Searching for the best camping near Palomar Mountain, CA? Palomar Mountain is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Palomar Mountain, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$40 - $120 / night
"You can camp next to it as well and get in! It’s $35 per car they do have military discount. The total of $32 with discount. They also have porta potties every few 500 feet."
"Friendly staff, beautiful beautiful location, magical in many ways.
Sometimes the bathrooms we're a bit messy but never anything that was over the top they wee also very busy that weekend."
$40 - $130 / night
"We drove up for an impromptu camp trip, it was only about an hour drive. I've never been up to Palomar Mountain although I've lived here for 30 years!"
"We chose Palomar Mountain for our first camping trip, first it was close to home, about 2 1/2 hours away and if something went wrong."
$15 / night
"Just south of Palomar Mountain Observatory (a must visit) Fry Creek is a heavily wooded (oak, fir, pine) campground in a narrow valley surrounded by steep forested banks."
"They all have a fire pit and picnic table. I stayed at site 6. Very spacious, private and off the road. Stayed Tuesday-Thursday and we were the only campers in the entire campground."
$39 - $50 / night
"Make sure you bring a shower caddy and some water proof laundry bags because there aren't many wall hooks to hang your towels or clothes.
- **Flushable toilets with drum roll SEAT COVERS!!"
"They clean the fire pits out etc. Some of the 40 series sites are very secluded and have excellent lake views."
"The kids all love fishing at the pond on site. Plenty of space between campgrounds. No issues with hook-ups or amenities. Pool was still closed due to COVID restrictions but looked clean."
"My family owns a 1987 VW Vanagon Westfalia since 2020 and use The Dyrt to find hidden gems near our home for weekend camping."
$24 - $100 / night
"Pets welcome. Fire pits and picnic tables at each site. Tent camping available as well."
"The missus and I decided to do a midweek overnight escape and chose Dos Picos Park due to its close proximity.
Great little campground with partial (electricity & water) hookups."
$50 - $650 / night
"South Carlsbad is another Cali jem set up on a bluff overlooking the pacific. It is long and thin so it has a nice thinly populated feel. All bathrooms are clean."
"The breeze kept the bugs and beach heat at bay. Bathrooms were fairly clean and non-pottable water spickets also available for rinsing after the beach visit."
$25 - $45 / night
"The park does allow fires in the fire pits, of course. And the lake does have fish, so if you’re a fisherman you’re going to love this campground."
"Lake Skinner is spacious and can take any type of camper. Bathrooms & showers are clean. Store was well stocked. We will visit again."
$24 - $34 / night
"Table and fire pit at each site.
Hiking available walking distance from camp, trails leading out of camp. Family friendly environment."
"The drive up was amazing. They had plenty of water to wash and drink with a lot of bathrooms as well.
You can walk trails, stargaze, take your bikes around and so much more!"
"There is a nice lake to go to about 20 minutes up the road, lake Henshaw. Only reason I’m giving it 4 stars is because the crazy ruts on most the campsites to pull into your site."
GuideWe decided to stay at a campground closer to home (Oceanside) coming back from Palomar Mountain. We were just looking for a place to stay for one night. We showed up and every campsite was stacked on top of each other. We asked if there were any other options so we circled the entire campground and ALL the sites were super close to each other. The RV section didn’t look like camping, people live there! With that said, most of the RV’s look like junkyards. So much stuff/junk everywhere. The lake isn’t pretty or swim-able. Don’t let the pictures on their website fool you, it’s crowded. I didn’t take pics myself, but I got them from their website and circled in red where people would be camping. We decided the 45 minute drive home would be better than staying there even for one night. The receptionist was late coming back from her lunch break & wasn’t helpful when we wanted our money back when we didn’t even stay there. One of the worst campsites I’ve ever seen & I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who knows real camping.
TravelerSouth Carlsbad is another Cali jem set up on a bluff overlooking the pacific. It is long and thin so it has a nice thinly populated feel. All bathrooms are clean. I was here during week of 4/20/15 and it was as nice as always. Like San Elijo it has a private feel at your site with the mature growh btw each site. You are along the rr tracks but that's a small price to access the sick beach and the incredible view. There is a nice hilton with a pool across the street. In. Are your kiddies need some creature comforts(I didn't say pool 'hopping' just using facilities as a client of the restaurant...), or daddy wants a bottle of red and a crisp flatbread without driving anywhere. There are nice a frames north and south, plenty of waves for all.
LegendJust south of Palomar Mountain Observatory (a must visit) Fry Creek is a heavily wooded (oak, fir, pine) campground in a narrow valley surrounded by steep forested banks.
The campsite is really an extension of the Palomar Observatory Campground across the site with a shared camp host (who pretty much sucked during our visits). That site is much better for stargazing, but this one is just as pretty especially in the fall with changing oak leaves. All of the sites are heavily wooded and in a valley with steep walls. That's important because it seems to amplify sounds from the other campsites. No matter if you have good camp neighbors but if your camp neighbors starts setting up a portable chainlink fence for a cadre of dogs they are training...There are some more segregated sites near the back of the camp loop.
