Looking for the best options for tent camping near Laguna Niguel? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Laguna Niguel, including sites, reviews, and tips. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, 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
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.
$60 - $120 / 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.
This secret off-grid getaway on 56 acres gives stunning views at private tent sites with hiking, bird-watching, and wildflower-spotting. Relax in the shade of a eucalyptus grove, enjoy the sun shining over the sage scrub, enjoy the dark night, and find the hidden waterfalls. A short drive to Temecula, Diamond Valley Lake, and Lake Skinner, our private, scenic campsites offer both serenity and nearby activities including wine tasting, restaurants, hot air balloons, and paragliding. We are 100% off-grid with no hookups or potable water sources (yet), no showers (yet) in the middle of a conservation area. A significant portion of our proceeds goes directly to a local non-profit for habitat restoration efforts and other bird study projects. We hope to attract campers that want an off-the-beaten-path type experience without having to go to the mountains.
Lupine Campground is located next to Bass Lake. Cedar Bluff Campground is adjacent to Lupine. Lupine is quieter and set further back from the lake than Cedar Bluff, and each site offers more privacy.
This general recreation area is located on the north side of Palomar Mountain.
Scout
Campground is separated by large parking spots (class A/C or travel trailers) and the other is geared towards smaller setups (smaller trailers and tents). Some spots have great shade over the picnic table (we hung our hammock on ours), and all of the tent sites have fire pits. Some units are on a slope so keep an eye out for that if you are tent camping. Bathrooms were clean and showers have token dispensers right by the showers. Got pretty cold at night.
Guide
Sweet Oaks winery campgrounds has 16 sites available for both tent camping and RV’s (no hook-ups). It’s pretty close to grocery stores and big box stores just in case you forgot some gear/supplies. They have a beautiful well-kept property with super-clean restrooms (no showers). They do have a water hose for you to fill up your tanks or Jerry cans. They didn’t allow campfires due to high fire danger though. You’ll have to bring your own fire pit setup if they ever allow them in the future. It was a beautiful walk around the vineyards but there are also hiking trails nearby. It’s off a road suitable for road bikes but there are also mountain bike trails nearby. They have equestrian activities also available for guests. We were able to get our tin top Eurovan to fit on one of their tent sites which offered a beautiful view of Temecula valley. The wine tasting room was closed due to the pandemic but you can order wine online and they will deliver to your site. One more thing, we counted about 8 hot air balloons as we had breakfast!
Scout
Have camped at new port dunes several times, they have a beach front for group tent camping on the sand, and also have tent camping in the resort. You can camp with RV's, Trailers, tents, and they also rent out cabins. In the middle of the lagoon they have blow up obstacle in the water to climb on.. great place to relax. It's pretty pricey because it's a resort but well worth the trip.
ScoutDoes not allow tent camping
Traveler
Cottonwood is for the true RV’ers. Lakeside is more for tent camping. Nice park for family camping.
GuideWalk to the beach is kind of long. Camp is on the bluff! We tent camped and had a good time
Scout
The Dyrt shows "Tent" sites, but it's only for RVs
Traveler
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.
Scout
Best tent campground
ScoutWe tent camped here. The campground is large, so most spaces have a lot of room. Lots of amenities for those that need them. Short walk to the beach. Some seasons, the beach is very rocky and difficult to swim.
Ranger
We had a group of five here for a weekend of tent camping, and it was great. The campground is small which means everyone is fairly close together but everything is nearby. Head down to the water for surf!
Scout
I went here as a first stop, the people are lovely and nice, the views are stunning and there is right enough space between the slots so you don’t feel like you’re in each other’s privacy.
Bathrooms are cleaned the whole day through, the hiking trails were closed when I was there. But the birds are flying around you and the squirrels are free to welcome you when you get there.
Campgrounds are close to Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel, it’s about a 30-45 minute drive.
It can be that you could hear cars driving through because its close to a frwy. You’ll get used to it, or bring earplugs.
I RECOMMEND THIS PLACE! Try it out for yourself!
Legend
Spot #45 is very private, I highly suggest this spot!! I don’t tent camp, and there is a spot to pull my van up which was perfect! Dogs are only $1 a night & they have a small snack stand during the day
Guide
Campsites are fairly tight together. Our tent site was second row, intermixed with rvs. But being that close to the ocean was wonderful! You just can’t beat falling asleep to ocean waves!
