Best Tent Camping near Guadalupe, CA

Tent campgrounds near Guadalupe, California primarily consist of primitive sites within Los Padres National Forest. Barrel Springs Campground and Colson Canyon Campground offer established tent sites within driving distance of Guadalupe, though recent reviews indicate Colson may be permanently closed. Miranda Pine Campground sits atop a mountain ridge with panoramic views extending to the ocean on clear days, providing a more remote tent camping experience.

Most tent sites in this region require significant travel on unpaved roads, with several campgrounds accessible only via rough dirt roads. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for reaching Miranda Pine and Bates Canyon campgrounds. Basic facilities are limited, with vault toilets available at most locations but no drinking water, requiring campers to pack in their own supplies. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with most campgrounds allowing fires in designated rings when fire danger is low. A California Adventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year) may be required for overnight camping at certain locations within Los Padres National Forest.

The tent camping experience near Guadalupe offers solitude and natural beauty with stunning mountain views. Miranda Pine provides 360-degree vistas from its mountaintop location, while Brookshire and Bates Canyon campgrounds offer more sheltered settings. Many locations feature oak tree cover providing partial shade for tent sites. Proximity to hiking trails makes these campgrounds good basebases for day hikes or longer backpacking trips. Wildlife sightings are common, with one camper noting, "I have seen bears and mountain lions so be prepared for that." Weather conditions can change rapidly, with some exposed sites experiencing significant wind, particularly at higher elevations. A visitor mentioned that Miranda Pine "did get very windy that night" despite its spectacular views.

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Best Tent Sites Near Guadalupe, California (12)

    1. Colson Canyon Campground

    6 Reviews
    Santa Maria, CA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 968-6640

    "Few fire pits and tables a couple flat spots for camping, 30-45 minute drive from Santa Maria. Drive slow down the dirt road as to not upset the residents of Colson Canyon."

    "Bring water. But 100% recommend."

    2. Barrel Springs Campground

    2 Reviews
    Los Alamos, CA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 925-9538

    "There's plenty of tree and shade coverage, nice spread out spots to set up camp, and good nearby hikes.

    We stayed here during our PCT thru hike after crossing mile 100."

    3. KOA Campground Santa Margarita

    2 Reviews
    Santa Margarita, CA
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 438-5618

    "The lake is 1/2 mile away, so very convenient. The park is loaded with really nice hiking trails. We are enjoying our weekend stay."

    4. Brookshire Campground

    2 Reviews
    Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 925-9538

    "private road that would be a great way to get to this campground if the gate was not locked talking to the US Forrest firemen across the street they said if that road was open it's about a 15 minute drive"

    5. Miranda Pine Campground

    4 Reviews
    Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 968-6640

    "Picnic tables at each site. Named for the larged Pine tree at the top of the mountain. Sunset and Sunrise views are incredible. Brought my dogs and they loved it."

    "not stay at this site but I did stop on my way back into town it's well taken care of and has a 360° view literally at the top of a mountain so that's the good and that also makes it the bad too if winds"

    6. Wagon Flat Campground

    1 Review
    Los Padres National Forest, CA
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 925-9538

    7. Arroyo Hondo Vista Point Rest / Camp area

    11 Reviews
    Solvang, CA
    42 miles
    Website

    "The entrance and exit are build for traffic going south, so you have to be comfortable doing a freeway u-turn if you're going north."

    "This is a California Highway rest area right off the 101 just north of Goleta/Santa Barbara. As the sign says, one is allowed to park their 8 hours."

    8. Bates Canyon Campground

    4 Reviews
    New Cuyama, CA
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 925-9538

    "Don’t know why people are saying it’s remote when there’s a main highway only a few miles away and ranch houses near by and cell Service."

    9. Lazy Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Los Alamos, CA
    26 miles
    +1 (805) 925-9538

    10. Baja Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 925-9538
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Tent Camping Reviews near Guadalupe, CA

714 Reviews of 12 Guadalupe Campgrounds


  • Amanda M.
    Oct. 24, 2018

    Nira Campground

    Nira Campground

    Nira is a small, primitive campground in the San Rafael wilderness behind the Santa Ynez Valley. The campground is a bit of a haul to get back to, and is often used as a base for backpackers entering the San Rafael wilderness or the Manzana Creek trail. I myself have only tent camped at Nira, just to go somewhere different - my boyfriend and his friends have backpacked out of Nira into the San Rafael Wilderness and to the Manzana Schoolhouse on multiple occasions.

    Nira is the second, smaller campground back on Sunset Valley Road - Davy Brown Campground is up the road a little ways. Nira is small, with only 12 sites in a densely wooded live oak grove. The oaks provide a lot of shade and help separate the various camp sites. The Manzana Creek runs behind the campground; the main road leading into Nira is right above the campground, however, you’re pretty far back in the hills, so there isn’t a lot of noise from traffic.

    Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups and only pit-toilets are available. There is NO DRINKING WATER available at Nira Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to backpack through the area.

    WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking the Manzana Trail be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trail. CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)

    Plumbed Toilets: No - vault

    Drinking Water: No

    Showers: No

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grate: Yes

    Shade: Yes

    Cell Service: No

    Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

    Trash: Yes

  • Chanel C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 16, 2017

    Morro Bay State Park Campground

    More RV campers than tent campers

    [ LOCATION -5 Stars ]

    • Walking distance to the Morro Bay Natural History Museum -- great for kids and very educational for all ages. Admission is only $3 and they have a fun Nature Shop to pick up souvenirs and gifts.
    • Bayside Cafe is adjacent to the Campgrounds. If you don't feel like going through the hassle of cooking an elaborate meal at camp, you can take it easy and eat at the cafe. It has a great view of the marina and Morro Bay Rock.
    • Campgrounds is a stone's throw from the marina. This is especially great if you enjoy being by the water. A lot of campers bring their own kayaks, canoes, SUP boards, etc.
    • Less than 2 miles from the Embarcadero where there are shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, boat tours, and water equipment rentals. It's a beautiful walk, an easy bike ride, and a quick drive into town. Best part, FREE PARKING everywhere! Also, plenty of public restrooms that are relatively clean.
    • The campgrounds is right by a large and well-manicured golf course. So that's cool…if you're into golf!

    [ AMENITIES -4.5 Stars ]

    • Plenty of showers and restrooms throughout the campgrounds. Some are not all operational but it's not that far of a walk to get to the next available one. PRO TIP: Exchange your shower tokens at the check-in Kiosk. A lot of the token machines were out of order. 2 tokens for $1. Each token buys you 2 minutes time.
    • Firewood & fire starters can be purchased at Camp Host sites. $7 for a bundle and $1 for firestarters. The profits go back to CA state parks :)
    • Sites are very close together and not very spacious or private. Each campsite comes with parking for 1 car, a charcoal BBQ grill, a firepit, bear box, and picnic table.
    • There are plenty of shared water spigots for potable water by every site. Make sure you turn it gently because the water pressure is super strong and you'll get a ton of splash back.

    [ CLEANLINESS -5 Stars]

    • Restrooms & showers are SO CLEAN! Most of the campers here are RV campers, so they aren't really using the public restrooms. Less foot traffic = cleaner!
    • The majority of campers here are older, retired RV campers so the campgrounds are kept-up meticulously well. Everyone is very considerate and clean up after themselves. There aren't too many pests or ants either.
  • E
    May. 24, 2019

    Islay Creek Campground — Montaña de Oro State Park

    Beautiful cove

    The best part of this campground is access to the beach. We were there in early July and the water was like ice but absolutely beautiful. The campground itself was ok, it was a bit more primitive than I’m used to, but the sites themselves were nice. Each had a picnic table and fire ring. Most of the sites were nice sized as far as I could tell. There are no showers and only vault toilets so I wouldn’t stay here for more than 2 nights. Another perk is how it feels so far removed from civilization, but it’s really not.

  • Stephanie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2025

    KCL Campground

    So peaceful, really serene

    It’s a very simple place but I found it so peaceful being surrounded by the golden plains, the breeze through the big shaded eucalyptus trees, and hearing the owls near sundown. Theres also hummingbirds that’ll get up right in your face. I was also the only one at the site so that was nice. The area is clean, vault toilets kinda gross though. Very small campground, a couple drive in sites and a couple walk in sites but each drive in site had a picnic table, fire ring, and a metal pole hook and theres one drinking water spigot for the whole campground. So not bad!! Road was surprisingly smooth majority of way and has some paved parts but there was some washboard parts too. Road to get here was long though about 13 miles from the blm sign. There was paper maps at the sign area. I got 3 bars at the campground with AT&T but was spotty on the drive over.

  • Dani P.
    Jul. 12, 2019

    Miranda Pine Campground

    Secluded but difficult to get to campground

    Set atop a mountain, Miranda Pine campground gives sweeping views all the way to the ocean. Beware the road is long and unpaved, not suitable for a compact car. I did it with a high clearance 4WD and made it to the top. Only a couple sites at the top, but they are free. Picnic tables at each site. Named for the larged Pine tree at the top of the mountain. Sunset and Sunrise views are incredible. Brought my dogs and they loved it. No real services up here so its especially important to pack out all your trash and follow Leave No Trace ethics.

  • Amanda M.
    Oct. 27, 2018

    Mt. Figueroa Campground

    Figueroa Mountain

    Figueroa Campground is a 33-35 site campground behind Los Olivos, CA. It is surrounded by live oaks and gorgeous manzanita trees, so there is a lot of shade available.

    Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups, and only pit-toilets are available. Note that there is NO DRINKING WATER available at Figueroa Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to hike or backpack through the area.

    There is a a lot of hiking trails available in the nearby area. Both Figueroa Mountain and nearby Grass Mountain are extremely popular hiking spots, especially in early spring when the wildflowers bloom in late March or early April . During the wildflower bloom, the sides of the hills and mountains can look solid vibrant ORANGE from afar - the wild California poppies grow dense in this area. Purple mountain lupine flowers are also found during the wildflower bloom.

