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Best RV Parks & Resorts near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

705 Reviews

RV parks in the Santa Monica Mountains area include Malibu Beach RV Park with ocean views, full hookups, and both 30 and 50-amp electrical service. Sites accommodate various RV sizes though not all are big-rig friendly. Ventura Beach RV Resort provides year-round access with pull-through rv pads, full hookups including 50-amp service, and amenities such as showers and a market. "Great location, spectacular views, kid and pet friendly. Lots of extras!" noted one visitor about Malibu Beach RV Park. Point Mugu Recreation Facility accommodates RVs with full hookups and reservation options, while Fairways RV Resort offers military personnel access to full hookup sites near Port Hueneme.

Reservations are essential for these popular coastal RV sites, especially during peak seasons. Most parks provide sanitary dump stations, though availability varies by location. The terrain at some parks presents leveling challenges—Ventura Beach RV Resort reviews caution against first-row sites that "tend to flood." Sites at Malibu Beach RV Park range from $96 per night for partial ocean views to higher rates for premium locations. Cell service is generally reliable throughout the area, with one reviewer noting "wifi is great" at Thornhill Broome Beach. Pet policies differ between facilities, with Malibu Beach RV Park allowing pets while some reviews mention restrictions regarding service animals. Propane fill services are limited at most parks, requiring travelers to plan accordingly.

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Best RV Sites Near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (68)

    1. Malibu Beach RV Park

    30 Reviews
    El Nido, CA
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 622-6052

    $80 - $300 / night

    "Great location, spectacular views, kid & pet friendly. Lots of Extras! Best part is the kindness of the Malibu Beach RV Resort Staff.

    Priceless!!!

    Happy J Stewart"

    "The RV resort has electric and water at your sites. There is drinking water, propane filling and dumping area, a mini mart and a laundry facility."

    2. Ventura Beach RV Resort

    15 Reviews
    Ventura, CA
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 643-9137

    "But when we came in for Halloween our 50 amp wasn’t working. My surge protector said it wasn’t the trailer. I was told by maintenance that someone would fix it, but nobody ever fake."

    "It is close to the 101 freeway, you can hear the traffic, but that didn’t bother us. Just be aware, it’s not a super quiet place."

    3. Point Mugu Recreation Facility

    13 Reviews
    Port Hueneme, CA
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 989-8407

    "The campground is located right on the beach overlooking the iconic Point Mugu rock to the south, and a nice quiet estuary to the north that is full of birds, seals, and other wildlife."

    "Best Beach Campground! WiFi too!"

    4. Hollywood RV Park

    18 Reviews
    San Fernando, CA
    29 miles
    Website

    "Well suited for long-term needs. Beautiful murals throughout park. Laundry, showers/restroom, personal mailbox, amazing staff!"

    "Petty much the best rv park in the area for long term stay"

    5. Fairways RV Resort

    2 Reviews
    Port Hueneme, CA
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 982-6123

    "Our trailer is 36ft so parking our long bed dually on the site took some space, but there is extra parking if you don’t mind a short walk."

    6. Santa Barbara Sunrise RV Park

    14 Reviews
    Summerland, CA
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (805) 966-9954

    "We were hesitant at first from working remote by being so close to the highway, but the tall wall that separates the highway and the park works very well."

    "We needed an overnight in Santa Barbara and chose this convenient location. Yes, there is highway noise but it is like white noise to me."

    7. Castaic Lake RV Park

    5 Reviews
    Castaic, CA
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (661) 257-3340

    $40 - $68 / night

    "Judging by the shape of the office, this place was a 60’s or 70’s KOA back in the day. The trees and bushes are fantastic."

    "Pull through rv, lots of space in area. Turf next to rv parking spot, pool, laundry, showers (included in price) easy to reserve"

    8. Golden Shore RV Resort

    14 Reviews
    Signal Hill, CA
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (562) 435-4646

    $80 - $85 / night

    "Stayed at Golden Shore RV resort in Long Beach, CA for several days. It's very quiet and safe. Security is very good and felt very safe, especially considering the location."

    "RV Park very close to downtown Long Beach. Nice restroom and laundry facilities. Pool and hot tub are clean."

    9. Rafael’s RV park

    3 Reviews
    Universal City, CA
    34 miles
    +1 (213) 321-5522

    $100 - $140 / night

    "We stayed here to be close to the Hollywood Bowl for a concert. Rafael was a friendly host and very helpful and made sure we were set up well."