ScoutSuper beautiful area (obviously), with a tent site overlooking the beach (but fenced in). Wish we could camp on the actul beach but that is rare. There was privacy and it wasnt overcrowded.
Guide
We tent camped here. The sites are TIGHT sand the campground crowded. BUT, the tent spots are ocean front. It was wonderful! so for that I could overlook the crowded sites. It is more for surfing than playing in the waves on the beach, there are rocks spread out making it less enjoyable for kids, but our crew were happy there.
Traveler
Stayed for a quick weekend when hubby still had to work. no tent camping, but RV and wood cabins. easy to get in and out of but the 91 freeway is overhead and loud. Nothing stopped us from enjoying ourselves and relaxing. bike path nearby as well as washing and having fun.
Scout
If you want tent camping on the coast, this is one of the few SoCal offerings that provides. The shortcoming is the proximity to the railroad, especially that 4am freight line which I’d be shocked didn’t wake everyone up who was tented. Other than that, the wave is worthwhile, but will require a lil hoofing to get ya there. Amenities were better then anticipated
Scout
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 ⛺️ 🙌🏻
Traveler
Great all around campground. If you are new to tent camping this place is great for getting familiar with your gear before you go out and "rough it". Bathrooms, showers, swimming pools, activities for the kids, general store, etc. A little on the expensive side but you will know where your money went once you have arrived. 15 minutes East of Temecula.
Traveler
Very well maintained campground with RV and tent sites. It’s right on the PCH so you get some great views of the pacific and the beach is just across the highway. It’s a bit noisy since the PCH is a heavily traveled highway and isn’t very remote, if that’s what you’re looking for. Great campground for families.
Guide
This campground is close to the 15 and 215 interstate freeways, with easy access. It is better to make a reservation then to just show up. There are RV sites and tent sites as well as group camp sites. Not much to do at the campground but if you go across the street to the park there is fishing and picnic areas.
Guide
This is a great park in Southern Orange County. I have tent camped here for years with my kids in the Live Oak campground and never had a bad experience. There are hiking trails everywhere with lots of wildlife to watch. I switched to a travel trailer several years ago and now use Ortega Flats campground. The sites are big and well spaced, with 30 amp electric. The water is off for the time being. The dump station is very close by and easy to access.
Scout
We tent camped here. It’s a nice campground, clean with lots of amenities for those that need them. The vegetation is mostly brush, so not much shade from trees. In the summer, that can make it very hot. The walk to the beach is long for small kids, but if you want to gamble for a parking spot at the beach, your camp pass allows you to park at several nearby other beaches. They had a great Junior Ranger program offered, our kids loved it!
GuideThis was my first California camping experience. South Carlsbad State Beach makes camping easy. The beach is close by and the facilities are clean. It's been a few years since I've been, but I don't remember a lot of trees. It's very convenient and easy to camp with your family, especially if you enjoy the beach. A lot of people around us had campers. We were tent camping, so although it was easy to set up the ground was a little hard when putting in the tent stakes. We were there during the summer, so the day time can get a little hot. But when it gets hot, head to the beach to cool off! Aside from the hard ground and minimal trees, it's still a great place to camp and quite a popular one as well.
Scout
The place is exactly as advertised. Hosts are kind as can be but give you your space as well. We had campsites 5 and 6 and it was perfect. Would highly recommend this site for those looking for a tent camping experience. You could not even see the hosts house from the site and we had 10 plus people very comfortably. We went to the local dog friendly wineries which Marcella recommended for the day and came back for a sunset hotub. We could not have been happier with it all.
Ranger
After experiencing both amenities this place is more or less for RVs and 4/10 as for they do have the tent camping on the steep incline and not too many sites but for RVs couldn't be happier plus the people here are nice and friendly you do have your Karen's but you're going to have them everywhere we enjoyed the lake the view the weather it could have been better over here will definitely be returning you can stay for 20 days and then you have to leave for 60 days and that's fine with me I'm looking forward to returning
Tent camping near Laguna Niguel, California, offers a variety of scenic locations where nature enthusiasts can enjoy the great outdoors while setting up camp under the stars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Laguna Niguel, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Laguna Niguel, 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 Laguna Niguel, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near Laguna Niguel, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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