2 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Newport Dunes RV Resort houses upscale glamping accommodations along its picturesque waterfront in Newport Beach, California. The resort includes several premium canvas tent options with luxurious bedding, private fencing, and direct access to the bay. Crystal Cove Beach Cottages offers another glamping experience with historic beachfront structures that blend rustic charm and modern comforts. "We've stayed twice and loved it. The beach front sites are definitely worth it," one visitor noted. Both locations provide easy access to Newport's scenic Back Bay, with proximity to beach activities and water recreation. Glamping campsites in this area feature electricity, comfortable furnishings, and nearby clean shower facilities, creating an elevated outdoor experience without sacrificing essential comforts.
The waterfront setting at Newport Dunes provides glamping guests with direct access to paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming in the protected lagoon. During summer months, the resort installs inflatable water obstacles in the bay that both adults and children enjoy. A network of walking and cycling trails surrounds the glamping area, allowing guests to explore the Back Bay's natural beauty. According to a camper, "There's a nice bike trail that circles around the bay, which is great for kids. Also, lots of amenities for families, including playgrounds, water toys, movie nights and fire pits." On-site dining options include a beachside bar and grill, while nearby Fashion Island shopping center and Balboa Island offer additional entertainment within a short drive or bike ride. Reservations for premium glamping sites should be made well in advance, especially for waterfront locations during peak summer season.
"The campsites are roped off and have a decent amount of distance between them. There is some vegetation between them but not enough to be totally private."
"It’s right on top of Pacific Coast Highway and has a beautiful view of the ocean!"
Available next weekend
from $25 - $75 / night
"evenings on the beach were nice as a lot of folks head back to the comforts of their campers. sites are close together as in all rv parks but everyone seems to respect the quiet hours."
"We arrived after dark, just as the office was closing but were able to get our information packet. Payment is in full when you make the reservation."
from $75 - $550 / night
"Crystal Cove Beach Cottages……Home away from home❤️"
"Great views, nice trails & beach walks. Great restaurant."
"Nice bathrooms and hot showers with laundry on location. Good amount of space between sites. Very short drive or 20ish minute walk to Disneyland. Extremely helpful and kind staff."
"They have a nice, small pool area, bbq areas, a club house, clean bathrooms and showers and WiFi. The R.V. Park is within walking to the Disneyland park."
from $70 - $95 / night
"Once you get into the park however, you feel like you are in a remote woods with the city far behind you."
"Rangers at entrance to check for pets (not allowed) and where you can buy bundles of wood for $5 if you want. Technically not allowed to bring in outside wood."
from $20 - $25 / night
"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."
"Showers, toilets and laundry well taken care off. Everything was great and we enjoyed every minute of our stay we will return next year!"
"Occasional bombing exercises also. Top bathrooms under construction since January but I wasn’t notified until I got there (provided ports-potties and hand washing station were stocked and cleaned regularly"
"Great Campground located immediately adjacent to a beautiful Sandy beach. San onofre State Beach Park a joints it on both North and South ends."
from $45 / night
"Easy drive up car campingnor RV. Easy hike down to the beach and you usually have most of it to yourself."
"40 per night gets you a fire pit, table, bathrooms, water, showers, and the beach view."
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $45 - $250 / night
"The host is friendly and lives on site. No pool A laundry room is available Besides that pretty basic but has full hook ups"
"Pool lacks parking nearby"
"I loved this place, this hidden gem is located in the in the middle of the city, with the feel of the outdoor."
from $76 - $88 / night
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.
GuideThis is a small campground with a lot of sites packed into it. Thankfully, it was not a full house for any of the days I was there. You can literally hear everything everyone says, every snore, every zipper, every time someone rolls over on their air mattress. There are no sites that are private. That said, I liked the place a lot.
The rangers were super nice and kept the bathrooms clean and stocked and calmly lit at night (not a blazing light). The showers were just the right temperature and cost 25 cents a minute (the first 60-90 seconds are waiting for the hot water).
Each site has access to a food/toiletry storage box. The upper loop sites have their own boxes (I think some of the lower loop sites share bigger boxes), and you can bring a lock (or buy one at Vons) and put anything you want in there or you can use the pay lockers (1.50).
You can definitely walk to town. It will take you 20 minutes, 30 if you are slower paced. The walk back is harder as it is up hill.
I do not recommend site 29, as it has no shade and it is no larger nor more private than the rest of the sites. My site was adjacent to 29 and shaded, the sites directly across from me had even more shade. There are lots of trees in the campground.
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
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.
RangerTwo long rows of spots, one beautiful ocean facing on top of the cliffs, the other with the back to the quite noisy road. We were exactly in the middle of the stairs to the beach so quite a walk for a swim. We had a large sandy spot. Pretty good and cleaner toilets than most other state parks we visited
ScoutPlenty of room at the beach an lots of bike riding areas.cold showers are free an nice in the summer,however there are no shower curtains ,be advised this might not be for you or shower after dark,is an option .fyi .nice entry staff,restrooms cleaned daily.
LegendGeneral: Two sections: RV camping and dry camping
Site Quality: If you have a larger RV and/or need hookups, you will be in a parking space with ZERO privacy between spaces (it is literally a parking space!). If you have a small RV or van conversion (smaller than 19 feet), there is dry camping. Concrete driveway; minimal privacy but a direct view of the beach. You must have a bed, dinette, sink, and small water supply to be in these spots. A concrete picnic table is included in each site.