    10. Dockweiler Beach RV Park

    21 Reviews
    El Segundo, CA
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (310) 322-4951

    $55 - $80 / night

    "Nice place very close to the beach with amazing Pacific view. All connections in place; sites very close to each other; a bit loud due to airport nearby. Very friendly staff."

    "The most fantastic thing about this RV spot is the location - directly facing a large, beautiful, clean beach with built in fire rings, a very long bike bath and bike rental kiosk."

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Recent RV Camping Photos near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

224 Photos of 68 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Campgrounds

RV Park Reviews near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

705 Reviews of 68 Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Campgrounds

  • Connor N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 31, 2022

    Thornhill Broome Beach — Point Mugu State Park

    Beach camping on PCH!

    Spent 3 nights here and absolutely loved it. Campground has trash, porta-potties, and appeared to have potable spigots but didn't confirm. Verizon service was hit or miss, but with a booster it was usable. Nice fire rings and picnic tables. Only downside was highway noise, but the surf drowned out all but big-rigs. Saw dolphins and seals back to back days! We're so glad we went, and if we pass by again we will be staying for sure!

  • Amanda M.
    Oct. 24, 2018

    Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

    Carpinteria State Beach Campground

    Carpinteria State Beach Campground is a one of our frequently visited “staycation” spots. We live in nearby Santa Barbara, but will use Carp State Beach as a midway meeting point when friends from Southern California and Central California meet up.

    The campground is pretty large, and caters mostly to RVs and trailers. There are loops within the campground that are essentially just asphalt lots with small dirt spaces for fire pits and picnic benches - these are intended for RV campers, but we have tent camped there in a pinch. Since we are tent campers we do prefer to camp in the grassy tent sites, but they are limited in number and tend fill up quickly. Because of the moderate year-round weather, Carpinteria State Beach Campground stays pretty full all year long!

    The campground has full hook ups, clean plumed bathrooms, and coin-operated showers. There are grocery stores and conscience stores within short walking distance for anything you might need. Train tracks run directly behind the campground, so there is some noise pollution from the passing trains.

    The campground is at the very end of downtown Carpinteria, right next to the ocean. There are no “ocean front” sites, but the beach is a quick 1-minute walk from essentially anywhere in the campground. Some small sandy dunes separate the campground from the beach, and there is an accessible paved boardwalk running along the length of the dunes. There are beautiful tide pools just south of Carpinteria State Beach Campground that are a must see. Check the tide charts on the internet to visit the tide pools at low to mid tide.

    While we really enjoy camp cooking, we tend to opt to walk into town to eat when camping in Carpinteria. Linden Avenue is right next to the campground, and is the main street in downtown Carpinteria. There is a wide variety of restaurants, breweries and coffee shops downtown. Island Brewery CO is a local favorite just on the edge of the campground - while I don’t think they have food available (yet), their beer is GREAT! Their avocado beer is a must try - I know it sounds weird, but it’s delicious (and doesn’t taste like avocados)! Rincon Brewery is a few blocks up from the campground, and also has great beer, and TASTY FOOD!

    CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $45/night (normal campsite)

    Plumbed Toilets: Yes

    Drinking Water: Yes

    Showers: Yes (coin-operated)

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grate: Yes

    Shade: No

    Cell Service: Yes

    Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

    Trash: Yes

  • J
    May. 4, 2018

    Lake Piru Recreation Area

    Lovely get away

    Close to town but no cell signal, this place is amazing! Large camping area and I’ve never felt crowded ! Quarter showers and laundry, and a dog park! Lots of deer in the area and Great Lake to fish at! They also offer some hook ups for the rv campers

  • A
    Apr. 28, 2023

    Tapo Canyon Park

    Clean and quiet, except for the birds

    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. I swear they could hear my morning alarm and squawked their disapproval. The camp host Shawn is AMAZING! Bathrooms are very clean. Showers are coin operated. DO NOT expect cell service. I could only work from this spot by placing my mobile HomeFi router on top of the camper. Our Verizon phones were paper weights. Make sure your reservations are complete online before arriving. The Rangers check the spots multiple times a week. The kids enjoyed the playground and fields. It's not uncommon to see and hear movie/TV production crews at the filming locations along the road. Pet friendly but be careful at night. Mountain lions were spotted while there.

