Looking for tent camping near Seal Beach? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Seal Beach. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
San Clemente State Beach camping is located at the south end of the city of San Clemente, California. The area around San Clemente is known for its ocean, hill, and mountain views, a pleasant climate and its Spanish Colonial style architecture. The city slogan is "Spanish Village by the Sea." Visitors are attracted to the San Clemente area for its intense winds and dramatic location. San Clemente has been a California state beach since 1937 and is popular among water sport enthusiasts, and anyone who wishes to escape from inland heat and nearby metropolitan areas for the day. The beautiful mile long beach stretches between the curling ocean surf and the foot of a steep bluff.
$45 - $300 / night
All campsites at China Camp Campground are HIKE-IN SITES for tent-camping only. Visitors must handcarry all equipment from the parking lot to the campsites. Campsites range from 50-300 yards from the parking lot. Eight persons maximum are allowed in each site. Check in time is 2pm or later and check out is Noon. Enroute camping is available for RV's with a grey water holding tank for one night only. No dump station or hook-ups are available. Enroute Camping is limited to space availability. Check in for enroute camping is 6pm and check out is 9am. A "Hike and Bike" site is available for those who travel to China Camp on foot or by bicycle.
$35 - $175 / night
Gate may be closed due to High Fire danger. Elevation: 1900-Foot ElevationAmenities: 6 hike-in__campsites- Picnic tables and campfire rings, vault toilets, no piped water.__Seasonal stream water may be available (treat before using). However, water flow may be low or non-existent due to reduced rainfall.Hiking: Just a short hike__to the 50' Millard Falls. __Fees: Camping - Adventure Pass/America the Beautiful Pass Required. Campsites are first come-first served. No reserving or holding of campsites allowed._ Day use -__Adventure Pass/America the Beautiful Pass Required.Millard Trail Camp may occasionally be closed due to bear activity. Be Bear Aware.
Scout
Everything was fine. We stayed for 1 night to Visit L.A. . It was clean and the Staff was very nice. We called a night before and got a Site for our RV.
Traveler
This place offers a convenient location near the heart of Los Angeles, making it an excellent base for exploring the city's attractions. The facilities are well-maintained, with clean restrooms and helpful staff who are eager to assist guests. However, Block Blast noise from the surrounding area can be an issue, so those seeking a peaceful retreat might want to consider this before booking.
Scout
I can’t say that it was awesome but it wasn’t jaw dropping. Nothing to write home about but not uninviting.
Scout
Well secluded sites each with an incredible view!
Guide
There are 21 campsites and not all have tree’s but its walking distance from the creek. Its nestled between mountains and the night sky is gorgeous. We saw wild ducks too and some other desert critters. Has it not been for the nasty animals called inconsiderate humans blasting their music and fighting amongst themselves bringing their family drama until 6am, the camp site would have been marvelous. No ranger to domesticate those animals and remind them of quiet hours. Another group even brought a dj and karaoke. Seriously, no consideration for the rest of the campers. They want to get away from the hustle and bustle and be with nature but they can’f live without the modern day amenities and bring that noise we are all trying to escape to a place of nature. They even had BB guns and shooting them within the campsite. Idiots. The day the ranger did come by he was giving tickets to vehicles with no pass. Wish he came at night when he was most needed. Bathrooms are poorly maintained too. Never coming back for an overnight stay, a day trip will suffice.
Traveler
Clean, quiet campground located in one of the OC Parks, with plenty of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. I stayed here on a weekday, and there were a few couple of vacant campsites in my area, so it was an extremely quiet visit. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked for my stay. I didn’t use the showers since I was only staying one night, but I heard they were free!
Rangers were very friendly and firewood was only $5 for a decent bundle that lasted me over 2 hours.
The city of Rancho Santa Margarita is right up the hill, so you can grab food and any necessities if needed.
My site backed to the creek, so I never had people walking through my campsite.