Bath/Shower: Six-digit codes (that change regularly) needed to enter (and a different one for each bathroom). One all-in-one with a sink, toilet, urinal, and diaper changing station. The other has two shower stalls, two toilets, and one sink. The shower in the one closest to the dry camping area left much to be desired. I couldn’t get the ADA-accessible shower to work, and the other one had a push-button flow that took some time to get warm and had to be repeatedly pushed to complete the shower. Hooks and bench are outside the shower stall, compromising privacy. My biggest disappointment, however, was that there were NO electrical outlets. I took a chance and walked to the other end of the campground (by the entrance and full hookup sites) where I discovered the bathroom was much nicer. Not only did it have electrical outlets, but it looked like the showers were much nicer.
Activities/Amenities: You are right on the beach! There is a paved path for walking, running, or bicycling. Laundry was temporarily out of order when we were there.
There are very limited options for camping in this area, and the price was $55/night for dry camping. You are in the direct flight path of LAX, so have earplugs at the ready if the sound of jet planes overhead is not your thing!
ScoutCalled them around 5 times over several times on different days. They only allow a minimum of 2 nights stay. They had no spaces available 2 nights in a row. But there were multiple spots avaible on our nights. So i told them i didnt mind moving the RV, but they didnt want to cooperate on that and rather leave the spots open.
RangerWhen you book a beachfront site in the flight path of LAX, you know there’s some things, and they do indeed have those things, but on the beach and close to the action. Great trail system, easier access in and out than I’d hoped, price less insane than I feared. Loud, crowded, and urban.
Crystal Cove State Park offers glamping close to Newport Beach, California with terraced oceanfront campsites for unobstructed Pacific views. The campground sits directly off Pacific Coast Highway, making it accessible yet exposed to some traffic noise. Newport Beach has a Mediterranean climate with year-round mild temperatures ranging from 65°F to 75°F during summer months, creating ideal conditions for coastal camping.
Hiking at Crystal Cove: Access multiple trail systems ranging from easy to strenuous paths connecting to adjacent wilderness areas. "I stayed at the lower campsite, I believe it's #31 on the map, and I think this was the best spot in the campground as it had an unobstructed view of the water and was far enough away from others, but still easy to get to the restroom if needed," notes a visitor at Crystal Cove State Park Moro Campground.
Beach exploration and tidepools: Observe marine life during low tide along rocky shoreline sections. "The ocean wildlife is so cool, and at low tide you can see octopus, starfish, and all kinds of small fish/crabs. The views are spectacular!" explains a camper at San Onofre Recreation Beach.
Water activities in protected areas: Try paddleboarding, kayaking, and swimming in Newport's Back Bay or ocean-side locations. "We stayed in spot #2118 and it had a nice view of the bay," mentions a visitor from Newport Dunes RV Resort. The resort offers equipment rentals on-site.
Historic cottage stays: Experience renovated beachfront buildings dating from the 1920s-1940s at Crystal Cove Beach Cottages. "Sound of rhythmic waves, sand, smell of salt in the air...Crystal Cove Beach Cottages...Home away from home," shares one visitor about these unique accommodations.
Sunrise and sunset ocean views: Many campsites offer direct views of colorful sky displays over the Pacific. "Beautiful sunsets! We stayed February 5th and 6th at site #23 but it looked like most of the sites had great views of the Pacific," states a Crystal Cove camper. Morning fog layers create dramatic views from higher elevation sites.
Secluded beaches: Access less crowded coastline sections compared to main public beaches. "The beach has less crowds/tourists/homeless compared to other beaches. It's really quite and peaceful," notes a visitor about Crystal Cove State Park's beach areas.
Site reservation challenges: Premium beachfront locations require advance planning. "This is a gem of a campground. Almost every site has an ocean view of some kind," explains a visitor to Moro Campground, adding "Check in is at 3pm. They are hard on this. If you arrive early, you can register, but will be directed to Reef Point back down PCH."
Beach access considerations: Some glamping sites near Newport Beach require navigating steep paths. "Be fully aware that these spaces can be very tight," warns a Newport Dunes RV Resort visitor about premium waterfront sites.
Fire restrictions: Many coastal campsites have strict fire rules. "No coal or wood fires. Kind of a bummer since your evening ends early. You can bring propane pits yourself for fires though," explains a camper about Crystal Cove regulations.
Playgrounds and recreational areas: Several parks offer dedicated children's facilities. "There's a nice bike trail that circles around the bay, which is great for kids. Also, lots of amenities for families, including playgrounds, water toys, movie nights and fire pits," describes a visitor to Newport Dunes.
Nature programs: Participate in ranger-led activities at certain parks. "On Saturdays there's a nature walk," shares a visitor to Caspers Wilderness County Park, located just 15 minutes inland from coastal areas.
Water safety considerations: Ocean conditions vary significantly by location. "The beach is rocky in some parts and soft sand in others, if you are a surfer you must go catch a wave here," explains a San Onofre camper about beach conditions affecting swimming safety.
RV site dimensions: Many Newport area RV sites have specific length restrictions. "The maximum length is 38. We had 30/50 amp electrical and water. Dump station is on your way out, with 3 stations in that row," shares a Crystal Cove camper about their site specifications.
Hookup availability: Water conservation measures impact some parks. "I had electric hookup but no water because of the drought," notes a camper at Caspers Wilderness Park, highlighting the importance of bringing additional water supplies.
Parking considerations: Some glamping facilities near Newport Beach charge extra for additional vehicles. "The roads that lead to the sites is a bit narrow, so if your towable is on the long side, you might have to work a bit to back it in," cautions an RV camper at Crystal Cove State Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Newport Beach, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Newport Beach, CA is Moro Campground — Crystal Cove State Park with a 4.5-star rating from 35 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Newport Beach, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 35 glamping camping locations near Newport Beach, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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