Best Glamping near Lake Forest, CA

Great time “glamping”. Close to home with all the amenities!

Great clean campground, beautiful views, short walk down to the beach! Lots of hiking trils around, or take the walk across the beach to the shake shack! Definitely recommend for a local glamping trip!

We spent 4 nights here. The park is renovated and clean. Best laundry room I’ve seen in our travels. Sites are gravel with a concrete pad and picnic table. Each corner has a super bright street light. Thank goodness for blackout shades. The lake was closed due to algae bloom. They have a great area of vintage trailers that can be rented, as well as some super nice yurts. The restaurant was only open one of the nights we were there. Not impressive. We were the only diners there. We explored the area. As it was winter, there wasn’t much to do.

Much like most California Beach Campgrounds, it is very crowded with little privacy. The beach is great but it is basically a glorified parking lot

Great place to camp in Southern California. Beautiful beach!

Luckily Booked last minute on reserve California (the worst web thing ever) on site 49. Looks like there is a oven view from every site. Close to beach and shopping.

Gorgeous oceanview campground! Clean restrooms and showers. Nearby grocery store. Beautiful visit to California coast!

Parked van sideways to get more privacy and went to shower and came back to a ticket. I didn’t read the camp rules, figured you could park any way you want in your site like all the other state park in Southern California.

One of best beach campgrounds in California. Beach is right there next to camping. Restroom and shower are clean even though too many people there

Hard to beat the scenery here. Camping cliff side along the beach in Southern California. The camp grounds are a little cramped. Seem more designed for RV’s and trailers but we don’t mind. You can take dogs here and hike down to the beach from trails 1&6. Bathrooms are clean. Only outdoor showers though. I’ll go again!

Fun beachside campground in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Not quiet or remote at all. Nice local market and lots of restaurants nearby. Great surf spot. I’ve dry camped here many times and have always enjoyed it. Dog friendly beach! *on leash

In the back of a small town 2 miles behind a stater brother's. Most sites are near level on gravel and close together. Laundry uses quarters or a third party app to pay. Geese send birds roam around sites. Menifee is central to the southern California mountains of north south and east in addition to the beaches 1-2hrs west.

This park is great for all Southern California natives to get away for the weekend. Has clean facilities and the campgrounds have ample space between them. This area has a ton of beautiful landscape, during the fall/winter wonderful foliage appears. Leave no trace & enjoy our lands!

It's classic California beach camping. Spots are fairly close together, and it's more like a parking lot than a campground. That said, the beach is great, and the river mouth is great for surfing. Walk across the street for groceries, food, etc. The worst part is trying to get a spot secured.

This is a great family campground right around the corner from Temecula, Murrietta, and Menifee. It has tent, partial, and full hookup sites along with a camp store, fishing, biking, bathrooms, and day use areas. The lake is beautiful and boating is also an option. The fishing costs an extra fee per day on top of your California State License, so it’s a bit pricy. There are also nice hiking trails near the campground.

We have stayed at San Onofre State Beach a couple times. The campground is on the bluffs, and nearby Old Man's beach has some of the best beginner's surfing waves in Southern California. The day use area gets crowded quickly during the summer, so be sure to arrive early. If you don't want to camp on the bluffs, consider heading a bit inland to San Mateo Campground, which connects to the beach via a 1 1/2 mile nature trail. It's a bit of a walk if you are carrying a lot of gear, but much quieter and more spacious.

If you’re headed to San Diego, be sure to stop and check out Carlsbad just off of the 5. this awesome beach town is quintessential Southern California beach awesomeness and it is absolutely gorgeous. Camp right off of the beach as well as have access to local shopping and restaurants. While you camp, you’ve got to check out Carlsbad cliffs for some stellar views. There are also loads of beach activities like whale watching, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and paddle boarding! My secret spot for the best fish and chips EVER is close by in Oceanside called “Harbor Fish n’ Chips.” Be sure to check this place out!

It’s pretty crazy to be camping among the million dollar homes but thankful we can. It’s a beautifully maintained spot on the cliff overlooking the ocean. So much nicer than many of the Southern California beach spots in that there is a bit more space and it's much nicer than a parking lot. Plus the fantastic benefit of miles of hiking trails right from the back of the campground and the ocean and beach right in front. Something for all. And if you want to go have a posh meal or shopping that’s just a minute away too.

Be sure to go take a look at the Crystal Cove cottages while here, it’s a pretty special spot. Try and hit up the Shake Shack too!

Only downside is not being able to have a fire but we just used our propane portable fire pit. Spots in the back have hookups and spots in the front are tent. The tent spots are a bit nicer and would fit small trailers.

South Carlsbad State Beach is extremely crowded (like many coastal campsites in Southern California), but has very easy access to your own space on the beach below the cliffs.

We scored a last minute site because the weather was cold and windy on a Saturday in February, otherwise BOOK IN ADVANCE.

There are lots of RVs, kids riding their bikes, and dogs galore, all of which are fun, but if you’re looking for a private site, look elsewhere!

Fire Pits and a picnic table at each campsite and plenty of area to park your car and set up a table/easy up/etc.

If you book on the West or Ocean side, only a chain link fence separates you from the beautiful sunsets the Pacific Ocean has to offer!

This 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.

Overall I’d rate this park a“meh.” It’s an okay location, across the highway and a short walk from a “beach” (more like a little beachy play area), though it’s also right up against the train tracks. Oceanside as a town is pretty cute, depending on which part you're in. You’re also a very close drive to Lego Land and not too far from San Diego and such. Since campgrounds in Southern California tend to be very, very expensive, this one falls about in the middle.

