Ranchita is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. Ranchita 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 Ranchita, CA. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$24 - $34 / night
"Nice campground away from the main roads. All spots outside of the R.V. loop are spread out and pretty secluded. Very friendly and helpful rangers. About a 10 minute drive from Julian pie co."
"Lots of flat areas for pitching tents well away from the fire pit."
$35 - $125 / night
"Activities: numerous hiking trails, accessible from the campground. The most popular one is the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail which leads to the oasis of California Fan Palms."
"Very clean, well-maintained, and nice location. Very strict check-in time. However, you can tell they are cleaning the sites and making sure the sites are in order."
"This site is located in anza borrego, the only dark sky community in California, so you will see more stars here than anywhere else in California (unless there’s a full moon then there won’t be stars)."
"This place is tucked away off the S-2 with camping along a dry lake bed. Beautiful spring blooms here, the lake bed is a protected space, so admire from a distance."
"Located off the S22, border of Anza Borrego,just 3.5 miles past the town of Ranchita. If you keep going down the hill you'll hit Borrego Springs."
"I’ve hit bottom coming out of California business driveways more often.
It’s located well up the mountain from Borrego Springs on a scenic highway."
"I don't think this map pin is correct for Yaqui Wells Primitive Camp, the location according to Google Maps is a little further south just off Yaqui Pass Road off Highway 78."
"Overall, I was happy with our stay as we could only see one other party (far away enough to where we couldn't hear them) and it was quieter than I thought it would be, considering it runs parallel to a highway"
$40 - $250 / night
"The only downside to this site is that it was very close to the bathrooms. That actually bummed me out a bit when we first arrived, but it ended up not being much of an issue at all."
"The trash cans were just a few feet from the site and the bathrooms were a short walk just a couple spots away."
$39 - $99 / night
"The Happy Hilltop site felt secluded but was still accessible to the outhouse and barn area within an easy walk. (Camp sites near the barn are close to the outhouse but much less private.)"
"It was amazing to see Bonnie (one of the dogs) notice a hawk far away in the distance and scare it immediately.
The spot that I rented was next to the kitchen area and not far from the barn."
"Membership costs us around $2000 And have access to / 3000 different camp sites nationwide At any time of the year a drop of a dime essentially"
"Great location and beautiful scenery in the mountains. The resort has lost of activities to participate in. Also, great hiking trails."
"I'm not a big golfer, but the course that surrounds the park is very nice. In fact, all of the facilities are well maintained. It's best to avoid the summer unless you're a fan of extreme heat."
"Lots of hiking places near by. We will be back!"
$35 - $70 / night
"Tamarisk is a nice campground in a central location. It's about halfway between downtown Borrego Desert and Julien, there are some nice hikes nearby like the Cactus Loop. Nice showers and bathrooms."
"It sits next to the highway but there’s minimal traffic so it isn’t terribly loud. There are tent sites as well as primitive cabins. Each site has a fire ring and table."
ScoutWe’ve stayed here before in their Airbnb camper, this time we brought our own camper and it did not disappoint! The free range animals, creek and play area was all we needed to get back to nature. Like the listing says, sometimes it’s quiet sometimes it’s loud. We always enjoy the sounds of nature so it never bothers us.
GuideThis is a nice place to camp- we stayed one night. stopped at the laguna recreation area visitor center before hand to pick up a free permit. the road was recently paved so it’s easy to drive on, there’s a handful of spots just along side the road, as you go further in the road the views get better- we parked on the side of the road and then walked uphill about 8 minutes to a campsite we liked but there are definitely more where you just camp next to your car. there are more campsite further down the road when it goes back down in the valley but the views end there. we only saw 3-4 other cars the whole time.
TravelerGreat pull thru sites on level concrete pads. Full hookups. Many hiking trails and bicycle trails.
GuideThe good things about this place is, relatively cheap compared to most RV places in the area around San Diego; decent bath/shower rooms + no coins; pool/hottub/gym/gameroom/laundry available; you can walk to some restaurants and a dollar tree Cons on this place would be terrible “dog park” there’s a bit of space but nowhere will you find actual grass for any of the many dogs that are here with their campers; every site is covered in gravel (just not my favorite); a lot of sites are fully exposed to sun throughout the hole day; very little to no privacy here
ScoutGreat campsite about 30min up a fun easy rated 4x4 trail. The spots are well spaced out so you aren't on top of your neighbors and the bathrooms were clean and stocked with TP. Lots of bugs of the crawling variety but nothing too bad, no mosquitoes!
ScoutGreat area--it's just close enough to some expensive campgrounds and a few connecting trails, so it's awesome to camp here for FREE. Pine Creek Road itself is paved, and the camping spots are packed dirt so it's easy to get around even in a FWD. Warning though: if you're nervous about driving on single lane mountain roads, this is not the place for you! Pine Creek Road is several miles long, with some sections that are on sheer cliff edges with very few turn-off spots to allow for passing.
Additional word of warning: the camping spots are not close together and there seemed to be very few of them. Even driving slowly, I counted only 6 or 7 sites total, separated by up to a mile. I saw only 1 other spot with campers, at least 2.5 miles from my site. Some of the sites are fairly large--could easily fit 2 cars and a couple tents--but others seemed to be just large enough to pull off the road and sleep in the car (no tent space). Some spots were tucked back from the road with lots of trees (I barely saw or heard any cars, even though I was probably only ~15ft from the road); but some were barely more than a shoulder with no trees for coverage. I stayed in the same spot two nights in a row, though I packed up during the day because I assumed I'd find another spot down the road. At least in the site I picked, there was very little trash from previous campers.
Suggestion for the permit: make sure you apply for the free permit a few days in advance especially if you plan to go on the weekend. List the place you're going as "Pine Creek dispersed camping," and keep a printed copy in your car. I didn't have trouble with any rangers, but it's better to be safe than fined. Very spotty service (Verizon), which makes navigation and planning difficult if you don't pre-download trail maps.
GuideI will never book to stay here or another Thousand Trails property again. You cannot choose your site or even move when the campground is completely empty. The gave me a terrible spot, which was small, covered in pine cones, on a slope and next to weirdos playing loud music and an aggressive pit bull. Checked out early and found a much more inviting place.
ScoutHad a great time here and the staff were amazing. Highly recommend. Has a pool, park for the kids, and a little shop to get any of your necessities.
TravelerGreat spot for camping , if you have a big rig it’s a little tight to move around on the roads but definitely nice for sprinters / trucks / suvs or even cars ! Roads are PAVED , I think thats new because I don’t remember that last year when i went !
Camping near Ranchita, California, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy nature and unwind.
Camping near Ranchita, California, offers a variety of experiences for everyone. Whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or a family adventure, there's something for you in this beautiful area.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Ranchita, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 314 campgrounds and RV parks near Ranchita, CA and 34 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Ranchita, CA is William Heise County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 46 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 34 free dispersed camping spots near Ranchita, CA.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 parks near Ranchita, CA that allow camping, notably Bankhead National Forest and Chugach National Forest.
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