Looking for the best campgrounds near Santa Maria, CA? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Santa Maria is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Santa Maria, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
$25 - $40 / night
"We checked in late evening, it was nice that the gate/entrance was open for late arrivals. Campground was walking distance to the beach."
"We hoped to camp near Oso Flaco Lake and Creek, but this was as close as it gets."
$60 - $70 / night
"I grew up going to Lopez since we lived in Santa Maria so maybe I’m biased."
"It was located right next to the water park but they had already closed for the season."
"Right next to some beautiful dunes. Rv / pull in sites. Have tables restrooms and fire pit relatively close to Oceano/ piano"
"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."
"Lovely group of drive-up campsites. Accommodates both tent campers and RV campers. Small market on-site with most camping needs. Small Restaurant on site as well."
"This campground is right next to the beach and is well loved by the many return campers I spoke with."
"We had the best time renting an air stream from tgis location. It was retro and such a great experience. We had air conditioning, running water, and perfect amenities available."
"It is located in Buellton, CA very near the historic town of Solvang, as well as Lake Cachuma and Los Padres National Forest. The campsite is in a beautiful setting surrounded by green rolling hills."
$225 / night
"Staff is really nice and bathrooms, campsites and showers are very clean. Campground is tucked away within the mountain and there are many things to do just outside the campground."
"The site was clean, we had full hookups, and the bathrooms were very clean too. Their store had a lot of items that you might need (groceries and alcohol) and little souvenirs."
"Most yurts have a foot trail down to the water. The Yurt I stayed in (we camped 3 nights and had a yurt the last two) slept 4-6 people, 6 if you have kids. Yurts do not have bathrooms."
"clean spacious sites, pool, laundry, grocery store, gas. Sites have fire pit, grill grate and picnic table. Great views of the sunset from our site #287. Beer and wine for sale."
"Super clean bathrooms/showers.
Level sites, small rocks.
Quiet park.
Close to the beach."
"There's plenty of tree and shade coverage, nice spread out spots to set up camp, and good nearby hikes.
We stayed here during our PCT thru hike after crossing mile 100."
$35 - $395 / night
"Propane fire pits at each site. Clean bathrooms and lovely, huge private shower rooms. Laundry onsite is cashless - Apple Pay. The views, I can not say enough."
"If you’re okay with being about 5 feet away from neighboring campsites, this is a beautiful stay. Clean Bathrooms/Showers, beautiful views, and a short walk away from the beach."
GuideWe had the best time renting an air stream from tgis location. It was retro and such a great experience. We had air conditioning, running water, and perfect amenities available. The site was so accommodating. There was coffee available at the front. Little shops and markets. Outdoor activities scattered around the park. Food venue available. The pool and spa were a nice addition. It was a little crowded. Close to solvang .
RangerFlying Flags RV Resort& Campground is one of my favorite RV resorts. It is located in Buellton, CA very near the historic town of Solvang, as well as Lake Cachuma and Los Padres National Forest. The campsite is in a beautiful setting surrounded by green rolling hills. April, May is the perfect time to visit.
The resort features a plethora of housing options, including vintage trailers and airstreams, cottages, luxury tents, and RV/tent camping spots.
Free WiFi, a full laundry facility, pools, and a hot tub, every aspect of your stay is covered. For a relaxing time, they have poolside cabanas, a communal fire pit, picnic areas, and a communal TV lounge with pool and foosball tables.
If you have children there is a playground as well as bocce and horseshoes. There is a full fitness center in case you want to get your workout in without the heat. All of the amenities are very well maintained, including the bathrooms and showers. When you get hungry the campground/resort has a few options.
There is a full fitness center in case you want to get your workout in without the heat. I rode my bicycle to Solvang, which is 4 miles away. All of the amenities are very well maintained, including the bathrooms and showers. When you get hungry the campground/resort has a few options. There is a convenience store and snack bar on-site, as well as the Campfire Cafe, an eatery with a full menu that allows you to eat in or even deliver to your site.
In case you are feeling like an adult beverage, Flying Flags has a fairly extensive wine and beer bar. There are also restaurants, convenience, and grocery stores within walking distance. The location of Flying Flags is perfect if you are looking to venture out for an evening or you are here for the wineries.
