The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Summerland, CA

777 Reviews

Tent camping options near Summerland, California include established sites on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park and several primitive campgrounds in the Los Padres National Forest. Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground offers tent-only sites accessible by boat from Ventura, while backcountry tent camping can be found at higher elevations in the Sespe Wilderness, including Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak campgrounds approximately 40 miles northeast of Summerland.

Most tent-only sites in the area require careful planning and self-sufficiency. Channel Islands campsites include potable water and vault toilets, but campers must carry all gear from the ferry landing to their site, approximately a half-mile walk. At Santa Cruz Island, each site includes a picnic table and food storage box to protect supplies from island foxes. Los Padres National Forest campgrounds generally offer more primitive conditions with vault toilets but no water sources. Fire restrictions are common, particularly during summer and fall months when wildfire danger increases. One camper reported, "Pine Forest. 7 sites. Primitive vault toilet. No water. Midweek in August had no problem finding one of the open, first come first serve sites."

The tent camping experience varies significantly between coastal and mountain locations. Channel Islands sites provide unique isolation despite being accessible by ferry from the mainland. Tent campers experience abundant wildlife, particularly the endemic island fox, and access to coastal hiking trails and secluded beaches. The upper campground loop at Scorpion Canyon offers more separated sites with partial ocean views. Inland forest campgrounds like Pine Mountain and Reyes Peak provide high-elevation tent camping (above 6,000 feet) with pine forest cover and cooler temperatures. A visitor noted that Reyes Peak Campground has "6 sites right on the ridge. Vault toilet. Picnic tables. No water. The first 4 sites are wooded and near the toilets."

Map showing campgrounds near Summerland, CaliforniaExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Summerland, California (40)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 40 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Summerland Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Summerland, CA

47 Photos of 40 Summerland Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Summerland, CA

777 Reviews of 40 Summerland Campgrounds

  • Deborah C.
    May. 27, 2019

    Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park

    Channel Islands, Santa Cruz, Scorpion, May, 2019

    My husband and I are using our senior park pass to it’s fullest advantage. On our most recent trip, we decided to try Channel Islands and we were thrilled. First thing to know is that this trip requires some planning and flexibility. You must book your boat ride and camp site in advance and then check the day before to make sure weather permits the boat ride. Island packers provides the boat ride for both campers and day trips. We camped two nights. We departed at around 9 am and arrived at around 10:30. We had to check in by 8 in the parking lot at Ventura bay. You must not have water in your back pack, the propane must be out in a separate bin, and you are allowed only 60 lbs of “stuff” each. We took our Mountain House meals along with our jet boil, a few fruits, and a couple of sandwiches; our tent, sleeping bags, a Wenzel air mattress and were set. You take your stuff to the boat to load. On the day of our travel winds were gusting so severely that they cancelled the day trips, and it was rough! Lots of people got sick on the ride over. Upon arriving on the island, you form a bucket brigade to unload all the luggage/stuff, then a park ranger gives a brief overview of rules, mainly pack out all trash, no trash can be left on the island and to use the “Fox boxes” for all food stuff as the island foxes and ravens WILL take your stuff. You then take a short hike with all your stuff to your campsite - it’s about 1/4 mile or more, depending on your site. Each campground has multiple spigots on potable water, so no need to bring water with you. There are plenty of very clean vault toilets that are always filled with supplies including hand sanitizer. The hikes are spectacular and the trails are well maintained. Note, the hikes are challenging, when they say strenuous, they mean it! The park rangers are very helpful and accessible. The last day of our trip, we packed up our site and moved our stuff to a staging area so the next group could set up their tent. We watched the kayakers and snorkeling groups. The weather was very calm. The boat ride back was amazing, we saw schools of dolphins, the captain estimated over 2000 dolphins. He stopped so we could get lots of pictures. Note, there is no store on the island, we did have spotty cell coverage with AT&T.