My dog & I slept in my van, but there was room for multiple tents, and a decent amount of shade in my spot.
My spot didn’t have its own water spigot, but there was one at a site across from me.
I was fortunate that all of the campers around me were quiet and considerate. I know that it doesn’t always work out that way, and having obnoxious neighbors can really ruin your experience.
Guide
Visiting family in Santa Ana and LA. Not to far for them to come to us and all to go to beach. Park clean and well maintained, personnel very kind and friendly Beautiful view from our site on area B. Crowded on weekend, much less during week Campground is not associated to adjacent Frank Bonelli Regional. Charge $12 to enter with vehicle but no fee to ride in on bikes
Traveler
Clean dump station, beautiful sites, very strict on rules. We came 10 minutes early before check in time, they made us wait. Campsite comes with wifi but very weak. We have t mobile and had bad reception. Would come back again for beautiful views, small hike, sandy beaches with lots of sand crabs.
Traveler
Just stayed 8/15-18/24, although hot during the day, it was the getaway we needed. The Burkhart trail to the waterfall was beautiful. Clean campsites. Some neighboring camps were louder than you'd hope but it is what it is. Our second trip here and will return for sure.
ScoutAlthough we booked a campsite, it felt more like we were invited to Mazen's home. He was communicative and responsive, happily answered all of our questions, and was beyond generous. I can't say enough about the beautiful views of Lake Elsinore! We can't wait to visit this campground again!
TravelerNice campground a little bit outside of Hollywood but with a very helpful camp host
Traveler
The parking lot is next to the beach on the one side but also next to the highway on the other side. So the view and the breeze is beautiful, but the traffic noise in the evening and morning is not so nice. With earplugs everything is fine! ;) The host Jim is very kind and helpful!
Traveler
It was overall a nice campsite. Our site seemed to be pretty large it came with a picnic table & fire pit. The walk to the beach was close seemed maybe about 10 minute till we reached the beach from our site. It is on a hill you need to walk down & back up. The only down side was the bathrooms on the same road as our site were pretty dirty did not seem to have any maintenance during our stay.
ScoutWe couldn't find any campgrounds, after calling multiple places we came across "The Secret Place". They have the best views I have ever experienced! Especially during sunset and as the city lights start to twinkle. Very nice and quiet place. No full hookups, but good bathrooms and showers available. The camp host was knowledgeable about the area and recommended great things to do. Very helpful, very respectful and very friendly. Will definitely stay here again, made our honeymoon trip very memorable! A+ recommend.
Legend
I haven't stayed in this campground, but I added it to the Dyrt so people can find it as an option if they are searching for large group camping. You MUST call in advance to get permission and reserve for group camping.
Things to do:
visit the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, including live animal exhibits
Ranger-led educational programs
hike to waterfalls: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/placerita-canyon-and-waterfall-trail
Guide
Great campground, Great spots but unfortunately bit expensive .Very disappointed about the rules regarding fire, but I understood. I left from the campground after the sunset...fire allowed only with courchal...
Traveler
Awesome spot, lots of sights and some even have overlooks of the entire park. Can get crowded but no one was there on a Friday night in July. Bathrooms, trash, water and even buckets to fill to put out your fire. Fire pits, benches and grills nothing more you could want.
Scout
Great campground for families. Lots of activities for the kids to do, like smores by the fire, art, splash pad, and play ground. Facility was clean
Traveler
After trying to find an escape from the fireworks and trying campgrounds in surrounding areas to this one and all of them being full, we just kept driving (ended up off-roading) and found this hidden jem. Quite, dark, and one dirt road in n out. No amenities besides a picnic table & fire pit. There's an outhouse, but it's pretty gross..
Scout
We spent 3days and 2nights here and enjoyed our stay, the caretaker was so nice! Although the restroom are very dirty but overall it was a great stay!
