166 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Camping near Universal City, California ranges from full-hookup RV parks to free primitive campsites, covering urban stays and backcountry trail camps within a reasonable driving distance. Hollywood RV Park provides an urban option in nearby Burbank with full hookups, while Malibu Creek State Park Campground offers a more natural setting about 30 miles west with tent and RV sites. Rafael's RV Park represents a smaller private option with just two RV sites in a convenient city location.
Seasonal considerations remain minimal as most facilities operate year-round in Southern California's mild climate. Campgrounds in the Angeles National Forest such as Gould Mesa Trail Camp and Millard Trail Campground provide free primitive camping opportunities but require hiking in and typically prohibit campfires due to wildfire concerns. Reservations are strongly recommended for established campgrounds, especially during summer months and weekends. As one visitor noted about Hollywood RV Park: "This quirky campground was safe, and that was what I needed while visiting friends in LA. The bathrooms and showers were clean and plentiful, there was an area at the back of the park for pups, and although spaces were small, the park was landscaped such that you had some privacy."
The campgrounds near Universal City vary dramatically between urban and wilderness settings in the region. Urban RV parks like Hollywood RV Park receive high ratings for convenience and cleanliness despite tight spacing and urban noise. According to reviews on The Dyrt, Gould Mesa Trail Camp offers "a backcountry feel without a long drive" as it's just a three-mile hike from Altadena. Several visitors mentioned the trade-offs of camping near Los Angeles - proximity to attractions versus noise from nearby roads and aircraft. While Angeles Crest provides dispersed camping with mountain views, reviewers note it lacks amenities and requires appropriate vehicles for access. Urban camping options typically provide full hookups and facilities, while trail camps offer solitude but require self-sufficiency with limited or no facilities.
"Every “road” in the park is themed with California or Hollywood themed decorations and murals. We were parked right next to a Mister Roger’s mural across from the laundry/bathrooms."
"Trees lovely gardens to walk the dogs. Commerce walking distance. I’m staying 8 more days.✌️"
"The most fantastic thing about this RV spot is the location - directly facing a large, beautiful, clean beach with built in fire rings, a very long bike bath and bike rental kiosk."
"One of the only in Southern California/Los Angeles area where you can have a fire on the beach."
from $65 - $80 / night
Check Availability"It is prime location for some great hiking and at night it is super quiet. There are restrooms and showers as well."
"The grounds were beautiful and well maintained, the camp host super friendly and helpful, the bathrooms well positioned and clean, and the sites had shade and everything we needed."
from $45 - $225 / night
Check Availability"I absolutely love this campground, it’s perfectly situated in between the Malibu pier area (to your left) Dume, Zuma, and more beaches (to the right), + a lovely small beach across the street… oh let’s"
"This is a great little campground just north of Malibu, California, and right off of the 101. So yes, the freeway is RIGHT. THERE."
from $80 - $300 / night
Check Availability"Worked for that plus a 7/11 in walking distance was helpful!"
"We stayed here to be close to the Hollywood Bowl for a concert. Rafael was a friendly host and very helpful and made sure we were set up well."
from $100 - $140 / night
Check Availability"When you can’t do a 2h hike before setting camp, but you also don’t want to camp close to your car, Millard campground is perfect. The parking lot is just behind the corner out of view."
"Cool drive to get to the campground. You drive up and down these hilly roads up the mountain to get there. Once there, there's a parking lot that fits about 20 cars."
"Great view but on the weekend we had multiple cars doing donuts really close to our van. I felt uncomfortable with that."
"This is just a few parking lots that overlook the valley and gives a view of the city skyline in the distance."
"You can hear cars driving off in the distance but still overall quiet.
- Close to LA. This is about a 15 minute drive then 30 minute hike from my house.
* The stream is great."
"Very beautiful now that the canyon vegetation has grown back in and there are plenty of trails in the area for miles of hiking. Lots of wildlife. Fire rings in camp sites but check for fire permits."
"It's a very hot campground close to a road and train. Sites are big. Tons of things to do for adults and children."
"Surrounded my mountains, which is nice. Staff is happy and helpful."
"Very peaceful spot for a long weekend. 5 days was a little much unless you have a car to visit around and did I say it was gated too."
from $50 / night
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ScoutI do recommend. Beautiful, peaceful place. Good folks. It’s right near Magic Mountain theme park and many useful stores nearby: Home Depot, Walmart, Target, genetic stores, movie theaters. I’ll camp here again.
GuideWe had spot 11 which was great (view! Low and thus close to the beach! although it only just fit our small 4P Kelty Late start on the level spot, there was a lot of room.
