Best Glamping near San Clemente, CA

San Onofre Recreation Beach and Camping and Crystal Cove Beach Cottages offer coastal glamping experiences along San Clemente's picturesque shoreline. San Onofre provides glamping accommodations with ocean views, fire pits, and picnic tables on Camp Pendleton military base, offering a secure environment for visitors. At Crystal Cove State Park, restored historic beach cottages serve as unique glamping accommodations just steps from the shore. Both locations include market access and trash service, while offering distinctly different coastal experiences. Newport Dunes RV Resort houses luxury yurts with comfortable bedding, electricity, and resort amenities for those seeking more upscale glamping. "This camp is on the base so it's safe and clean," noted one visitor about San Onofre's military location.

The glamping sites near San Clemente provide exceptional beach access with varying levels of seclusion. Crystal Cove's cottages are within walking distance of tide pools and scenic coastal trails, perfect for nature enthusiasts. Launch Pointe Recreation Destination features yurt accommodations with water views and activities like boating and fishing. Most glamping accommodations remain open year-round, though reservations should be made well in advance, particularly for summer months when oceanfront sites fill quickly. The locations provide easy day-trip access to San Diego (one hour away) and nearby attractions. A recent visitor mentioned, "Beautiful views and lots of beach at low tide," highlighting the natural setting that makes these coastal glamping options particularly attractive to those seeking resort-style camping with direct beach access.

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Best Glamping Sites Near San Clemente, California (42)

    1. San Onofre Recreation Beach and Camping

    21 Reviews
    San Clemente, CA
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (760) 763-7263

    $45 / night

    "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"

    "The fire pits are HUGE and so lots of room for people to fit. "

    2. Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park

    22 Reviews
    Coto de Caza, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (949) 923-2210

    $20 - $25 / night

    "Once you get into the park however, you feel like you are in a remote woods with the city far behind you."

    "Rangers at entrance to check for pets (not allowed) and where you can buy bundles of wood for $5 if you want. Technically not allowed to bring in outside wood."

    3. Bluffs Campground — San Onofre State Beach

    20 Reviews
    San Clemente, CA
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (949) 492-4872

    $45 - $250 / night

    "The facilities include outdoor showers and sinks and nice bathrooms. It is perfect for a visit to the beach where you don't need a lot to make you happy."

    "Easy drive up car campingnor RV. Easy hike down to the beach and you usually have most of it to yourself."

    4. Moro Campground — Crystal Cove State Park

    35 Reviews
    Laguna Beach, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 444-7275

    $25 - $75 / night

    "The campsites are roped off and have a decent amount of distance between them. There is some vegetation between them but not enough to be totally private."

    "It’s right on top of Pacific Coast Highway and has a beautiful view of the ocean!"

    5. South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

    77 Reviews
    Carlsbad, CA
    29 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."

    6. Newport Dunes RV Resort

    26 Reviews
    Newport Beach, CA
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 765-7661

    $75 - $550 / night

    "evenings on the beach were nice as a lot of folks head back to the comforts of their campers. sites are close together as in all rv parks but everyone seems to respect the quiet hours."

    "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."

    7. Crystal Cove Beach Cottages — Crystal Cove State Park

    6 Reviews
    Newport Coast, CA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (949) 376-6200

    "Crystal Cove Beach Cottages……Home away from home❤️"

    "Great views, nice trails & beach walks. Great restaurant."

    8. Launch Pointe Recreation Destination and RV Park

    12 Reviews
    Lake Elsinore, CA
    22 miles
    Website
    +1 (855) 471-1212

    $55 - $140 / night

    "Canopy Court area has easy and close access to the splash pad, the playground, a large grass area, and even the pool. The boat launch is very near by too but we had no use for that."

    "Staff was great. RV site the best. Seeing the vintage trailers. The clean well take care of ground. Best site set up easy. Just a good time. "

    9. Oceanside RV Resort

    15 Reviews
    Oceanside, CA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (877) 864-2728

    "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."

    "Overall liked this rv park, close to town for us to explore all the restaurants close by. Beach is a 5-10 minute walk. Staff was friendly ask for Diana sweetheart."

    10. San Elijo State Beach Campground

    38 Reviews
    Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA
    35 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."

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Glamping Reviews near San Clemente, CA

541 Reviews of 42 San Clemente Campgrounds


  • Brian N.
    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
    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.
  • N
    Jul. 11, 2022

    Bonelli Bluffs

    Beautiful, BUT

    There is no denying that this is a spectacular place to stay, our site was right next to the beautiful lake and what a beautiful vision to wake up to every morning. The downfall is the park is extremely spread out, and it gets very very crowded on the weekends. If you are coming here for peace and quiet, especially on the weekends, you might want to look elsewhere because the boom boxes go past quiet time and people love to party here. Staff did not enforce quiet time in our section "F" at all and am sure it wasn't from a lack of being able to hear them. We stayed here for close to a week, never used the facilities because they were just too far away. You have to drive to go to the laundry room, use the pool or access the office if you get a site by the lake, didn't know that. Come the weekend it is wall to wall people, even tent camping on the lawn is wall to wall tents. It is very expensive to stay here and we prefer a resort where we could find the atmosphere more relaxing. We did not, for safety reason, confront the offenders to ask them to turn down their music. I am all for freedom of everything, but neighbor flying Trump flag was a bit much. I am not here to have political rhetoric in my face. The irony of this resort is they require you to sign a page long terms and conditions yet they don't abide by them themselves! Saturday night music and people partying till past 1 AM yet they say quiet time is 10 pm. At 9am the boom box competition started up again. So inconsiderate of your fellow campers! We love the grounds but cant wait to leave to get a good nights sleep.

  • Alicia F.
    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.

  • Deb S.
    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!

  • T
    Mar. 15, 2022

    Lake Skinner Recreation Area

    Busy!

    When we Arrived at the gate we were 14th in line. It Took 40 minutes to enter the park. The CG was very full, it was noisy all weekend. There were barking dogs, dogs not on leashes, remote control cars, electric scooters, loud stereos. People up partying till after 1am around their fires. It Appears all “camp rules” are ignored. Bathrooms were clean. Our Fire pit at spot was left dirty and had trash in it when we arrived. The park in general is very nice. This was our 4th time here and only time it had been so loud. Make sure you check out the camp store and walk down to the lake.

  • Shainna M.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • M
    Nov. 2, 2020

    Cherry Valley Lakes

    Relaxing

    This is a membership campground. They will allow you to stay for free if you listen to their pitch. There are several other campgrounds included with the membership. This Park has bathrooms, showers, a laundry facility, a heated pool and spa, a playground, two catch and release fishing ponds (no license required, but only barbless hooks are allowed), and a youth center. We didn’t catch any fish but the kids still had fun with it. The thing I didn’t like about it was that it’s right next to the freeway so it was loud ... which doesn’t bother me during the day but was distracting at night when trying to sleep.

  • Ashley L.
    Sep. 7, 2018

    South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

    Family of 4 Tent camping 1 night at site 195 (beachside)

    Beautiful view of the ocean with access stairways. The sandy shore is littered with rocks washed out from the hillside. We watched surfers and played in the waves until the kids tired out. Fires are permitted and firewood available onsite. 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. It was our first time camping beachside and we enjoyed it thoroughly. Only drawback is tents and campers were intertwined so you might hear generators running outside of quiet hours.


Guide to San Clemente

San Clemente sits at the southern edge of Orange County where coastal bluffs rise 100-200 feet above sandy beaches. Summer temperatures average 75°F while winter drops to about 65°F with occasional marine layer fog. The terrain combines accessible beach camping with nearby inland wilderness areas, creating diverse glamping options close to San Clemente, California within a 25-mile radius.

What to do

Tide pool exploration: 15-minute walk from Moro Campground at Crystal Cove State Park. "Great day area and trails within walking distance. The tide was high both times we tried to walk under the highway to get to the beach but there were parking lots just a short drive up the road," shares Amy H. The park offers multiple hiking trails with ocean views.

Mountain biking: 12+ miles of trails at Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park. "Casper is a great park located 15min from the city. It has three main camping areas that cater to campers, RVs and horses. There are a number of hiking trails around that range from a 1 to 12 miles," explains Berton M. The park includes several distinct camping areas with varying amenities.

Water recreation: Inflatable obstacle course at Newport Dunes. "They have activities for the kids like arts and crafts, an inflatable obstacle course or you can rent paddle boards or watch a movie on the beach," notes Karissa J. The lagoon area offers calm water ideal for beginning paddlers and young families.

What campers like

Beach access: Stairs lead directly to sand at Bluffs Campground — San Onofre State Beach. "If you go to the beach from the campsite there are a few trails. I will tell you we attempted to go down three different trails and couldn't make it. It's so steep, dangerous and not maintained. You really need hiking gear to get down it," warns Chelsey. Trail One is noted as most accessible though still steep.

Marine wildlife viewing: Observe ocean creatures during low tide at San Onofre Recreation Beach and Camping. "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!" shares Andy H. This military-only campground provides oceanfront camping with diverse marine life.

Privacy between sites: Varies significantly by location across campgrounds. At San Elijo State Beach Campground, "Campsites can get pretty packed, although some sites offer more privacy than others. Bathrooms are stocked and the whole campground is well taken care of," says Adam C. Many campgrounds use vegetation buffers or tiered layouts to create separation.

What you should know

Military ID requirement: San Onofre Recreation Beach requires military credentials. "Note that you do need to be military or have a connection. If you do, you're in luck! There's great surfing, and the campground has good facilities," mentions Jonathan G. This restriction keeps crowds down but limits access for civilians.

Train noise impacts several locations: Nearby tracks affect multiple campgrounds. At South Carlsbad State Beach, Tom H. notes, "Far enough away from the train tracks to not have train noise issues but alongside US101 so there may be road noise." Check proximity to transportation corridors when booking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near San Clemente, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near San Clemente, CA is San Onofre Recreation Beach and Camping with a 4.2-star rating from 21 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near San Clemente, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 42 glamping camping locations near San Clemente, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.