The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Mission Viejo. Mission Viejo is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
$35 - $175 / night
"The campground was not busy and this allowed me to pick a spot hidden away from others. There are restrooms and a place to get water, but when I was there the showers were closed. "
"This walk-in campground is part of China Camp State Park. Only 33 tent-only sites! Wheeled totes can be borrowed to haul your gear up some little hills to your campsite under oak and bay trees."
$60 - $120 / night
"It is very hot during this time so we ended up going down to the Lake to cool off. The campground was very well priced and it had bolted toilets and a water spout. No showers or sinks. "
"The bathrooms are decent, no showers.
We stayed in group campsite A. Tent camping is only allowed in group sites. They do have about 30 to 40 RV sites as well."
"Great tent camping facilities, privacy from neighbors, access to Zanja Peak Trail head, 3 lakes for fishing, water park during the summer, and friendly helpful staff"
$12 / night
"Although the restroom are very dirty but overall it was a great stay!"
"Tucked away at the top of a precarious winding mountain road. It is very basic, simple and beautiful."
"I am glad we pitched in a tent instead of paying for the high price hotels in town. The campground have toilets, running water, and showers."
"We took the ferry to two harbors and walked up all of our gear to the site."
"Great campground that is very accessible to the trans Catalina trail."
"Each site has a picnic table and fire pit. You have to find or bring in your own wood for the fire. There’s two bathrooms and a public, open shower. Fresh water is available too."
"Only 30 mins walk or 5 minute bus ride from downtown Avalon."
"I stayed here Labor Day weekend for tent camping! So, since I don't plan to camp here again for awhile, I should let you in on the secret(?) that
thebest campsite is Site 29!!!"
"If you’re backpacking through here, I highly recommend you stay the night. A camp site includes potable water, fire pit, picnic table, food storage box. Everything you need. Porta potties available."
"If you’re backpacking the Trans-Catalina trail, this is one of the best spots. Great views of the sunset, spaced out campsites with water spouts at each one and a 6 mile hike from airport in the sky."
"This is a backpackers campground. First come first serve, picnic tables and fire rings included. I think there is only about 8-10 sites. Nice creek flows though the campground."
"This is a hike in campground that has stoves and a creek running through. The sites are nicely spaced and there is plenty of shade. Perfect little backpacking trip."
"You can only access this campground by backpacking in. There's about 12 campsites with picnic benches and fire rings. There's a creek that runs through. it's beautiful and feels completely isolated."
"Hoegee’s is 2 miles hike from Chantry Flats by way of the Lower Winter Creek Trail. The site is named for Hoegee’s resort which stood just upstream."
LegendTucked on the outskirts of Mission Viejo is an oasis of green grass and groves of the twisting and searching limbs of Coastal Live Oak trees. If you stuck me in the middle of this park, I’d never know that I was miles away from the sprawl of suburbia of a major metropolitan area…shhh don’t tell anyone.
There are 3 campgrounds within this regional park -- one soley dedicated to RV's that require electrical hook-ups (Ortega Flats), a group campground (San Juan Meadow), and another which is a mix of tents and off-grid RVs (Live Oak). This review is specifically for the off-grid Live Oak Campground which s aptly named because you’ll find yourself enjoying the ample shade of these amazing arbors, but plenty of sun to run our solar powered system.
The campsites can be reserved but there is plenty of room for first-come first-served travelers as well. The sites offer enough space to tuck away a tent in the corner, or set up the longer trailer, as well as the typical picnic table and fire ring. Plenty of port o potties are scattered throughout the campground and served the large groups gathered here on Easter weekend. We indulged in making a fabulous brunch of Wood Fired Waffles to celebrate the holiday! As of April 2023, they were still experiencing a well water issue, so no water was available from the faucet, but the river running through the park was useful for obtaining water to wash dishes.
Hiking, biking and horseback riding trails meander throughout the park. The campground borders on a small creek for fishing, but is off-limits to wading and swimming because of the instability of the opposite bank. Keep an eye on the kids! Be sure to check out the volunteer-run Nature Center on the property which is full of great information about flora, fauna, and native history.
