Best Tent Camping near Pasadena, CA

Recent Tent Reviews near Pasadena, California

774 Reviews of 53 Pasadena Campgrounds

• 

  Melinda M.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 11, 2018

  Chilao Campground

  loved it!

  there are easy hiking trails all over & good trees for hanging my hammock. the campsites are very spacious and clean (bathrooms were clean too!) i have been here a few times for a last minute weekend away, it’s less than an hour from pasadena.

• K

  K B.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 10, 2019

  Millard Trail Campground

  Creek-side camping close to the city

  This campground is a very short drive from Pasadena, CA, and in fact there are some rustic homes adjacent to the campground. Parking is about 150 yards away, down a hill, so be prepared to haul your gear. The campground is situated at a popular trailhead, and there is lots of good hiking nearby. But, this is also a high-traffic area on spring and summer weekends. A lovely creek runs south-west along the edge of the campground.

  There are approximately 4-6 sites, they are somewhat haphazardly spaced on a relatively flat area with good shade. There is little or no cover between sites. There is one restroom on-site which also serves the day-hikers. It is not maintained well, and often smells bad.

  Millard would be a great spot to camp for the night if you don't have the time to drive out of the city.

• 

  Aaron S.

  Scout

  

  May. 7, 2018

  Newport Dunes RV Resort

  Resort Camping

  Have camped at new port dunes several times, they have a beach front for group tent camping on the sand, and also have tent camping in the resort. You can camp with RV's, Trailers, tents, and they also rent out cabins. In the middle of the lagoon they have blow up obstacle in the water to climb on.. great place to relax. It's pretty pricey because it's a resort but well worth the trip.

• 

  Michele N.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 29, 2019

  Rancho Jurupa RV Park

  Great family campground . Fishing and a splash water park . This place has two campgrounds. Cottonwood and Lakeside . Cottonwood is the nicest of the two.

  Cottonwood is for the true RV’ers. Lakeside is more for tent camping. Nice park for family camping.

• 

  Ben M.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 25, 2020

  Lake Piru Recreation Area

  Rugged Camp ground!

  Very Rugged Camp Ground presented with all that you need for comfortable tent camping. Plus fishing is good!

• A

  Alvin C.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 10, 2024

  Seabreeze At Seal Beach

  Only Military and Only RV's

  The Dyrt shows "Tent" sites, but it's only for RVs

• 

  robherr

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 21, 2018

  Tapo Canyon Park

  Great for RVs, not so much for tents

  The first thing you should know about Tapo Canyon Park is that for actual tent camping, you will be in either decomposed granite or concrete. The second thing is that there is no cell service and no phone landlines there. 

  The park is very nice, and very well maintained. There is a large grass area with an upgraded playground, ample covered picnic area for large groups, and an archery range (private, but open to the public on Saturdays).

  The archery range is one of the best in California. There is a members area and the original range is open to the public on Saturdays from 9-1, with a nominal $5 fee.

  The campsites are designed for RVs. I have camped here in a tent and there is no way to drive a stake into the ground. The sites are fairly large and well spread out for an RV lot. 

  Each site has a fireplace, picnic table, and full hook ups. There is not much shade. The sites are very well maintained daily by the camp host Terri. 

  At night you can hear the coyotes calling as they roam the rugged hills, but don't worry it's a very safe park.

  I would give the park 4 stars for camping in an RV, 2 stars for tent camping, the facility as a whole is probably a 4.

• 

  Debbie M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 13, 2018

  Mesa Campground — Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area

  Huge campsites

  Bring own gear, tent sites are primative you have to walk to toilet and showers but not far campsites are big enough for more than one family and friends

  Lake fishing swimming hiking campfires

  Group activities

• 

  Janet S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 3, 2018

  Canyon RV Park

  Evan camping and some cabins

  Stayed for a quick weekend when hubby still had to work. no tent camping, but RV and wood cabins. easy to get in and out of but the 91 freeway is overhead and loud. Nothing stopped us from enjoying ourselves and relaxing. bike path nearby as well as washing and having fun.

• L

  Laura S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 18, 2016

  Castaic Lake State Recreation Area

  Weekend warrior

  Our campsite & the bathrooms were clean & well maintained. However the location of tent camping v RV camping is awful. We are tent campers and had a nice spot with a beautiful lake view BUT the RV site was directly in front of the lake between our tent & the lake! So when a monstrous RV drove in all we could see was the side of the thing & we had to go around it to enjoy the view.

