Best Cabin Camping near Santa Margarita, CA

Cabin Reviews near Santa Margarita, CA

155 Reviews of 20 Santa Margarita Campgrounds

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  Mar. 9, 2021

  Sun Outdoors Central Coast Wine Country

  Really nice place, but lots of rules (maybe that’s why it’s so nice)

  We really enjoyed this RV park. For an expensive (to us) place with lots of amenities and lots of rules, it still had a really peaceful, calm, and friendly vibe. The guests were all friendly and chatty, staff was friendly, and the place was really clean and nicely cared for. 

  With our Passport America discount, we paid $40 (this included tax) for a standard site (on decomposed granite v. the more expensive paved sites). There are also some cottages / small houses available for rent. 

  Sites have a grill and picnic table and 30 and 50 amp power.

  Amenities:

  - laundry room: $2.75 for wash and $1.50 for dry. Soap dispenser for $1. Iron and ironing board available for use for free. Quarters available in office. 

  - Small take a book / leave a book table in laundry room.

  - pool and spa: one open, and one closed for covid

  - fitness room: open

  - clean free showers

  - free cable

  - free wifi (fast!)

  - 2 small enclosed dog yards with gravel and poop bags.

  - fires are allowed, but park doesn't provide fire pits or firewood. Must bring own self-contained fire pit

  - bulk propane fill at $3.50/gal. Filling hours are currently 10am-noon and 2-4pm

  - water bottle filling stations

  - dumpster and mixed recycling bin

  - we saw a skoolie parked here; no rv discrimination!

  - various outdoor hangout areas: bbq, wine bar, etc (closed for covid). 

  - small nice store at registration desk with basic food items, ice, camping and rv supplies, gifts and souvenirs 

  - playground

  No dump station here, and use of sewer connection is for guests only.

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• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  Oct. 20, 2023

  Avila Hot Springs

  Good for 1 Night & Quick Soak

  This small hot springs resort has a unique charm about it. With not a lot of acreage, they maximize the space for sure. The main attraction is the warm pool, 25 yards with swimming lanes, and the hot pool which can accommodate 30 people. We found this rustic resort a good place to spend the night and get in a quick soak, but not exactly someplace we’d like to spend a weekend. 

  The RV lot is a large parking lot with spaces allocated on the outside of the gravel road. The tent camping section was a narrow patch of grass, with sites slotted in together along a tight corner of the property. Get to know your neighbors, because you’ll be close! Our little camper and truck rig was just small enough to fit into one of the grass camping sites at 32 feet combined, but it was a tight fit.  We were easily able to run on solar instead of paying for an electrical site.

  There's a picnic table and fire ring at each site, but the sites are so small, you are practically on top of your neighbors with zero privacy.  There are pit toilets in the campground as well as flush toilets and showers available near the bath house.  They also offer cabins for rent.

  The town of Avila Beach has restaurants and a few convenience stores, but the larger grocery stores are available in nearby Pismo Beach.  Morro Bay is definitely worth a visit as well!

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• 

  Amanda M.

  Legend

  Oct. 27, 2018

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area

  Lopez Lake

  Lopez Lake Recreation Area is 15 minutes behind the “Village” of Arroyo Grande, CA.

  Lopez is a frequently visited spot for us - We generally camp in a primitive site the back of the Squirrel Loop of the park. The Squirrel Loop is not a lakeside loop (you cannot see the lake at all from here), but we have found it to be one of the quieter, less trafficked campground in the park. The Squirrel Loop is nestled inside a canyon, surrounded by big, beautiful live oak trees.

  Lopez Lake is a very large campground with many different loops, so many of which are nearby the lake. If you haven’t been to the campground before and are not worried about reserving a site ahead of time, take some time to drive around the park when you arrive to see what area you would most like to camp in - there are a lot of great spots here there and everywhere!

  Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There are clean plumbed bathrooms, and coin-operated showers. Lopez has full hook-ups for RVs, and a marina to launch boats. There is a small but well-stocked convenience store in the marina with food, ice, firewood, beer, fishing gear, etc. There is also a small cafe located in the marina store, with limited hours.

  Lopez Lake is the home of the Mustang Waterpark, a small, but super fun water park. I believe the park is closed during the fall and winter months, but is open during the spring and summer. Swimming is allowed in the lake, and there are some “beach” areas that have been cleared of lake plants and rocks for safe swimming.

  Hiking to Big Falls is a fun adventure if you want to leave the campground. There are certain times when the falls are not accessible without 4WD, however, we have been in severe drought conditions in Central California for the last few years, so you don’t have to worry about crossing any deep creeks, if any. A super low clearance vehicle may have a challenging time crossing the creek beds, even when dry. The drive to Big Falls trailhead from Lopez is short, but probably takes 15-20 minutes as you are driving through a curvy, narrow canyon road. The hike is through live oak trees most of the way, so most of the hike is nice and shaded. Keep and eye out for salamanders when crossing the creek beds! While it is unlikely, black bears mountain lions have been spotted on the Big Falls trail, so be aware of your surroundings. Here are directions to the Big Falls trailhead: http://www.hikeslo.com/big-falls/

  WARNING : While the possibility of a black bear sighting is fairly uncommon, black bears are seen every year at Lopez Lake. You are in black bear county, and there are no bear boxes/ food lockers at Lopez Lake. I would suggest locking your food and coolers up in the car at night to avoid attracting wild animals to your campsite.

