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Best Tent Camping near Valencia, CA

820 Reviews

Tent camping near Valencia, California provides access to several Angeles National Forest campgrounds within a short drive. Oak Flat Campground in Castaic offers year-round tent camping with both drive-in and walk-in tent sites. This free campground features picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets but no drinking water. Placerita Canyon State Park Group Campsites provide walk-in tent-only camping with more amenities including drinking water, picnic tables, and trash service. Musch Trail Camp in Topanga State Park, though slightly farther south, offers a backcountry tent camping experience accessible via a one-mile hike from the Trippet Ranch parking area.

Most tent campgrounds in the Valencia area require campers to bring their own water or filter from natural sources when available. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with complete bans common during dry summer months. Adventure Passes are required for parking at many Angeles National Forest tent sites. Bear activity is reported throughout the region, particularly at higher elevations, necessitating proper food storage. Vault toilets are standard at most primitive tent camping locations, though maintenance quality varies. Summer temperatures can be extreme, while higher elevation campgrounds offer cooler conditions but may experience strong winds requiring secure tent staking.

The backcountry tent camping experience near Valencia offers unique opportunities for solitude and natural immersion. According to reviews, Oak Flat Campground provides basic tent sites but campers should be prepared for potentially rough conditions. One visitor noted, "It's a pretty nice little campground, but there's no water and the pit toilet is not well maintained." At higher elevation sites like Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos, tent campers benefit from cooler temperatures and excellent stargazing opportunities. The walk-in nature of several tent-only sites means fewer RVs and a quieter camping experience, though hikers may pass through during daylight hours at some locations.

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Best Tent Sites Near Valencia, California (67)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Valencia, CA

75 Photos of 67 Valencia Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Valencia, CA

820 Reviews of 67 Valencia Campgrounds

  • Tony C.
    Sep. 20, 2020

    Little Jimmy Trail Campground

    Local gem of a campsite

    This campsite is located in California and is one of my favorites. Located above Crystal Lake you’ll find Little Jimmy, it’s a backcountry hike-in only campground nestled just 2 miles off the Angeles Crest Highway. It has around 7 first-come, first-served sites with fire rings, vault toilets (which are currently not in service), and vintage backcountry ovens. After parking at Islip Saddle, cross the highway and begin hiking for 2 miles up the switchbacks until you reach Little Jimmy Campground on your right. Popular with Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, this scenic spot offers a chance to get away from established campgrounds and live amongst the Coulter Pines and Big Doug Firs. Campers turned hikers have easy access to hop on the legendary Pacific Crest Trail which runs through the camp. There is no fee to camp here other than an Adventure pass for your parking. In the summertime, bears can be common visitors so make sure and secure your food in provided bear boxes or bring your own bear canisters. As always, make sure you follow the "Leave No Trace" principles and pack everything in and out!

  • Les R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 6, 2018

    Buckhorn Campground

    Most beautiful campground in the Angeles National Forest!

    We've wanted to camp here for so long, but we've never been able to get a spot. We finally did this weekend, and it fully lived up to our expectations. Because this campground is set within a ravine that has a stream during the rainier months, so the landscape feels very different than the other nearby campgrounds - very green with tall trees. The campsites have plenty of space between neighbors, so we felt we had privacy and weren't disturbed by any noise from other sites. Each site has a picnic table, firepit, and bear box for food storage. There is a water spigot at the campground, but the ranger advised that it's not potable.

    There's day parking at the end of the campground for the trailhead to Cooper Canyon Falls. In the summer the "waterfall" is barely a trickle, but the hike still has a nice stream and is worth doing.

