Best Tent Camping near San Simeon, CA

Recent Tent Reviews in San Simeon

612 Reviews of 8 San Simeon Campgrounds

• 

  Louis F.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 30, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Great Spot In Morro Bay

  Nice Campground. RV Park Style. We have a fire ring, food locker, table and benches. It’s like being in a RV neighborhood. Location, Location, Location. Quick walk to the harbor, cafe, waterfront and walking trails. We have family in the area and bring our rig when visiting. We will definitely be back. Nice spot very comfortable.

• 

  Michell C.

  Ranger

  

  Nov. 28, 2024

  Franklin Hot Springs

  So Much Potential

  When we rolled in to this property, we were almost certain we had the wrong place. The road going in was pretty sketchy right off the bat with a crumbling, concrete ‘bridge’ spanning an overflowing creek or drainage ditch. The water was running over the bridge but since we’d been driving through torrential downpours all day, we figured it was to be expected. When we pulled onto the actual property, there appeared to be several permanent tenants on property, their travel trailers and motorhomes surrounded with miscellaneous “stuff and things”. We were tired and decided that $30 to stay the night with electric hookups was worth it ($10 extra per person to swim in the hot spring). I should mention, the water provided at the site felt and smelled like it was straight out of the hot spring, so we didn’t hook that up to the RV. There was a lot of garbage and micro trash surrounding our site and I even stumbled across several large (some rusted) nails in the gravel in and around our site. Yikes! The swimming area was a bit run down but definitely serviceable. The bathrooms as a whole were pretty grimy, lots of junks built up in corners and flat surfaces, but the toilet and sink itself were clean. We ended up not using the pool in the morning as we were anxious to hit the road…

  I should mention that we never once felt unsafe at all and the area was peaceful and quiet. The people we interacted with were very friendly and welcoming as well, so that was a plus. Even so, I don’t think we’ll be staying here again. I’m not sure if the pictures posted were taken well before the trash and stuff and things were scattered about, but what we saw when we arrived was a far cry from what the photos here and on their website represented. We were just really disappointed. But, not every place you stay is going to be stellar.

  With a little cleaning, sprucing up and/or maybe some sort of privacy fence or barrier around the piles of stuff and things on the property, this could be an amazing spot.

• S

  Susan C.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 25, 2024

  San Lorenzo Park

  Easy, Convenient & Pretty

  What a find! Mostly level, mostly gravel and grass, mostly pull through sites. Water, and 30 amp and 12 V available. Not sure about 50 amp. Good cell service, bathrooms, showers and a dump station round out the on-site conveniences. Firings and picnic tables with a choice of well-shaded or solar-friendly sites. A nice walking path, circles the campground and is well used in the mornings and evenings by locals running or walking dogs and babies. The first half of the park has a rustic agriculture, museum, and lots of old farm equipment on display. There are also spaces to rent for parties and events with their own parking area separate from the campground. King City has grocery, gas, some restaurants and some shops just outside of the park.

• S

  Sami T.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 29, 2024

  North Beach Campground — Pismo State Beach

  North Beach

  Large sites with fire rings, picnic tables, some sites don’t have much shade and some do. Less than 1/2 mile walk to beach. Couple miles from Oceano dunes. Hot showers. Can get windy. Dog friendly.

• C

  Christine W.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  North Beach Campground — Pismo State Beach

  A winner

  I skipped out on Oceano and came here hoping they might have something open. Turns out they had 8 and the park ranger let me drive in to scope it out. I picked a site close to the beach and even better my Oceano reservation could be transferred. Yay. Loved this campground so much. It’s well laid out and all the sites are well spaced and clean. The evening was much quieter, with a sunset and sounds of waves. A ten minute walk to the beach and right next to the butterfly grove. I have already made another reservation to see about the butterflies when they are in season. Pismo Beach is fantastic!

• C

  Christine W.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2024

  Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach

  You can do better

  Probably just due to the time of year but this campground was way too rowdy for my taste, all the sites are close together and it seemed almost every site was a very large group, generators running after 10pm, amplified music and tv! If that’s your jam you’ll love it. I took off after 1 night.