There are several museums in the area, including the Solvang vintage motorcycle museum. There are also golf courses, breweries, wineries, a casino/resort, and the Solvang farmers market. This resort and campground overall is a very nice spot to stop on a long journey, or just to get away for a while.
Well worth the trip. It seems like the RVs in the RV park are newer, the park is pretty upscale. I would assume most of the people are full-timers, retired couples who are spending some time in the park. Although it was beautiful weather, you hardly see people outside, it seems like everyone is keeping to themselves. I am not sure why that is.
RangerIf you find yourself up near Santa Barbara, this luxury RV Resort and Campground is a real splurge. The grounds are beautiful, overlooking the ocean, and connecting to the El Capitan Canyon glamping resort, which offers yurts and safari tents. We enjoyed exploring the property's hiking trails and the heated pool was really nice.
If you don't feel like cooking, there's a really cute little deli and gift shop called Canyon Market that sells a nice selection of California wines, craft beers and BBQ kits for grill-your-own meals. Their breakfast burritos were really good, and they also serve tacos, burgers, sandwiches and salads throughout the day.
El Capitan State Beach is about a 20 minute walk away, so keep that in mind if you have a lot of beach gear.
My video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djcr_GYf1kc
GuideThe campground was very nice, clean, campsite was easy to find. We checked in late evening, it was nice that the gate/entrance was open for late arrivals. Campground was walking distance to the beach. Other campers were courteous of quiet hours.  The only thing I did not like about the campground is that the lights were so bright at the bathrooms that it looks like a spotlight was shining on our campsite. That is a very minor dislike but it is hard to go to sleep in your tent or in the back of your truck if you have like a light on you. If the campground could somehow dim the light I would say that would be better for the 2 to 3 campsites that were next to the restrooms/showers, at site #73
TravelerLovely group of drive-up campsites. Accommodates both tent campers and RV campers. Small market on-site with most camping needs. Small Restaurant on site as well. Beach is vIsIbke from many campsites and a short walk to the beach. Amtrak runs near the campsite, but was not a disturbance at night. Winds were high off the ocean during my stay.
TravelerI grew up going to Lopez since we lived in Santa Maria so maybe I’m biased. Unlike many other campgrounds on the central coast which are a little pricy and have you feeling a little packed like sardines- not so here. There are many types of sites to pick from; tent, rv, group, cabin. Of course we have our favorite “loops” and site within those. The full hookup sites are priced reasonably and you have a good amount of space between you and your neighbor (some are better than others). You are about 15 mins from the beach or 20-30 mins from SLO. The lake has good fishing. The marina store is well stocked with food and tackle. If you go during the summer there are water slides available for an extra charge. There is also an obstacle course and zip line- also an extra charge. I would recommend checking this place out.
TravelerI have been coming to this campground annually since around 2009, and I've loved every trip. The campground is on the larger side, filled with grassy and shaded sites all throughout it. There is a general store, clean bathrooms, and showers.
The campground is based on a peninsula that juts into the lake, therefore it has waterfront campsites on both sides, and all the sites in the middle are only a matter of 2-3 campsites from a water's edge. When you first enter the campground, there are a few day use only spots near the general store. All campsites at the base of the peninsula are the ones that families tend to stick to, as there is a pool, its close to the store, and that is the only area on the campground with full and partial hookups. As you travel up the peninsula, limited Yurts and Cabins are along the waterfront. Most yurts have a foot trail down to the water. The Yurt I stayed in (we camped 3 nights and had a yurt the last two) slept 4-6 people, 6 if you have kids. Yurts do not have bathrooms. It has electricity and heat, two bunk beds, a view of the lake, a wrap- around patio with chairs, picnic table, fire pit, water source, grill, and ample parking space. I have never stayed in a cabin here before but they look really nice.
The general store is filled with pretty much anything you could ask for. About 3 rows of dry grocery goods, 1 refrigerated section including a very impressive selection of local craft beers, ice machine, firewood, smores stuff, fishing poles/ odd's and end's, candy, trinkets and gifts, propane, camping supplies, cooking supplies, stationary, etc. The wine selection, on the other hand, is sub-par; so a stop in SB on the way up is a must if you need wine! Keep in mind the store closes week days at 4 and weekends at 5 if i'm not mistaken.
