Searching for a tent campsite near Santa Ana? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
All campsites at China Camp Campground are HIKE-IN SITES for tent-camping only. Visitors must handcarry all equipment from the parking lot to the campsites. Campsites range from 50-300 yards from the parking lot. Eight persons maximum are allowed in each site. Check in time is 2pm or later and check out is Noon.
Enroute camping is available for RV's with a grey water holding tank for one night only. No dump station or hook-ups are available. Enroute Camping is limited to space availability. Check in for enroute camping is 6pm and check out is 9am.
A "Hike and Bike" site is available for those who travel to China Camp on foot or by bicycle.
$35 - $175 / night
Camp high in the clouds at Manker Flats Campground. This campground sits at 6000-feet and offers 21 campsites open year-round. However, piped-water is turned once temperatures reach freezing. Each site comes with a spacious spot for all your family camping needs and includes a picnic bench, fire ring, and vault toilets. It's located within a short drive to historic Mt. Baldy Schoolhouse and Visitor Center where visitors can discover the land's Native American roots. Close by, hikers have several options to begin their day's adventure including, Mt. Baldy Bowl trailhead. This trailhead can be combined with another major route, Devil's Backbone, to reach the summit (10,069') to form an impressive 11.3-mile loop hike. For the more casual hiker, a 1.4 mile round trip to the 75-foot San Antonio Falls is available. Bears are very active in this area, so it is recommended that all campers use provided bear boxes, personal bear canisters, or seal all food as to eliminate scent.
$12 / night
Gate may be closed due to High Fire danger. Elevation: 1900-Foot ElevationAmenities: 6 hike-in__campsites- Picnic tables and campfire rings, vault toilets, no piped water.__Seasonal stream water may be available (treat before using). However, water flow may be low or non-existent due to reduced rainfall.Hiking: Just a short hike__to the 50' Millard Falls. __Fees: Camping - Adventure Pass/America the Beautiful Pass Required. Campsites are first come-first served. No reserving or holding of campsites allowed._ Day use -__Adventure Pass/America the Beautiful Pass Required.Millard Trail Camp may occasionally be closed due to bear activity. Be Bear Aware.
$5 / night
Updated Nov 2022 - Temporarily CLOSED due to the Bobcat Fire. Please call the LA Gateway District Office at (818) 482-8937 for current conditions and additional information.
Elevation: 3100-Foot Elevation
Amenities: 7 Hike-in campsites- picnic tables and klamath stoves, vault toilets, no trash receptacles, no piped water available. Seasonal stream water (treat before using). However, water flow may be low or non-existent due to reduced rainfall. Please bring enough water for cooking, cleaning, drinking, and extinguishing campfires. Pack In-Pack Out.
Hiking: Access to the Upper Winter Creek Trail and the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail.
Scout
Campground is separated by large parking spots (class A/C or travel trailers) and the other is geared towards smaller setups (smaller trailers and tents). Some spots have great shade over the picnic table (we hung our hammock on ours), and all of the tent sites have fire pits. Some units are on a slope so keep an eye out for that if you are tent camping. Bathrooms were clean and showers have token dispensers right by the showers. Got pretty cold at night.
Scout
Have camped at new port dunes several times, they have a beach front for group tent camping on the sand, and also have tent camping in the resort. You can camp with RV's, Trailers, tents, and they also rent out cabins. In the middle of the lagoon they have blow up obstacle in the water to climb on.. great place to relax. It's pretty pricey because it's a resort but well worth the trip.
Scout
Does not allow tent camping
Traveler
Cottonwood is for the true RV’ers. Lakeside is more for tent camping. Nice park for family camping.
Scout
The Dyrt shows "Tent" sites, but it's only for RVs
GuideWalk to the beach is kind of long. Camp is on the bluff! We tent camped and had a good time
ScoutWe tent camped here. The campground is large, so most spaces have a lot of room. Lots of amenities for those that need them. Short walk to the beach. Some seasons, the beach is very rocky and difficult to swim.
