Best Glamping near Santee, CA

Recent Glamping Reviews near Santee, California

575 Reviews of 42 Santee Campgrounds

• R

  Rob L.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 19, 2020

  San Diego Metro KOA

  Great KOA!

  We visit this place once a year in the summer, sometimes twice. This place is glamping for sure. They have full service hookups for rv’s and trailers, bungalows and cabins. Lots of amenities for the kiddos when COVID isn’t around. The new pool is great.

• A

  Alicia R.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 11, 2020

  Borrego Palm Canyon Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  Beautiful views!

  This campground felt more like I was glamping. Everything was easily accessible and by that I mean; a toilet, running water, and showers. We slept in our tent which felt pretty amazing being that the weather was perfect. I’d highly recommend visiting this camp site in the cooler months.

• A

  Andrew A.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 20, 2024

  GoodVibes Ranch & Farm

  More like Glamping than Camping!

  Let me first off say that the property is beautiful and that my hosts Carolyn and Bernie were very accommodating and had great energy.  Plenty of room for beautiful hikes on their many acres of land packed with some great views a few decks scattered around the property.  I found out they have a full size professional disc golf course here! I don’t bring my discs, but Carolyn and Bernie happily lent me some discs so I could try it out. 

  Now to the Glamping- now I been camping a bunch, the reason I say that this is glamping is that they have actual running water flushable toilets and outdoor hot showers!  I can’t tell you how excited I was lol, it really upleveled the whole camping experience. They also have an industrial kitchen as well as an outdoor bar where they have very fairly priced beer and wine. Did I mention they have a full size professional pool table? Turns out Bernie and Carolyn are professional pool players too! This place is awesome! I will definitely be coming back again again to relax. I live in sd so it’s only about 35-40min drive from my place.  Thank you so much Carolyn and Bernie for such a great experience!!

• m

  marisela I.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 4, 2018

  Thousand Trails Pio Pico

  More of a Resort than a campground

  Went here with friends and it was nice but there are way too many RV'S and ATV'S. there's no place to have a fire because there might be a wild fire outbreak. Bathrooms are clean and the showers are free. There are even halls where you can play BINGO and a game room with Wii games. Camping spots are big enough for 2 8 person tents or 1 small rv and a 4 person tent. If you want to glamping this is a good place but if you want to tent camp I would look somewhere else.

• J

  Jennifer

  Scout

  

  Aug. 9, 2021

  San Diego Metro KOA

  Absolutely the best campground for the family!

  This is hands down the best campground around. The facility is spotless, extremely clean, environment is awesome where everyone is friendly and they put so much effort into making it fun for the kids with activities at the kids club, bike and trike rentals, a super modern pool and awesome gift shop on top of huge jumping pillows, playgrounds and a giant backyard. It’s our favorite camping spot and everywhere we go is unmatched to here. The kids usually ride around the site and you’re in the middle of San Diego so you can go to the beach, Legoland, Sea World go out to eat or door dash some food! Definitely convenient to everything and the best way to glamp!

• 

  Alicia F.

  Legend

  

  May. 2, 2020

  Oceanside RV Resort

  Ocean 🌊 side

  We camped here on a trip up the coast and found this spot at the end of the day. There are 5 spots where you can walk your stuff and camp right on the beach. Each spot was secluded and had a picnic table and a good size area for your tent. It’s a newer retro campground with spots for RV’s, tents, cabins and yurts. There are a lot of option and facilities with showers, bathrooms and laundry.

• 

  E L.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 27, 2018

  Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

  Some good, some not so good

  Visited Santee Lakes Campground for a quick weekend trip. There are some pros and cons. Let’s start with the good

  Pros: great weather and location being close to San Diego. Maybe a 20-25 minute drive to downtown. Close to grocery, gas, and goods stores. Nice lakes to walk around. Great if you like fishing. Clean bathrooms and hot water. RV sites have full hookups if you need. Staff was friendly

  Cons: Sites are right on top of each other. Really no privacy. More of an RV Park than a campground. It was loud. First night was rowdy neighbors up until 1am. Second morning we woke up to what sounded like gun shots or fireworks that went on for hours. Construction across the lake on homes.