The closest store for firewood, and groceries is just a few miles back toward town. And, the closest beach is just about 30 minutes away, so a great option for a day trip.
GuideGreat campground that is very accessible to the trans Catalina trail. The campground has potable water, lockers, vault toilets, an outdoor shower (very cold water), trash cans, picnic table, fire pit, food storage box. Foxes are common on this campground as they look for any food, campers may leave behind so make sure you clean up after yourself
RangerI recently moved to WA from Los Angeles so this review is legit 😁 This was and still continues to be one of my favorite campsite close to Los Angeles, I have plenty of fond memories with close friends at this site. It’s completely exposed all the way to the top, a well worth 3 mile uphill hike to three different camp sites. My favorite is the middle site where you get a clear view of the city, beautiful views at night. They say there’s no water but there is, there’s a spout located by the restroom close to the museum, you’ll have to treat it before using (but don’t take my word for it, they tend to shut it off so take plenty of water for your time there and check it out if you need more) If you continue past the middle campsite to the upper site, you’ll have plenty of space for tents and hammocks just no view due to the trees on the edge. If you continue on that trail for another 3 miles i believe, you’ll get to idlehour campground. It’s a small site right next to a creek, you can continue on to Mt Lowe campground and inspiration point. Back to Henninger, plenty of trees for hammocks and sometimes they have firewood collected. At the museum you can buy soda cans so take some change. Hauling a 24 pack of cold Modelos in my pack was not fun at all, but boy did they taste good at the top hahaha. Bugs can get annoying so carry some bug spray, hang your food and PACK IT OUT!!! Leave no trace behind.
GuideThis 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!
GuideThis is one of the most beautiful campgrounds I have ever been too. The view of the beach and the palm trees and all of it is amazing! If you’re backpacking through here, I highly recommend you stay the night. A camp site includes potable water, fire pit, picnic table, food storage box. Everything you need. Porta potties available. Careful with all the buffalo poop. There is almost no cell coverage here except on top of a large rock on the shore.
RangerThis is more of your traditional campground where you must carry all your food and gear to the campsite. It is a short hike from the parking lot to the camping area and the camp hosts can provide containers to carry your items. The campground was not busy and this allowed me to pick a spot hidden away from others. There are restrooms and a place to get water, but when I was there the showers were closed. There are many hiking opportunities and chances to see wildlife (deer, wild turkey, rabbits, squirrels, racoons, and birds). Sites include fire pits, picnic tables, and food storage box.
TravelerIf you're looking for primitive dispersed camping, this is probably not your spot.
If you're camping with kids, it doesn't get much better than this! We stayed at campsite #58 which we felt was very large are private. Will definitely come back.
For our purposes:
Pros:
Cons:
LegendThis is a backpackers campground. First come first serve, picnic tables and fire rings included. I think there is only about 8-10 sites. Nice creek flows though the campground. No bathrooms beautiful hike in. Close to the camp that's up there
LegendIf you live in LA and you're looking for a close place to get away for the weekend, O'Neill Campground is perfect. It's close to civilization so you'll have easy access to lots of shops and markets, but you still can enjoy the great outdoors. This campsite is definitely more family-oriented so you'll see lots of youth groups at the group sites. Campsites are large and spacious, but you're quite close to your neighbors -- don't expect much privacy. Each campsite has a paved driveway, fire pit, grill, and a picnic table. The showers and restrooms here are pretty incredible. Great water pressure and FREE hot showers. If you like hiking, this place will be great for you. Depending on how much of a work out you want to get in, you can choose your trail and length of your hike. Along the hike, you can get great views on the peaks as well as enjoy all the beautiful cactus along the path.
This place is very family oriented so you'll see lots of children and youth groups here. They have fantastic group camp sites that can accommodate groups of 50+.
Note: No alcohol allowed on the park grounds.
Nestled in the heart of Southern California, Mission Viejo offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for adventure and relaxation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mission Viejo, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mission Viejo, CA is China Camp State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 10 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near Mission Viejo, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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