Guide
We tent camped here. The sites are TIGHT sand the campground crowded. BUT, the tent spots are ocean front. It was wonderful! so for that I could overlook the crowded sites. It is more for surfing than playing in the waves on the beach, there are rocks spread out making it less enjoyable for kids, but our crew were happy there.
Traveler
Stayed for a quick weekend when hubby still had to work. no tent camping, but RV and wood cabins. easy to get in and out of but the 91 freeway is overhead and loud. Nothing stopped us from enjoying ourselves and relaxing. bike path nearby as well as washing and having fun.
Traveler
Bring own gear, tent sites are primative you have to walk to toilet and showers but not far campsites are big enough for more than one family and friends
Lake fishing swimming hiking campfires
Group activities
Scout
If you want tent camping on the coast, this is one of the few SoCal offerings that provides. The shortcoming is the proximity to the railroad, especially that 4am freight line which I’d be shocked didn’t wake everyone up who was tented. Other than that, the wave is worthwhile, but will require a lil hoofing to get ya there. Amenities were better then anticipated
Traveler
Bikepacked in for a quick overnighter. Settled on one of the 6 tent sites. Nice campground, active stream in the middle of summer. Waterfall 30 minutes hike upstream. It was a bit busy during the day. They close the gate at 10 pm I beleive, so the evening was nice and quiet.
Traveler
Very well maintained campground with RV and tent sites. It’s right on the PCH so you get some great views of the pacific and the beach is just across the highway. It’s a bit noisy since the PCH is a heavily traveled highway and isn’t very remote, if that’s what you’re looking for. Great campground for families.
Guide
This campground is close to the 15 and 215 interstate freeways, with easy access. It is better to make a reservation then to just show up. There are RV sites and tent sites as well as group camp sites. Not much to do at the campground but if you go across the street to the park there is fishing and picnic areas.
Guide
This is a great park in Southern Orange County. I have tent camped here for years with my kids in the Live Oak campground and never had a bad experience. There are hiking trails everywhere with lots of wildlife to watch. I switched to a travel trailer several years ago and now use Ortega Flats campground. The sites are big and well spaced, with 30 amp electric. The water is off for the time being. The dump station is very close by and easy to access.
Scout
We tent camped here. It’s a nice campground, clean with lots of amenities for those that need them. The vegetation is mostly brush, so not much shade from trees. In the summer, that can make it very hot. The walk to the beach is long for small kids, but if you want to gamble for a parking spot at the beach, your camp pass allows you to park at several nearby other beaches. They had a great Junior Ranger program offered, our kids loved it!
Traveler
This is a great small, hike in camp ground with no privy but decent tent sites. There's no running water but the creek is usually running so come prepared with your own water and something to treat the creek water with. Check for fire restrictions and dig your cat holes at least 200 feet from the water. Or bring WAG bags and pack it back out. Very much like Hoegees campground. Good for families abs Scouts.
Ranger
We stayed at Cabin Flat several years ago, and it's one of the most difficult campgrounds to reach near Wrightwood in the Angeles National Forest. To get here, you need to take the Blue Ridge Trail Road from Inspiration Point off of Highway 2. This road is closed during the winter, as it traverses through Mountain High Ski Resort. That said, the campground itself is very basic. I would not recommend bringing an RV here as the dirt road to get down is winding and bumpy. Tent camping only.
Ranger
After experiencing both amenities this place is more or less for RVs and 4/10 as for they do have the tent camping on the steep incline and not too many sites but for RVs couldn't be happier plus the people here are nice and friendly you do have your Karen's but you're going to have them everywhere we enjoyed the lake the view the weather it could have been better over here will definitely be returning you can stay for 20 days and then you have to leave for 60 days and that's fine with me I'm looking forward to returning
GuideWe recently tent camped here for 5 days, space 138. Since we were here, Sunday - Friday, we didn't get any weekend crowds, and the days we were here, it seemed more 1-2 night use in the spaces around us.
There are pay per use showers, and flush toilets, that were both clean and had plenty of TP.
I think the wood bundles were $8 from the Ranger stop, but we had bought some in San Clemente before hand.
the long hike to the beach is fairly easy, but long, at least 30 minutes walking on a dusty trail. but it was better than trying to find parking.
