Looking for the perfect glamping experience near Valley Center? Glamping near Valley Center, CA is a great way to go camping with the tastes of home. These scenic and easy to access California glamping locations are perfect for any adventurer.
For many, once the sun comes out and summer rolls around, it can be hard to resist the urge to get outside and soak up some fun. If you relate, and you just need to unplug for a minute, Carlsbad camping offers some of the state’s best camping sites around. When your work has stacked up and you’re overloaded, it’s time to gather your camping gear, and head to Carlsbad State Beach camping for solitude and relaxation.
This San Diego beach and campground feature camping, swimming, surfing, skin diving, fishing and picnicking. The campground is especially popular in the summer, thanks to its scenic location which overlooks the picturesque Carlsbad Beach below. Even better, the campground offers direct access to the beach via a set of well-kept stairs. As a result of the popularity, the campground is reservation only, so don’t show up without one or you’ll likely be unable to stay.
When you’re done with the beach, check out the nearby California geography and some of the trails within the park. If the ocean isn’t your thing, a number of Campfire Programs, Junior Ranger Programs, and Nature Walks may be offered. That said, program availability changes with the season, so be sure to check signs posted on the restrooms and at the entrance station regarding park information during your visit.
At night, campers are gently caressed to sleep by the nearby ocean tide, lapping upon its secluded shoreline. There is plenty of privacy throughout, thanks to the large selection of flora and fauna throughout the campground. The campsites themselves are also spacious, with roughly half of them featuring electric hookups. Additionally, All restrooms and shower buildings have accessible facilities. Prior to arrival, visitors with disabilities who need assistance should contact the unit Supervising Ranger.
South Carlsbad State Beach Campground is perfect for campers and individuals who love the ocean and the outdoors. Whether you’re looking surf the rolling waves, or paddle board out and take part in all that the north county coastline has to offer, you’re sure to have fun here.
$50 - $650 / night
$24 - $100 / night
$39 - $50 / night
Located on the San Diego Coast, San Elijo Campground offers camping, swimming, surfing, showers and picnicking. The narrow, bluff-backed stretch of sand has a nearby reef popular with snorkelers and divers. A camp store and snack bar located near the campground entrance operates March through December and provides all the amenities a camper may need including some RV supplies, boogie boards, and firewood. This San Elijo camping destination requires reservations for its 171 campsites.
$50 - $520 / night
We are San Diego County's ONLY campsite with river and tubing access!
$40 - $120 / night
Lake Jennings is known for being one of the most scenic parks in all of San Diego County. It is a welcoming recreation destination located in Lakeside, California offering fishing, camping, hiking, and picnicking activities. The lake is a drinking water reservoir owned and operated by Helix Water District. The scenic views of the lake and the wooded surroundings make it feel as if you are in the middle of the wilderness, right outside of town.
Lake Jennings hosts a 97-space campground that is open seven days a week year-round. It’s located on the north side of Lake Jennings, with a variety of spaces available for RVs, Trailers, Campers and Tents. Come on out, take a paddleboat, rowboat or motorboat for the day, and enjoy the beautiful weather! Cozy coves make great picnic spots, so don’t forget your picnic basket.
Lake Jennings offers a great escape for novice or avid fishermen, and is open for shore fishing from the shoreline below the campground. Boat rentals, private boat launching, and fishing from our floating fishing dock is available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. For your convenience, we have an on-site Bait and Tackle Shop open Friday through Sunday, offering a wide selection of bait, tackle, camping supplies, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages.
Lake Jennings is a great destination for the serious and casual wildlife viewer and photographer. The rolling hills, the endless lake, the coastal sage, and the riparian areas provide a diverse habitat in a small area. Common sightings include deer, fox, and osprey. Bird watchers are equally drawn to Lake Jennings for its rich variety of bird species.
$35 - $140 / night
There are 31 campsites in the Doane Valley Campground, three of which have accessible features. Each site has a table and fire ring, and most have a food locker. Piped drinking water is available. The campground also has restrooms with flush toilets and hot showers which are usable for campers, including those with disabilities.
The beautiful forest and mountain meadows of Palomar Mountain State Park are in northern San Diego County, high atop the west side of Palomar Mountain. Large pine, fir and cedar trees make the park one of the few areas in southern California with a Sierra Nevada-like atmosphere. The park features camping, picnicking, hiking, and fishing (trout) in Doane Pond. Coniferous forests cover much of the 1,862 acres, in contrast to the dry lowlands surrounding the mountain.
Elevation within the park averages 5,000 feet above sea level, making evenings cool even during the summer. A number of vista points offer spectacular panoramic views both westerly toward the ocean and inland toward the desert, particularly from Boucher Hill Summit, which has been listed in the Sierra Club's "Hundred Peaks Section" since first published in 1946. There, you'll also find the historic Boucher Hill Fire Lookout.