• J

  Jeff B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 14, 2020

  Millard Trail Campground

  Pretty crowded during the day

  Bikepacked in for a quick overnighter.  Settled on one of the 6 tent sites.  Nice campground, active stream in the middle of summer.  Waterfall 30 minutes hike upstream.  It was a bit busy during the day.  They close the gate at 10 pm I beleive, so the evening was nice and quiet.

• 

  Ryan N.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 11, 2019

  Crystal Cove Backcountry — Crystal Cove State Park

  Pretty but on the PCH

  Very well maintained campground with RV and tent sites. It’s right on the PCH so you get some great views of the pacific and the beach is just across the highway. It’s a bit noisy since the PCH is a heavily traveled highway and isn’t very remote, if that’s what you’re looking for. Great campground for families.

• 

  Robert A.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 2, 2018

  Glen Helen Regional Park

  Close

  This campground is close to the 15 and 215 interstate freeways, with easy access. It is better to make a reservation then to just show up. There are RV sites and tent sites as well as group camp sites. Not much to do at the campground but if you go across the street to the park there is fishing and picnic areas.

• C

  Cierra M.

  Guide

  

  Apr. 1, 2021

  Valencia Travel Village

  Great spot but RV ONLY

  I didn’t actually stay here as I was looking for a tent camping spot, but I did drive around the facility and it was super clean and looked like a great spot if you’ve got an RV. Pool and clean bathrooms available, host also mentioned it has WiFi access.

  Daily rates started at $65 a night, which was a little out of my budget, but if you’ve got the money and you’ve got the rig I’d totally recommend staying here!

• 

  Veronica H.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 19, 2021

  Cabin Flat Trail Campground - CLOSED

  Difficult to reach, very primitive

  We stayed at Cabin Flat several years ago, and it's one of the most difficult campgrounds to reach near Wrightwood in the Angeles National Forest. To get here, you need to take the Blue Ridge Trail Road from Inspiration Point off of Highway 2. This road is closed during the winter, as it traverses through Mountain High Ski Resort. That said, the campground itself is very basic. I would not recommend bringing an RV here as the dirt road to get down is winding and bumpy. Tent camping only.

• t

  tom P.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 17, 2018

  Spruce Grove Trail Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED DUE TO FIRE

  Nice Isolation

  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.

• 

  Sara H.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 23, 2021

  Bonelli Bluffs

  Awesome for RVs but maybe not the best for tent camping

  After experiencing both amenities this place is more or less for RVs and 4/10 as for they do have the tent camping on the steep incline and not too many sites but for RVs couldn't be happier plus the people here are nice and friendly you do have your Karen's but you're going to have them everywhere we enjoyed the lake the view the weather it could have been better over here will definitely be returning you can stay for 20 days and then you have to leave for 60 days and that's fine with me I'm looking forward to returning

• t

  tom P.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 17, 2018

  Buckhorn Campground

  One Of The Best

  Great car camping location with lots to do. Plenty of camp sites but they fill up fast, especially during the summer on weekends. Very comfortable with all the amenities and enough space in between sites for low noise. Very beautiful with tall cedar, pine, fir and spruce with a nice creek in the wet season. Trails going all over the place, some easy some steep and wild life every where you look. Simple tent sites to bigger trailer pads for every type of camper. Probably the best campground in SoCal. Great for kids.

• G

  Gustavo C.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 12, 2021

  Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon

  Very Friendly staff with lots of amenities

  I can't deduct stars for how crowded it was during Labor Day Weekend. I think it was a treat that we were able to book on a fairly short notice for a holiday weekend. The pool is awesome and huge compared to other campgrounds. It was overly crowded this Labor Day weekend but what do you expect, right? It was hot. They had a live band, movie night, roomy campsites. It was loud and rowdy in the tent camping area but calm in the RV area. I had T-Mobile and had ZERO reception here. I have since dropped T-Mobile and got Verizon because it seems like T-Mobile reception is terrible at most campsites. We are looking forward to going back soon.

• j

  jonnysunami

  Guide

  

  Apr. 6, 2021

  O'Neill Regional Park

  Great family friendly safe campground

  Giant oval loop with camp sites all along both sides. Rv sites, tent sites and equestrian (horse) sites. Paved road is good for bike riding. Behind my Camp site was a few different hiking paths. Restroom buildings have water, toilets, and showers. It says to bring quarters for the showers but they were free. Each site is typical... Picnic bench, fire pit, and metal grill. No gathering fire wood, gotta buy it at local grocery or gas station. $20 a night. Lots of families with kids. Feels really safe here. Saw the park rangers driving around and the front has a gate guard who checks you in. Also only 10 minutes away from city.

• P

  Patty M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 24, 2021

  Castaic Lake State Recreation Area

  Castaic Lake Campground

  This is a nice campground. Very close to the city but still with visiting. I’m a van camper so I rented an RV site because I wanted shade trees. The tent camping sites in the first section have very little shade. Maybe one or two sites have shade. You definitely have to bring a canopy. I camped there in Nov2020 it was a nice getaway. The view of the lake is beautiful. I enjoyed seeing all the ducks on the lake. Each campsite has a table and fire ring. The bathrooms have flush toilets and the campground is kept clean and trash cans are emptied daily. It has a fish cleaning area with running water too. Must put away all your food because the raccoons will get into it. Overall it’s a nice local place to camp if you live in Santa Clarita, Ca.

• t

  tom P.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2018

  Idlehour Trail Campground

  Long Hike But Worth It

  This is a beautiful campground up in the hills above Altadena with a great view of the valley below. Lots of greenery and flowing water in the winter season with wildlife all along the trail and campground. Tables and fire stoves (check for permits) at most of the 12 tent sites but no running water, trash or privy so bring WAG bags and pack out. One of the old campgrounds, like First Water and has a neat history in the hiking books. The best way to get here is from Eaton Canyon, park legally on the streets, take the truck road up to and through Henninger Flats for about a mile past the flats. Look for a small footbridge at that point and follow the trail to Idlehour. Not a fun hike on scorching hot days due to the lack of shade, but on cooler foggy days it's a great trip. About 8 miles round trip. Very secluded and there's trails down to the stream in Eaton Cyn above the waterfall. DON'T CLIMB DOWN THE FALLS OR YOU'LL BE ON THE EVENING NEWS!

• 

  Mario M.

  Traveler

  

  May. 30, 2022

  Los Alamos Campground at Pyramid Lake

  Great for a quick getaway but come prepared

  Tried this campground out for a single day/night of camping for my family of 4.

  Location - 5 out of 5 Great location in terms of close to home (40 minutes from Bakersfield). 1.5 miles from Pyramid Lake for a day trip.

  Campground - 3 out of 5. $20 per night, by all means, this is only regards to the tent camping not the people or bathrooms etc. We camped in Loop 4 camp 72. While I was towards the end of the campground, very little shade was available. Prepare to bring multiple ezups for shade. Tent was easily put up as ground is soft. This camp was overrun by fire ants, so had to carefully move around their nest. There was a small section in between some trees that allowed us to get some shade, maybe even a small tent fits there. Bathrooms are flush toilets and very clean. No showers available to my knowledge. Camping came with a cement picnic table and a fire pit.

  The 2 points off was just because of the shade situation. I did go through the campground all together to see which sites were more shaded and out of all of the sites perhaps 4 had some trees with good shade.

  If you are looking for a weekend getaway from the city, good place to come. Just come prepared with multiple shade apparatus.

  **My pictures were taken after 6pm when the sun is behind the mountains.

• 

  Brian L.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2019

  Kenney Grove Park

  Very nicely maintained smaller campground.

  I really liked this place, and would definitely go back. This is on the smaller scale of campgrounds, which is very nice. Less chance of drunk, noisy neighbors. When we went, us, and the other family we went with, were the only ones in that particular section. The kids had plenty of room to run around and get dirty, and there was a playground with an old school merry-go-round within sight of where our spot was. RV’s are allowed as well, but those sites are separate from the tent sites, which is nice too. The drive was 45 minutes to an hour from our house, which was great. You don’t have to go far to go camping. The one drawback was the camp host. We always bring our dog with us, who is a diabetic alert service dog for our two boys. This particular person kept telling us that the dog had to be on a leash, and that he was not allowed in the playground area. We explained to her that he was a service animal, and is allowed under the ADA to go anywhere. She wasn’t having it. Hopefully this person’s time as the host is over, because this really is a great spot.

