Best Tent Camping near Templeton, CA

Templeton's surrounding landscape offers several tent camping options within the Central California coastal mountain ranges. KOA Campground Santa Margarita provides established tent sites about 15 miles southeast of Templeton, while Lake San Antonio North Shore offers more spacious walk-in tent locations approximately 45 miles northwest. Both campgrounds remain open year-round, with the Santa Margarita location featuring hiking trails and occasional stargazing programs in the mountains.

Tent sites at KOA Santa Margarita include picnic tables and access to showers and toilets, but alcohol is prohibited. The campground requires reservations and does not permit pets. Lake San Antonio offers more amenities for tent campers, including drinking water, picnic tables, and trash service. Recent reviews indicate the lake has recovered from previous drought conditions. One camper noted, "There is ample space for camping, and during some visits you might have areas nearly to yourself." The military's Fort Hunter Liggett Primitive Campground provides an alternative primitive tent camping option about 50 miles northwest of Templeton.

Early fall typically provides ideal tent camping conditions in this region, with moderate temperatures and fewer crowds. Tent campers should be prepared for potentially warm conditions, as summer temperatures at Lake San Antonio often exceed 100°F. Reviews from The Dyrt indicate the lake area offers "beautiful views and amazing spots to camp," making it particularly popular for those seeking water recreation alongside their tent camping experience. Alder Creek Camp, while farther away, provides more secluded tent sites for those willing to travel on rougher roads. Access requires traveling 8 miles off Highway 1 on an unpaved road where 4x4 vehicles are recommended. Cell service is limited throughout most camping areas near Templeton, so campers should plan accordingly for communication needs.

Best Tent Sites Near Templeton, California (7)

Show More
Showing results 1-7 of 7 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Tent Camping Reviews near Templeton, CA

565 Reviews of 7 Templeton Campgrounds


  • E
    Feb. 28, 2025

    Ponderosa Campground

    Nice quiet spot in early spring

    We camped here February 24-26, 2025. The forest service website indicated the campground is open all year, but when we arrived on the site one through four were available. Beyond site number five was a locked gate. Site five was closed due to “hazardous tree“. The stream was running plentifully and gave a lovely background noise. Sites 1 & 2 share a parking pad which is almost level. Site 1 is completely exposed and quite spacious and full of ground squirrel disruption. Site 2 is very convenient to the parked car, and it was our choice because we sleep in our van. Most of the water taps were not operable but the one by the toilet near the entrance did work and was labeled “non-potable, not for drinking or cooking”. The tap in site number 2 had no handle and was dripping at a rapid pace so we hung a bucket on that tap and use the collected water for handwashing. There were trash cans conveniently located to all of the sites, and there was a good supply of toilet paper, but even though the weather was cool, the toilet closest to the entrance was a bit smelly. It is a pit stop for people driving over or back on Naciemiento-Ferguson Road. I noted that reviewers indicated that they were plagued by flies and yellow jackets in the mid summer, but we had only a couple of flies, no yellow jackets. The weather was predicted to be sunny and pleasant with highs of 70° based on checking the weather reports for Jolon, California. It was almost a new moon and the stars at night we’re gorgeous. There was heavy dew which turned into frost in the early morning. We saw the occasional lizard and a couple of slow moving salamanders. We saw no raccoons, and considering that they have switched from having dumpsters to having trash cans I suspect that raccoons are not a problem. There was a posted memo dated February 2 reported that for the Monterey Ranger district, campfire restrictions were lifted until March 25, due to sufficient rain having been received. We walked the loop of the other campsites; some of them have the picnic table and fire ring located some distance from the parking spot, a few are possibly suitable for RV camping but most of those would require at least some leveling. I don’t know when they plan to open the rest of the sites, but probably March would be a good time to come and enjoy this campground. Bring your own drinking water. The fee is expensive for a no-water campground, but I was willing to pay the discounted price with my lifetime senior pass.

  • Chanel C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 16, 2017

    Morro Bay State Park Campground

    More RV campers than tent campers

    [ LOCATION -5 Stars ]

    • Walking distance to the Morro Bay Natural History Museum -- great for kids and very educational for all ages. Admission is only $3 and they have a fun Nature Shop to pick up souvenirs and gifts.
    • Bayside Cafe is adjacent to the Campgrounds. If you don't feel like going through the hassle of cooking an elaborate meal at camp, you can take it easy and eat at the cafe. It has a great view of the marina and Morro Bay Rock.
    • Campgrounds is a stone's throw from the marina. This is especially great if you enjoy being by the water. A lot of campers bring their own kayaks, canoes, SUP boards, etc.
    • Less than 2 miles from the Embarcadero where there are shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, boat tours, and water equipment rentals. It's a beautiful walk, an easy bike ride, and a quick drive into town. Best part, FREE PARKING everywhere! Also, plenty of public restrooms that are relatively clean.
    • The campgrounds is right by a large and well-manicured golf course. So that's cool…if you're into golf!

    [ AMENITIES -4.5 Stars ]

    • Plenty of showers and restrooms throughout the campgrounds. Some are not all operational but it's not that far of a walk to get to the next available one. PRO TIP: Exchange your shower tokens at the check-in Kiosk. A lot of the token machines were out of order. 2 tokens for $1. Each token buys you 2 minutes time.
    • Firewood & fire starters can be purchased at Camp Host sites. $7 for a bundle and $1 for firestarters. The profits go back to CA state parks :)
    • Sites are very close together and not very spacious or private. Each campsite comes with parking for 1 car, a charcoal BBQ grill, a firepit, bear box, and picnic table.
    • There are plenty of shared water spigots for potable water by every site. Make sure you turn it gently because the water pressure is super strong and you'll get a ton of splash back.

    [ CLEANLINESS -5 Stars]

    • Restrooms & showers are SO CLEAN! Most of the campers here are RV campers, so they aren't really using the public restrooms. Less foot traffic = cleaner!
    • The majority of campers here are older, retired RV campers so the campgrounds are kept-up meticulously well. Everyone is very considerate and clean up after themselves. There aren't too many pests or ants either.
  • E
    May. 24, 2019

    Islay Creek Campground — Montaña de Oro State Park

    Beautiful cove

    The best part of this campground is access to the beach. We were there in early July and the water was like ice but absolutely beautiful. The campground itself was ok, it was a bit more primitive than I’m used to, but the sites themselves were nice. Each had a picnic table and fire ring. Most of the sites were nice sized as far as I could tell. There are no showers and only vault toilets so I wouldn’t stay here for more than 2 nights. Another perk is how it feels so far removed from civilization, but it’s really not.

  • Annie C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 1, 2018

    Ponderosa Campground

    Pretty campground in need of service

    This is a gem of place to camp with only one black mark against it (I’ll get to that in a minute). This site is run by the US Forest service and sits alongside the really pretty Nacimiento River. If you don’t mind the noise from the road, the best two sites with the river running next to them are right in front across from the pay station and host site. The river is great for wading and supposedly for fishing. There are some swimming holes further up the river (but still in the campground area) as well. There are no hookups for RV’s and the road is very narrow; probably not the ideal place to bring your rig, which makes it perfect for tent camping. Some sites are really private and spread out, and others are on top of each other. They all have picnic tables and fire rings with grills, and there was water available.  Alright, now for the bad part. The vault toilets were terrible! They definitely needed to be pumped out, and were in desperate need of a good cleaning. The flies and smell was overwhelming. They had obviously been “maintained” as they were stocked with toilet paper, but that was the extent of that. There are lots of nearby hiking trails to pick from and you are not too far from the coast.

  • Kari T.
    Apr. 5, 2020

    Navajo Flat Campground

    Great place to get away from reality

    If you want to escape, this is the place. No signal, hardly ever see any other people and tons of open space and trails for motorcycles and quads. Dry camping only. No water available but there is a vault toilet and picnic tables.

  • John  Y.
    Oct. 8, 2019

    Coastal Dunes RV Park & Campground

    Great location but no privacy

    I was attending a weekend Jeep event at Pismo Dunes and had booked a space in the OHV area on the beach.  When I got there the wind was so bad it was impossible to put up a tent.  So I looked up this place, which is probably 1/2 mile from the entrance to the beach.

    The campground has mixture of tent and pull-through sites.  All sites have full hookups, and include a fire ring and picnic table.  The bathrooms were clean and had showers, but everything was very old.  There was also a pool and laundry rooms on the property.

    The sites were flat, but there was no barrier between you and your neighbors.  The RV sites looked very cramped but the tent sites seemed adequately spaced for the most part.  I stayed in site 252 which appeared to be some kind of double site, because there were two sets of hookups in the space (one of which required a large pole in the middle of the site).

    In spite of the convenience of the location, there were drawbacks.  The campground is narrow and situated directly between PCH and the railroad tracks on either side.  So traffic noise was significant, and as an added bonus, every now and then Amtrack would roll past.

    Over all, it met all the basic needs, was well maintained, and was close to the beach.  And the noise was probably less than I would get sleeping in the OHV camping area.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 22, 2021

    Navajo Flat Campground

    Pozo La Panza OHV staging campground

    We didn't stay at this campground, but we walked over and checked it out while disperse-camping up the road.  

    This campground has 6 sites, and is $20/night and $10 additional for each extra vehicle.  There is a $10/day fee for day use.

    5 campsites are reservable through recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777, and 1 site is first come first served.

    There is zero ATT, Verizon, or T-Mobile signal at this campground, but the Los Padres forest area as a whole is very spotty - you can go from zero to good reception for all 3 carriers as you move from area to area.

    No water or any amenities here other than vault toilets. Fire is allowed in the fire rings at each site, no fire permit required here (but fire permits are required elsewhere in the National Forest).  There were a couple of garbage cans by the toilets.   Sites have 2 picnic tables, a shade structure, fire ring, and a grill.

    There is no signage directing you to the campground, so download the map ahead of time if you need directions.  From 58 you take Red Hill Rd/Forest Rte 29S15 and turn left at the dead end at Fernandez Rd. Keep going straight until you see the campground on your right. There is a road turning right at the cattle guard, but keep going straight.

    Campground is fairly large with wide open spaces to turn around, so bigger rigs should be fine.  The roads coming in from Hwy 58 -- Red Hill Rd and Fernandez Rd -- are ok, they are compacted dirt / DG with some washboarding and a few ruts.  There are people who live in this area and travel these roads in regular sedans, so it's definitely doable for most vehicles, but I'd imagine large class A's would have a tough time.

  • MThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 22, 2023

    Washburn Primitive Campground — Hearst San Simeon State Park

    Hill top big sky view

    Nice family oriented campground. Many tents, trailers, few rv’s. Spots are fairly far apart 50-70 feet. Just fire ring, table, and parking spot. Vault toilets. Few trees. In mid June mostly dry grass with little shade, but fine tent pitching area. Most spots are mostly level for rv parking. Few bugs. Hawks,crows, towhee, quail. Should be good star gazing. Quiet. No road noise. Somewhat windy.

  • Amanda M.
    Oct. 27, 2018

    Lopez Lake Recreation Area

    Lopez Lake

    Lopez Lake Recreation Area is 15 minutes behind the “Village” of Arroyo Grande, CA.

    Lopez is a frequently visited spot for us - We generally camp in a primitive site the back of the Squirrel Loop of the park. The Squirrel Loop is not a lakeside loop (you cannot see the lake at all from here), but we have found it to be one of the quieter, less trafficked campground in the park. The Squirrel Loop is nestled inside a canyon, surrounded by big, beautiful live oak trees.

    Lopez Lake is a very large campground with many different loops, so many of which are nearby the lake. If you haven’t been to the campground before and are not worried about reserving a site ahead of time, take some time to drive around the park when you arrive to see what area you would most like to camp in - there are a lot of great spots here there and everywhere!

    Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There are clean plumbed bathrooms, and coin-operated showers. Lopez has full hook-ups for RVs, and a marina to launch boats. There is a small but well-stocked convenience store in the marina with food, ice, firewood, beer, fishing gear, etc. There is also a small cafe located in the marina store, with limited hours.

    Lopez Lake is the home of the Mustang Waterpark, a small, but super fun water park. I believe the park is closed during the fall and winter months, but is open during the spring and summer. Swimming is allowed in the lake, and there are some “beach” areas that have been cleared of lake plants and rocks for safe swimming.

    Hiking to Big Falls is a fun adventure if you want to leave the campground. There are certain times when the falls are not accessible without 4WD, however, we have been in severe drought conditions in Central California for the last few years, so you don’t have to worry about crossing any deep creeks, if any. A super low clearance vehicle may have a challenging time crossing the creek beds, even when dry. The drive to Big Falls trailhead from Lopez is short, but probably takes 15-20 minutes as you are driving through a curvy, narrow canyon road. The hike is through live oak trees most of the way, so most of the hike is nice and shaded. Keep and eye out for salamanders when crossing the creek beds! While it is unlikely, black bears mountain lions have been spotted on the Big Falls trail, so be aware of your surroundings. Here are directions to the Big Falls trailhead: http://www.hikeslo.com/big-falls/

    WARNING : While the possibility of a black bear sighting is fairly uncommon, black bears are seen every year at Lopez Lake. You are in black bear county, and there are no bear boxes/ food lockers at Lopez Lake. I would suggest locking your food and coolers up in the car at night to avoid attracting wild animals to your campsite.

    CAMPSITE SPECS

    Fees: $35/night (primitive site)

    Plumbed Toilets: Yes

    Drinking Water: Yes

    Showers: Yes (coin-operated)

    Picnic Table: Yes

    Firepit: Yes

    Cooking Grate: Yes

    Shade: Yes

    Cell Service: No

    Animal Bins/Food lockers: No

    Trash: Yes


Guide to Templeton

Tent camping options around Templeton provide diverse experiences across California's central coastal region. The area features campgrounds at various elevations within the Los Padres National Forest and near lakes in Monterey County. Fall and spring typically offer moderate temperatures, while summer brings hot conditions to most sites, particularly those at lower elevations. The region's camping locations range from primitive sites with minimal facilities to established campgrounds with amenities.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: At Lake San Antonio, anglers find productive spots directly from shoreline camping areas. "Fishing was great from shore in morning and dusk," notes Jack J. about the Lake San Antonio - North Shore campground. The lake has rebounded from previous drought conditions, making it a viable fishing destination.

Hiking trails: Santa Margarita KOA provides family-friendly walking paths within the campground property. According to Sherry D., "The park is loaded with really nice hiking trails. We are enjoying our weekend stay." Some trails connect to larger networks in the surrounding mountains for more extensive day hikes.

Stargazing programs: Special astronomy events occur seasonally at certain campgrounds. The region offers excellent night sky viewing due to limited light pollution, particularly at higher elevation sites. Bring appropriate clothing layers as temperatures drop significantly after sunset even during summer months.

What campers like

Waterfront camping: Many visitors appreciate the ability to anchor boats directly at their camping spots. "Launched the boat and anchored it to shore. Literally had the place to ourselves," reports Jack J. about his experience at Lake San Antonio - North Shore.

Offroad access to secluded sites: Some campers seek more remote options away from established facilities. Kai J. describes Alder Creek Camp: "Alder Creek campsite is 8 miles offroad from Hwy 1 in the Big Sur area. 4x4 is definitely recommended... Anyone who wants to go exploring this is your place!"

Family-friendly amenities: Parents appreciate campgrounds with activities for children. At the KOA Campground Santa Margarita, Sherry D. notes, "Great for young families. There is a pool, jumping pillow, playground, etc."

What you should know

Cell service limitations: Most camping areas near Templeton have little to no mobile reception. Genie N. mentions about Santa Margarita KOA: "There is no reception at all, you have to drive outside of the campsite about 7-10 miles to get reception."

Water level fluctuations: Lake-based campgrounds can experience significant changes in water levels depending on seasonal rainfall. Chip K. observes at Lake San Antonio: "During the drought the water level has dropped significantly as well as the quality of the water. Some years the lake is almost dry."

Primitive site conditions: Fort Hunter Liggett Primitive Campground offers basic facilities on military property. Annie C. describes: "The sites are spread out a bit so you are not on top of your neighbors. Most sites have a picnic table and fire pit, and some have grills. Everything was super dry, but there was no ban on fires (yet). The privy was closed, so there were porta potties and a hand washing station."

Tips for camping with families

Consider shoulder seasons: Early fall and late spring provide more comfortable temperatures for camping with children near Templeton. Summer heat can be challenging as Chip K. notes: "It was a warm weekend at San Antonio. The temperature at the lake often exceeds 100 in the summer."

Check facility status: Bathroom and shower access can be inconsistent at some locations. One camper at Santa Margarita reported: "Something went wrong with the bathrooms and we could not shower or use restroom for the last day and a half, no one ever came by to tell us or give us any updates on the inconvenience."

Cottage options: For families wanting more amenities, consider cabin rentals. Armando C. shares about Lake San Antonio: "We stayed at a cottage at Lake San Antonio. We were fortunate to have a local show us around... this is a favorite spot when we want to get away but still have all the accommodations of home."

Tips from RVers

Level sites: RV campers note that some locations provide better parking options than others. Sherry D. mentions at Santa Margarita KOA: "RV spots are on flat, dusty parking areas and are easy to navigate."

Road conditions: Access to some of the best tent camping near Templeton, California can be challenging for larger vehicles. Andrew M. warns about Alder Creek: "Would not recommend for a trailer as theres not a lot of room for oncoming cars to negotiate, and i could see towing be an extra issue if the roads are wet."

Monthly rates: Extended stays are possible at select locations. Annie C. observed at Fort Hunter Liggett: "I thought the rates were reasonable, but it was the first time I had seen an additional fee for pets (altho at $2, not a big deal). I also thought it was interesting that they had monthly rates."

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Templeton, CA is KOA Campground Santa Margarita with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Templeton, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.