Toilets are Dixie's which aren't always clean and have banging doors, avoid the campsites close to them. I would also avoid the higher campsites including the rentals, as the hike to the beach becomes annoying.
Did a great hike to Cat Harbor overlook. Tough climb but beautiful.
The walk from ferry to campsite is short (less that 10 minutes) especially for this site (which is closest) but contains a steep hill and rough gravel. There is firewood service (15$) and luggage (10$/item) but we didn't need it. Shop normally has delivery service with temp cooler but was unavailable. Well stocked but expensive.
ScoutLove this place so much that our family canceled reservations at two other places to spend a few extra nights. The views are fantastic, the bathroom and showers are so clean, and the delicious seafood restaurant a walk down the hill is just a bonus. Staff were kind and helpful at check-in. It's a great base camp to explore the LA area. We tent camped here 20 years ago and when we came back this time with our RV it was even better than we remembered.
TravelerWell-kept campground with minimal amenities, but the breathtaking views more than make up for it. Very quiet, less than half the sites were occupied during our stay. Only real drawback was it was quite breezy, but it was perfectly manageable with proper planning.
The nearby lodge was a neat addition, and there’s a very cool disc golf course next door.
Site 49 was flat and spacious, with a spectacular view of the sunset.
Scoutdon’t try to reach out to this park via phone with any questions, they won’t answer you. they won’t even answer the phone when their own reservation agents are calling them. gates close strictly at 10 so if you’re camping here make sure to show up by then. showed up at 9:58 after leaving a music festival early to make sure i made it on time, and their staff was immensely rude to me about not making it on time. the morning staff is incredibly nice, apologizing for the problems and giving me advice. the night staff though has a problem and they take it out on their visitors. for how rude they were to me, somehow the campsite across from me showed up at 11pm, so seems like they pick and choose who to give problems. avoid camping here. campsites are very close together and nothing special.
GuideWe have been to this campground quite a few times in the last couple of years and I really love it, personally because it’s really close to home. I also love that it’s first come first serve, which allows us to spontaneously go and enjoy without having to make reservations. I also like the fact that all the campsites have a fire pit and a picnic table, which were very recently replaced so they look very new. They installed metal storage boxes for saving your food overnight, this is super helpful. I love the creek even though the water is freezing cold but it’s truly a favorite. This place is wonderful and even though right now there is no water access until further notice, as long as you know you need to take lots of water for cooking and cleaning up you are good.
ScoutThe place is simple, well maintained and extremely clean. There’s back in sites that accommodate smaller 20ft campers and bigger 30ft campers, with there being some pull through sites that are big enough for RV’s, however no camping with tents allowed. Would recommend against bringing in campers with damage or DIY repairs as they “have to maintain sightly appearance”. Overall great for the price. Extremely clean bathrooms with free showers with a pool and jacuzzi plus a short walk to the beach. Only about a 45 min drive to LA with no traffic. The only bad is the constant noise from the port that doesn’t go away at night.
TravelerBe sure to come early. Great location for families and small groups. Peaceful close to a city within 40min small town with church ect 15 minutes away.
LegendGeneral: Two sections: RV camping and dry camping
Site Quality: If you have a larger RV and/or need hookups, you will be in a parking space with ZERO privacy between spaces (it is literally a parking space!). If you have a small RV or van conversion (smaller than 19 feet), there is dry camping. Concrete driveway; minimal privacy but a direct view of the beach. You must have a bed, dinette, sink, and small water supply to be in these spots. A concrete picnic table is included in each site.
Bath/Shower: Six-digit codes (that change regularly) needed to enter (and a different one for each bathroom). One all-in-one with a sink, toilet, urinal, and diaper changing station. The other has two shower stalls, two toilets, and one sink. The shower in the one closest to the dry camping area left much to be desired. I couldn’t get the ADA-accessible shower to work, and the other one had a push-button flow that took some time to get warm and had to be repeatedly pushed to complete the shower. Hooks and bench are outside the shower stall, compromising privacy. My biggest disappointment, however, was that there were NO electrical outlets. I took a chance and walked to the other end of the campground (by the entrance and full hookup sites) where I discovered the bathroom was much nicer. Not only did it have electrical outlets, but it looked like the showers were much nicer.
Activities/Amenities: You are right on the beach! There is a paved path for walking, running, or bicycling. Laundry was temporarily out of order when we were there.
There are very limited options for camping in this area, and the price was $55/night for dry camping. You are in the direct flight path of LAX, so have earplugs at the ready if the sound of jet planes overhead is not your thing!
