Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, CA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$45 - $225 / night
"It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well."
"The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the camp host super friendly and helpful, the bathrooms well positioned and clean, and the sites had shade and everything we needed."
"This is a very nice campground near everything but still away from it all. No issues parking our 42' 5th wheel here. Clean and quiet despite the peacocks. They can be rather loud when startled."
"This campground happens to be very close to home so we went here to try out our brand new pull behind camper trailer for the very first time.
The campground is small, quiet and very well-kept."
$7 / night
"If you want a longer hike you can hike up the East Topanga Fire Road and then drop down into Musch Camp on the Backbone Trail from Eagle Junction."
"Although it’s not the most scenic campground itself, the state park has plenty of beauty to offer on its hiking trails. Not a single other party at the campsite on a Tuesday in September."
"A little remote and you have to drive to the nearest town(s), but clean grounds and nice site. Very easy to book online.
The RV park is pretty large so it's a nice daily walk."
"I didn’t actually stay here as I was looking for a tent camping spot, but I did drive around the facility and it was super clean and looked like a great spot if you’ve got an RV."
$30 - $154 / night
"It's about a 40 minute drive from the nearest town (and therefore the nearest gas station or market - plan ahead). There is no power, or water."
"There is a bar at the campground entrance if that is your speed, but we took advantage of the winding creek side path behind site 18."
$150 - $154 / night
"They got a nice nature trail , this time there was decent size water flowing , got tables and bathrooms. There was a trail was had to much poison oak in the entrance we couldn’t enter."
"Coming from Frazier, CA I was able to access the camp site with a 2012 Chevy Equinox LS FWD (By no means an off-roading vehicle) and return back home with no issues."
"Beautiful drive down grade valley to get to this awesome site. We were looking for a more remote place to camp and this site satisfied all our needs."
"But otherwise a great spot to spend a few summer days away from anyone not hale enough to trek in a few miles."
"Crossing the tiny bridge at the west end of Switzer Picinic area(park up top during the weekdays, adds half a mile), you’ll see Switzer Trail Camp."
GuideMusch Camp is an easy one mile hike from from the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot in Topanga State Park. If you want a longer hike you can hike up the East Topanga Fire Road and then drop down into Musch Camp on the Backbone Trail from Eagle Junction. This will add a few more miles to your hike and allow you to make a loop by hiking back to Trippet Ranch via the one mile Musch Trail.
The cost is $7 per person per night. You can pay at the Entrance Station at the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot or the Iron Ranger at the camp. If you are parking your vehicle overnight in the parking lot please leave a note on your dashboard so that the Rangers are aware that you are camping at Musch Camp.
The campground has around 6 campsites in two sections surrounded by fencing. Each site has a picnic table. FIRES ARE NOT ALLOWED. There is also a restroom with flush toilets' and sinks as well as a water spigot. There are also horse corrals across the trail from the campground. Some of the sites have shade.
There are meadows down the trail on either side of the campground. There is limited cell service at the campground.
TravelerSpare of the moment trip idea lead me to finding this campsite. Coming from Frazier, CA I was able to access the camp site with a 2012 Chevy Equinox LS FWD (By no means an off-roading vehicle) and return back home with no issues. The drive down into the little valley is spectacular. There are few cool rock faces on the drive into camp which I had a great time doing some bouldering. The campground was shared by one other vehicle and it was fantastic. The site was pretty clean! Only found and picked up the usual (glass, caps, twist ties, styrofoam, toilet paper, etc.) There are a lot of trails near by and the scenery is pretty incredible.
TravelerI prefer primitive or dispersed camping because I usually like as much privacy as I can get when I'm camping, but with current fire restrictions I was limited to developed campsites if I wanted a campfire (and what's the point of camping without a campfire?). I was also planning the trip on short notice, so developed, reserveable campsites were in short supply. Then I found Reyes Creek.