• 

  makenna W.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 20, 2024

  Flying Flags Avila Beach

  Second Time Staying. Disappointed

  This is our second time at this location, first in dry camping, second time in the Jupe tents. As much as I was begging for this stay to be worth the $470 for two nights, it definitely wasn’t. The concept is great but really faulty when executed. 1) they disclose when booking that power to the tents may or may not work. The truth? The solar panels don’t charge whatsoever if there is fog/cloud cover in the mornings. Was told this directly by management. Soooo…. Considering this is a bay site, right on the ocean…. We didn’t have power once. Morning fog happens every single day. (Even though it was completely sunny from 12pm-5pm) this was frustrating, and we would’ve packed accordingly given knowledge that we would’ve been powerless all weekend. The blankets they provide don’t keep you warm either, so if you stay on a night below 50 without an electrical blanket or backups, prepare to freeze. During our stay we were also told that there was only one overnight maintenance man, on a Friday, during Labor Day weekend. That poor man didn’t get a break once all evening and definitely deserves a raise and to be treated better by his employers. He’s the only reason this review deserves a star. For such a beautiful location, this company is really fumbling. Disappointing.

• K

  Kim G.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 20, 2024

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Not our scene: hot, crowded, buggy

  We had reservations for 2 nights on an Augugst Friday / Saturday at Lopez Lake in a full-hook-up site in Bandtail (Site 38). The reviews of this place were great, and the photos were beautiful. We arrived to find a HUGE park (yes, I should have noted how many campsites there are). Check-in involved parking our van and standing in line like Disneyland. The park employees were nice though. There were big signs all around "NO FIRES" (more on this later) and I was also told at check in that there were no fires. We found our site easily enough, only to realize how closely packed the sites were in Bandtail. Some nice folks to our right had three sites - 11 kids and 21 people between them. The kids rode their bikes all over, and even onto our site (while also running around our van chasing a chipmunk). We had our daughter's dog, so tried sitting outside in the shade, only to find that in addition to the heat (it was mid 80s), there were biting flies. :( Poor puppy got bit or stung more than once. So we went in our van and turned on the AC (it could run on low with the 20A service there). Then, after dark, a dad and his young son arrive on our other side and had to back in their boat in the dark. We got out of our rig and helped them (twice) with our portable lights and guidance. In the morning, they spoke in very loud voices and we were right next door. We did take one of the trails in the heat, but they are not at all well maintained - basically trampled grass that could easily hold a snake. While the area is pretty, it is just way too crowded for our taste. Oh, and the bathrooms were dimily lit, had a couple of non-functioning toilets, and were dirty. We were ready to get out of there and will not be back. Lastly, though the fire danger was marked as extremely high and "NO FIRES" signs at check-in, along with verbal warnings of no fires, I saw two campsites had open fires in the fire pits. This blatant lack of regard for rules and safety didn't sit well with me. And no one was enforcing the fire ban. Sad.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 17, 2024

  Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Great Campground

  We stayed here a few years ago, but on the primitive / non-hookup side. We stayed on the E/W hookup side this time and liked it as well, though it does have the more typical RV/parking lot feel as compared to the other side.  There's a nice walking trail that connects the two sides. It's $50 for an E/W site, plus an $8.25 reservation fee.

  There's a cool lagoon that you can walk all the way around on, with lots of birds, and much of it accessible as well which is nice. There's a cool visitor center, open 12-4. The beach is a short walk away. There's a great Mexican restaurant down the road also, Old Juan's, it's so good and has great vegan options.

  The showers here are nice and clean, and $1 gets you 4 minutes.  The showers are individual, private, and non-gendered. There was no host on site when we were there, but the rangers were very present.  This campground, like all California State campgrounds we've been to recently, has trash, recycling, and a food compost bin which I love.

  There's a fun game for kids where you download an app and go on a scavenger hunt and complete other challenges.

  No dump station here, but there's one just 2 miles north at North Beach Campground, and it's $10 for dump and water fill there.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 17, 2024

  Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Campground

  4 x 4 recommended

  We love being able to camp directly on the beach, and have done so many times in Texas and in Louisiana, but wouldn't recommend it here unless you are in a 4wd. We did see 2 skoolies on the beach, but then we also saw a pickup truck stuck in the sand in the parking lot outside of the beach, so there's that.