Camping near Universal City involves navigating a mix of urban convenience and access to natural areas. Most campgrounds within 30 miles have limited shade, with summer temperatures averaging 85-95°F during daylight hours. Canyon locations typically offer more tree cover and cooler nights than valley campgrounds, with temperature differences of 5-10 degrees.
Rock climbing nearby: Several trails accessible from Millard Trail Campground connect to climbing areas. "About a 20 minute hike and you can end up at a waterfall which is very pretty. There are several trails to take for hiking and biking and I saw lots of people doing that," notes Mathew H.
Beach access options: At Dockweiler Beach RV Park, campers get immediate beach access. "Walk 1 minute and you're there. There's also a bike path that goes for miles both north or south - great for an early workout," says Ignasi M., who appreciated the convenience despite airport noise.
Movie filming locations: Malibu Creek State Park Campground offers a unique opportunity to explore former movie sets. One visitor noted, "The state park is a former movie set and is filled with easily accessible trails for hiking and some for mountain biking. The primary trails were open fire roads with off-shoots to lakes, pools, meadows, and more."
Urban-adjacent wildlife viewing: Despite proximity to Los Angeles, campers encounter surprising wildlife. At Malibu Creek State Park, Ryan W. reports, "The wildlife is abundant. There is plenty of birdwatching, and coyotes were wandering through the park and campground without fear. On a hike right out of the park a few hundred yards, I came across a pair of bobcats—mom and cub."
Artistic environments: Hollywood RV Park offers a unique atmosphere. Clean Slate D. describes it as having "Every street themed with murals and art everywhere! The site size depends on where you are in the park. Most of it is an affordable community for locals to live."
Short backpacking opportunity: Gould Mesa Trail Campground provides an accessible introduction to backpacking. Jamie G. notes, "Scoped it out a few weeks ago and thought it was an easy enough hike for a beginner (me) and his pal camp at. The sites are spread out and not on top of each other like most other camp sites close to the city."
Fire restrictions: Most Angeles National Forest camping areas maintain strict fire rules. At Gould Mesa, fires are permitted with proper permits, but many others prohibit fires altogether. Jamie G. mentions, "The stream is great. If you have a filter there is no need to hike in water." This water availability compensates somewhat for fire limitations.
Traffic patterns: Timing matters for Angeles National Forest areas. At Musch Trail Camp, Erik M. advises, "If you are parking your vehicle overnight in the parking lot please leave a note on your dashboard so that the Rangers are aware that you are camping at Musch Camp."
Evening conditions: Most dispersed camping areas near Angeles Crest have minimal facility access. Iris A. reports about Angeles Crest Overlook, "It is not a real campground, just the parking area of a view point. In the evening lots of couples and teenagers came and the parking area was well used. Some people stood silently admiring the view, while others played loud music."
Short hike options: Musch Trail Camp offers an ideal introduction for children to backpacking. Les R. notes, "Pretty short hike from the parking lot," making it manageable for younger hikers while still providing a wilderness experience.
Wildlife education opportunities: Malibu Creek State Park presents natural learning experiences. Jean mentions, "Between hiking and biking, we were busy for the time we were there. As a bonus, there is a Ralph's just up the street, so you'll never be far from anything you'd need."
Group camping facilities: Several parks offer designated group areas. Jean from Malibu Creek added, "We hope to have a family reunion in the group camping spot when things open up. Perfect experience!"
Maneuvering challenges: At Malibu Beach RV Park, space constraints require planning. An anonymous reviewer notes, "The RV park has a hookup area and a dry camping area. The hookups are full of large rigs, very close one with another, in a parking lot style. The dry camp provides much more space, but only relatively small RVs."
Urban RV alternatives: For those visiting LA attractions, Hollywood RV Park offers unique amenities. Mel B. shares, "Steve the owner is amazing and the team will take your rig on a forklift to your site and fully set you up. It feels like a neighborhood instead of a busy RV park."
Site selection priorities: At Dockweiler Beach, consider noise factors. PJ M. advises, "Review of dry campervan section of park only, which seemed considerably more quiet and less chaotic than the big RV area... Best sites are 125-128."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Universal City, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Universal City, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 166 campgrounds and RV parks near Universal City, CA and 5 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Universal City, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Universal City, CA is Hollywood RV Park with a 4.7-star rating from 19 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Universal City, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Universal City, CA.
What parks are near Universal City, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 10 parks near Universal City, CA that allow camping, notably Angeles National Forest and Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
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