Traveler
Great car camping location with lots to do. Plenty of camp sites but they fill up fast, especially during the summer on weekends. Very comfortable with all the amenities and enough space in between sites for low noise. Very beautiful with tall cedar, pine, fir and spruce with a nice creek in the wet season. Trails going all over the place, some easy some steep and wild life every where you look. Simple tent sites to bigger trailer pads for every type of camper. Probably the best campground in SoCal. Great for kids.
Legend
This is such a great campground! We wanted to take a trip to Legoaland and this was the only park available and nearby. It takes about 25 minutes to get to Legoland.
This park really is made for RVs, so tent camping is a little awkward, but doable. We pitched our tent on the parking spot. Most of the sites are on a bit of a slope so that will be the case for most spots.
But we loved how clean the bathrooms were and easy to walk to. We also loved the plugs and water spigot at each site.
One downside was the streetlights -- they kept them on all night and they were VERY bright right next to our tent. Not a fan.
And don't forget about the huge awesome playground! The kids loved it!
Guide
Giant oval loop with camp sites all along both sides. Rv sites, tent sites and equestrian (horse) sites. Paved road is good for bike riding. Behind my Camp site was a few different hiking paths. Restroom buildings have water, toilets, and showers. It says to bring quarters for the showers but they were free. Each site is typical... Picnic bench, fire pit, and metal grill. No gathering fire wood, gotta buy it at local grocery or gas station. $20 a night. Lots of families with kids. Feels really safe here. Saw the park rangers driving around and the front has a gate guard who checks you in. Also only 10 minutes away from city.
Scout
we stayed at site 9, right next to the stream. it was a beautiful site with a lot of room. our research prior to the trip led us to believe that we would be allowed to have fires, and fully extinguish them before leaving them unattended, but our campground host let us know that they’re completely disallowed until further notice. we packed up in a hurry in the middle of the night because santa ana winds lifted our tent stakes. aside from the wind and restrictions, it was a perfect trip and we will be back again.
GuideVisiting family in Santa Ana and LA. Not to far for them to come to us and all to go to beach. Park clean and well maintained, personnel very kind and friendly Beautiful view from our site on area B. Crowded on weekend, much less during week Campground is not associated to adjacent Frank Bonelli Regional. Charge $12 to enter with vehicle but no fee to ride in on bikes
Traveler
This is a beautiful campground up in the hills above Altadena with a great view of the valley below. Lots of greenery and flowing water in the winter season with wildlife all along the trail and campground. Tables and fire stoves (check for permits) at most of the 12 tent sites but no running water, trash or privy so bring WAG bags and pack out. One of the old campgrounds, like First Water and has a neat history in the hiking books. The best way to get here is from Eaton Canyon, park legally on the streets, take the truck road up to and through Henninger Flats for about a mile past the flats. Look for a small footbridge at that point and follow the trail to Idlehour. Not a fun hike on scorching hot days due to the lack of shade, but on cooler foggy days it's a great trip. About 8 miles round trip. Very secluded and there's trails down to the stream in Eaton Cyn above the waterfall. DON'T CLIMB DOWN THE FALLS OR YOU'LL BE ON THE EVENING NEWS!
GuideBelieve it or not, this was the first camp spot we stayed at with my family and it was my wife's first time ever camping since! We stayed in the premium tent campsites on the bluff that overlooked the beach. These are the best sites hands down in the whole campground. We camped here no problem in our sprinter van.
There are bathrooms and showers are good and nice hot water. There is a coin dispenser there.
The downer is that I thought our camp spot would be closer to the overlook, but it's actually just a parking spot with a grass spot and then walk over to an overlook. We only stayed one night as we were passing through, but would stay here again if we were in the area.
Also, we got there relatively late so the office was closed, got a ticket in the morning and had to walk all the way to the office to get us checked in properly. These premium sites are furthest away from the office just FYI.
Tent camping near Santa Ana, California, offers a variety of scenic locations and outdoor activities for nature enthusiasts. From hiking trails to beautiful landscapes, there are plenty of options to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Santa Ana, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Santa Ana, CA is China Camp State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Santa Ana, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 45 tent camping locations near Santa Ana, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