  • j
    Mar. 25, 2021

    Millard Trail Campground

    Great campground for hiking/biking

    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. There's about 100 yd hike to the campsites. There's a road that leads to the campsite but it's been blocked off. Only the campsite managers use that road so it's not accessible by RV, just tents. A campsite manager stays in a little trailer overnight so if there's any problems there's somebody there you can go to and ask for help. There's about six campsites and their first come first serve, no reservations. I went during the week and was the only one camping. This place is heavily used for day camping and hiking. There's not a lot of privacy because there's always lots of people passing by who are hiking and biking. You can stay overnight which I did and everything was fine but there's not a lot of privacy. The next day as I was leaving there was another guy sitting up his tent. I bet on the weekends they can fill up pretty fast. It's in Bear country so they provide food storage for each campsite also trash containers too. Each side has a picnic bench and a fire pit. The fire ban has been lifted so you can have a fire. Each fire pit had wood left at it so you didn't have to go searching for campfirewood. Bathrooms included male and female toilets but no showers or water. There's a creek that runs through the campground which makes it very pretty. I saw two to three cabins along the outskirts of the campground that I assume were for rentals. There was one family at one of the cabins the night I stayed. About a 20 minute hike and you can end up at a waterfall which is very pretty. But there are several trails to take for hiking and biking and I saw lots of people doing that. Overall a good campsite four stars. Would have been five stars if they had showers and running water. I didn't see any bears although there was an animal outside my tent at one point in the night I could hear him nosing around. So it's important to keep all of your food and anything with any kind of smell in the bear boxes

  • 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.

  • K
    Jan. 5, 2022

    Oakwilde Trail Campground

    Half Sunk, Overgrown

    The camp site looks like it was buried in mud from a flood a few years ago. There’s been no maintenance to this camp. The cook stoves are covered, half of the one picnic table was underground. But still, it’s a beautiful and remote spot. The river was running when I was there in January and it was just gorgeous. Looks like there’s really only one usable flat spot to set up a tent. But you can’t have a fire or anything. I didn’t camp just hiked in and checked it out. Dunno if I would try camping here.

  • 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

  • Tony C.
    Jun. 24, 2019

    Henninger Flat - PERMANENTLY CLOSED

    Great local campsite

    I recently moved to WA from Los Angeles so this review is legit 😁 This was and still continues to be one of my favorite campsite close to Los Angeles, I have plenty of fond memories with close friends at this site. It’s completely exposed all the way to the top, a well worth 3 mile uphill hike to three different camp sites. My favorite is the middle site where you get a clear view of the city, beautiful views at night. They say there’s no water but there is, there’s a spout located by the restroom close to the museum, you’ll have to treat it before using (but don’t take my word for it, they tend to shut it off so take plenty of water for your time there and check it out if you need more) If you continue past the middle campsite to the upper site, you’ll have plenty of space for tents and hammocks just no view due to the trees on the edge. If you continue on that trail for another 3 miles i believe, you’ll get to idlehour campground. It’s a small site right next to a creek, you can continue on to Mt Lowe campground and inspiration point. Back to Henninger, plenty of trees for hammocks and sometimes they have firewood collected. At the museum you can buy soda cans so take some change. Hauling a 24 pack of cold Modelos in my pack was not fun at all, but boy did they taste good at the top hahaha. Bugs can get annoying so carry some bug spray, hang your food and PACK IT OUT!!! Leave no trace behind.

  • Antonio C.
    Aug. 30, 2019

    Chula Vista Campground at Mt. Pinos

    Summer Heat Getaway!

    It’s a nice drive to get to the campground. Nice clean area with lots of space. Love it that’s it’s a Walk in campground so no cars or RVs. Lots of Hiking trails nearby. It’s a lot cooler up here so it’s a nice way to get away from the summer heat. Awesome area for stargazing. The bathrooms could use some cleaning but other than that it’s a beautiful area.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Apr. 11, 2022

    Camping @ Quail Run Ostrich Ranch

    Great tour and amenities

    General: This is not an official campground but due to its proximity to the Pacific Crest Trail, the owners make it available for tent and RV campers as well as members of Harvest Host. 

    Site Quality: There are no designated sites so you can park where it best suits you on a large and level gravel lot. Since there was a strong wind advisory to last through the night into the next morning, Jessica recommended we park along the trees, and this made for an effective windbreak. There is also an additional gravel lot where the only other RV camper stayed so we had privacy. 

    Bathhouse: I was hoping for a vault toilet so was pleasantly surprised to find flush toilets with a sink, soap, and paper towels. No showers and no hot water.