• 

  Jeremiah F.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 21, 2020

  Lake Campground

  Acceptable last minute camping, not great, not terrible.

  Pros: Large campsites

            Clean-ish toilets

            Lake within walking distance

  Cons: Right near highway, noisy

             Lots of flies during the day

             tent sites are very flat          

  Last minute trip and decided to check out Lake Campground. There are 8 sites placed on this hilly area, with a vault toilet in the center of the campground. It is located right next to the highway, so it can be pretty noisy during the day as its a popular route for motorcyclists. The campground itself was fairly clean, and all the sites were very large and spaced well away from each other. The sites weren't very flat, so options to set your tent up were very limited. Some sites had some shade, others almost none. There were tons of flies, very active during the daytime, but went away during the evening. The vault toilets were the cleanest I'd seen (For vault toilets) and the staff came through the campgrounds several times a day.

  Jackson Lake is a short walk from the campgrounds. It has a nice day use picnic area with coal grills, picnic benches, and four vault toilets (in pretty poor condition). The lake was pretty small and had a stagnant smell to it. Lots of people were fishing, and a few people waded into the waters. I saw people in rafts / kayaks later in the day. The area was covered in fleas so careful with pets.

• 

  Rick S.

  Guide

  

  May. 4, 2018

  Angeles National Forest Big Rock Campground

  Excellent somewhat secluded campground

  I have been to this campground twice now. I would love to go back again one day. There is a nice size creek that runs adjacent to the campsites, which appears to run only during snow melt. It was dry one of the times we camped there, the other time it was flowing very good. I would estimate that it was probably around 40-50 feet wide when we went there. You do have to drive through the creek to get to the campground, so a small car probably would not be advisable when it is really flowing. I drove my small Toyota pickup through it with no problem.

  A forest adventure pass was required.

  Campsites were very clean. Has pit toilets, which were also very clean. No electricity or water at the camp site. No dump station. Has fire rings.

  We tent camped both times.

  A mother bear and her two cubs did visit us on one of the visits. We did find what looked like mountain lion footprints. There is wild life. No bear containers at the time.

  This campground is nestled in a valley/canyon and is next to Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp #41.

  There really are no views other than the surrounding trees and landscape, but was still very beautiful.

  It is a very quiet place to stay. Depending on the traffic from the nearby Highway 2, you might hear some of that traffic, but it is not bad at all.

  At the time of visiting, we did not have cell phone service in that canyon.

• 

  Lori J.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 3, 2019

  Thousand Trails Soledad Canyon

  A "resort"? No. A campground? Yes.

  Very large park for RV, cabin and tent camping. As it's listed as a "resort", we figured it would be pretty upscale. Disappointment upon our arrival. Floods have been in the area and much of the sites were closed and being cleaned?? The road closest to our site was washed away (from earlier reviews it's been months), so a long jog or drive around the perimeter to get us to the pool, laundry and hot tub…speaking of which, the pool, hot tub and laundry facilities all needed attention. You could actually see people's footprints (bottom of pool and on pool and hot tub entry steps)…that much sand, dirt, etc…I didn't venture in. When we arrived, we started driving around to find the best site for our rig. We're a 32ft class A w/20ft enclosed cargo trailer tow. So, all in all about 55ft. Well, that wasn't easy. Most of the park's electric and some sewer connections didn't exist or were "down" for repair. We have yet to actually SEE someone working on these issues. We are currently here and checked in for a two-week stay. After some boon docking prior to our arrival, we wanted all the bells and whistles the park boasted they had. Took us just over THREE HOURS to find a decent spot. Many levels to this park and most didn't have a decent WiFi (we have our own router) signal. Some sites had dumpsters blocking them from being a true "pull-thru". That left us with about two areas to choose from. It's dusty, dirty, and, really, not ready to be called a "resort"….more rustic than we'd been looking for or what website photos showed. We would not recommend this "resort" to anyone. Several folks with dogs they let simply sit outside and bark, poo, etc….strict rules against that, in most all resorts we've ever visited. Unless you plan on tenting, cabin or what have you, it's not worth it. Very disappointing! :(