  CAMPSITE SPECS

  Fees: $35/night (primitive site)

  Plumbed Toilets: Yes

  Drinking Water: Yes

  Showers: Yes (coin-operated)

  Picnic Table: Yes

  Firepit: Yes

  Cooking Grate: Yes

  Shade: Yes

  Cell Service: No

  Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

  Trash: Yes

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• D

  David H.

  Guide

  May. 14, 2020

  Santa Margarita KOA

  Better than expected

  My wife,son and I stayed here May 11-13 in our class C. We even brought our two dogs. A quick get away during the lock down. This was one of the few campgrounds we found that were taking reservations. They only took full hookup sites because bathrooms, showers and laundry are closed. The playground was open. Fun bounce pad. There is frisbee golf and horse shoes. They even have an Emu that is friendly and your kids can pet. The place is very clean and the staff is friendly. The campground was pretty empty except for a very few brave campers and the staff. It is a short walk down to Lake Santa Margarita. We stayed in site 28. AT&T cell service was zero to very poor at our site. WiFi was poor and slow. They advertised good WiFi in our spot but it just wasn’t so. A bit pricey but we just wanted to get out of the house. We would stay here again.

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• T

  Todd G.

  Guide

  Apr. 8, 2021

  Pismo Coast Village RV Resort

  Large site, great location and beach access

  At first we were unhappy seeing we had a site close to the outside road (189), but quickly changed our minds. It was an end space with our curb side facing out, giving us no neighbors and extra grass. Each site has hook ups, picnic table and fire ring. Any and all RV services are available with a great store and laundry. A gate leads to the beach and town is a couple short blocks away. We would definitely come back.

• 

  Ariel & John W.

  Ranger

  Nov. 12, 2020

  Pismo Sands RV Park

  Good location, clean & well-run

  We stayed here in March 2020 when COVID-19 blew up so it may not be reflective of more typical times.

  Park is centrally located, close to stores etc and 5-10 min drive to Pismo Beach.

  There are both tent and RV sites of all sizes, 30/50A hookups, water & sewer, plus concrete fire rings and picnic tables at each site. Lots of green, trees, and a small duck pond.

  Some permanent residents but mostly travelers.

  Park was clean, staff friendly and efficient. Bathrooms, showers, laundry were all clean and operational but were shut down while we were there due to COVID.

  Per friendly with a dog run. Good for a night or two for us.

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• 

  Annette A.

  Scout

  Jul. 26, 2020

  Pacific Dunes Ranch

  Secluded Dunes

  No OHV activity nearby, Pacific Dunes Resort is a somewhat secluded RV park. Close spaces, picnic tables, but must bring your own fire pit. No grass, but hard packed sand and gravel. Upper area closer to the dunes is preferred for breezes. Lots of permanent residents, but the park is well kept. My only complaint is about sporadic restroom cleaning during Covid-19. Not as often as scheduled and we were camped across, so could visibly observe. The dunes were beautiful, but walking to the beach would be quite an effort. Without the OHV activity, it was safe to hike or dune surf. Horseback riding, basketball court, and remote controlled car track were other amenities. Bike ride to the Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve beach was only 10-15 minutes. Many good restaurants near the park, Sylvesters, Old Juan’s, and Rock & Roll Diner. Old West Cinnamon Rolls and Splash in Pismo Beach are a must.

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• S

  Scott O.

  Guide

  Sep. 4, 2023

  Avila Hot Springs

  All day soak $28

  In addition to natural mineral springs and heated pool, Facilities have water, toilets, showers, electricity for stealth travelers. Picnic tables outside.

• 

  Rachel A.

  Scout

  Jun. 20, 2025

  Pismo Coast Village RV Resort

  Disappointing Stay– Not What Was Advertised

  We just returned from a stay at Pismo Coast RV Resort, and unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. Check-in was fast and easy, and on our first full day, the weather was perfect. The kids enjoyed the pool and arcade, which was a great start. However, several advertised amenities were either missing or in poor condition. We went looking for the mini golf course that’s promoted on their website, only to find it completely ripped out and blocked off— very disappointing since it was one of the reasons, we booked this resort. We also searched for the ping pong tables, which appear to have been left outside and are badly warped and unusable. Another letdown. The basketball and tennis are combined into one court, so only one activity can be played at a time, and we never did find the horseshoe area. Our group included eight people and two travel trailers. We had told the kids all about the resort's amenities, which played a big part in our decision to book. It was disheartening to find that many of the features we looked forward to simply weren’t available. Dinner at the on-site restaurant was equally frustrating. Service was extremely slow, and there weren’t enough umbrellas to provide shade— we ended up sitting with the sun in our faces. One of our guests wasn’t even asked for their drink order before the server walked away. When we finished eating, it took over 25 minutes just to get our bill, despite the restaurant being nearly empty(maybe 4 tables outside, 2 inside). We felt completely ignored. The first night was peaceful, as it should be. But the following day, large RVs surrounded us and parked so close they encroached on the grass behind our spot. Some opened their toy haulers, making it feel like we had no privacy— just 5 feet from their setup. That night was extremely loud until 11:30 PM, even though quiet hours start at 10 PM. With on-site security, we expected better enforcement. It wasn’t just one or two campsites being loud— it was several, with shouting and laughter like it was a private party. If you’re looking for a quiet, family-friendly place where you can count on the advertised amenities, this is not it. We had high hopes that this would become an annual trip, but based on this experience, we won’t be returning. Really disappointed.

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