  Overall, it was ok. Not really our style but maybe someone else’. We prefer a little more private and woodsy. Would return for the location close to SD but would try an find a better space.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 21, 2023

  Tijuana River Valley Regional Park Campground

  So Close to Mexico!

  Nice basic county campground, everything is nice and new and clean. I think once the trees and bushes and things start to grow in, there will be a little bit of separation between the sites, but for now most sites are wide open. 

  The playground area is really cool, all the structures are made of wood and are all natural. Decent showers, you buy tokens from the ranger. There are nice trails and walking paths right from the campground. We didn’t walk to the beach because the area was flooded when we were there, but it appears that you can easily walk to the beach from the campground, it’s about 1.5 miles away. 

  Sites are all dry camping, no power or water at sites, and no dump station at campground. There are water spigots throughout the campground though to fill your jugs. There are yurts to rent, and some equestrian sites as well. The little loop off to the side is tents only. 

  You can see the border wall from the campground, and Verizon thought I was in Mexico when we arrived, haha. Good cell service with ATT and Verizon (not sure if Verizon switched me to the international plan during our stay there).

• M

  Mike G.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 22, 2020

  Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

  Very unfair !! I am done with them. Rediculus !!

  EDIT: I was a regular, NO MORE!! I have been trying for 2 1/2 years to get back in, almost every day so we can visit our grandchildren. The thing is if you are not from town or immediate area you can only reserve Monday afternoon to Friday morning! Out of state like us, forget it.They ALWAYS have Friday to Sunday blocked off forever and ever.We did give in and stayed during the week. On Friday morning when we had to leave there was empty sites all around us. When we went to the office they would not give one to us. Waiting for people from town to camp for the weekend? I would think they get state or federal funding so going to find out and if so hope they loose it. End of edit———Nice lots with trees, small lakes, camp store, bar, kids play grounds, clean showers close, water, electricity, walking. I spent a month here to be just minutes from San Diego and grand children. Something this nice you have to reserve at least 6 months ahead for nicest tree sites. Many sites (200+) but very popular. With the virus locals are camping here to just get away from it all. So as I said At least 6 months to reserve. Pushers no problem. Goggle Santee Lakes to view camp sites and to reserve one.

• 

  Thomas F.

  Ranger

  

  May. 2, 2015

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Beach Camping

  Great place to camp in Southern California. Beautiful beach!

• 

  Donna J.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 19, 2018

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Gorgeous oceanview campgrounds. Nice clean restrooms with showers. A bit difficult to reserve as you only have a certain date and time to reserve the full hookup beachfront sites. Nearby grocery store. Enjoyed the beauty in all this area of California!

  Gorgeous oceanview campground! Clean restrooms and showers. Nearby grocery store. Beautiful visit to California coast!

• 

  tan N.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 9, 2021

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Beach camping

  One of best beach campgrounds in California. Beach is right there next to camping. Restroom and shower are clean even though too many people there

• 

  Jason L.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 15, 2022

  San Elijo State Beach Campground

  Great beach camping!

  Fun beachside campground in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Not quiet or remote at all. Nice local market and lots of restaurants nearby. Great surf spot. I’ve dry camped here many times and have always enjoyed it. Dog friendly beach! *on leash

• 

  Jonathan G.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 25, 2020

  San Elijo State Beach Campground

  What more can you ask for

  It's classic California beach camping. Spots are fairly close together, and it's more like a parking lot than a campground. That said, the beach is great, and the river mouth is great for surfing. Walk across the street for groceries, food, etc. The worst part is trying to get a spot secured.

• 

  Javier L.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 31, 2020

  Palomar Mountain State Park Campground

  Southern California- Quick Getaway

  This park is great for all Southern California natives to get away for the weekend. Has clean facilities and the campgrounds have ample space between them. This area has a ton of beautiful landscape, during the fall/winter wonderful foliage appears. Leave no trace & enjoy our lands!

• C

  Christopher V.

