Looking for the best campgrounds near Valley Center, CA? Valley Center is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Search nearby campsites and find top-rated spots from other campers.
$50 - $650 / night
"South Carlsbad is another Cali jem set up on a bluff overlooking the pacific. It is long and thin so it has a nice thinly populated feel. All bathrooms are clean."
"The breeze kept the bugs and beach heat at bay. Bathrooms were fairly clean and non-pottable water spickets also available for rinsing after the beach visit."
$39 - $50 / night
"Make sure you bring a shower caddy and some water proof laundry bags because there aren't many wall hooks to hang your towels or clothes.
- **Flushable toilets with drum roll SEAT COVERS!!"
"They clean the fire pits out etc. Some of the 40 series sites are very secluded and have excellent lake views."
$24 - $100 / night
"Pets welcome. Fire pits and picnic tables at each site. Tent camping available as well."
"The missus and I decided to do a midweek overnight escape and chose Dos Picos Park due to its close proximity.
Great little campground with partial (electricity & water) hookups."
$40 - $120 / night
"You can camp next to it as well and get in! It’s $35 per car they do have military discount. The total of $32 with discount. They also have porta potties every few 500 feet."
"Friendly staff, beautiful beautiful location, magical in many ways.
Sometimes the bathrooms we're a bit messy but never anything that was over the top they wee also very busy that weekend."
$40 - $130 / night
"Also, you walk down a few stone steps to pitch your tent, so your car parked a level about you on the street provides nice privacy."
"I stumbled across this campground while looking for a nearby spot to set my tent up under some trees."
"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!!"
"My family owns a 1987 VW Vanagon Westfalia since 2020 and use The Dyrt to find hidden gems near our home for weekend camping."
$15 / night
"No matter if you have good camp neighbors but if your camp neighbors starts setting up a portable chainlink fence for a cadre of dogs they are training...There are some more segregated sites near the back"
"They all have a fire pit and picnic table. I stayed at site 6. Very spacious, private and off the road. Stayed Tuesday-Thursday and we were the only campers in the entire campground."
$50 - $520 / night
"If you wanna go on a surfside southern california adventure and keep it fun and cheap then this place is great."
"Some sites are: big, medium and small; right next to each and a little distance; and beach side or inland."
$30 - $50 / night
"Bathrooms a pool and a game room. Plus there are many trails to walk. Light fishing and a mini mart as well. It is fun"
"We stayed here next to the lake for a few days and just loved it."
$24 - $34 / night
"Table and fire pit at each site.
Hiking available walking distance from camp, trails leading out of camp. Family friendly environment."
"The drive up was amazing. They had plenty of water to wash and drink with a lot of bathrooms as well.
You can walk trails, stargaze, take your bikes around and so much more!"
TravelerSouth Carlsbad is another Cali jem set up on a bluff overlooking the pacific. It is long and thin so it has a nice thinly populated feel. All bathrooms are clean. I was here during week of 4/20/15 and it was as nice as always. Like San Elijo it has a private feel at your site with the mature growh btw each site. You are along the rr tracks but that's a small price to access the sick beach and the incredible view. There is a nice hilton with a pool across the street. In. Are your kiddies need some creature comforts(I didn't say pool 'hopping' just using facilities as a client of the restaurant...), or daddy wants a bottle of red and a crisp flatbread without driving anywhere. There are nice a frames north and south, plenty of waves for all.
GuideI stayed here three weeks in February. I stayed up top and site 91 was great! I would stay here again and request that site.
Cons:
Pros:
LegendWe 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.
GuideLake Jennings Campground is a great campsite tucked away in Lakeside, CA. There are a good amount of campsites, and plenty with great views of the lake (“Preferred View” sites). We stayed in site 91 for 4 nights from Monday to Thursday night while the campground was pretty empty. I imagine it would be a little louder when it’s at full capacity, but we had no noise issues from fellow campers. However, there was plenty of random noise from the military helicopters that randomly flew overhead. It wasn’t disruptive, just unexpected. This campground is not secluded by any means, so the air traffic shouldn’t be a surprise. Honestly, it’s hard to go anywhere in San Diego County without air traffic interruptions.
We chose Site 91 because it was at the top of a moderate hill at the end of the road, in an attempt to experience reduced traffic from other campers. The site was a Preferred View site and it did not disappoint! Views of the lake at sunrise and sunset were amazing and made for the perfect vista from our RV bed. An added benefit of the Preferred View sites is the privacy since no one is camped behind you. Our particular site even had useful shrubbery on each side to create a quasi sense of privacy between sites. Each site has a nice little fire pit and picnic table, and there was plenty of room for a second vehicle in addition to our van.
