Best Glamping near Poway, CA

Dos Picos County Park and Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve both offer upscale glamping accommodations near Poway, with climate-controlled canvas structures featuring comfortable bedding, electricity, and private outdoor spaces. "This campground was an awesome campground from beginning to end," noted one visitor about Dos Picos, highlighting the park's beautiful surroundings and amenities. The resort-style camping experience includes water and electric hookups, with several locations offering glamping yurts that combine rustic charm with modern conveniences. Lake Jennings Park provides another eco-friendly glamping option with yurt accommodations nestled among oak trees, offering a peaceful retreat with access to nature while maintaining comfort amenities like picnic tables, fire rings, and proximity to clean facilities.

Hiking trails surround these glamping destinations, with guests able to explore the oak-studded landscape and observe local wildlife including squirrels, rabbits, and numerous bird species. According to a camper, "We saw squirrels, bunnies, and LOTS of hawks and a few other birds during our stay." The glamping cabins at Dixon Lake Campground provide year-round access to fishing opportunities and scenic lake views, while Williams Heise County Park offers seasonal glamping yurts with nearby access to Julian's historic downtown. Most locations require reservations, with weekends filling quickly especially during summer months. On-site amenities typically include clean shower facilities, flushing toilets, and rangers who enforce quiet hours, ensuring a peaceful glamping experience that balances wilderness immersion with comfortable accommodations.

Map showing campgrounds near Poway, California

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Best Glamping Sites Near Poway, California (47)

1. Dos Picos County Park
34 Reviews
Poway, CA
4 miles
Website
+1 (760) 789-2220
$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."
2. South Carlsbad State Beach Campground
77 Reviews
Carlsbad, CA
19 miles
Website
+1 (760) 438-3143
$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."

3. Lake Jennings
33 Reviews
Lakeside, CA
12 miles
Website
+1 (619) 390-1623
$35 - $140 / night
"Lake 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)."

"Just 30 minutes from San Diego, with friendly staff and partial or full hookups. We were in a preferred lake view site#96 which had water and electric hookups."
4. San Elijo State Beach Campground
38 Reviews
Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
16 miles
Website
+1 (760) 753-5091
$50 - $520 / night
"If you wanna go on a surfside southern california adventure and keep it fun and cheap then this place is great."

"Some sites are: big, medium and small; right next to each and a little distance; and beach side or inland."

5. Dixon Lake Campground
24 Reviews
Escondido, CA
11 miles
Website
+1 (760) 839-4045
$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."
6. Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve
16 Reviews
Santee, CA
9 miles
Website
+1 (619) 596-3141
"Set up our 16’ travel trailer at a lakeshore full hookup site #27 (no fire pit though). Kids loved the convenient fishing right behind our trailer and the swimming pools a short drive away."

"I wish they would stock a little more fish. Great areas of campgrounds. Great water park for kids and everyone. Full hook ups. Small supply store on site."

7. William Heise County Park
46 Reviews
Julian, CA
25 miles
Website
+1 (760) 765-0650
$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!"
8. San Diego Metro KOA
32 Reviews
Bonita, CA
24 miles
Website
+1 (619) 427-3601
"Heated pool, jacuzzi, bike rentals, and more. They loan you fire pits if you don’t have one. And deliver wood to your site. There is even a cafe if you don’t feel like firing up the grill."

"Neighbors' campfires are 10 ft away from your trailer and makes your camper smell like smoke the whole next day when they start a campfire."

9. Woods Valley Kampground
8 Reviews
Valley Center, CA
14 miles
Website
+1 (760) 749-2905
"My family owns a 1987 VW Vanagon Westfalia since 2020 and use The Dyrt to find hidden gems near our home for weekend camping."

"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."
10. La Jolla Indian Campground
20 Reviews
Palomar Mountain, CA
21 miles
Website
+1 (760) 742-1297
$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."

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Recent Glamping Photos near Poway, CA

31 Photos of 47 Poway Campgrounds

Glamping Reviews near Poway, CA

679 Reviews of 47 Poway Campgrounds

Brian N.
Traveler
Apr. 25, 2015
South Carlsbad State Beach Campground
Carlsbad culvert
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. 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.
J
Jennifer B.
Guide
Feb. 24, 2022
San Onofre Recreation Beach and Camping
Beautiful views - would stay again
I 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:

Noise from I-5 and helicopter sorties. 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).

No dogs allowed on beach. 30 min drive to Dog Beach in Solana.