The campground is very isolated. It's about a 40 minute drive from the nearest town (and therefore the nearest gas station or market - plan ahead). There is no power, or water. There's no cell service in the camp, but a 5 minute drive up the mountain there's a dirt lot they call the 'phone booth' that gets decent reception. The camp hosts were super friendly and helpful. There are 2 loops for campsites - the center of the main loop seemed pretty flat, but all the sites were visible to your neighbors. Sites on the outside of the main loop offered more privacy, but most appeared to not be very level, and not necessarily well laid out. I stayed in site 11 on the outside of the loop which was large and fairly quiet, but my 6 person tent just barely fit in between some trees which offered some shade and was only on a slight angle. The one downside was the bathrooms - vault toilets that varied in condition, but none that I used were particularly good. If bathroom condition is a major sticking point with you, you may want to look elsewhere.
As an added bonus, as isolated as the place is, right outside the entrance to the campground is a bar & grill called the Camp Scheideck Lodge. They have a full bar and great food (and the customer-only bathroom is a great step up from the campground). It just changed owners last month (second time in a couple years) and the new owner, Devin, is friendly and welcoming.
The temperature varies greatly from day to night (90's to 50's when I was there) and there are bugs a plenty, so bring repellant. Firewood is available at the camp, and ice is available at the lodge.
So if you want a little isolation with privacy, a campfire, and a friendly bar within walking distance, this place is for you. I'll definitely be coming back.
GuideThis site is highly accessible but still felt local and gives a great mixture of relaxation and creature comforts. There is a bar at the campground entrance if that is your speed, but we took advantage of the winding creek side path behind site 18. Our fellow campers were very respectful and the grounds were tidy.
GuideAt $45/night this campground is the most I have paid thus far. I also believe it is worth it as well. It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well. For hot showers you will need to purchase tokens at .50 cents each for 2 minutes of hot water. 8 minute hot shower will set you back $2 or take a cold shower for free. The gate to the park closes at 10pm. The campground is tucked away behind all the day use parking area so you won’t be bothered by that if you’re staying multiple days. Not much all spots have shade but the majority of spots do.
RangerI have camped here many times over the years. It’s an absurdly expensive campground. It’s close to LA so I assume that is why they feel they can charge so much for a mediocre campground. The sites are close together and I camped here once when it was almost empty but they blocked off half the campground so you couldn’t get away from even just a few neighboring campers. There is a lot of cool stuff in the park like the old MASH set and a rock pool to swim in. But the campground itself is just OK.
GuideBeautiful drive down grade valley to get to this awesome site. We were looking for a more remote place to camp and this site satisfied all our needs. We were the only ones there and the scenery was pleasing. There is access to some nice hiking trails of Los Padres National Forest. There was some water still available in the nearby creek.
RangerThe first thing you should know about Tapo Canyon Park is that for actual tent camping, you will be in either decomposed granite or concrete. The second thing is that there is no cell service and no phone landlines there.
The park is very nice, and very well maintained. There is a large grass area with an upgraded playground, ample covered picnic area for large groups, and an archery range (private, but open to the public on Saturdays).
The archery range is one of the best in California. There is a members area and the original range is open to the public on Saturdays from 9-1, with a nominal $5 fee.
The campsites are designed for RVs. I have camped here in a tent and there is no way to drive a stake into the ground. The sites are fairly large and well spread out for an RV lot.
Each site has a fireplace, picnic table, and full hook ups. There is not much shade. The sites are very well maintained daily by the camp host Terri.
At night you can hear the coyotes calling as they roam the rugged hills, but don't worry it's a very safe park.
I would give the park 4 stars for camping in an RV, 2 stars for tent camping, the facility as a whole is probably a 4.
TravelerMy husband, teenage son, grown son and his girlfriend, and I stayed here over Halloween. The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the camp host super friendly and helpful, the bathrooms well positioned and clean, and the sites had shade and everything we needed. Between hiking and biking, we were busy for the time we were there. As a bonus, there is a Ralph’s just up the street, so you’ll never be far from anything you’d need. We hope to have a family reunion in the group camping spot when things open up. Perfect experience!
Horse camping near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers a unique opportunity to explore the scenic beauty of California while enjoying the company of your equine friends.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is Malibu Creek State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 equestrian camping locations near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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