Camping

  This was a last minute Memorial Day weekend trip with my boyfriend and 2 dogs. Friday sent an email to SM.FS.DescansoRD@usda.gov requesting the free permit (after doing research and finding out you need one), filled out the form, and got it back in the same day. Easy to get there, easy directions once there just make you pass the sign that says leaving the recreation area after that you can find any spot and camp. It was a little bumpy but nothing too bad. Drove with my jeep renegade that isn’t a 4wheel drive. A little busy due to the holiday but not too bad. Cyclist riding by, vehicles, and hikers. Which was nice saying hi. Hardly any service for my carrier which is T-Mobile. Definitely will camp out here again.

• 

  Russ S.

  Scout

  

  May. 23, 2024

  Yaqui Well Primitive Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  Nice but small sites, easy access, good views

  I don't think this map pin is correct for Yaqui Wells Primitive Camp, the location according to Google Maps is a little further south just off Yaqui Pass Road off Highway 78. There are two different camps similarly named, Yaqui Wells and Yaqui Pass, fairly close to each other. Anyway, we stayed here at Yaqui Wells for one night after attempting to camp at Blair Valley but getting swarmed by bees. Only saw 2 other vehicles, and while the sites are pretty small and close to the dirt road, they are nice enough. BE AWARE THOUGH: pull your vehicle well into the sites, we had 6 lifted off road trucks come flying through around midnight at a ridiculously high speed without slowing down at all and it could have been catastrophic if we were closer to the road or if we had been walking our dog at that time.

• A

  Andrew C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 12, 2024

  Corral Canyon Campground

  Incredible Privacy

  Saturday night in May. All other public campgrounds nearby are booked solid, but there are only 3 other groups here beside me. 1 camper told me the CG is always empty. Why? Because it's at the end of a 7.5 mile dead-end road in an OHV area, yet no OHVers here. No piped water, but the creek is flowing in mid-May of a wet winter. So peaceful. Lots of shade.