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Best Tent Camping near Port Hueneme, CA

613 Reviews

Tent campsites near Port Hueneme, California include several island-based options in Channel Islands National Park, offering a unique coastal camping experience. Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground provides established tent sites with basic amenities, while Del Norte Backcountry on Santa Cruz Island offers more primitive tent camping for those seeking solitude. Anacapa Island Campground presents another tent-only option, with all requiring boat transportation from Ventura Harbor, approximately 10 miles from Port Hueneme.

Most tent sites in the Channel Islands require careful planning as they are accessible only by boat through Island Packers ferry service. Campers must carry all gear from the dock to their campsite, with distances ranging from a quarter mile to over a mile depending on the location. Each campground provides food storage boxes (called "fox boxes") to protect supplies from island wildlife. A camper wrote, "The campsites each have a wind shelter where you set up your tent. The wind is not a joke. When we came back from hiking more than one tent was blown over." Water availability varies by location, with Scorpion Canyon offering potable water while Del Norte Backcountry requires carrying in all water supplies.

For mainland tent camping, Point Mugu State Park offers La Jolla Group Campsite with amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and flush toilets. The exposed nature of these tent sites means limited shade, so bringing sun protection is essential. Areas farther inland provide additional tent camping options with varying levels of development. Musch Trail Camp in Topanga State Park offers walk-in tent sites approximately one mile from the trailhead, providing a backpacking-style experience close to urban areas. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, "Musch Camp is an easy one mile hike from the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot in Topanga State Park" with amenities including picnic tables, flush toilets, and water spigots, making it suitable for novice backpackers or those seeking a quick wilderness escape.

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Best Tent Sites Near Port Hueneme, California (38)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Port Hueneme, CA

45 Photos of 38 Port Hueneme Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Port Hueneme, CA

613 Reviews of 38 Port Hueneme Campgrounds

  • Deborah C.
    May. 27, 2019

    Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park

    Channel Islands, Santa Cruz, Scorpion, May, 2019

    My husband and I are using our senior park pass to it’s fullest advantage. On our most recent trip, we decided to try Channel Islands and we were thrilled. First thing to know is that this trip requires some planning and flexibility. You must book your boat ride and camp site in advance and then check the day before to make sure weather permits the boat ride. Island packers provides the boat ride for both campers and day trips. We camped two nights. We departed at around 9 am and arrived at around 10:30. We had to check in by 8 in the parking lot at Ventura bay. You must not have water in your back pack, the propane must be out in a separate bin, and you are allowed only 60 lbs of “stuff” each. We took our Mountain House meals along with our jet boil, a few fruits, and a couple of sandwiches; our tent, sleeping bags, a Wenzel air mattress and were set. You take your stuff to the boat to load. On the day of our travel winds were gusting so severely that they cancelled the day trips, and it was rough! Lots of people got sick on the ride over. Upon arriving on the island, you form a bucket brigade to unload all the luggage/stuff, then a park ranger gives a brief overview of rules, mainly pack out all trash, no trash can be left on the island and to use the “Fox boxes” for all food stuff as the island foxes and ravens WILL take your stuff. You then take a short hike with all your stuff to your campsite - it’s about 1/4 mile or more, depending on your site. Each campground has multiple spigots on potable water, so no need to bring water with you. There are plenty of very clean vault toilets that are always filled with supplies including hand sanitizer. The hikes are spectacular and the trails are well maintained. Note, the hikes are challenging, when they say strenuous, they mean it! The park rangers are very helpful and accessible. The last day of our trip, we packed up our site and moved our stuff to a staging area so the next group could set up their tent. We watched the kayakers and snorkeling groups. The weather was very calm. The boat ride back was amazing, we saw schools of dolphins, the captain estimated over 2000 dolphins. He stopped so we could get lots of pictures. Note, there is no store on the island, we did have spotty cell coverage with AT&T.

  • Jeremiah F.
    Jul. 21, 2020

    Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos

    Great Hike-in campground with nice hiking nearby!

    At the top of the Cuddy Valley road is a large parking lot (Adventure Pass required) for the hiking trail to the top of Mt. Pinos. Off to the other side is a dirt trail on the edge of a meadow, after about 200/300 yards is Chula Vista Campground. The camp sites vary greatly in size and flatness, so check around for the good ones.

    First Come First serve camping, with some great spots overlooking the nearby meadow. The sites were clean and decently spread out, with fire rings and picnic benches.

    It can get pretty windy up here so make sure your tent is staked down well. If you don't have an Adventure Pass, Mountain View Mini Mart in Frazier Park is the closest place i know that sells them. $5 a day, or $30 for the year pass. (you can get a second year pass for only $5).

    Met a guy named Bob and helped set up his telescope in the parking lot, he let anyone who wanted check out the amazing night sky!

    Pros: Free camping!

              Great hiking nearby.

              Shady, clean sites.

              Great sky gazing!

    Cons: Lots of flies, very active during the day.

               Bathrooms were pretty messy. below average for vault toilets. Bring extra TP.

  • Dani P.
    Jul. 12, 2019

    Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos

    Hike In Gorgeous Campground with ample space

    Park at the lot up top, then walk about 1/2 mile to campground via dirt path. Plenty of sites. Old rustic bathrooms work well. Picnic tables at each site. Brought my dogs here and they had a blast, plus no ticks found. Plenty of hiking directly around this campground. Stayed here for three nights and found plenty of exploring to do nearby. Highly recommend, especially because there is no fee. Being said, Pack it in and pack it out! Leave No Trace principles are crucial to keep this place beautiful

  • Corinna B.
    Jun. 30, 2018

    Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park

    Bucket-List-Amazing Island Camping off California Coast

    This place had been on my bucket-list of camping forever and it takes a decent amount of planning because not only can you only access the campground by private boat, once there you have to walk in about a 1/2 mile with all your stuff. It's totally worth it however. Incredible views, perfect weather (in April!), amazing flowers and so much to see and do.

