Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Malibu, CA

Just to be clear, I love lake Casitas. I grew up camping here with my family. The reason I’m writing this review is to warn pet owners about the abundance of foxtails and burs. We have 2 poodle mixes with med-long hair and they both ended up with their fur filled with burs and foxtails. So much that it required a vet visit. This was from a weekend camp in our RV that had a large rug and they have raised dog cots.

Nice spot if you don’t want to drive far. Fantastic views. Get there early to get a spot with shade...we arrived in the late afternoon and the only spots had zero shade. It was so hot!! Sites are relatively private and pets allowed.

Hardly anyone there when I went in March and felt like I had the place to myself! Hot showers and picnic table available. 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!

Even though you are lined up next to your neighbors, noise just doesn’t carry because the roar of the ocean is so loud! It’s amazing to fall asleep to. We loved exploring the sand dunes across the street and even saw a pod of dolphins! Restrooms were well maintained and staff was friendly. A huge bonus is that it was pet friendly, but most of the trails around are not.

This was our first trip with our new motorhome and first camping trip ever.  The staff was really friendly and accommodating.   The grounds are nice and very large.  Sites are easy to navigate and pull into, especially for a first timer.  

The RV sites are pretty close together but the full hookups makes it really nice.  Will stay here again and they are very pet friendly which was nice.

Casitas Lake near Ojai in Ventura County has something for everyone, especially parents with children off from school in the summertime. The campgrounds are spacious and clean and there are at least six different types from basic tent on dirt all the way up to executive motorhome with all hook ups. Prices vary from 35 to 55$ for tents on dirt to 65-75$ for RVs with hook ups.There is also a charge for a vehicle, boat, pet, etc. The highlight for families though is the waterpark. Open during the summer, it’s perfect for the younger kids when it’s hot.Always check current Covid restrictions as most water parks are closed.

This is a very nice campground near everything but still away from it all. No issues parking our 42' 5th wheel here. Clean and quiet despite the peacocks. They can be rather loud when startled. I swear they could hear my morning alarm and squawked their disapproval. The camp host Shawn is AMAZING! Bathrooms are very clean. Showers are coin operated. DO NOT expect cell service. I could only work from this spot by placing my mobile HomeFi router on top of the camper. Our Verizon phones were paper weights. Make sure your reservations are complete online before arriving. The Rangers check the spots multiple times a week. The kids enjoyed the playground and fields. It's not uncommon to see and hear movie/TV production crews at the filming locations along the road. Pet friendly but be careful at night. Mountain lions were spotted while there.

This is my second stay at this RV resort. Both times I was here the Rangers would not enforce any rules and regulations. This particular stay there were two RVs with excessive dog barking from 7 AM till 10 or 11 PM every day and night. 

One RV was parked right next to the restroom and they would tie their dog up to the picnic table for over 12 hours a day. Every time someone walk down the sidewalk to use the facilities, the dog with lunch and start barking at them. The manager and the other Rangers said they do not care and did not enforce anything over a three week. This was an aggressive dog that was lunging, and I’m very concerned that it will break loose invite somebody. None of the Rangers have any concern for our safety.

 The second RV left two dogs and a cat alone for 12 hours a day. They left the windows open and the dogs with aggressively bark and how all day long. Again the Rangers did not care and did nothing about it. Brian, the manager, and three other Rangers witness the dogs in the window, barking aggressively, and refused to do anything about it. 

My neighbor and I called over 20 times to the Rangers. I even personally met with the manager Brian. He said he would take care of it and he never did. The Ranger name by the name Sandra said that she was unwilling to do anything about enforcing the rules, and that if I didn’t like it, I should move. I informed her that I’m paying her salary/wages and I expect her to do her job. She hung up on me. She is completely useless, and should be removed from the staff. 

I’m not sure why Thousand Trails system as allowing Rangers to collect their paychecks without doing their job. 

I regret purchasing by thousand trails membership. If I wanted to hear dogs barking all day, I would stay at a dog boarding kennel. Beware before you visit or purchase a membership through thousand trails Soledad Canyon. Chances are you will regret it.

This is a great small, hike in camp ground with no privy but decent tent sites. There's no running water but the creek is usually running so come prepared with your own water and something to treat the creek water with. Check for fire restrictions and dig your cat holes at least 200 feet from the water. Or bring WAG bags and pack it back out. Very much like Hoegees campground. Good for families abs Scouts.

We liked this campground.

Pros: Campsites were large and many had a decent amount of privacy. Try an pick one up against the mountain so there are no people behind you. An easy walk to a beautiful Malibu beach is always a plus. There is a separate beach for dogs, a major reason we’ll be back. Water and bathrooms close. Showers hot. Scenery is great, both mountains and beach to gaze. We went during the week so campground wasn’t full but I would have liked it if it was full

Cons: a bit pricy at $60 a night for an RV electric only site. Bathrooms could use a facelift. Our site was great except for some empty beer cans and broken glass here and there.

neither pro nor con: no cell phone service in the campground. About 10-15 minutes away from gas and other stores. The little general store has limited hours, so dont rely on having a close place to get things you forgot.

Close by in northern Malibu, it’s perfect for a weekend getaway, close to beach / surf. Hot tip, bring bikes to get to the beach.

Showers cost $1 for 4 minutes, but dollar must be converted to tokens first. Clean bathrooms and showers with multiple trash receptacles available! Very close to Malibu Canyon Road and houses

We loved out time at Malibu Creek State Park. There are beautiful trails and the sites are well maintained. The showers were cold but did warm up (there is an additional charge for the showers). We will definitely be back. 15 minutes from Pepperdine too.

I had spent many summers camping with friends at Leo Carillo State Park. Various campsites with easy access to one of the best beaches in Malibu. Close to everything fun in So Cal- Close to The Pier, Malibu, Hollywood, LA and more. Camping under the oak trees and in a small canyon. Lots of local wildlife- deer, coyotes, hawks, snakes, bugs and tidepools on the beach.
Camping in tents and RVs. Cold foggy mornings from overcast however it clears up. Cool or cold nights and mild days. Decent wading into the ocean and good surfing all around. Not too bad with rip-currents and is great for younger kids too! The rangers at this park love to entertain the kids and they have lots of Jr Ranger programs through the local surrounding areas! Look for them! One of the best beach camping locations in So Cal HANDS down! It gets crowded quickly so book early