There are plenty of restroom facilities sprinkled throughout so nothing is inconvenient. The restrooms are individual bathrooms with showers that are hot and NOT coin operated, so enjoy a full hair washing session if there’s not a line. The only caution: pincher bugs. Just brush them off and go about your business. But like everything, check the toilet seat and your clothes before proceeding.
Finally, internet service was great for Verizon. We got 23 Mbps with 3 bars of 4G LTE unboosted, and 69 (!!!) Mbps with 5 bars using a simple MIMO antenna. We live and work in our RV (20’ Class B) full time, so this was crucial. The staff was also great. They were regularly driving by, cleaning or maintaining the grounds. In the end, we will definitely camp here again.
RangerLots going on here but felt peaceful midweek in Jan. 3 spring-fed pools, hot showers quarter operated, clean flush toilet bathrooms, water, hiking trails and ample roads to walk the dog on. Mountain lion country - be alert. Friendly rangers. Clean facilities and well-kept grounds. Horseshoe pits and large group picnic areas. Cute cabins for rent - no pets allowed in those. Will definitely visit again. Many of the tent sites are close together - if the campground was full you’d have little privacy but it’s a large place and there were hardly any tent campers when I was there, though more RVs and vans in the hookup section. Tent site 106 is very private. I liked 109 it was in a kind of bird thicket with privacy from the road etc.
TravelerJust out of the town of San Juan Capistrano, one might think that it is too city like. Once you get into the park however, you feel like you are in a remote woods with the city far behind you. The electric hook up camp area to me unfortunately it’s too close to State Route 74 however I have never stayed there so I do not know what the noise is like. It is a nice area though and much better than camping in a trailer park that is filled with concrete. Live Oak is where my husband and I stay and I am not going to tell you the space because it is the most perfect of all. There is plenty of space between most of the campsites. It is quiet And very scenic. Upon arrival they were fliers and signs that warned us to be careful because they were mountain lions in the area. We have stayed there at least a dozen times and have never seen a mountain lion. There are also rattlesnakes and although we have never seen one, a friend who was visiting us so saw one on the road on their way to our site. We have truly enjoyed this campsite and campground. I have an area where they display the history of the area and the animals in the area. Very beautiful view as well up on the hill. Although we have never gone hiking, I hear there are many many trails that are very beautiful. I am disabled but the sides and the showers and bathrooms are very friendly to those who are disabled. This is one of my favorite campground and you don’t need to get on a year in advance to get a reservation! We did have a coyote one night in our campsite in our kitchen area, while we were sitting around the fire. Once we shooed him away, he ran off. Probably why no pets!
GuideThis campground is one of my favorites. My practical side enjoys the clean bathrooms with hot showers and proximity to markets for refills on ice and beer. My adventurous side enjoys the hikes, coyotes singing and clear skies to observe the night sky. This campground has been enjoyable every time I’ve gone. I’ve been to many campgrounds where neighbors keep you up late, but something about this location demands quiet enjoyment. Don’t get me wrong, my friends and I stay up laughing around the campfire well after sunset but everyone seems to respect the quiet hours. The sites are spacious, each with a shade ramada, grill and fire-ring. The visitors center is a must see and there are numerous hiking trails near the campground. As beautiful as the wildflowers are during a super bloom, the crowds are super distracting. March is the best time of year to go, if there is a super bloom you’ll enjoy that, if not, you’ll enjoy the solitude.
ScoutVisited 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)
ScoutStayed in site #73 this past weekend. I wouldn't recommend that spot. It is too close to #74. They are both large spots but the actually fire pits are too close to eachother. Luckily there was a nice family staying next to us so we hardly noticed them. Had they been too loud it could have ruined the trip. Also this spot had very little shade in the afternoon when the sun was the hottest.
The bathrooms were shut down for maintenance in that loop so they offered portable toilets which got full quick. The hand washing station ran out of water the second day and was never refilled so you had to go back to your site to wash your hands. The running water coming from the spigot was orange and frothy and had a sign saying not to use it for drinking.
The hiking trail that was near by was the best part. Tons of wildflowers everywhere and beautiful views.
I probably won't come back to this campground next time I got camping. There are campgrounds closer to San Diego that are have bigger sites.
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 4.4-star rating from 77 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Valley Center, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 55 glamping camping locations near Valley Center, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