There are bathrooms and showers (peak) and even though the sites are near each other they are really private. They each have fire-pits and picnic tables. The sites are decent sized with nice flat spots for at least two tents.
There is a decent hike that loops around the camp with plenty of elevation changes and incredible forest smells. The trail is fairly easy to follow and despite being short is moderately challenging. It takes about an hour at normal pace. Head across the road and you can take the trail all the way to the Palomar Mountain Observatory. It's meandering and plenty of elevation changes. At the top the Observatory Museum has nice bathrooms open to visitors. The museum is free.
Campsites are $15/night.
TravelerWe travel Fulltime and have been to countless campgrounds and RV resorts. After spending some time roughing it in Utah this place was exactly what we needed! Christina greeted us with such kindness and attention it blew us away. We loved our location of our site, right by all the awesome amenities this place has! Our kids loved the pool and we couldn’t get enough of the hot mineral spring. The bathrooms are better than I think we’ve ever had, honestly, nice modern style, super clean and hot showers with great pressure. Laundry room was clean and conveniently located. There were more amenities like horse shoes and a really nice outdoor kitchen covered patio. What more could you ask for? I am shocked at how much you get for how much you pay! Beyond a great quality value here. I would recommend this place to anyone that is looking for a location that has easy access to Joshua tree, Palm Springs and we even took a day trip out to Oceanside. We loved our stay so much we ended up extending for a few more days. We for sure will be staying here next time we come through the area.
GuideI stayed here three weeks in February. I stayed up top and site 91 was great! I would stay here again and request that site.
Cons:
Pros:
LegendWe camped here on a trip up the coast and found this spot at the end of the day. There are 5 spots where you can walk your stuff and camp right on the beach. Each spot was secluded and had a picnic table and a good size area for your tent. It’s a newer retro campground with spots for RV’s, tents, cabins and yurts. There are a lot of option and facilities with showers, bathrooms and laundry.
GuideLake Jennings Campground is a great campsite tucked away in Lakeside, CA. There are a good amount of campsites, and plenty with great views of the lake (“Preferred View” sites). We stayed in site 91 for 4 nights from Monday to Thursday night while the campground was pretty empty. I imagine it would be a little louder when it’s at full capacity, but we had no noise issues from fellow campers. However, there was plenty of random noise from the military helicopters that randomly flew overhead. It wasn’t disruptive, just unexpected. This campground is not secluded by any means, so the air traffic shouldn’t be a surprise. Honestly, it’s hard to go anywhere in San Diego County without air traffic interruptions.
We chose Site 91 because it was at the top of a moderate hill at the end of the road, in an attempt to experience reduced traffic from other campers. The site was a Preferred View site and it did not disappoint! Views of the lake at sunrise and sunset were amazing and made for the perfect vista from our RV bed. An added benefit of the Preferred View sites is the privacy since no one is camped behind you. Our particular site even had useful shrubbery on each side to create a quasi sense of privacy between sites. Each site has a nice little fire pit and picnic table, and there was plenty of room for a second vehicle in addition to our van.
There are plenty of restroom facilities sprinkled throughout so nothing is inconvenient. The restrooms are individual bathrooms with showers that are hot and NOT coin operated, so enjoy a full hair washing session if there’s not a line. The only caution: pincher bugs. Just brush them off and go about your business. But like everything, check the toilet seat and your clothes before proceeding.
Finally, internet service was great for Verizon. We got 23 Mbps with 3 bars of 4G LTE unboosted, and 69 (!!!) Mbps with 5 bars using a simple MIMO antenna. We live and work in our RV (20’ Class B) full time, so this was crucial. The staff was also great. They were regularly driving by, cleaning or maintaining the grounds. In the end, we will definitely camp here again.
GuideWe drove up for an impromptu camp trip, it was only about an hour drive. I've never been up to Palomar Mountain although I've lived here for 30 years! It's a very picturesque drive with lots of twists and turns and watch out for those motorcycles.
The campground is situated within lots of trees so there is shade. We stayed at Doane Valley Family Camp loop. There are trails and a pond very close by, it's stocked with fish, but it's tiny.
The sites are really cool and private, lots of tall trees and shade. Only downside was the bugs. There were a lot of flies, but we went in July so go figure. Will definitely camp here again, but will likely wait for it to cool off a bit. There is snow up here in the winter months so I would recommend camping in the fall.
RangerLots going on here but felt peaceful midweek in Jan. 3 spring-fed pools, hot showers quarter operated, clean flush toilet bathrooms, water, hiking trails and ample roads to walk the dog on. Mountain lion country - be alert. Friendly rangers. Clean facilities and well-kept grounds. Horseshoe pits and large group picnic areas. Cute cabins for rent - no pets allowed in those. Will definitely visit again. Many of the tent sites are close together - if the campground was full you’d have little privacy but it’s a large place and there were hardly any tent campers when I was there, though more RVs and vans in the hookup section. Tent site 106 is very private. I liked 109 it was in a kind of bird thicket with privacy from the road etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Palomar Mountain, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Palomar Mountain, CA is La Jolla Indian Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 20 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Palomar Mountain, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 56 glamping camping locations near Palomar Mountain, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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