  Camping overnight is only $10, and the beach is wide open for camping. It was very busy during the day on a weekday in August, so I can imagine the weekends are packed. 

  This is a fun beach in a fun, low key beach town, and we love coming here.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 3, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Nicer when it's not crowded

  We stayed here last year when the area was getting hit by severe storms and flooding - so the campground was almost empty. We loved the campground then and gave it 5 stars. This year when we stayed it was packed, and definitely not as nice of an experience.

  The previous review mentions the awkward walk to the showers, and I will agree with that. You either have to go through someone's site, or walk all the way to the end of the road. We got lucky and got to cut through some vacant sites to get to the showers.

  We do still love this campground though, because of the boardwalk in the estuary and all the bird sightings there. We got to visit the museum this time as well, small and cute and well worth the $3 entry fee. The restaurant is still there but we didn't go this time. Next time we go we will rent kayaks and explore the water some more. There's a golf course here adjacent to the campground as well.  The town of Morro Bay is cute and relaxed and fun to visit.

  There's a dump station here but it's not free even for campers - it's a $10 fee you pay with your credit card right at the dump.  Showers were ok, no complaints.

  This is a good, low key and decently priced campground that we'll definitely stop at the next time we're going through the area.

• 

  Jack W.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 2, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  "Last resort" campground, 3 stars at best

  - PROS -

  Beautiful location <5 minute drive away from the beach and Morro rock. SLO is close, and the coast is always nice. There's a pretty boardwalk trail next to the site as well (see photos).

  - CONS -

  These aren't camp sites, they're parking spots with a fire pit on dead grass and weeds. You're packed like sardines next to adjacent campers. It's unclear where the boundary of each others' site is. For facilities, they do have big bathrooms, showers, and dumpsters… but they're all filthy and unkempt. And even though the bathrooms may be right next to your site, there's no way to get to them without walking through another person's camp site or going all the way around– down the road or around many camps. We had a crotchety old man get mad at us for walking somewhat through his site. I enjoyed my stay, but only because I wasn't the one paying for the site.

  TLDR: This site functions moreso as an overnight parking spot than it does a campsite.

• 

  Jack J.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 11, 2024

  Lake San Antonio - North Shore

  Weekend Trip

  Great camp ground. Launched the boat and anchored it to shore. Literally had the place to ourselves. Fishing was great from shore in morning and dusk. They had clean bathrooms and showers.

• J

  Joanne C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Great location, dirty facilities

  You can’t beat the location- across from Marina , trails and walking distance to Morro bay town. , the restrooms and shower facilities were always filthy and running out of toilet paper. Bring your own soap and TP 

• 

  Jeremy F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 27, 2024

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Great time with the whole family

  Large sites with plenty of room for tents and all the other camping necessities. This site backs up into the hills and there are black bears that roam the area so be sure to prepare for that. The lake is full and lots of areas to fish.

• 

  Elijah L.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area Campground

  It's the beach

  A vehicle beach with unlimited things to do fishing, offroad sand dunes, hike, camp rv vehicle theres class A B C home made its awesome dogs allowed, after 10pm it's so quite

• 

  Michelle W.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 17, 2024

  Islay Creek Campground — Montaña de Oro State Park

  Nice location, my site had no privacy

  I loved walking to the ocean in the morning. Many birds and bunnies hopping around.
  I would not choose my spot again.

• 

  Tammy P.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 14, 2024

  Kirk Creek Campground

  Most beautiful view

  small hill top campground with amazing sunrise and sunset view. There is a small trail to go down the beach right next to camp site #22 Avoid sites that close to the restroom as it can get very smelly. Site #7,8,9 are the best with open space for ocean views. Can get very windy at night (depending on on season) so secure down your tent tightly

• 

  Eva C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 8, 2024

  Road's End, Bradley Lockwood

  Beautiful and peaceful

  The sites are clean and the views are lovely. We loved the fire pits and the string lights hanging from the trees. Very nice atmosphere.

• b

  barbara M.