    If you or anyone in your party does not want to/cannot hike, the top of Figueroa Mountain is completely assessable by car - all of the big lookout points for optimal wildflower viewing are accessible by car, so the wildflowers are essentially accessible to everyone, hikers or not.

    The Davy Brown Creek and Manzana Creek trails are also accessible from the Figueroa Mountain area; the area is popular for cyclists and off-road cyclists.

    WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trails.

    While the campground is fairly remote in the the hills, you are only 20 minutes away from Los Olivos, and 30 minutes away from Santa Ynez. Los Olivos has a great market with groceries, a bakery/coffee shop, a deli, and beer and local wine. There are many local vineyards, wineries, and breweries nearby. The Firestone Walker brewery, taproom, and Resturant is close-by - we highly recommend their food and beers!

    CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)

    Plumbed Toilets: No - vault

    Drinking Water: No

    Showers: No

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grate: Yes

    Shade: Yes

    Cell Service: No

    Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

    Trash: Yes

  • Mon M.
    Jul. 2, 2018

    KCL Campground

    BLM site for remote camping

    A small remote site on a BLM land, so it is free but it is a first come first serve site. Not many facilities or gas stations nearby so it may be a good idea to bring extra gas if you plan to explore Carrizo Plains. It is right off of Soda Lake Road, about half a mile from the road at a shady little grove. Went on a windy weekend, but campground was nestled under eucalyptus trees so it helped. There are owls in those trees, so they were hooting loud into the night. Some may like it, but it was pretty loud. There are two restrooms (vault toilets - no water), fire pits and picnic tables. Bring your own water. No trash service so pack in and pack out. Views are nice especially if you get sites facing the open plains. Went in June so it was already fire season so no camp fire was allowed. It was a non-busy weekend, but campers arrived late throughout the evening and it was almost full. Weekdays may be pretty deserted out there. Weather can get very hot so make sure to check weather forecast before heading out.

  • Alex M.
    Jun. 9, 2022

    Refugio State Beach Campground

    Oceanside paradise with a few flaws

    This place is magnificent, and also chaotic. Its strength is its location. Every campsite is a few steps from the beach, made picturesque by a line of palm trees. There is little shrubbery to give campers privacy, but this is as it should be. Shrubs would only block the view.

    Amenities are good. Bathrooms are single occupancy and fairly clean and modern. The one I used had a high-flow faucet that delivered hot and cold water without needing to be held down or pressed repeatedly. Many dishwashing stations are also available.

    There was, as I said, some chaos: children riding scooters, children riding bicycles, children driving a Barbie jeep, children running and hollering and being rambunctious. There is also a railroad track just east of the campground. Multiple Amtrak and freight trains passed during my stay. Lastly, the wind picked up in the evening and forced me to stake down my tent more securely. All told, it was a noisy stay, but the beach made it worthwhile.

    Final note: the water here, while potable, does not taste very good. Recommend bringing a good supply of drinking water.

  • April C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 14, 2023

    KCL Campground

    Great location

    Nice and clean. Vault toilets. There’s water, but not sure if it’s potable, there wasn’t a sign. No trash service, you have to pack it out. There is an area for your horse. Walk in sites, rv/car camp/van/tent sites. It’s first come first serve, no reservations and it’s free.


Guide to Guadalupe

Tent camping near Guadalupe, California offers a variety of scenic spots for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from primitive sites to more developed campgrounds, there's something for everyone.

Some prices for tent camping range from $0 to $30

  • The Colson Canyon Campground provides a basic camping experience with no reservations required, making it a flexible option for spontaneous trips.
  • Miranda Pine Campground offers stunning views and a secluded atmosphere, perfect for those willing to navigate the unpaved roads for a free camping experience.
  • At the KOA Campground Santa Margarita, you can enjoy amenities like showers and a market, with prices reflecting the added conveniences.

Tips for tent camping near Guadalupe

  • Always bring your own water and toilet supplies, as many campgrounds like Colson Canyon Campground lack drinking water and restroom facilities.
  • Be prepared for windy conditions at Miranda Pine Campground, especially during spring, as the winds can make cooking and relaxing challenging.
  • For a quieter experience, consider Wagon Flat Campground, where you can enjoy activities like hiking and fishing while surrounded by nature.

Local attractions and activities

  • Explore the hiking trails near Brookshire Campground, which offers a secluded environment ideal for those looking to escape the crowds.
  • Wildlife enthusiasts will appreciate the chance to see bears and mountain lions while camping at Wagon Flat Campground, so stay alert and prepared.
  • The Barrel Springs Campground is a great spot for youth camping skills workshops, with plenty of nearby hiking opportunities to enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Guadalupe, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Guadalupe, CA is Colson Canyon Campground with a 3-star rating from 6 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Guadalupe, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Guadalupe, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.