1 campground with availability this weekend
Point Mugu Recreation Facility and Ventura Ranch KOA house upscale glamping accommodations near Malibu, including yurts and luxury canvas tents equipped with comfortable beds, electricity, and climate control systems. These glamping sites offer a higher-end alternative to traditional camping while maintaining a connection to the surrounding natural beauty. "We loved the glamping option with real beds and private bathrooms," one visitor noted, "it was the perfect combination of outdoor experience with actual comfort." The safari-style accommodations feature private decks overlooking scenic mountain views, while some units include kitchenettes and outdoor dining areas for a complete glamping experience. Both locations provide linens, towels, and furnished interiors that create a boutique hotel feeling in a wilderness setting.
Hiking trails directly accessible from these glamping resorts connect to larger trail systems throughout the Santa Monica Mountains, allowing for exploration of diverse ecosystems and panoramic ocean views. The rock climbing opportunities at nearby Malibu Creek State Park attract outdoor enthusiasts year-round, while the glamping sites themselves offer organized activities like nighttime stargazing programs and guided nature walks. A recent visitor mentioned, "The sunset views from our yurt's private deck were absolutely stunning, and we loved having hiking trails just steps from our door." Ventura Ranch KOA's geodesic domes feature large windows for stargazing from bed, while both locations provide fire rings at each site for evening gatherings. These glamping accommodations remain open year-round, though advance reservations are strongly recommended during summer months when demand peaks.
"This campground has several trails and there are many others within minutes away. Showers are token however machines are right there. Fire pits on every site as well as concrete picnic tables."
"The drive up to the campsite and view from any location in the park is gorgeous. There’s lot of families and big groups around - so great for big groups but not if you’re looking for peace and quiet."
Available this weekend
from $45 - $225 / night
"It was a quick drive up the coast and onto this hidden gem. You get access to a private beach with gorgeous California hill views of PCH behind you. Perfect place for families or even RVs."
"It's on the landward side of the pch and feels like you are away from everything. The beach is accessible by a short walk that goes under the pch, so no crossing this busy road."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $45 - $60 / night
"Really incredible location, was snow to book last minute by calling and checking for availability. Can't reserve by phone but was able to confirm availability."
"It is accommodating for some different size vehicles and has direct beach access and some amenities such as fire pits on the beach. It’s hard to get a better view than this one"
from $65 - $80 / night
"All are location by the base MWR outdoor recreation facility which has all kinds of beach and camping gear available to check out, like snorkels and surfboards and more, and staff to advise about local"
"This is a wonderful campground right next to the beach however it is only available to the military and their families."
"There are clean flush toilets, water and fire pits available. Also multiple hiking trails right from the grounds, and some playgrounds and basketball courts. Feels very family friendly."
"Stayed here a few times — quiet except for trains electric and sewer hook ups"
"It was a lovely, quiet park that I was surprised to find tucked away in Fillmore. On the Saturday night that I stayed, it was lively with BBQers and families, but quiet by 10."
"It’s tucked away from the street and you almost wouldn’t know it’s there! Loved this small and well kept campsite. Some of the sites are very small."
"It had beds for a total of six people. It was hot in the daytime, and got really cold at night, so we switched to a Glamping tent. The Glamping tent was nice!"
"Our lot was secluded, private and close to the entrance/exit. The only thing was the unlevel ground we were on. Our RV was a simple 30’ rental without any leveling."
"A nice feature, (we did not take advantage of), is there is a water slide park near the entrance. As far as I know, this is a separate fee, but nothing astronomical."
"We couldn’t have been more pleased with the location we chose!!"
"Gorgeous location right on the lake, the waters clear and there’s a generous amount of trees surrounding for shade."
"Just a 1 min walk down the hill to the lake - a perfect place to have my morning coffee! They allowed pets which is awesome. Super quiet, lots of stars, and a beautiful view. Couldn’t ask for better!"
"It's a very hot campground close to a road and train. Sites are big. Tons of things to do for adults and children."
"Pool is also not heated. Good restrooms and showers. Bathrooms are heated for those cold days. Plenty of bathrooms around."
ScoutBeautiful spot on seal Beach naval weapons command base. A bit pricey, but has showers and free laundry facilities seems to be on the flight path to John Wayne Airport beautiful grounds must have a DBIDS card to get in and out of base if not military.
ScoutBe careful which showers you use because the older ones are not in good condition and the newer ones still have trouble maintaining warm water.
TravelerNice spot with great hiking. Limited facilities. No hookups. $1 for 2 minute shower (tokens).