GuideSite had tree cover which had some nice shade to provide relief from the sun. Lots of room for a couple vehicles and tents. Clean bathrooms and showers, but we stayed midweek and the place was very, very minimally occupied. Good access to walking and biking trails.
GuideThis quirky campground was safe, and that was what I needed while visiting friends in LA. This isn't a self-park park...the spaces are so close together that they use a cart to park you. On the upside, the bathrooms and showers were clean and plentiful, there was an area at the back of the park that was fenced for pups, and although the spaces were small, the park was landscaped such that you had some privacy. On the downside, the park is right next to the departure/arrival runway for Burbank and so if you don't fancy airplanes, you may not appreciate the noise. There is quite a bit of noise, but then again, you are in downtown Burbank. The owner is quite a character and told me that they even have an entertainment space where they offer musical performances, plays, etc. by local artists. He also mentioned that most of the park's customers were long-term residents that support the local production companies. I'm not sure if I would stay there again, but then again I'm not sure I'm interested in visiting Burbank again either.
Scout
I had a positive impression of this small campground, located just 5-7 miles away from the 215 highway, amidst natural surroundings. I can join many activities here such as playing merge fruit. However, I was taken aback to discover that the campground was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It would be great if they were open full-time, although it didn't affect our stay as we had planned to leave by Monday night. While the bathroom facilities could benefit from some renovations, the actual campsite itself was quite enjoyable. Despite a previous reviewer mentioning that the road near the campground was busy, we personally didn't find it bothersome as there were only occasional cars passing by during the day, and the traffic volume was relatively light during our visit
Guide
The turn is not marked well, in fact the coordinates are a little bit off. If you miss the turn like we did you have to go 5 miles or more to get a turnabout big enough to turn around. You climb a big steep hill to get to the turn in. On the way back down from the turnaround we almost burned out or brakes. We decided not to go to the site because it looked like a one lane road and too tight for our 35 ft bumper pull. Disappointed because pictures from others looked great and it is a beautiful area. We found a spot near the road that I’ll post for others.
Guide
This is our second stay here and probably our last. It was super expensive this time and we were put in the back (overflow) lot which name I use loosely as when it rains it floods. Had to park the car at the office so it wouldn’t float away. Upon our arrival my husband pulled up in our 42’ 5th wheel and parked to go into the office. There is a painted line on the curb where I guess you’re supposed to park but our unit would have been longer and wider than that space provided. She also could have used some tact and nicely asked if he could park the unit in the space provided but she was asking for a fight. He went to register and a lady with longer gray hair and glasses, who I’d seen there before, greeted him with..you need to park by the curb in the designated area- you’re blocking my driveway!! That kinda set the tone. He said I thought you’d open the gate so I could get out of the way. About that time I pulled up in the car and he was storming out the bldg saying I have to get out of the way- park in the designated area! So I went in and couldn’t understand why he hadn’t registered already. She very hatefully said I told him to move he was blocking my drive! (There was nobody out there but us). The tone could have been better, but I wasn’t in the mood for a confrontation- she took my information and said you’ve been here before so you know where you’re going! Maybe she is the owner or maybe an employee but it wasn’t a great way to start off our 2 wk stay at the rate of $2k! She was a real bitch!
Scout
Nice sized spot. We stayed on site 15, with a great view. Fire pit came in handy with a cooking grate and parking spaces are large enough for a small RV.
RangerI went on a Wednesday afternoon in May and got my pick of sites. There were only 4-6 other campers each night so it was very quiet. Bathrooms were clean and supplied with TP.
No AT&T service. Only one car per campsite.
Camping near Seal Beach, California, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities. Whether you're looking for a beachside retreat or a cozy spot in the woods, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping around Seal Beach, CA, offers a variety of experiences, from beach fun to mountain trails. Just be prepared for the unique quirks of each campground!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Seal Beach, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Seal Beach, CA is San Clemente State Beach Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 35 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Seal Beach, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 49 tent camping locations near Seal Beach, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