  Traveler

  

  May. 29, 2019

  Bluffs Campground — San Onofre State Beach

  Can’t beat the views !

  Hard to beat the scenery here. Camping cliff side along the beach in Southern California. The camp grounds are a little cramped. Seem more designed for RV’s and trailers but we don’t mind. You can take dogs here and hike down to the beach from trails 1&6. Bathrooms are clean. Only outdoor showers though. I’ll go again!

• 

  Erin G.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 15, 2018

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Beatiful SoCal beach spot right off of the 5

  If you’re headed to San Diego, be sure to stop and check out Carlsbad just off of the 5. this awesome beach town is quintessential Southern California beach awesomeness and it is absolutely gorgeous. Camp right off of the beach as well as have access to local shopping and restaurants. While you camp, you’ve got to check out Carlsbad cliffs for some stellar views. There are also loads of beach activities like whale watching, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and paddle boarding! My secret spot for the best fish and chips EVER is close by in Oceanside called “Harbor Fish n’ Chips.” Be sure to check this place out!

• 

  Katie O.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 22, 2018

  La Jolla Indian Campground

  very busy

  we stayed here because we wanted to do the zipline and they offered a discount to campers. we walked up and got a spot, the campground was very loud and crowded. california is in a drought so the water was very shallow and we couldn't tube in it as planned. we were warned about thefts prior to going so we didnt bring anything of value other than our tents and I'm glad we didnt. we ended up leaving after the zipline adventure because it was just too loud to stay. if you are looking for a party, this is the place but if you want a peaceful adventure in nature, go somewhere else.

• 

  brittanie H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 1, 2018

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Just Beachy

  South Carlsbad State Beach is extremely crowded (like many coastal campsites in Southern California), but has very easy access to your own space on the beach below the cliffs.

  We scored a last minute site because the weather was cold and windy on a Saturday in February, otherwise BOOK IN ADVANCE.

  There are lots of RVs, kids riding their bikes, and dogs galore, all of which are fun, but if you’re looking for a private site, look elsewhere!

  Fire Pits and a picnic table at each campsite and plenty of area to park your car and set up a table/easy up/etc.

  If you book on the West or Ocean side, only a chain link fence separates you from the beautiful sunsets the Pacific Ocean has to offer!

• 

  Veronica H.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 20, 2021

  San Onofre Recreation Beach and Camping

  Great place for surfers!

  We have stayed at San Onofre State Beach a couple times. The campground is on the bluffs, and nearby Old Man's beach has some of the best beginner's surfing waves in Southern California. The day use area gets crowded quickly during the summer, so be sure to arrive early. If you don't want to camp on the bluffs, consider heading a bit inland to San Mateo Campground, which connects to the beach via a 1 1/2 mile nature trail. It's a bit of a walk if you are carrying a lot of gear, but much quieter and more spacious.

• 

  Meghan D.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 12, 2018

  Burnt Rancheria Campground

  A great escape from the city

  This campground is well designed for tent and small rv camping. The particularly site I stayed at did not have a lot of level ground for tents. The sites are generally spaced far enough apart to give you a bit of privacy. The host was very attentive and regularly made rounds to sell firewood. The facilities are mainly pit toilets but during peak season there is a shower available somewhere though I didn’t use it. Loads of hiking right off the campgrounds. You can walk right out of the forest to a great view of anza borrego desert. This is one of the few campgrounds in California where you don’t really need to worry about bears, though you should be wary of mountain lions.

• 

  Dianne S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 28, 2018

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  Easy and so close to the beach

  This was my first California camping experience. South Carlsbad State Beach makes camping easy. The beach is close by and the facilities are clean. It's been a few years since I've been, but I don't remember a lot of trees. It's very convenient and easy to camp with your family, especially if you enjoy the beach. A lot of people around us had campers. We were tent camping, so although it was easy to set up the ground was a little hard when putting in the tent stakes. We were there during the summer, so the day time can get a little hot. But when it gets hot, head to the beach to cool off! Aside from the hard ground and minimal trees, it's still a great place to camp and quite a popular one as well.

