Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Lebec, CA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Lebec is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Lebec and user-submitted reviews.
"At the top of the Cuddy Valley road is a large parking lot (Adventure Pass required) for the hiking trail to the top of Mt. Pinos."
"Park at the lot up top, then walk about 1/2 mile to campground via dirt path. Plenty of sites. Old rustic bathrooms work well. Picnic tables at each site."
"This place you can drive up to the site. You can find any place to camp out. There is a small creek but it is really small. Lots of animals in the night."
"If you have 4WD and a strong stomach, you can squeeze all the way up the mountain to a beautiful campsite at the end of the trail at the top of the mountain."
$10 / night
$5 / night
"Spots have picnic and fire pits available, with clean newly updated bathrooms near by. Lots of big boulders and trees on the landscape, providing ample shade and beautiful full trees in the summer."
"*** this review refers to the Oak Flat campground along the Sespe trail and is accessible by backpackers only, 7 miles from Piedra Blaca parking lot***."
"Outdoor safety is the most important thing for the owners."
"Pros- great scenic, good hikes, plenty of trees and fire rings Cons- it is on a popular ohv trail (Miller Jeep Trail) so there can be a little traffic on the weekends if you’re in the site at the top of"
"No access to showers, but restrooms are clean and have sinks. Beware of rattlesnakes. Lots of cool trails within 15 min walk of camp sight"
"The information desk and the rangers were kind and nice. I’ll definitely go back again."
GuideAt the top of the Cuddy Valley road is a large parking lot (Adventure Pass required) for the hiking trail to the top of Mt. Pinos. Off to the other side is a dirt trail on the edge of a meadow, after about 200/300 yards is Chula Vista Campground. The camp sites vary greatly in size and flatness, so check around for the good ones.
First Come First serve camping, with some great spots overlooking the nearby meadow. The sites were clean and decently spread out, with fire rings and picnic benches.
It can get pretty windy up here so make sure your tent is staked down well. If you don't have an Adventure Pass, Mountain View Mini Mart in Frazier Park is the closest place i know that sells them. $5 a day, or $30 for the year pass. (you can get a second year pass for only $5).
Met a guy named Bob and helped set up his telescope in the parking lot, he let anyone who wanted check out the amazing night sky!
Pros: Free camping!
Great hiking nearby.
Shady, clean sites.
Great sky gazing!
Cons: Lots of flies, very active during the day.
Bathrooms were pretty messy. below average for vault toilets. Bring extra TP.
GuidePark at the lot up top, then walk about 1/2 mile to campground via dirt path. Plenty of sites. Old rustic bathrooms work well. Picnic tables at each site. Brought my dogs here and they had a blast, plus no ticks found. Plenty of hiking directly around this campground. Stayed here for three nights and found plenty of exploring to do nearby. Highly recommend, especially because there is no fee. Being said, Pack it in and pack it out! Leave No Trace principles are crucial to keep this place beautiful
GuideIt’s a nice drive to get to the campground. Nice clean area with lots of space. Love it that’s it’s a Walk in campground so no cars or RVs. Lots of Hiking trails nearby. It’s a lot cooler up here so it’s a nice way to get away from the summer heat. Awesome area for stargazing. The bathrooms could use some cleaning but other than that it’s a beautiful area.
LegendGeneral: This is not an official campground but due to its proximity to the Pacific Crest Trail, the owners make it available for tent and RV campers as well as members of Harvest Host.
Site Quality: There are no designated sites so you can park where it best suits you on a large and level gravel lot. Since there was a strong wind advisory to last through the night into the next morning, Jessica recommended we park along the trees, and this made for an effective windbreak. There is also an additional gravel lot where the only other RV camper stayed so we had privacy.
Bathhouse: I was hoping for a vault toilet so was pleasantly surprised to find flush toilets with a sink, soap, and paper towels. No showers and no hot water.
Activities/Other Amenities: Take a tour of the ostrich farm – we learned a lot and it is worth the $10pp. At the end of the tour, you can purchase ostrich oil (many benefits), ostrich eggs (sometimes sold out), local brews, local honey, and a few other items. Other amenities include a propane bbq, fire ring, picnic table, and electric outlets (located by each light pole by the stage/dance floor which is also used for weddings and other gatherings). There is also a peaceful garden and a playground. Other activities include ax throwing and archery, neither of which we tried. (A girl scout troop was doing archery when we were there). Quail Run is a family-owned business and everyone we talked with was very welcoming and communication was thorough.