  • Crystal
    Jul. 7, 2021

    Kenney Grove Park

    Small but peaceful

    Ok, so first off driving into this place feels a little "Texas Chainsaw" but don't worry, its fine. When I saw regional park I was expecting something way bigger however this is about the size of a small city park that turned its parking lot into a campground. None the less, we had a very pleasant stay. It was nice and quite despite it being Fourth of July weekend and we even had a few friendly bats fly around us. The playground was a bunch of old metal pieces that looked like you would surely break a leg so naturally my 2 and 4 year old LOVED it. LOL. Its in a great location with close drive to Ventura and Pismo beaches. Would definitely stay here again for a quick getaway.

    Oh and note, the full hook up sites are for Model A's (stayed at 56). So hook ups are on the opposite side and really close to the "entrance" so we couldnt back in, we had to parking our towing vehicle in the general parking area. We had our small travel trailer and thank God we had a 40 ft sewer hose.

  • E
    Jul. 26, 2021

    Santa Cruz Campground — Carpinteria State Beach

    Best Annual Trips

    My family has been camping here for 50+ years... should say enough! Best camping trip (with family, friends, solo, whatever!) you’ll have, safe area, very accessible. Bathrooms have power outlets, token-powered hot showers, and super close to town. Make sure you pack your food away at night.... raccoons are present!

  • Julia M.
    Jun. 16, 2021

    Santa Barbara Sunrise RV Park

    Walkable / Bike-able location; nice staff!

    We were hesitant at first from working remote by being so close to the highway, but the tall wall that separates the highway and the park works very well. We ended up extending our stay because it worked out so well. 

    Wifi and AT&T cell service worked great overall. Video calls were inconsistent so hotspotted those calls, but streaming and email and search worked just fine. 

    Very close to neighbors and a tight fit, but the city has so much to offer, we didn't need to spend much time at the RV park so were fine with cramped space. Great owners and really nice and accommodating staff. Management helped us park. 

    Laundry conveniently on site and worked really well.$1.50 wash and$1.00 dry. Trader Joes.7 mi away; walkable to the waterfront and biking lanes and trails all around.

  • H
    Nov. 16, 2022

    Malibu Beach RV Park

    Best Damn RV Park in Malibu!

    Great location, spectacular views, kid & pet friendly. Lots of Extras!

    Best part is the kindness of the Malibu Beach RV Resort Staff.

    Priceless!!!

    Happy J Stewart

  • Brandon C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 12, 2022

    Foster Park Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

    Worth every penny

    Being that we chose this camp site last minute is a total score. Large sites, full hookup options and 10 minutes from the beach. Camp host were very nice and accommodating. Some sites are close to the 33 highway so you will have road noise but we are used to Rincon. There is tent camping in the higher sites. Covered with plenty of mature trees for nice shade. Clean restrooms but no showers. Campground is very close to the Ojai-Ventura bike trail. Hiking trails all over and did I say 10 minutes from the beach!!! We stayed with our 2 toddlers/teen and had a blast. Only odd thing is that some sites hookups are backwards. No biggie. We just ran our lines under our rig. We would definitely stay here again.

Guide to Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

Explore the beauty of RV camping near the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, where stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures await.

Stunning Views and Scenic Locations

  • Enjoy breathtaking ocean views at Malibu Beach RV Park, perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
  • Experience the natural beauty of Ventura Ranch KOA, surrounded by trees and wildlife, including roaming peacocks.
  • Stay at Ventura Beach RV Resort, just a short bike ride from the beach, offering a vibrant atmosphere.

Well-Reviewed Amenities

  • Malibu Beach RV Park features essential amenities like electric hookups, showers, and a convenience store for your camping needs.
  • At Ventura Ranch KOA, you'll find a range of facilities including a pool, playground, and zip line, perfect for family fun.
  • Fairways RV Resort offers full hookups and laundry facilities, making it a practical choice for longer stays.

Activities for All Ages

  • Engage in outdoor adventures at Ventura Ranch KOA, where you can enjoy zip lining, a massive bounce pad, and hiking trails.
  • Kayak around the harbor from Channel Islands Harbor RV Park, conveniently located for water activities.
  • Explore the local area with a visit to the Saturday farmers market near Ventura Beach RV Resort, offering fresh produce and local crafts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular RV campsite near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is Malibu Beach RV Park with a 4.4-star rating from 30 reviews.

What is the best site to find RV camping near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area?

TheDyrt.com has all 68 RV camping locations near Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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