• 

  Drea M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2016

  San Elijo State Beach Campground

  Cliffside campground with a SOCAL beach vibe and a taco shack!

  If you wanna go on a surfside southern california adventure and keep it fun and cheap then this place is great. People do yoga on the beach, buy tacos after surfing all morning and you can walk along the beach for miles and see so much for so little of those treasured SOCAL beach scenes. You are near a little bit of beach town so you can buy anything you crave from a nearby gourmet market and meander along a beautiful garden walk behind the campground across the highway. Bums and beach hobos sneak through the fences a lot so watch yourself after hours by the restrooms or toward the far corners of the place. Bathrooms are minimal, showers need tokens and seemed to be cleaned industrial prison-style by a large butchy crew with a big hose, scrubby instruments at the end of poles and a bottle of bleach. The sites aren't private but at the beach everyone is on display so you get used to it. Bring a cruiser and your dogs and kick back at this great albeit crowded and maybe even a little too loosely run joint-- I mean, campground. The taco shack adds to the paradise resort vibe here, except unlike a resort, the tacos are actually GOOD!

• 

  Corinna B.

  Legend

  

  Mar. 31, 2020

  Oceanside RV Resort

  Totally fine. Nothing special. Good jumping-off place nearish to the beach

  Overall I’d rate this park a“meh.” It’s an okay location, across the highway and a short walk from a “beach” (more like a little beachy play area), though it’s also right up against the train tracks. Oceanside as a town is pretty cute, depending on which part you're in. You’re also a very close drive to Lego Land and not too far from San Diego and such. Since campgrounds in Southern California tend to be very, very expensive, this one falls about in the middle.

  The spots were okay. Not too tight, but not cute. There's some fences and scrub-trees in-between the spots, so that helps a bit. There’s also a dog area, which is helpful. Bathrooms okay. Nothing special. Like I said, mostly a “meh.”

  When we were there, there was also a bit of construction and such going on. In reading other reviews online it looks like there’s a new owner as of some time in 2019, so it may end up nicer in the future. But as it was, I’d try somewhere else first if you can find other options more to your liking.

• S

  Steve S.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 21, 2022

  San Diego County Potrero Regional Park

  39 RV sites, 7 Tent Sites; Spacious sites, Great staff of Rangers

  68-year old, still tenderfoot tent camper. This was my first experience in California after three prior stays in Texas and Arizona. The San Diego County system centrally handles reservations of its campgrounds, which was fortunate for me. I mistakenly reserved one campground thinking it was another (my preferred, Potrero), but it was 30 miles away. Even though I paid for two nights in advance, their phone reservations help was superb and got me transferred without any hiccups. Big shout-out to the ranger at Potrero for suggesting. I interacted with several and they were all professional, friendly and helpful.

  There's one central plumbed restroom and shower facility. Further out along the tent sites there was a hand portapotty. When you first drive in you'll go past a very large day-use area with its own facilities before you get to the overnight camping sites. Alcohol is permitted if alcohol content < 20%.

  My site #7 was the last in the row of tent-only sites and appeared to be the largest with plenty of shade and flat pad site. Without seeing other tents it's a little hard to gauge size, but I'd guess walking by the other sites that there's probably at least 80-100 feet between tent pads, or even more. Lots of open spaces. The seven tent sites shared a couple (maybe more) of water spigots.

  The primary annoyance was with the park's neighbors who seemingly had a whole pound of dogs who barked loudly through the nights. Given how otherwise silent it was, it was the barking was noticeable and to be distinguished from the coyotes, birds and owls. I think I also heard roosters crowing each morning as early as 3am.

  The major event of my stay was the arrival of, as Steely Dan sang, "Here come those Santa Ana winds again …" At 5 a.m. the first morning, it was still and quiet as can be (sans the neighborhood dogs). A few minutes later, the winds hit. For the next 11 hours, surviving the wind 30-40 mph sustained winds, gusts over 50 was the only concern – both for my little tent and my car and myself due to the wind effects on the large trees surrounding us. In the end, there was no noticeable damage but seldom have I spent a full day out in the weather like that.