  • Amanda M.
    Oct. 24, 2018

    Nira Campground

    Nira Campground

    Nira is a small, primitive campground in the San Rafael wilderness behind the Santa Ynez Valley. The campground is a bit of a haul to get back to, and is often used as a base for backpackers entering the San Rafael wilderness or the Manzana Creek trail. I myself have only tent camped at Nira, just to go somewhere different - my boyfriend and his friends have backpacked out of Nira into the San Rafael Wilderness and to the Manzana Schoolhouse on multiple occasions.

    Nira is the second, smaller campground back on Sunset Valley Road - Davy Brown Campground is up the road a little ways. Nira is small, with only 12 sites in a densely wooded live oak grove. The oaks provide a lot of shade and help separate the various camp sites. The Manzana Creek runs behind the campground; the main road leading into Nira is right above the campground, however, you’re pretty far back in the hills, so there isn’t a lot of noise from traffic.

    Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups and only pit-toilets are available. There is NO DRINKING WATER available at Nira Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to backpack through the area.

    WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking the Manzana Trail be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trail. CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)

    Plumbed Toilets: No - vault

    Drinking Water: No

    Showers: No

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grate: Yes

    Shade: Yes

    Cell Service: No

    Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

    Trash: Yes

  • Jeremiah F.
    Jul. 21, 2020

    Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos

    Great Hike-in campground with nice hiking nearby!

    At the top of the Cuddy Valley road is a large parking lot (Adventure Pass required) for the hiking trail to the top of Mt. Pinos. Off to the other side is a dirt trail on the edge of a meadow, after about 200/300 yards is Chula Vista Campground. The camp sites vary greatly in size and flatness, so check around for the good ones.

    First Come First serve camping, with some great spots overlooking the nearby meadow. The sites were clean and decently spread out, with fire rings and picnic benches.

    It can get pretty windy up here so make sure your tent is staked down well. If you don't have an Adventure Pass, Mountain View Mini Mart in Frazier Park is the closest place i know that sells them. $5 a day, or $30 for the year pass. (you can get a second year pass for only $5).

    Met a guy named Bob and helped set up his telescope in the parking lot, he let anyone who wanted check out the amazing night sky!

    Pros: Free camping!

              Great hiking nearby.

              Shady, clean sites.

              Great sky gazing!

    Cons: Lots of flies, very active during the day.

               Bathrooms were pretty messy. below average for vault toilets. Bring extra TP.

  • Dani P.
    Jul. 12, 2019

    Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos

    Hike In Gorgeous Campground with ample space

    Park at the lot up top, then walk about 1/2 mile to campground via dirt path. Plenty of sites. Old rustic bathrooms work well. Picnic tables at each site. Brought my dogs here and they had a blast, plus no ticks found. Plenty of hiking directly around this campground. Stayed here for three nights and found plenty of exploring to do nearby. Highly recommend, especially because there is no fee. Being said, Pack it in and pack it out! Leave No Trace principles are crucial to keep this place beautiful

  • Stephanie F.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 31, 2025

    KCL Campground

    So peaceful, really serene

    It’s a very simple place but I found it so peaceful being surrounded by the golden plains, the breeze through the big shaded eucalyptus trees, and hearing the owls near sundown. Theres also hummingbirds that’ll get up right in your face. I was also the only one at the site so that was nice. The area is clean, vault toilets kinda gross though. Very small campground, a couple drive in sites and a couple walk in sites but each drive in site had a picnic table, fire ring, and a metal pole hook and theres one drinking water spigot for the whole campground. So not bad!! Road was surprisingly smooth majority of way and has some paved parts but there was some washboard parts too. Road to get here was long though about 13 miles from the blm sign. There was paper maps at the sign area. I got 3 bars at the campground with AT&T but was spotty on the drive over.

  • Dani P.
    Jul. 12, 2019

    Miranda Pine Campground

    Secluded but difficult to get to campground

    Set atop a mountain, Miranda Pine campground gives sweeping views all the way to the ocean. Beware the road is long and unpaved, not suitable for a compact car. I did it with a high clearance 4WD and made it to the top. Only a couple sites at the top, but they are free. Picnic tables at each site. Named for the larged Pine tree at the top of the mountain. Sunset and Sunrise views are incredible. Brought my dogs and they loved it. No real services up here so its especially important to pack out all your trash and follow Leave No Trace ethics.