Note: the gates are closed between 5 pm and 8 am (7 pm-7 am during the summer). If you need it, cell coverage via Verizon is available.
TravelerBeautiful location. Close to town. Walkable, hike-able, bike-able, rideable via paths. No dogs on beach. There is a dog beach further up the coast. Sites are pretty tight. Lots of families and tent camping. Need token from kiosk for showers. Train comes by every once in a while. I stayed in Santa Cruz in my 25’ motorhome with no hook ups. Had my own picnic table and fire ring. May stay again only because of the nice walkable paths. Watch where you step near the tar pits.
LegendWe stayed here in June as part of a 3 week camping trip. Foster Residence was the closest to a city that we've stayed in, and that was apparent during the stay (i.e. we had 2 fuel canisters stolen, odd people obviously tweeking coming in the middle of the night and screaming obscenities the next morning, a couple families setting up next to us for the weekend for late night partying, lots of road traffic, etc.).
There are some reviews for this campground under Foster Park Campground. That is a separate campground right next to this one separated by a little nature trail. The same camp host manages both. Foster Park CG is RIGHT next to the road. But it does have a swing set with like one swing if that sways you. Foster Residence is otherwise the better choice.
The tent sites are further back into the trees and there is a lot of shade. When we pulled in, there was an oak branch down on top of our fire pit and picnic table. We tried to get the host, but he was unavailable. The next morning he stopped by and said he'd get maintance. I told him they can leave the wood next to the fire pit and we could burn some of it, and that's what we did. That came in handy because there were tons of biting flies. The smoke helped to control them while we were at the campsite. And on the subject of little flying things, there are also a lot of wasps in the area that LOVE meat. So if you are going to try to cook meat, just be aware that they will consider it theirs lol.
The bathroom is separated into male and female and the female has 2 toilet stalls with flushing toilets and stall doors that work and lock. Also a sink with running water, coconut-smelling hand soap, and hand dryers with warm air. I'm assuming the mens is similar.
The tent sites do not have electricity (normal for a tent site). We stayed for 6 nights and on the last morning we received a notice from a "park ranger" that privacy tents are not allowed due to sanitary concerns? That's like national park-level control-freakness there. There IS full cell service at site 14 and other random places in the campground area. There are no showers, no store, and there is plenty of potable water.
Overall, it was nice being able to tent camp so close to the beach (the reason we came to the area was for my son to take surf lessons... we live in the Midwest) and also not be IN the city. But the area was definitely not my kinda bag. Still, if I had to go back to the area, I'd probably stay again.
ScoutWe stopped here on the way from SF to AZ in October. There are lots of open spots, FCFS. Vault toilets and trash cans scattered throughout. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. There is a nature trail nearby although we didn’t have time to go check it out. Cost was $18 paid in envelopes at the entrance.
ScoutI attempted to go to another campground, but there were no spaces available. I noticed a sign for this campground as I was driving back & took a chance on it. The road to it was a little rocky, but I have an old Nissan sedan which it handled it just fine. This campground is first come first serve, but also free. A man at one of the campsites told me you are supposed to have a Forest pass, which I do. There is no water or bear boxes, but there are vault bathrooms & a fire ring w/ grill. There was a Boy Scout Troop there & one of their Scout Masters brought sanitizer & bleach to clean the bathrooms, which was kept by the door.
There is no host, which, my luck, meant the group of guys in the adjacent campsite stayed up very late drinking alcohol and talking loudly. I had to sleep in my car. But I would absolutely go back to this place. It was (mostly) quiet and very clean & peaceful.
GuideThis campground was really nice for a last minute trip. We could have campfires so that’s always a plus. The bathrooms were clean and maintained. No showers but we only stayed one night so it wasn’t an issue. BEWARE OF BUGS! During the day there were a bunch of wasps so keep that in mind. It was annoying trying to eat. Besides that it was a quiet and clean spot! We stayed at campsite 15 and there was plenty of shade. Some of the other spots are not so lucky and have little to no shade coverage. I think each site has a picnic table that I saw. Tent sites and rv sites with hookups! Only like 10-15 minutes to Ventura beach! Definitely would come again!
Tent camping near Lebec, California, offers a variety of scenic locations perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With options ranging from well-reviewed campgrounds to unique amenities, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Lebec, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lebec, CA is Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos with a 4.5-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Lebec, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 38 tent camping locations near Lebec, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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