I think the main thing that keeps this campground so peaceful (other than their strictly enforced quiet hour from 10pm-7am) is the fact that NO SWIMMING, speedboats, wake boarding or waterskiing is allowed in the lake because is is a source of drinking water in the area. That being said, you are more than welcome to rent a 4 or 6 person fishing boat or 6-10 person pontoon boat for the day or hourly at the marina fishing store. The lake is open to fish until 6pm if you have a vehicle or are on a boat- a park ranger will come around at 6 and let everyone with a car know its time to go. However, if you walk to the marina, you could fish all night for all they care. You can also purchase fishing licenses for the day, 2 days, or year, at a reasonable price (I got a year pass it was $53.74) along with endless fishing lures, bait (including live), hooks, line, and poles. In regards to actually catching fish- In the past years I always rented a boat and i caught a lot of bass and carp, an occasional rainbow trout. This time I had plenty luck from certain parts of shore! Tons of beautiful 3 lb rainbow trout and 2 lb crappie! The limit was 10 per person, and people around us definitely caught their limit, but we were conservative and only caught what we needed for the day. Some fish bite more in certain areas of the lake than others, if you don't mind to hike a mellow/ moderate journey you'll find plenty of little coves within a reasonable distance of the campground. If you're looking for a bit more strenuous of a journey word has it there is a trail that goes all the way around the perimeter of the lake- I, however, have not hiked the trail, as my husband and I were backpacking into the campsite and that was an adventure in its self and I was exhausted!
Like I mentioned before, the bathrooms and showers are very clean. No mirrors in the bathroom, there are multiple bathroom buildings throughout the campground along with the showers. Showers are individual rooms that have a locking door. Showers are pay showers, so bring a lot of quarters if you plan to stink pretty. I think it was $1.50 for 3 minutes.
Another note: This campground is near the water (the lake and the ocean) and you're in the mountains; which means it will be generally pretty windy (bring chapstick!). The wind dies down midday and at night. If you're trying to light a fire when the sun is setting- good luck. 20 minutes later- you're golden. It also gets very cold at night! I'm form Southern California, so by cold I mean mid to low 40's, then add wind- yikes. On the contrary, bring sun screen for the day- cause it gets pretty warm! I'm still suffering the repercussions of not wearing any after fishing all day lol.
Overall the campground is aesthetically pleasing on many levels. From the abundance of grass (no dirt sites), trees, rolling hills of knee high grass, blooming flowers, wildlife (ground squirrels, birds including california condors, blue jays, hawks, etc.), and, of course, the gorgeous cascading mountains plummeting straight into the lake, there's not a thing about this campsite I couldn't love.
TravelerI camped in Mustang during the last weekend of September. It was located right next to the water park but they had already closed for the season. The campsites were pretty close to each other and unfortunately we were stuck between two different groups that did not obey the quiet hours. Not a huge deal at night since they were quiet by midnight or so but one of the groups was also loud with kids early in the morning as well. This didn't make the best camping experience but we tried to make the best of it.
The lake was within walking distance but since the water level is so low, you had to walk quite a way out. There are some decent hiking trails you can go on right from the campground. We took the Escondido trail from camp that took us to the top of a ridge and had numerous switchbacks. Great views from the top.
LegendThis campground is right next to the beach and is well loved by the many return campers I spoke with. The best campsites are 63 and 64 (right on Abalone Point, with some scrubby trees you can hang a hammock in and access to the beach). There is a premium charge for these premium sites ($20 more than non-beach side). If you are hard-siding (RV), the best spots are 105, 112, and 115-117 (up top, great views of the migrating whales in early spring!!!). The showers and restrooms are older, but clean. The big claim to fame is the Jalama Burger that is served at the Store and Grill, but I can’t substantiate that as I did not try it. There is definitely a laid back California vibe here, no one was in any hurry but everyone was happy to chat, giving this campground a real homey, family, vacation feel. Even the campground rangers were relaxed and happy to be here. All the standard campsite amenities of picnic table, fire pit, and a place to park or pitch a tent. You can reserve a site, so be sure to do so!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Santa Maria, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Santa Maria, CA is Oceano Campground — Pismo State Beach with a 4.1-star rating from 64 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Santa Maria, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 glamping camping locations near Santa Maria, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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