The spots were okay. Not too tight, but not cute. There's some fences and scrub-trees in-between the spots, so that helps a bit. There’s also a dog area, which is helpful. Bathrooms okay. Nothing special. Like I said, mostly a “meh.”

When we were there, there was also a bit of construction and such going on. In reading other reviews online it looks like there’s a new owner as of some time in 2019, so it may end up nicer in the future. But as it was, I’d try somewhere else first if you can find other options more to your liking.

If you wanna go on a surfside southern california adventure and keep it fun and cheap then this place is great. People do yoga on the beach, buy tacos after surfing all morning and you can walk along the beach for miles and see so much for so little of those treasured SOCAL beach scenes. You are near a little bit of beach town so you can buy anything you crave from a nearby gourmet market and meander along a beautiful garden walk behind the campground across the highway. Bums and beach hobos sneak through the fences a lot so watch yourself after hours by the restrooms or toward the far corners of the place. Bathrooms are minimal, showers need tokens and seemed to be cleaned industrial prison-style by a large butchy crew with a big hose, scrubby instruments at the end of poles and a bottle of bleach. The sites aren't private but at the beach everyone is on display so you get used to it. Bring a cruiser and your dogs and kick back at this great albeit crowded and maybe even a little too loosely run joint-- I mean, campground. The taco shack adds to the paradise resort vibe here, except unlike a resort, the tacos are actually GOOD!

Only open during a portion of the year this campground is the true beach camping experience. While it can be used for day use throughout the year when I first visited this area I was so upset that it was not open and instead ended up staying at another campground.

Upon my return I had to check it out and now it will be my exclusive campground when in the San Onofre area!

The views of the ocean are amazing from the sites. There are pull in spaces that you can park a small RV or adventure vehicle or green space for tents. I noticed a lot of surfers pulling in when I was there and hiking their boards down the bluff while others pulled in by the Camp Pendleton Beach front for the rocky beach shores.

The facilities include outdoor showers and sinks and nice bathrooms. It is perfect for a visit to the beach where you don't need a lot to make you happy.

Stairs stagger down the bluffs toward the beach where there is a lifeguard stand and a vast beach area for anyone wanting to brave the cold waters. It is a perfect place to catch the sunset on any given night as you can see for what seems to be eternity.

During the open season on weekends it fills up quickly, during the weekdays it is kind of busy as well but there are still some walk up spaces available. I would suggest calling for reservations in advance just to make sure.

Camping on the bluffs is a bit more expensive than I typically would be wanting to spend to stay in my tent, $40 dry camping. No hook ups are available at sites and with the exception of some picnic tables there isn't much else to talk about in way of the actual location. You will also find that there is an additional fee if you reserve online for "convenience", that was annoying but standard for all campgrounds in California.

Everyone I met there had such a chill vibe and so it made for a great camp.

One perk to the expensive fee is it does allow you access to the San Clemente beach area which has hot showers and a little different view to check out!!

TIPS:

• If trying to walk in arrive early otherwise there will be little chance of snagging a spot.

• Bring your firewood because there is none to forge and none available at the entrance.

• Pack a wetsuit the water is COLD so if you are planning on being in and engaging in any water sports you will be thankful!!

There is one reason and one reason only to stay at South Carlsbad Campground, and that is Carlsbad State Beach. It's a pretty convincing reason. The sand is perfect. The waves consistent. The water warmer than normal (which probably isn't a good thing in the long run, but it feels like the Caribbean Sea right now.

The actual campground is huge and narrow with one road splitting the sites down the middle. All the sites are roughly the same with the major differences being depth and the amount of shade. The ocean side sites are premium priced ($50 during peak season) and the road side is more affordable ($35) but still pricey for a campsite. Especially one that has no privacy and is backed up against a highway. The Pacific Coast Highway but still. Sites are on sand, have a picnic table and a fire pit...and that's about it. If you're lucky, we weren't, you'll have some shade or privacy to one direction or another. Not many sites do so google earth it if you can. There are pay showers, flush toilets and a camp store with booze, ice cream bars and flip-flops if you forget yours.

And it's busy...all the time. Most sites are booked in advance most of the peak seasons and the camp also acts as the access point for locals and tourists accessing big portions of the beach. With nearly 200 sites and additional traffic be prepared for sand always being kicked up, kids wandering aimlessly and noise from generators, partiers and traffic.

That all sounds not so great, but the location of the camp on the cliffs overlooking the beach is still pretty great. It's not Big Sur, but it if you're looking for beach you won't find a finer spot to camp just about anywhere in SoCal. San Elijo Campground down the road is a smaller version of Carlsbad SB but is also hard to get a spot in without reservations.

Overall, I'm giving Carlsbad SB Campground 2 1/2 Tent Stakes of Awesomeness. It isn't wilderness, but it is the beach. The location makes it worth it. Car, RV or Van camping is more fun that tent camping just because of all the sand, and to cut down on noise, and surf spots within walking distance. 

Pro-Tip #1: California has its own reservation site now. reservecalifornia.com. You can still see the basics on reserveamerica but can't actually reserve it. The new reservecali site is kind of a dick.

Pro-Tip #2: The far south end of the camp has the most shade/privacy brush, and only has sites on the ocean side so you'll have far more privacy.

Pro-Tip #3: Google Earth your site. The difference between sites next to each other is big when you're talking about any versus zero shade.

Pro-Tip #4: Pizza Port Brewing for pizza and beer. You'll be glad you did.