  • Corinna B.
    Jun. 30, 2018

    Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park

    Bucket-List-Amazing Island Camping off California Coast

    This place had been on my bucket-list of camping forever and it takes a decent amount of planning because not only can you only access the campground by private boat, once there you have to walk in about a 1/2 mile with all your stuff. It's totally worth it however. Incredible views, perfect weather (in April!), amazing flowers and so much to see and do.

    The campsite itself is "basic" in that it has a vault toilet, water, and "fox boxes" (like the bear boxes in other campgrounds) to keep all the cute but quick and greedy foxes away from your food. There's also picnic tables, but other than that make sure you bring everything you need since there's no way to pop into a local store to grab something you might have forgotten. No camp fires are allowed and all garbage must be packed out (but can be stored in the fox boxes until you're ready to leave).

    At only $15/night, the camp sites are a steal, though the boat trips will add on about $80 per person round-trip (slightly less for kids). 8am is the earliest boat ride and 4:30 is the last (via Island Packers).

    Summary/Tips: Do it! Especially if you love hiking, this is an amazing place. Try to get your gear down to one well-planned backpack (or perhaps one of those foldy wagons as another reviewer recommended) so you only have to take one trip to the campsite, though you can always take more trips if needed.

  • T
    Dec. 13, 2018

    Santa Cruz Island - Del Norte Backcountry — Channel Islands National Park

    Amazing views, no services

    Hiked from Scorpion Harbor cross-island to Del Norte Camp, great way to see the island. Camped at site 1, had the most wind but also the best views of the ocean. Food storage locker provided to protect food from sneaky foxes. No water anywhere near the campsite. About 4 miles from Prisoners Harbor ferry landing. Shared the campground with one other group. Only 4 campsites total. Great place to camp for solitude.

  • Amanda M.
    Oct. 27, 2018

    Mt. Figueroa Campground

    Figueroa Mountain

    Figueroa Campground is a 33-35 site campground behind Los Olivos, CA. It is surrounded by live oaks and gorgeous manzanita trees, so there is a lot of shade available.

    Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are no hook ups, and only pit-toilets are available. Note that there is NO DRINKING WATER available at Figueroa Campground, so be sure to bring plenty of water, especially if you plan to hike or backpack through the area.

    There is a a lot of hiking trails available in the nearby area. Both Figueroa Mountain and nearby Grass Mountain are extremely popular hiking spots, especially in early spring when the wildflowers bloom in late March or early April . During the wildflower bloom, the sides of the hills and mountains can look solid vibrant ORANGE from afar - the wild California poppies grow dense in this area. Purple mountain lupine flowers are also found during the wildflower bloom.

    If you or anyone in your party does not want to/cannot hike, the top of Figueroa Mountain is completely assessable by car - all of the big lookout points for optimal wildflower viewing are accessible by car, so the wildflowers are essentially accessible to everyone, hikers or not.

    The Davy Brown Creek and Manzana Creek trails are also accessible from the Figueroa Mountain area; the area is popular for cyclists and off-road cyclists.

    WARNING: You ARE in black bear country! While it is unlikely that a black bear will enter the campground, I would suggest locking your food and coolers in your car at night, as there are no food lockers in the campground. When hiking be aware of your surroundings: Black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, bob cats, and coyotes have been seen on the trails.

    While the campground is fairly remote in the the hills, you are only 20 minutes away from Los Olivos, and 30 minutes away from Santa Ynez. Los Olivos has a great market with groceries, a bakery/coffee shop, a deli, and beer and local wine. There are many local vineyards, wineries, and breweries nearby. The Firestone Walker brewery, taproom, and Resturant is close-by - we highly recommend their food and beers!

    CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $20/night (+ $10/ extra vehicle)

    Plumbed Toilets: No - vault

    Drinking Water: No

    Showers: No

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grate: Yes

    Shade: Yes

    Cell Service: No

    Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

    Trash: Yes

Guide to Summerland

Tent camping near Summerland, California offers opportunities in both coastal and mountainous environments, with elevations ranging from sea level to over 6,000 feet. The Los Padres National Forest provides the majority of tent camping options in higher elevations where summer temperatures average 10-15 degrees cooler than coastal areas. The region experiences seasonal closures on certain forest roads during winter months when snow can temporarily block access to higher elevation campsites.

What to do

Kayaking at Santa Cruz Island: Explore sea caves and secluded coves from Scorpion Anchorage at Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground. "Kayak around and experience seals and dolphins right underneath you in beautiful coves. An amazing and unique experience," reports Megan B.

Hiking to Smuggler's Cove: Complete the 8-mile round trip hike from Scorpion Canyon for a full day adventure. "We went to smugglers cove, 8 mile round trip full sun. Worth the hike, spent all day at the cove," writes Cassandra K.

Ridge hiking at Reyes Peak: Access high-elevation pine forest trails directly from Reyes Peak Campground. "Way up near the Reyes Peak Trailhead, 6 sites right on the ridge... This campground is right up the road from the less popular Pine Mountain Campground - they are essentially one larger campground," notes Andy H.

What campers like

Remote feeling with easy access: The Channel Islands provide isolation without difficult travel. "What a fantastic getaway! The Channel Islands offer some of the most remote camping, and it's easy to do. Plus, the weather is moderate, and you don't have to worry about wildlife much," shares Jonathan G.

Wildlife viewing: Island foxes are common at Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground. "There are tons of cute little island foxes EVERYWHERE at both loops - we were worried that we wouldn't see any, but that concern was quickly put to rest," says Jen G.

Rock formations and views: Some sites offer unique natural features. "The 2 other sites are down the road some distance from the toilet and have much less shade. But they do have fun rocks to play on and great views," notes Andy H. about certain sites at Reyes Peak.

What you should know

Campground closures: Some camps in the Los Padres National Forest have temporary closures. Both Hidden Potrero Camp and 19 Oaks Camp are currently marked as temporarily closed.

No facilities at some sites: Many forest campgrounds lack basic amenities. "Primitive vault toilet. No water. Site 6 is closest to the toilet - only one I'd avoid," explains Andy H. about Pine Mountain Campground.

Channel Islands planning requirements: Camping on Santa Cruz Island requires advance boat reservations. "You must book your boat ride and camp site in advance and then check the day before to make sure weather permits the boat ride," cautions Deborah C. "You are allowed only 60 lbs of 'stuff' each."

Tips for camping with families

Bring collapsible wagons: Moving gear from the ferry to campsites on Santa Cruz Island can be challenging. "The boat docks at Scorpion inlet, and from there it is about a hike of about half mile to the campground... Several clever people brought folding wagons to tote things and that was a great idea," suggests Janet R.

Bring cleaning supplies: Animal activity can create messes at campsites. "I would also highly recommend bleach wipes or something of the sort to help keep your table clean... the foxes and the birds love to use every place in the world as their bathroom," advises Jen G.

Secure absolutely everything: Keep items protected from wildlife at Rancho Nuevo Campground. "Nice small campground with Rancho Nuevo creek flowing right next to it... No cell service no toilets no water, so come prepared," notes Antonio C.

Tips from RVers

Limited space at forest campgrounds: Higher elevation sites have size restrictions. "Pine Mountain Campground has 7 sites, with site 7 located up the road, far away from the toilet and other sites but secluded and private," explains Andy H.

Consider rest areas for overnight stops: The Arroyo Hondo Vista Point Rest Area offers free parking with ocean views. "We decided on a whim to check it out... We made sure to get there early enough to get a spot looking over the Pacific Ocean," shares MomentoMori C., though notes the 8-hour parking restriction.

Park strategically for noise reduction: Highway noise can be mitigated with proper positioning. "If you park so that the large berm is between you and the freeway it muffles the sound," recommends Ronald K.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Summerland, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Summerland, CA is Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Summerland, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 40 tent camping locations near Summerland, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring