2 campgrounds with availability next weekend
Tent campers visiting Newport Beach, California have several options on Catalina Island, approximately 22 miles offshore from the mainland. Black Jack Campground, located at the highest elevation on Catalina, offers primitive tent sites with picnic tables and fire pits. Hermit Gulch Campground near Avalon provides more accessible walk-in tent sites within a mile of town. China Camp State Park, while not on Catalina Island, offers walk-in tent sites with wheeled totes available to transport gear from the parking area to campsites under oak and bay trees.
Walk-in tent sites are common across these campgrounds, with most providing basic amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and food storage boxes to protect supplies from wildlife. Hermit Gulch offers shower facilities (quarters required) and toilets, while Black Jack Campground features more primitive facilities including vault toilets, an outdoor cold shower, and potable water spigots. China Camp's Back Ranch Meadows Campground provides quarter-operated showers and clean restrooms. A visitor commented that "each site has a picnic table and fire pit. You have to find or bring in your own wood for the fire."
Tent camping experiences vary significantly between the mainland and island options. Sites at Black Jack are positioned along the Trans-Catalina Trail, making them ideal for backpackers traversing the island. "Black Jack is the highest campground on Catalina. Solid views and sites. I'd recommend it only for backpackers," noted one camper. Wildlife encounters are common, with Catalina fox frequently visiting campsites in search of food. Campers should secure all food and scented items in provided storage lockers. At China Camp, tent sites are spaced to provide reasonable privacy, with some positioned under the shade of oak and bay trees. The campground environment supports wildlife viewing opportunities including deer, coyotes, rabbits, and birds. Weather conditions can vary significantly, with island campgrounds experiencing fog that can soak equipment overnight.
"Excellent beach camping and tent friendly. plenty of shade and nearby restaurants and shops. Definitely recommend this location."
"the restrooms were clean and showers hot. great views and great for families. most sites are a good size but only room for two vehicles. No wifi but a good book will do. The staff was nice."
from $50 - $350 / 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."
Available next weekend
from $35 - $175 / night
"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!!!"
"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. "
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $60 - $120 / night
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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."
from $20 / night
"Sites have rocks stacked up as a wind shield, it really helps! You’ll also have a picnic table, food storage box, and a fire pit. Vault toilets are available."
"This is the final campgound on the Trans Catalina Trail and one of my favorites."
"Cool drive to get to the campground. You drive up and down these hilly roads up the mountain to get there. Once there, there's a parking lot that fits about 20 cars."
"When you can’t do a 2h hike before setting camp, but you also don’t want to camp close to your car, Millard campground is perfect. The parking lot is just behind the corner out of view."
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.
TravelerClean, beautiful, hookups work, bathrooms/showers are clean. The lake is serene. Professional photographers are abound to take wedding and/or family pics here. Really wonderful. I almost don’t want to recommend it to keep others from flooding this gem.
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.
GuideI didn't book very early but was able to get a site right across from the lifeguard station. The sunset view was quintessential California and maybe even worth the price of admission, which is pretty steep at $53 for tent camping and freeway noise.
The restrooms vary, so if one is particularly distasteful, head to a quieter area of the campground.
RR noise isn't bad, as the crossing is far enough away that the horn blast seems quite distant. I-5 is very noisy however. There are lots of on/off ramps in that area, and with hills to climb it just makes for a lot of engine noise.
TravelerI went there to see, before making a reservation. I found the trailer park—maybe 100 old mobile homes—but I never found an RV park. I didn’t see anything to see. The “pool” was empty. The office was locked, and it wasn’t lunch. Just kinda not happening. I left a message to call me with the answering service, but I never got a call back.
ScoutI have been to this campground many times and it is always a great time. Easy access to town, surf, the beach, and great facilities. Highly recommend!
ScoutI found the campground to be very friendly kid friendly and pet friendly. The spots were spacious and some had privacy others were out in the open. The rangers were very friendly and helpful, they helped me set up my tent when they saw I was having trouble. There are trails to explore. A great last minute getaway from the city and not to far, the bathroom was clean and modern with hot showers and toilets.
Travelervery pretty sight the mountain air is incredible. the staff is very helpful and friendly. at night the drunks go crazy and the bears steal their food.
ScoutThe scenery is unique and enjoyable, with nice views of either sunrise or sunset, depending on site. I found the lake itself very pretty. However when we arrived 4 vehicles are in our spot, people were nice enough moving but we had to go door to door knocking on camper to ask who's cars they were due to no signal and no rangers nearby. Our site was pretty dirty with lots of trash, copious ants near the drainage attachments, and two of the nearby groups had excessive tents extending into the back of our site making our view look more like a homeless encampment and less like a serene mountain sunset. They also were littering, urinating outside, and excessively drinking and partying like crazy until the wee hours. As a family group we felt really uncomfortable. It seemed like not all spots are like this, however, on my walk around deer loop in the morning. If you do go, the water activities and rentals look fun, the walking trail/biking trail was nicely done, and you could optimize your spot by booking a whole group of spots (instead of booking one, book one on the right and left side to avoid feeling like you have entered homeless refuge). It maybe was a bit worse as we were here over a holiday weekend. But we most likely won't be back, there are other places that are less expensive and with better enforcement and a family atmosphere. If you want to party it is probably a fine spot, and if you love water sports also likely ok. I thin it's a beautiful place with unique scenery and a lot of potential, but needs more enforcement regarding guest code of conduct.