  Guide

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Beautiful, but a little squirrely

  This campground is awesome. It’s very beautiful, with lots of wildflowers, trees, trails, beach dunes…and squirrels. Lots of them. But we also saw and heard hawks, turkey vultures, owls, and many other birds. We also saw a cute little weasel. There’s also lots of rangers, which makes for very well-mannered campers. Loved it!! You can walk to the beach or drive on the beach. Driving in the beach was fun, but it was so windy and so cold! This was the end of May. Not sure what the weather is over months. The actual campground was not as cold or windy, since it’s behind the dunes. The bathrooms have hot water and Flush toilets. Showers are huge and are self-contained and not in the bathrooms. Tokens needed. Starting in May there’s a market night at the main pier, small but fun to visit. Lots to do, from renting dune buggies to playing at the main pier. Loved it and can’t wait to go back. Oh, and about the squirrels. They’re not afraid. They ate through my little pantry that’s canvas that’s connected under my table. Also, mosquitoes! How could I forget. Bring bug spray and citronella or thermacills. They’re out and about and it’s not fun if you’re not prepared. There’s a Walmart not too far away. After the citronella incense weren’t working, we went to Walmart and it was war! Another note, campsite 68 does not look like the photo. Tree is gone and the ice plant has invaded the site and made it smaller. One tent will fit, not another.

• B

  Brooke H.

  Scout

  

  May. 25, 2024

  Avila Hot Springs

  Small hot spring pool and loud and cramped camping area

  Only one small shallow hot spring pool, usually crowded at peak hours. At the pool there is outdoor showers, lap pool, indoor bathrooms, changing rooms.

  Camping area is small and it’s basically a dirt parking lot. Loud road noise all night and day from the freeway. Lots of pincher bugs infested my gear. Not peaceful. Better to just visit for a soak, they have cheaper rates for a morning or evening visit.

• 

  Heather K.

  Ranger

  

  May. 19, 2024

  Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Great campground, camp hosts not so much

  I’ve been coming to this campground for years with friends. It’s an awesome spot. Bathrooms are generally clean however you do need tokens for the showers and the machine only accepts cash so make sure you have some dollars. You get two tokens for a dollar and each token gets you 2 min of shower time. They have garbage and recycling too. The camp hosts are a bit militant about the rules so don’t break them. They have zero tolerance and don’t put up with anything. Also keep your dog on a leash. Someone’s dog attacked another dog this morning and the State Park LEO were on site.

• M

  Michael U.

  Scout

  

  May. 15, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Nice, quiet location.

  Not a lot of privacy, but generally quiet and no road noise to speak of. 10-15 min bike ride to town. Only downside is that showers became coin-op some time within the past year. Bring some cash to buy shower tokens....wish I'd known!

  Note: The pull-in for site 118 isn't quite level. Not too bad if you back all the way in, but still not level.

• 

  Patrick J.

  Legend

  

  May. 9, 2024

  Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach

  Great location for beach and dunes access.

  Very nice SP campground. Don't try to check in early, you will get suggestions to park until check in time of 2pm. Once in, the sites with hook ups sans sewer, will actually be pull through sites, which was nice. From there, you can walk. ride or drive on to the beach. There are paths around the camp that go around the estuary type lagoon. Dune trails are nice for hiking although some thick sand in places. We rode our bikes on the beach. Low tide makes it very easy with wet packed sand. The sites are spaced pretty well. We will be back for sure.

• D

  Danny

  Traveler

  

  May. 3, 2024

  Islay Creek Campground — Montaña de Oro State Park

  Beautiful, clean & quiet

  One of my favorite established campgrounds this far. Small and secluded and plenty of space between most sites. Wood and water both widely available, not sure about electric though. Short walk to Bluff Trail trailhead and Spooner’s cove.

• C

  Claudia H.

  Traveler

  

  May. 2, 2024

  Morro Bay State Park Campground

  Beautiful state park.

  Love this place in central California. Lots of shade from the redwoods. Great down town area and farmers market.

• 

  Rupert C.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 29, 2024

  Road's End, Bradley Lockwood

  All you could ask for

  Quiet, serene and green and beautiful. i really don’t know what else you could ask for in a remote campsite. It is a 10 for the view and the setting. I will so be back….and often Rupert