TravelerThey speak so highly of Dockweiler RV Park, but they forget to say that it has no WiFi, and poor cell phone reception as well. I reserved a space, they made me pay in advance for the whole 3 weeks. They helped me park the camper… avd they never said anything about no wifi. I feel the rv site has been misrepresented. “Oh, well, wifi works in the office, but not even 5 spaces away”. I live alone in my RV. No wifi means I’m sitting here alone in a dead RV. Lonely. Everyone has wifi, yet they don’t mention they don’t , nor even cell phone reception, usually. I get only 1 bar
GuideStopped here on a Friday night after spending the day in Simi Valley. It was a ghost town, with only one other campsite occupied that showed no movement or activity at all. The train isn’t running in the overnight hours, so that’s a plus, but the vibe at the lower campsite is making it tough to sleep nonetheless. Two stars for a clean bathroom.
GuideSite 49 is a large drive-in site with plenty of room. It accommodates up to two vehicles and has a picnic table and fire ring. There’s communal water nearby, and we’re conveniently close to the restrooms, which have flush toilets. There are no electrical hookups, so plan to be self-contained for power. One of my favorite things about this particular site is the shade. We have several trees around us, which makes a huge difference during the day. At the end of September it’s around 85° and sunny. It’s a little windy today, but sitting here in the shade is incredibly comfortable. And then there is the view. 🌄 That may be the best part of Site 49. The mountains are right in front of us, and the view is just beautiful. Morning coffee with three beagles stretched out in front of me and those mountains in the background? I'm not complaining. The campground itself has been very quiet during our stay, with relatively few other campers around. The camp host has been friendly and helpful, and the whole place has a peaceful, uncrowded feel. It’s also pet friendly, which obviously matters when your camping crew includes three beagles. 🐶🐶🐶 They have been loving the sunshine, shade and all the new things there are to sniff. A few things to know: this is a non-electric site, the driveway is gravel, and this isn't a fancy resort-style campground. If you're looking for hookups and manicured RV pads, this probably isn't it. But if you want space, quiet, shade, flush toilets, water nearby and a mountain view that looks like that for $45 a night? I’ll take it. Site 49 is going on my “come back here” list. 🌄💜
RangerJust far enough from the highway to have almost no noise. Nice loops into small valleys. Good spacing of sites, clean enough restrooms. Not very busy on a September Saturday. Some bugs, but I don't think they bite.
GuideSome of the campground seems very nice and some is the exact opposite. Pool is very nice and HUGE. But, there are entire sections of this campground that have just faded into non-existent. The bathrooms aren’t great. There are a lot of stationary campers(or what looks to be…) which isn’t really our favorite site to see. But, it was included with our membership and we aren’t going to leave to go pay for somewhere else.
RangerWe had spot 11 which was great (view! Low and thus close to the beach! although it only just fit our small 4P Kelty Late start on the level spot, there was a lot of room.
Toilets are Dixie's which aren't always clean and have banging doors, avoid the campsites close to them. I would also avoid the higher campsites including the rentals, as the hike to the beach becomes annoying.
Did a great hike to Cat Harbor overlook. Tough climb but beautiful.
The walk from ferry to campsite is short (less that 10 minutes) especially for this site (which is closest) but contains a steep hill and rough gravel. There is firewood service (15$) and luggage (10$/item) but we didn't need it. Shop normally has delivery service with temp cooler but was unavailable. Well stocked but expensive.
Camping options near Malibu span from sea level beach locations to inland canyon settings at elevations up to 2,500 feet. The coastal Mediterranean climate keeps temperatures mild year-round, with summer highs rarely exceeding 85°F at the beach and winter lows seldom below 45°F. Most campgrounds in the area operate year-round due to these favorable conditions, though coastal fog can roll in during summer mornings.
Beach exploration: 10-minute walk from Leo Carrillo State Park to tide pools and caves where kids can discover marine life. "The best part about this campground is definitely the beach access- it's about a 10-minute walk from most sites, and you can explore some amazing tide pools and caves once you get there. The kids loved searching for hermit crabs and sea anemones," notes a camper at Leo Carrillo State Park Campground.
Fishing: Direct beach access at Point Mugu where you can fish right from the shore. One visitor at Point Mugu Recreation Facility shared their experience: "Beautiful Beach! Great place to go fishing, watch Sea Lions and Birds. Walking my dog on the beach. Watching the sun rise and beautiful sunsets."
Hiking: Multiple trail options at Malibu Creek State Park connect with larger networks throughout the Santa Monica Mountains. A recent visitor reported, "The state park is a former movie set and is filled with easily accessible trails for hiking and some for mountain biking. The primary trails were open fire roads with off-shoots to lakes, pools, meadows, and more. It was easy to imagine you weren't anywhere close to the city."
Disc golf: Full course available at Lake Casitas Recreation Area that provides a less strenuous activity option when temperatures rise. "The most fun is the water park. You can take a break from the heat and tube down the lazy river. Also there is a disk golf course," mentions one reviewer.
Proximity to beaches: Leo Carrillo offers beach camping with ocean access that's rare in Southern California. According to one visitor, "The campground is tucked away in a beautiful canyon setting with lots of shade trees, which was really nice for keeping cool. Our site was spacious enough for our two tents and had a good fire pit and picnic table setup."
Wildlife viewing opportunities at Point Mugu where visitors regularly spot sea lions and various bird species. A camper mentioned, "We watch seals, ducks and more swimming around the beach. We practically had it all to ourselves. It was quiet and well maintained."
Shade availability at Oak Park campground provides relief during hot summer days. "The park is kept well groomed, and the lower lot is loaded with shade. I'm betting we'll be coming back, again, after our up-coming reservation," notes a satisfied camper at Oak Park.
Water recreation at Lake Casitas includes boating and a water park with a lazy river for cooling off. One visitor shared, "The lake offers fishing and boating, no body contact. There are several campsites around the lake. Some lakefront and some wooded. There is a Park store conveniently located."
Token-operated showers: Budget $2-4 per shower at Leo Carrillo State Park. "Facilities were decent- bathrooms were kept fairly clean and showers worked well, though the token system($2 for 2 minutes) takes some getting used to," reports a camper.
Peacocks at Ventura Ranch KOA are beautiful but can be loud and messy. "Peacocks live there! They roost in the trees and just mingle with the campers without a care in the world," explains a visitor at Ventura Ranch KOA.
Airplane noise at Dockweiler Beach RV Park is constant due to LAX flight patterns. A recent visitor explained, "You will hear each and every if the planes taking off from LAX, but at one point you don't hear them anymore. It was not really annoying, but that flight at 5a was..."
Train noise disrupts sleep at Kenney Grove Park. "This site provides a pretty nice location close to home. The train however is also close and very loud!" warns one camper.
Bring a wagon for beach gear when staying at Leo Carrillo. "Bring a wagon if you're hauling beach gear though, as the walk can feel long with all your stuff," advises a camper.
Kid-friendly activities at Ventura Ranch KOA include zip lines and a jumping pillow. "From zipline obstacle courses to tie dye classes, this KOA easily occupies kids and has teepee and cabin rentals available for glampers, but nice showers, clean bathrooms and a roomy pool area really make this campground 5 stars," shares a visitor at Kenney Grove County Park.
Water park access at Lake Casitas provides splash time for younger children. "The water park. You can take a break from the heat and tube down the lazy river," mentions a reviewer. "Cute and perfect for families with small children. My son is 11 and all he could do was the lazy river."
Playground equipment at Oak Park offers entertainment for kids. "There are clean flush toilets, water and fire pits available. Also multiple hiking trails right from the grounds, and some playgrounds and basketball courts. Feels very family friendly," notes a camper.
Site selection at Leo Carrillo requires planning for larger rigs. "It is a huge campground with paved pads for cars and RVs. Many of the site had huge shade trees that you could fit several tents under," notes a visitor. The campground features 30 and 50-amp hookups with a dump station.
Consider dry camping at Dockweiler for more space and better experience. "The RV park has a hookup area and a dry camping area. The hookups are full of large rigs, very close one with another, in a parking lot style. The dry camp provides much more space, but only relatively small RVs," advises a camper at Dockweiler Beach RV Park.
Site leveling challenges at Ventura Ranch KOA require preparation. "Our lot was secluded, private and close to the entrance/exit. The only thing was the unlevel ground we were on. Our RV was a simple 30' rental without any leveling," warns a recent glamping visitor at Ventura Ranch KOA, which offers glamping close to Malibu, California.
Limited space for large RVs at Malibu Creek State Park. "Nice campground for a big state park. Good for Hiks and bikes. Some interesting movie TV sets in the area. Decent cell coverage. Best for tents, tight for RVs," cautions a camper at Malibu Creek State Park Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Malibu, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Malibu, CA is Malibu Creek State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 46 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Malibu, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 23 glamping camping locations near Malibu, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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