    Activities/Other Amenities: Take a tour of the ostrich farm – we learned a lot and it is worth the $10pp. At the end of the tour, you can purchase ostrich oil (many benefits), ostrich eggs (sometimes sold out), local brews, local honey, and a few other items. Other amenities include a propane bbq, fire ring, picnic table, and electric outlets (located by each light pole by the stage/dance floor which is also used for weddings and other gatherings). There is also a peaceful garden and a playground. Other activities include ax throwing and archery, neither of which we tried. (A girl scout troop was doing archery when we were there). Quail Run is a family-owned business and everyone we talked with was very welcoming and communication was thorough. 

    Note: the gates are closed between 5 pm and 8 am (7 pm-7 am during the summer). If you need it, cell coverage via Verizon is available.

Guide to Valencia

Tent campsites near Valencia, California feature diverse terrain from desert landscapes to forested mountain settings. Most camping areas sit between 1,500-4,000 feet elevation, creating significant temperature variations between seasons and day-to-night transitions. The region typically experiences dry conditions from May through October with seasonal fire restrictions in effect during summer months.

What to do

Hiking trails access: At Musch Trail Camp in Topanga State Park, campers can explore numerous trails directly from their site. One camper noted, "Although it's not the most scenic campground itself, the state park has plenty of beauty to offer on its hiking trails."

Nature center visits: Placerita Canyon State Park Group Campsites provide access to educational facilities. A visitor explains, "Things to do: visit the Placerita Canyon Nature Center, including live animal exhibits, Ranger-led educational programs, hike to waterfalls."

Wildlife observation: Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles offers opportunities to view desert animals in their natural habitat. A camper reported, "Much wild life and plenty of things to see," while another mentioned hearing "coyotes at night" during their stay.

What campers like

Privacy and quiet: Antfarm LA provides secluded tent camping experiences. One reviewer shared, "It's a spot where you can truly be away. We spent 5 days and didn't really see a soul. If you like to read, enjoy sunsets, exercise and travel to local spots of interest or just stay put."

Convenience for travel breaks: Oak Flat Campground serves as an accessible overnight option. A camper stated, "We were originally going to do an overnight stay at a gas station or Walmart but had a hard time finding one in this area. Luckily we found this spot which was just a few minutes of the highway."

Clean facilities: Some tent sites near Valencia maintain well-kept amenities. At Musch Trail Camp, a camper was pleasantly surprised: "Did not expect the bathrooms to be very clean. They have running water to flush the toilets, and to wash your hands."

What you should know

Permit requirements: Most Angeles National Forest campgrounds require permits. At Oak Flat Campground, a camper warned, "Ranger woke me up early asking for a permit. He was not agro, as I didn't look like I bum I think that helped. He explained a shell station off the 176 nearby sells $5 day passes and $30 annual."

Water availability: Many tent campsites require bringing your own water. One Oak Flat visitor advised, "FYI NO water available tho, so pack it in and pack it out."

Site conditions vary: Campground maintenance differs across locations. At Bear Campground, a camper observed, "I believe this one is also abandoned and closed. It is a small campground, no toilets or other amenities," while another noted it's "maintained, and good for a day picnic or a PCT resting spot."

Tips for camping with families

Check seasonal conditions: Weather can significantly impact family camping experiences. A Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles visitor advised, "Check the weather! We did not and went on a day where the Santa Ana winds were blowing. The day was OK, but the overnight was brutal in a tent."

Consider accessibility: Some tent campsites require minimal hiking. At Musch Trail Camp, a reviewer mentioned, "Musch Camp is an easy one mile hike from the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot in Topanga State Park," making it manageable for families with children.

Bring entertainment: Remote sites lack electronic distractions. A camper at Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles appreciated this aspect: "Just enough cell service to feel safe, but not enough bandwidth for your kids to stream YouTube all day."

Tips from RVers

Limited RV options: Most tent campsites near Valencia cannot accommodate larger vehicles. When visiting Oak Flat Campground, an RV camper suggested, "Traveling in our van and we stayed the night here during the week on our way from Malibu to Sequoia National Park. Fairly clean and spots are spaced out."

Parking considerations: Overnight parking requires proper documentation at many locations. A Musch Trail Camp visitor advised, "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."

Roadway challenges: Access roads to some campsites present difficulties. At Joshua Tree Ranch Los Angeles, a camper warned, "The roads are really just ruts and some of the area was used to dump junk," indicating potential issues for vehicles with low clearance.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Valencia, CA is Oak Flat Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 11 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 67 tent camping locations near Valencia, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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