Best Cabin Camping near Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

This place was hopping and popping on the weekend. Fishing, loud music and tons of weekend campers and kids. Big resort, open pool and hot tub was nice given limitations.

This campground is so picturesque! It has a camp store, cabin rentals, and camping spots 10 feet from the sand. There are tent only, partial hookup, and full hookup sites available. Other amenities include playground, bathrooms and showers, a baseball field, and even a large gathering hall! The only downside to this location is that it is for military only, but this keeps the crowds down. The ocean wildlife is so cool, and at low tide you can see octopus, starfish, and all kinds of small fish/crabs. The views are spectacular!

We ended up here after a futile search for an affordable hotel in the area. Even though it was not inexpensive, we secured a beachfront site. The sites are in three sections: standard, deluxe, and premium. There are also cabins and a group tent area (on the public beach). 

The reservation process was not easy – you cannot make same-day online reservations and have to navigate a detailed menu on the phone to finally get to the reservation desk.

We arrived after dark, just as the office was closing but were able to get our information packet. Payment is in full when you make the reservation. As we expected, the sites are stacked up next to each other like dominoes with minimal foliage/fencing to separate the sites. The beachfront and preferred sites have a concrete and sand pad while some less expensive sites have just sand. 

There are codes to enter the restrooms, the bike path, and the pool. The restrooms were clean as were the showers, with good hot water and decent water pressure. 

In season, there are many activities and amenities offered including a water park, water sports rentals, a bistro, a snack bar, movies on the beach, and a swimming beach. About the only amenities available in November were the pool, two hot tubs (although one was not working when we were there), and the .75-mile concrete path around the lake. A gentle water aerobics class is offered three times a week. There is also a marina, but we don’t have a boat so we did not explore this. In season, you can rent pavilions, and pool or beach cabanas, all for an additional cost. 

Although this is a fully contained resort, it is not quiet. You will hear road noise and at certain times of the day, near constant noise from planes at nearby John Wayne airport. 

This was an affordable respite for us on a long road trip, but it is VERY expensive in season (about three times the price of “winter” rates). Also, it would be an entirely different experience when fully booked!

We enjoyed the pool, watching the ducks in the pond, and the kids loved the basketball court. Some parts closed on certain days- store, jacuzzi, community room. Big spots with room to set up, but this place is booked and it’s mid week late September. Definitely my favorite Thousand Trails so far… lots of long timers/ leased sites on the other side of the park. Friendly staff and overall friendly neighbors too!

This military campground is located within walking distance of two world class surfing breaks; Old Man's and Tressels. This campground has a variety of camp spots from tent, RV to cabins. You have to make reservation thru the military systems to camp here. There's a baseball diamond. The bathrooms are clean. Try to grab the RV spots on the north side of the campground. 

Cell Service: Excellent

Although it's a members only you can still get in on a trial it is an excellent place to buy into though I must say so they have activities themes that very from weekend a weekend such as example there was a petting zoo they had a Western one time but you can tent cap you can pull your RV in or you can rent a cab in there they have several different kinds of cabins Little ones and then really big ones just suit your family size they have full hookups you can also purchase cable TV if you wish you can park right on the lake there's two lakes in one pond there's one catfish lake and then a trout lake The legs are stopped on Thursday and there's no fishing on that day The place is very clean while kept the staff is friendly they do have rules and you should have buy them as fort makes everybody comfortable in their camping experience there you can stay there for up to two weeks one time of year you're allowed to stay three weeks 21 days then you must leave for two weeks and you can come back in the daytime but you need to wait two weeks before returning to stay the night they have several pools to have an adult center and an adult pool there's tons of things for kids to do as well as the kid pool and they have a really awesome water park this place is well-built and it keeps growing and they keep adding newer and cooler things every time I rate this place and awesome and I will be returning there and I will be putting more media up as I return

This is very close to home but a nice quick getaway. It is surprisingly close to everything but yet you feel like you are hours away. There are trails, trees, a little lake. For how close it is, it does always have quite a few campers. Not my go to place but a nice spur of the moment getaway.

I had a reservation at Wilderness Lakes, and I was a day early, so they let me in! Off to a good start! Full hook-ups, laundry and showers about 50 yards away, no matter which way you go. Laundry is done with an app, and pretty cheap, $1.75 wash, $1.75 dry. Nice canals running through the park, with ducks and their ducklings trailing behind. I chose to stay at the far end, away from the crowds. I got a great site, with no one on either side, and 2 neighbors across the street. While I was setting up, one of my awning screen poles broke. I called ShadePro, and they were out the next morning with a new one. Management seems very friendly, there’s a store at the front of the park, and a nice one mile hike around the perimeter of the park. Unseasonably warm the past couple days, so used my AC for a couple hours in the afternoon, to cool Riley and I down. The internet pretty much sucks. Good for email, and very little surfing, but way too slow to stream Netflix, etc. I just put on some music and relax, or throw in a DVD at night. Plenty of trash receptacles, playground for kids, mini golf, and much more. They even have cabins to rent. Will definitely come back!

This campsite was found by my wife because we wanted to be able to have a campfire. It seems to be private property which allows you to have a campfire in their designated pits. The site is fairly large and divided by a road of the 38 hwy. On the left side is the main office with a pool nearby a shop, restaurant and RV parking with all hook ups. Behind the main office are mobile homes that are used as cabins. We stayed on the right side of the road where its divided in two rows of sites. One row is right of the stream/creek. Each site is is divided by a picnic table and they are relatively close to each other. Those who are off the creek actually camp on the water when its hot which makes it awkward to use the creek. The website makes it look like there's fishing but I didn't see any and can't imagine them any bigger than a guppie. There are plenty of water faucet and a couple dumpster which should be used because of raccoons. Its a good place if you want to start camping but still don't feel comfortable being on you're own. The showers and bathrooms are clean for the most part but you do have to walk across the street to them.

This is a great little campground if you want a quick getaway. We camped here when we were training for our first backpacking trip to test out all of our gear. Because it's not easy to get to, don't camp here if you expect to come and go.

They ask for reg, insurance, on both truck and trailer when you arrive. We Stayed In spot 338 and had absolutely no cell coverage for our Verizon phones. The Bathrooms and showers take a code to get in. Not sure what thats all about, they were clean. The Geese in the park are a hoot! It Appears the park is VERY residential now a days. Not a camping environment like it was years ago. Dirt bikes, electric scooters, golf carts with loud music, cars literally cruising the park with loud music, people using leaf blowers you name it we saw it. If your going there to get away this is the wrong park very busy and noisy all hours.