The park is open from dawn 'til dusk daily. Reservations are highly recommended for camping during peak season. Day use fees are $10.00 per vehicle, cash or check only. Trails are open to foot traffic only, and dogs and mountain bikes are not allowed on trails. Please note that there are no gas stations on Palomar Mountain.
$40 - $130 / night
$25 - $45 / night
Fry Creek Campground is situated in the heart of Cleveland National Forest, uniquely located down the road from the world-famous Palomar Observatory. The fresh, clean air of the campground provides a refreshing getaway for visitors from San Diego and Los Angeles. The observatory, atop Palomar Mountain, boasts five high-tech telescopes, among them, the massive 200-inch Hale Telescope, was the world's largest effective telescope for about 45 years. The observatory is owned by the California Institute of Technology and astronomical research includes near-Earth asteroids and the study of distant galaxies.
At Observatory Campground, the site across from Fry Creek, there's a popular astronomy event called Explore the Stars. Amateur astronomers gather here with their telescopes and share views of planets and constellations with visitors. The event takes place one weekend each month, April through October.
Fry Creek is at a 4,900 ft. elevation on Palomar Mountain. The area is dense with evergreen and oak, and is usually cooler than the surrounding area.
The visitor center at Palomar Observatory is 2.2 miles away and can be accessed by road or by hiking trail. A restaurant and gift shop are onsite.
$15 / night
Lake Hemet is surrounded by the majestic beauty of the San Jacinto Mountains, in Mountain Center, near the charming town of Idyllwild. The scenery is splendid no matter which direction you look. Tall pines, manzanitas, sage, and giant oaks abound!
Lake Hemet is one of the most popular spots in Southern California for camping and fishing. The recent additions of the Soaring Pines Cafe serving delicious food and Splashing Eagle Swim Zone have made Lake Hemet the vacation spot to be during the spring and summer months.
Remember to pack a camera and binoculars, and keep a watchful eye as majestic eagles, hawks, and other wildlife are often seen soaring throughout the forest and campground. Come and enjoy camping, fishing, boating and the breathtaking scenery all year round.
DAY USE: In addition to camping, Lake Hemet offers public access to the campground for day use guests daily (hours vary by season). Day use is $25 per vehicle and affords guests with the opportunity to picnic, shoreline fish, launch personal boats or kayaks (additional fees apply) and rent boats or kayaks from our marina. If you are visiting other guests who are overnight camping with us, the $25 fee still applies. NOTE: DAY USE WILL BE CLOSED FOR ALL SUMMER HOLIDAY WEEKENDS FROM FRIDAY TO SUNDAY for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day weekends. Only guests with previously purchased annual day use or launch passes will be allowed as our campground will be fully booked and activities are planned for our guests.
$45 / night
Guide
We visit this place once a year in the summer, sometimes twice. This place is glamping for sure. They have full service hookups for rv’s and trailers, bungalows and cabins. Lots of amenities for the kiddos when COVID isn’t around. The new pool is great.
Guide
This campground felt more like I was glamping. Everything was easily accessible and by that I mean; a toilet, running water, and showers. We slept in our tent which felt pretty amazing being that the weather was perfect. I’d highly recommend visiting this camp site in the cooler months.
Scout
My fiancé and I were last minute camping and this campground was beautiful, quiet, and very aesthetic! There is a lot to do near by, a very convenient store about 5-10 minutes away called valley center foods! Employees were sooo sweet and friendly! DID NOT DISAPPOINT!! Ps isn’t that expensive when tent camping ⛺️ 🙌🏻
Scout
Let me first off say that the property is beautiful and that my hosts Carolyn and Bernie were very accommodating and had great energy. Plenty of room for beautiful hikes on their many acres of land packed with some great views a few decks scattered around the property. I found out they have a full size professional disc golf course here! I don’t bring my discs, but Carolyn and Bernie happily lent me some discs so I could try it out.
Now to the Glamping- now I been camping a bunch, the reason I say that this is glamping is that they have actual running water flushable toilets and outdoor hot showers! I can’t tell you how excited I was lol, it really upleveled the whole camping experience. They also have an industrial kitchen as well as an outdoor bar where they have very fairly priced beer and wine. Did I mention they have a full size professional pool table? Turns out Bernie and Carolyn are professional pool players too! This place is awesome! I will definitely be coming back again again to relax. I live in sd so it’s only about 35-40min drive from my place. Thank you so much Carolyn and Bernie for such a great experience!!
Traveler
Went here with friends and it was nice but there are way too many RV'S and ATV'S. there's no place to have a fire because there might be a wild fire outbreak. Bathrooms are clean and the showers are free. There are even halls where you can play BINGO and a game room with Wii games. Camping spots are big enough for 2 8 person tents or 1 small rv and a 4 person tent. If you want to glamping this is a good place but if you want to tent camp I would look somewhere else.