Lower bathrooms. These were the only showers available. The bathrooms are well stocked but the showers were not cleaned regularly. The same clump of hair was in the same shower for three weeks. Four out of six showers have no hooks to hang clothes. Shower caddies are all rusted. Surfers bring their boards in a rinse them off in the showers. The showers/bathrooms are gross. This was by far my biggest complaint. Regular cleaning, a few extra hooks, and new shower caddies would go along way.

Pros:

Beautiful views and lots of beach at low tide.

Very quiet during the week (weekends are very busy).

Close to a small exchange, commissary, and gas station.

Nice fire pits

Cheap laundry facilities

Close to San Clemente and San Diego is only an hour away.
Alicia F.
Legend
May. 2, 2020
Oceanside RV Resort
Ocean 🌊 side
We 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.
Moriah M.
Guide
Nov. 24, 2020
Lake Jennings
Great Campsite
Lake 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.
cal K.
Ranger
Jan. 20, 2023
Agua Caliente County Park Campground
Large campground with lots of amenities
Lots 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.
Deb S.
Traveler
May. 13, 2018
Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park
Remote yet close to town! Lots of acres, lots of trails, clean bathroomms
Just out of the town of San Juan Capistrano, one might think that it is too city like. Once you get into the park however, you feel like you are in a remote woods with the city far behind you. The electric hook up camp area to me unfortunately it’s too close to State Route 74 however I have never stayed there so I do not know what the noise is like. It is a nice area though and much better than camping in a trailer park that is filled with concrete. Live Oak is where my husband and I stay and I am not going to tell you the space because it is the most perfect of all. There is plenty of space between most of the campsites. It is quiet And very scenic. Upon arrival they were fliers and signs that warned us to be careful because they were mountain lions in the area. We have stayed there at least a dozen times and have never seen a mountain lion. There are also rattlesnakes and although we have never seen one, a friend who was visiting us so saw one on the road on their way to our site. We have truly enjoyed this campsite and campground. I have an area where they display the history of the area and the animals in the area. Very beautiful view as well up on the hill. Although we have never gone hiking, I hear there are many many trails that are very beautiful. I am disabled but the sides and the showers and bathrooms are very friendly to those who are disabled. This is one of my favorite campground and you don’t need to get on a year in advance to get a reservation! We did have a coyote one night in our campsite in our kitchen area, while we were sitting around the fire. Once we shooed him away, he ran off. Probably why no pets!
E
Elly A.
Guide
May. 20, 2019
Borrego Palm Canyon Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Stars galore!
This campground is one of my favorites. My practical side enjoys the clean bathrooms with hot showers and proximity to markets for refills on ice and beer. My adventurous side enjoys the hikes, coyotes singing and clear skies to observe the night sky. This campground has been enjoyable every time I’ve gone. I’ve been to many campgrounds where neighbors keep you up late, but something about this location demands quiet enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, my friends and I stay up laughing around the campfire well after sunset but everyone seems to respect the quiet hours. The sites are spacious, each with a shade ramada, grill and fire-ring. The visitors center is a must see and there are numerous hiking trails near the campground. As beautiful as the wildflowers are during a super bloom, the crowds are super distracting. March is the best time of year to go, if there is a super bloom you’ll enjoy that, if not, you’ll enjoy the solitude.
Matthew D.
Scout
Jun. 26, 2017
William Heise County Park
Fire pits too close to eachother
Stayed in site #73 this past weekend. I wouldn't recommend that spot. It is too close to #74. They are both large spots but the actually fire pits are too close to eachother. Luckily there was a nice family staying next to us so we hardly noticed them. Had they been too loud it could have ruined the trip. Also this spot had very little shade in the afternoon when the sun was the hottest.

The bathrooms were shut down for maintenance in that loop so they offered portable toilets which got full quick. The hand washing station ran out of water the second day and was never refilled so you had to go back to your site to wash your hands. The running water coming from the spigot was orange and frothy and had a sign saying not to use it for drinking.

The hiking trail that was near by was the best part. Tons of wildflowers everywhere and beautiful views.

I probably won't come back to this campground next time I got camping. There are campgrounds closer to San Diego that are have bigger sites.
Shainna M.
Guide
Mar. 3, 2023
Dos Picos County Park
Gorgeous!
Great county park. Quiet and well maintained. Pay showers. $29/ night. Pets welcome. Fire pits and picnic tables at each site. Tent camping available as well.