Edited and gave 3 stars instead of 2. Views are really nice now that our poorly behaved neighbors left. Worth considering a visit during less busy times.
Tent campsites near Newport Beach, California span from mainland parks to offshore island locations on Catalina. Camping options range from primitive wilderness sites at elevations up to 1,600 feet to beachfront locations where waves crash directly onto the shore. Weather conditions vary significantly between inland and coastal sites, with fog common on Catalina Island and temperatures fluctuating between 50-80°F depending on elevation and proximity to water.
Beach activities at Little Harbor: Camp within steps of a protected cove with clear water ideal for snorkeling and swimming. Little Harbor Campground offers beachfront sites with fire rings on the shore. "The water is clean and great for snorkeling and the campsites all have amazing views of the cove," notes one visitor.
Mountain biking trails: China Camp State Park provides extensive trail networks popular with cyclists. "There are definitely better mountain biking trails in Marin (Tamarancho Boy Scout Camp, for example) but keep in mind that the bar is very high for mountain biking in Marin. So China Camp won't disappoint even if it's not the most epic biking in the area," explains one experienced rider.
Waterfall hiking: Explore creek-side trails with moderate elevation gain near tent camping areas. "About a 20 minute hike and you can end up at a waterfall which is very pretty. But there are several trails to take for hiking and biking and I saw lots of people doing that," reports a visitor to Millard Trail Campground.
Exclusive beach access: Parsons Landing Campground offers true beachfront camping with only eight designated sites on the sand. "I would say it's the only TRUE beach camping I've ever been able to find. You have to coordinate the ferry to Two Harbors on Catalina Island and then hike about 8 miles to the far end of the island," explains a camper who stayed at site #1.
Wildlife encounters: Tent campgrounds throughout Catalina Island provide opportunities to observe native species. "This campsite is positively a must camp if you are on Catalina Island. In one day we saw deer, quail, woodpeckers and the famous Catalina fox," shares a visitor to Hermit Gulch Campground.
Trail connectivity: Backcountry campsites serve as connection points along the Trans-Catalina Trail. "We were only there for one night and arrived at Dusk. Its not the best campground but it had water and a bathroom, it did its job but it isnt somewhere I would use as a destination," notes a hiker at Black Jack Campground.
Food storage challenges: Island camping requires careful food protection from wildlife. "The birds there are relentless and will poke holes in everything including water jugs if you turn your back for even a second. They even know how to get into unlocked lockers," warns a camper at Parsons Landing Campground.
Limited resources: Remote sites often require planning for essentials. "No water on site, you must bring your own. Water, firewood, and fire starter are available for purchase. You can buy them at two harbors, which is where they will give you a key for a locker that is at parsons landing which will have all those items."
Transportation logistics: Reaching tent campsites involves multiple travel modes. "We took the ferry from San Clemente to Avalon (45 mins to 1 hour). Then a bus from Avalon to the campsite (1 to 1.5 hours depending the stop at the airport)," explains a camper at Little Harbor.
Best family-friendly location: Two Harbors Campground provides easier access to amenities while maintaining a rustic experience. "Easy walk down to the 'town' of Two Harbors for a Buffalo Milk drink or across the island for views on the South Side of the Island. This is a great place to stay for the microbrew fest every year on the island."
Activity planning: Consider sites with diverse recreational options nearby. "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."
Wildlife education opportunities: Prepare children for animal encounters. "I am camping with my husband and 3 kids and our puppy. The hosts are friendly, cheap firewood, china beach village is just down the road and perfect to explore and swim... We are at spot 21 and the hike up the hill to our walk on spot is rough...they do have bins you can use to carry all your stuff up. There are coons here so you can't keep any food out when dark comes near!"
Site selection for RV-capable campgrounds: China Camp State Park offers some sites with RV access though most tent campsites near Newport Beach require walk-in access. "The website will say the sites are 'hike in', but this is not how I'd describe it. Yes, you need to park in the main lot and then carry your gear to the campsite, but it's not really a hike. More like a short walk, a quarter of a mile at best."
Gear transport solutions: Plan for equipment transfer from parking areas. "You won't be able to drive up to your campsite. You have to carry your gear in a short distance from the parking lot. Not a big deal, but if you tend to overpack, pick a spot closer to the parking lot."
Weather preparation: Coastal camping requires gear for moisture protection. "It's often foggy in the morning, and sunny in the afternoon. You can camp here year round, and I've been here in the winter, spring and summer. I really enjoy it here when the creek is running, but even in the summer when it's dry, the proximity to the bay means it probably won't get too hot."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Newport Beach, CA is Doheny State Beach Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 35 reviews.
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