ScoutThis is hands down the best campground around. The facility is spotless, extremely clean, environment is awesome where everyone is friendly and they put so much effort into making it fun for the kids with activities at the kids club, bike and trike rentals, a super modern pool and awesome gift shop on top of huge jumping pillows, playgrounds and a giant backyard. It’s our favorite camping spot and everywhere we go is unmatched to here. The kids usually ride around the site and you’re in the middle of San Diego so you can go to the beach, Legoland, Sea World go out to eat or door dash some food! Definitely convenient to everything and the best way to glamp!
Scout
Visited the last 2 weeks of August. Great place for family and kids. Affordable. Campsite #295. You can fit two 10' x10' canopies to cover the bench table, and fit 2 individual tents (4-6 person) OR a bigger 12p tent however you decide to position it. It has its own Fire pit. Different campgrounds for all chosen methods (Tent, RV, Glamping, etc..) There's restrooms you can use. There's showers you can pay per use. The swim zone isn't too far from this campsite, 5-10 min walk w/ no accessories. If you have little ones, you can take them with a wagon but I'd recommend just driving your car with a few items to the zone. Bring your own shade for this campsite, your own water too. The marketplace is near the entrance BUT they only sell individual waters (No 48 pack types). You'll definitely hear your neighbors snore at night after a long day LOL.. quiet hours are from 10pm - 8am. Overall, this is a great spot. If you're lucky to snag other spots with trees covering you then great but this is still a good campsite. Happy camping! ... Oh yeah, T-Mobile no service up there (apparently Verizon, AT&T do)
Legend
We camped here on a trip up the coast and found this spot at the end of the day. There are 5 spots where you can walk your stuff and camp right on the beach. Each spot was secluded and had a picnic table and a good size area for your tent. It’s a newer retro campground with spots for RV’s, tents, cabins and yurts. There are a lot of option and facilities with showers, bathrooms and laundry.
Guide
We spent 4 nights here. The park is renovated and clean. Best laundry room I’ve seen in our travels. Sites are gravel with a concrete pad and picnic table. Each corner has a super bright street light. Thank goodness for blackout shades. The lake was closed due to algae bloom. They have a great area of vintage trailers that can be rented, as well as some super nice yurts. The restaurant was only open one of the nights we were there. Not impressive. We were the only diners there. We explored the area. As it was winter, there wasn’t much to do.
Legend
Nice basic county campground, everything is nice and new and clean. I think once the trees and bushes and things start to grow in, there will be a little bit of separation between the sites, but for now most sites are wide open.
The playground area is really cool, all the structures are made of wood and are all natural. Decent showers, you buy tokens from the ranger. There are nice trails and walking paths right from the campground. We didn’t walk to the beach because the area was flooded when we were there, but it appears that you can easily walk to the beach from the campground, it’s about 1.5 miles away.
Sites are all dry camping, no power or water at sites, and no dump station at campground. There are water spigots throughout the campground though to fill your jugs. There are yurts to rent, and some equestrian sites as well. The little loop off to the side is tents only.
You can see the border wall from the campground, and Verizon thought I was in Mexico when we arrived, haha. Good cell service with ATT and Verizon (not sure if Verizon switched me to the international plan during our stay there).
Ranger
Great place to camp in Southern California. Beautiful beach!
ScoutGorgeous oceanview campground! Clean restrooms and showers. Nearby grocery store. Beautiful visit to California coast!
GuideOne of best beach campgrounds in California. Beach is right there next to camping. Restroom and shower are clean even though too many people there
Traveler
Fun beachside campground in Cardiff by the Sea, California. Not quiet or remote at all. Nice local market and lots of restaurants nearby. Great surf spot. I’ve dry camped here many times and have always enjoyed it. Dog friendly beach! *on leash
Guide
This park is great for all Southern California natives to get away for the weekend. Has clean facilities and the campgrounds have ample space between them. This area has a ton of beautiful landscape, during the fall/winter wonderful foliage appears. Leave no trace & enjoy our lands!
RangerIt's classic California beach camping. Spots are fairly close together, and it's more like a parking lot than a campground. That said, the beach is great, and the river mouth is great for surfing. Walk across the street for groceries, food, etc. The worst part is trying to get a spot secured.
Scout
Located in the San Bernardino National Forest, within the San Jacinto District, Marion Mt. Campground is one of the best camping sites in Southern California. Located in a beautiful mountain setting this site provides all the peace and tranquility a soul longs for.
Traveler
Hard to beat the scenery here. Camping cliff side along the beach in Southern California. The camp grounds are a little cramped. Seem more designed for RV’s and trailers but we don’t mind. You can take dogs here and hike down to the beach from trails 1&6. Bathrooms are clean. Only outdoor showers though. I’ll go again!
Guide
In the back of a small town 2 miles behind a stater brother's. Most sites are near level on gravel and close together. Laundry uses quarters or a third party app to pay. Geese send birds roam around sites. Menifee is central to the southern California mountains of north south and east in addition to the beaches 1-2hrs west.
Ranger
This is a great family campground right around the corner from Temecula, Murrietta, and Menifee. It has tent, partial, and full hookup sites along with a camp store, fishing, biking, bathrooms, and day use areas. The lake is beautiful and boating is also an option. The fishing costs an extra fee per day on top of your California State License, so it’s a bit pricy. There are also nice hiking trails near the campground.
RangerIf you’re headed to San Diego, be sure to stop and check out Carlsbad just off of the 5. this awesome beach town is quintessential Southern California beach awesomeness and it is absolutely gorgeous. Camp right off of the beach as well as have access to local shopping and restaurants. While you camp, you’ve got to check out Carlsbad cliffs for some stellar views. There are also loads of beach activities like whale watching, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and paddle boarding! My secret spot for the best fish and chips EVER is close by in Oceanside called “Harbor Fish n’ Chips.” Be sure to check this place out!
Ranger
we stayed here because we wanted to do the zipline and they offered a discount to campers. we walked up and got a spot, the campground was very loud and crowded. california is in a drought so the water was very shallow and we couldn't tube in it as planned. we were warned about thefts prior to going so we didnt bring anything of value other than our tents and I'm glad we didnt. we ended up leaving after the zipline adventure because it was just too loud to stay. if you are looking for a party, this is the place but if you want a peaceful adventure in nature, go somewhere else.
Ranger
We have stayed at San Onofre State Beach a couple times. The campground is on the bluffs, and nearby Old Man's beach has some of the best beginner's surfing waves in Southern California. The day use area gets crowded quickly during the summer, so be sure to arrive early. If you don't want to camp on the bluffs, consider heading a bit inland to San Mateo Campground, which connects to the beach via a 1 1/2 mile nature trail. It's a bit of a walk if you are carrying a lot of gear, but much quieter and more spacious.
ScoutSouth Carlsbad State Beach is extremely crowded (like many coastal campsites in Southern California), but has very easy access to your own space on the beach below the cliffs.
We scored a last minute site because the weather was cold and windy on a Saturday in February, otherwise BOOK IN ADVANCE.
There are lots of RVs, kids riding their bikes, and dogs galore, all of which are fun, but if you’re looking for a private site, look elsewhere!
Fire Pits and a picnic table at each campsite and plenty of area to park your car and set up a table/easy up/etc.
If you book on the West or Ocean side, only a chain link fence separates you from the beautiful sunsets the Pacific Ocean has to offer!
GuideThis was my first California camping experience. South Carlsbad State Beach makes camping easy. The beach is close by and the facilities are clean. It's been a few years since I've been, but I don't remember a lot of trees. It's very convenient and easy to camp with your family, especially if you enjoy the beach. A lot of people around us had campers. We were tent camping, so although it was easy to set up the ground was a little hard when putting in the tent stakes. We were there during the summer, so the day time can get a little hot. But when it gets hot, head to the beach to cool off! Aside from the hard ground and minimal trees, it's still a great place to camp and quite a popular one as well.
Traveler
This campground is well designed for tent and small rv camping. The particularly site I stayed at did not have a lot of level ground for tents. The sites are generally spaced far enough apart to give you a bit of privacy. The host was very attentive and regularly made rounds to sell firewood. The facilities are mainly pit toilets but during peak season there is a shower available somewhere though I didn’t use it. Loads of hiking right off the campgrounds. You can walk right out of the forest to a great view of anza borrego desert. This is one of the few campgrounds in California where you don’t really need to worry about bears, though you should be wary of mountain lions.
LegendOverall I’d rate this park a“meh.” It’s an okay location, across the highway and a short walk from a “beach” (more like a little beachy play area), though it’s also right up against the train tracks. Oceanside as a town is pretty cute, depending on which part you're in. You’re also a very close drive to Lego Land and not too far from San Diego and such. Since campgrounds in Southern California tend to be very, very expensive, this one falls about in the middle.
The spots were okay. Not too tight, but not cute. There's some fences and scrub-trees in-between the spots, so that helps a bit. There’s also a dog area, which is helpful. Bathrooms okay. Nothing special. Like I said, mostly a “meh.”
When we were there, there was also a bit of construction and such going on. In reading other reviews online it looks like there’s a new owner as of some time in 2019, so it may end up nicer in the future. But as it was, I’d try somewhere else first if you can find other options more to your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Valley Center, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Valley Center, CA is South Carlsbad State Beach Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 75 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Valley Center, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 54 glamping camping locations near Valley Center, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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