Best Tent Camping near Simi Valley, CA

We stayed here in June as part of a 3 week camping trip. Foster Residence was the closest to a city that we've stayed in, and that was apparent during the stay (i.e. we had 2 fuel canisters stolen, odd people obviously tweeking coming in the middle of the night and screaming obscenities the next morning, a couple families setting up next to us for the weekend for late night partying, lots of road traffic, etc.).

There are some reviews for this campground under Foster Park Campground. That is a separate campground right next to this one separated by a little nature trail. The same camp host manages both. Foster Park CG is RIGHT next to the road. But it does have a swing set with like one swing if that sways you. Foster Residence is otherwise the better choice. 

The tent sites are further back into the trees and there is a lot of shade. When we pulled in, there was an oak branch down on top of our fire pit and picnic table. We tried to get the host, but he was unavailable. The next morning he stopped by and said he'd get maintance. I told him they can leave the wood next to the fire pit and we could burn some of it, and that's what we did. That came in handy because there were tons of biting flies. The smoke helped to control them while we were at the campsite. And on the subject of little flying things, there are also a lot of wasps in the area that LOVE meat. So if you are going to try to cook meat, just be aware that they will consider it theirs lol. 

The bathroom is separated into male and female and the female has 2 toilet stalls with flushing toilets and stall doors that work and lock. Also a sink with running water, coconut-smelling hand soap, and hand dryers with warm air. I'm assuming the mens is similar.

The tent sites do not have electricity (normal for a tent site). We stayed for 6 nights and on the last morning we received a notice from a "park ranger" that privacy tents are not allowed due to sanitary concerns? That's like national park-level control-freakness there. There IS full cell service at site 14 and other random places in the campground area. There are no showers, no store, and there is plenty of potable water.

Overall, it was nice being able to tent camp so close to the beach (the reason we came to the area was for my son to take surf lessons... we live in the Midwest) and also not be IN the city. But the area was definitely not my kinda bag. Still, if I had to go back to the area, I'd probably stay again.

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

Located right off highway 33 in Ventura California. This campground sits were the historical town of Foster Park once stood, which was torn down to build the highway. There are actually two campgrounds here separated by an abandoned road, Red Mountain and Foster Park residence campground. We stayed at the residence campground which offers some nice primitive tent sites. With lots of Boulders and old tables and abandoned buildings this campground was perfect. Foster park bowl, an old abandoned amphitheater is just a short walk away. Campground sits in close proximity to either Ventura or Ojai. The campground host was nice and friendly. All the tent sites were unoccupied so we were the only ones there which was great.

This is a nice little spot, close to town, but not as close to the train as some of the other Southern California state beaches. The campground hosts went above and beyond to keep the bathrooms clean and even provided nice soap. The tent camping spots were a pretty good size for beach camping.

The 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.

This is a great camping spot. The beach is across the street. Facilities are closer then that. The Navy Exchange down the street has camping supplies. The cost for a tent site is $10. An unbelievable place.

Our campsite & the bathrooms were clean & well maintained. However the location of tent camping v RV camping is awful. We are tent campers and had a nice spot with a beautiful lake view BUT the RV site was directly in front of the lake between our tent & the lake! So when a monstrous RV drove in all we could see was the side of the thing & we had to go around it to enjoy the view.

Nestled between Ventura and Santa Barbara just north of Los Angeles is this picture perfect State Beach campground. This location has both full hook-ups as well as tent camping right up to the coast This campsite also has showers availa le and restrooms There are plenty of miles of bike trails as well as hiking tails to the Bluffs that overlook a sea lion protected sanctuary But the most glorious reason to come here are the breath taking sunsets viewable from your own campsite

This campground is a great site to meet up with friends that don't always get out and go exploring as it's a nice campground off a main road through the Ojai area.

We booked a site here while driving through and spent a weekend catching up with friends that were able to drive up in a small car and join us.

Beautiful wooded area with a nice stream that passes through. Good flat soft ground to tent camp and a great spot to throw up some hammocks and relax!

This is a great small, hike in camp ground with no privy but decent tent sites. There's no running water but the creek is usually running so come prepared with your own water and something to treat the creek water with. Check for fire restrictions and dig your cat holes at least 200 feet from the water. Or bring WAG bags and pack it back out. Very much like Hoegees campground. Good for families abs Scouts.

I can't deduct stars for how crowded it was during Labor Day Weekend. I think it was a treat that we were able to book on a fairly short notice for a holiday weekend. The pool is awesome and huge compared to other campgrounds. It was overly crowded this Labor Day weekend but what do you expect, right? It was hot. They had a live band, movie night, roomy campsites. It was loud and rowdy in the tent camping area but calm in the RV area. I had T-Mobile and had ZERO reception here. I have since dropped T-Mobile and got Verizon because it seems like T-Mobile reception is terrible at most campsites. We are looking forward to going back soon.

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.

Sage Ranch Park is a hidden gem nestled within the mountains between Simi Valley and Chatsworth. Managed by a conservancy organization, it is open for day use ($5 parking) and reserveable for camping.

There is a hiking loop of about 3 miles that encircles the park, with great views all around. Here you will also see a glimpse of the former Rocketdyne plant, which was the site of the worst nuclear disaster in US history.

My son did an eagle scout service project here, and we've camped here many times.

It's a very peaceful park, well maintained, and clean. Let's keep it that way!

This is a nice campground. Very close to the city but still with visiting. I’m a van camper so I rented an RV site because I wanted shade trees. The tent camping sites in the first section have very little shade. Maybe one or two sites have shade. You definitely have to bring a canopy. I camped there in Nov2020 it was a nice getaway. The view of the lake is beautiful. I enjoyed seeing all the ducks on the lake. Each campsite has a table and fire ring. The bathrooms have flush toilets and the campground is kept clean and trash cans are emptied daily. It has a fish cleaning area with running water too. Must put away all your food because the raccoons will get into it. Overall it’s a nice local place to camp if you live in Santa Clarita, Ca.

This is a great campsite if you want to get out during the winter, but don't want to get stuck in deep snow. It's also great for beginners. The second time I visited this campsite, I brought a friend who was coming out for his first backpacking trip. The trail to get here is technical enough to be challenging and fun, without the high altitude lung busting that is usually necessary for dense tree areas.

When you get there you'll find several fire rings that can be used during safe seasons. Be sure to check with the Los Padres National Forest site to make sure you can have an open fire.

The creek here runs year round, so you can expect to find easy water access throughout the campsite.

Another big plus is the abundance of trees in this area. This worked out beautiful for my friend and I as we were hammock camping. But there are tons of tent sites available here too.