    The campsite itself is "basic" in that it has a vault toilet, water, and "fox boxes" (like the bear boxes in other campgrounds) to keep all the cute but quick and greedy foxes away from your food. There's also picnic tables, but other than that make sure you bring everything you need since there's no way to pop into a local store to grab something you might have forgotten. No camp fires are allowed and all garbage must be packed out (but can be stored in the fox boxes until you're ready to leave).

    At only $15/night, the camp sites are a steal, though the boat trips will add on about $80 per person round-trip (slightly less for kids). 8am is the earliest boat ride and 4:30 is the last (via Island Packers).

    Summary/Tips: Do it! Especially if you love hiking, this is an amazing place. Try to get your gear down to one well-planned backpack (or perhaps one of those foldy wagons as another reviewer recommended) so you only have to take one trip to the campsite, though you can always take more trips if needed.

  • T
    Dec. 13, 2018

    Santa Cruz Island - Del Norte Backcountry — Channel Islands National Park

    Amazing views, no services

    Hiked from Scorpion Harbor cross-island to Del Norte Camp, great way to see the island. Camped at site 1, had the most wind but also the best views of the ocean. Food storage locker provided to protect food from sneaky foxes. No water anywhere near the campsite. About 4 miles from Prisoners Harbor ferry landing. Shared the campground with one other group. Only 4 campsites total. Great place to camp for solitude.

  • Antonio C.
    Aug. 30, 2019

    Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos

    Summer Heat Getaway!

    It’s a nice drive to get to the campground. Nice clean area with lots of space. Love it that’s it’s a Walk in campground so no cars or RVs. Lots of Hiking trails nearby. It’s a lot cooler up here so it’s a nice way to get away from the summer heat. Awesome area for stargazing. The bathrooms could use some cleaning but other than that it’s a beautiful area.

  • SThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 12, 2025

    Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

    Beautiful location. Close to town

    Beautiful location. Close to town. Walkable, hike-able, bike-able, rideable via paths. No dogs on beach. There is a dog beach further up the coast. Sites are pretty tight. Lots of families and tent camping. Need token from kiosk for showers. Train comes by every once in a while. I stayed in Santa Cruz in my 25’ motorhome with no hook ups. Had my own picnic table and fire ring. May stay again only because of the nice walkable paths. Watch where you step near the tar pits.

  • Meghan W.
    Jul. 30, 2018

    La Jolla Group Campsite — Point Mugu State Park

    Excellent Group Camping by the Ocean

    This is a good group campground with sinks, showers and flush toilets. The one downside is how exposed the campground is, there is no shade. Bring a sun canopy if you can. A nice day hike trailhead is right at the campground. Also because it’s so close the beach the wind can really whip up, stake down your tents tightly.

  • K
    Mar. 28, 2017

    Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park

    The Perfect Weekend Getaway

    I can't emphasize enough how much I love camping here. We came here for about 5 days a few years ago, and had a great time. The campground has ample shade, provides benches, food storage lockers (definitely use them, the island foxes are adorable, but ruthless when it comes to stealing your food), and pit toilets. Choose a site a good distance away from the pit toilets if you have a choice. This should go without saying, but this campground is on an island, so you need to take a boat to get here (Island Packers out of Ventura). Word of wisdom--pack wisely when you go, as the campground is maybe a half a mile to a mile from the boat landing. If you have a ton of loose items and a ton of bags, expect to make many trips back and forth. When we went, we took our kayaks to get the most out of our week on the island. You can also rent kayaks (I THINK you have to make reservations ahead of time), and the kayaks are already on the beach waiting for you. We took our own, however, so we could tour on our own. I believe when you rent you have to go with a guide. We had to make a reservation for our kayaks, for an added fee, but they help load them and paddle them for you to the beach. We stored our kayaks on the beach during our time there, but brought a chain lock to lock them together to prevent anyone from taking them on joy paddle. There are also a great number of different hiking trails that leave from the campground that can keep you busy. Another note for the campground, the time we were there was EXTREMELY windy. The way the campground is situated, it is in a narrow valley that acts as a wind tunnel when it is windy out. Many of our neighbors did not do a good job of staking down their tents and some of them nearly blew away. If you are looking to really get away from it all, this is probably for you.

Guide to Port Hueneme

Discover the beauty of tent camping near Port Hueneme, California, where stunning landscapes and unique experiences await outdoor enthusiasts. From serene island getaways to scenic mountain retreats, there’s a perfect spot for every camper.

Tent campers should check out Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground

  • This campground offers a shaded environment, making it a comfortable choice for tent campers looking to escape the heat while enjoying the natural beauty of Channel Islands National Park.
  • Accessible only by boat or hike, the experience of reaching the Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground adds an adventurous touch to your camping trip.
  • With clean vault toilets and designated food storage boxes, this site ensures a hassle-free camping experience amidst the island's stunning views.

Some prices for tent camping range from $0 to $30

  • The Anacapa Island Campground is a budget-friendly option, providing a unique camping experience with minimal amenities, perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in nature.
  • For a more group-oriented experience, the Circle X Ranch Group Campground offers spacious sites that can accommodate larger gatherings, making it ideal for family or friend outings.
  • The Osprey - Lake Casitas Recreation Area features a variety of amenities, including showers and picnic tables, ensuring a comfortable stay for families and beginners.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Port Hueneme, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Port Hueneme, CA is Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Port Hueneme, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 38 tent camping locations near Port Hueneme, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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