  All in all, I'm not sure you could ask for more at about $25/night. Although I would've paid double if there were a no-wind option. I also had two great tent parties my second night, a couple about my age who were returning to California after summering in Baja, and a young woman from Germany traveling by herself around the world. Interesting neighbors to say the least.

  At site #7 I had zero T-Mobile signal. Outside the Ranger Station I could get at most, 2 bars LTE.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 12, 2022

  Borrego Palm Canyon Campground — Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

  Explore California's largest state park

  General: The Borrego Palm Canyon campground has three sections: one with full hookups and two without. 

  Site Quality: It is often windy here, so it was recommended we pull in at an angle. The driveways are paved and on the short side, but our campervan fit with no problem (I would assume if you have a larger RV, you might be in the section with the full hookups.)

  Bathhouse: Individual units with flush toilet, sink, garbage receptacle, and hooks but NO soap dispenser. Showers take tokens and while they were not the worst campground showers, they weren’t the best (but a hot shower after a hot hike was welcome nonetheless). Tokens were 50 cents each for two minutes. 

  Activities: numerous hiking trails, accessible from the campground. The most popular one is the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail which leads to the oasis of California Fan Palms. Sadly, the oasis was damaged by a human-caused fire and while you can see the palms, you can no longer walk among them. Galleta Meadows with metal sculptures in the nearby town of Borrego Springs is well worth exploring. 

  We were there at the very end of March when it was just beginning to get (too) warm. We only did an overnight here and the Borrego Palm Canyon hike, but it was beautiful and we would definitely return.

• 

  Ryan W.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 27, 2017

  South Carlsbad State Beach Campground

  It's the beach and only the beach that will bring you here.

  There is one reason and one reason only to stay at South Carlsbad Campground, and that is Carlsbad State Beach. It's a pretty convincing reason. The sand is perfect. The waves consistent. The water warmer than normal (which probably isn't a good thing in the long run, but it feels like the Caribbean Sea right now.

  The actual campground is huge and narrow with one road splitting the sites down the middle. All the sites are roughly the same with the major differences being depth and the amount of shade. The ocean side sites are premium priced ($50 during peak season) and the road side is more affordable ($35) but still pricey for a campsite. Especially one that has no privacy and is backed up against a highway. The Pacific Coast Highway but still. Sites are on sand, have a picnic table and a fire pit...and that's about it. If you're lucky, we weren't, you'll have some shade or privacy to one direction or another. Not many sites do so google earth it if you can. There are pay showers, flush toilets and a camp store with booze, ice cream bars and flip-flops if you forget yours.

  And it's busy...all the time. Most sites are booked in advance most of the peak seasons and the camp also acts as the access point for locals and tourists accessing big portions of the beach. With nearly 200 sites and additional traffic be prepared for sand always being kicked up, kids wandering aimlessly and noise from generators, partiers and traffic.

  That all sounds not so great, but the location of the camp on the cliffs overlooking the beach is still pretty great. It's not Big Sur, but it if you're looking for beach you won't find a finer spot to camp just about anywhere in SoCal. San Elijo Campground down the road is a smaller version of Carlsbad SB but is also hard to get a spot in without reservations.

  Overall, I'm giving Carlsbad SB Campground 2 1/2 Tent Stakes of Awesomeness. It isn't wilderness, but it is the beach. The location makes it worth it. Car, RV or Van camping is more fun that tent camping just because of all the sand, and to cut down on noise, and surf spots within walking distance. 

  Pro-Tip #1: California has its own reservation site now. reservecalifornia.com. You can still see the basics on reserveamerica but can't actually reserve it. The new reservecali site is kind of a dick.

  Pro-Tip #2: The far south end of the camp has the most shade/privacy brush, and only has sites on the ocean side so you'll have far more privacy.

  Pro-Tip #3: Google Earth your site. The difference between sites next to each other is big when you're talking about any versus zero shade.

  Pro-Tip #4: Pizza Port Brewing for pizza and beer. You'll be glad you did.