Searching for the best camping near Ventura, CA? Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Ventura campgrounds just for you. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Ventura. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$15 - $40 / night
"We departed at around 9 am and arrived at around 10:30. We had to check in by 8 in the parking lot at Ventura bay."
"This place had been on my bucket-list of camping forever and it takes a decent amount of planning because not only can you only access the campground by private boat, once there you have to walk in about"
$150 / night
"We do a family style tent camping. 15-40 ppl. Young kids to elderly adults. Everyone always loves it!"
$15 / night
"There is NO shade on the island, and if it's windy like it was for us (30 knots), sand will get everywhere. However, the campground and island facilities are pretty well-maintained."
"I highly recommend hiking the short distance to inspiration point at sunset, the views are breathtaking."
$225 / night
"The one downside is how exposed the campground is, there is no shade. Bring a sun canopy if you can. A nice day hike trailhead is right at the campground."
$35 / night
"We arrived in the middle of the night: easy parking short walk and easy access to the campground. The view is fantastic, the site is very close to the highest point of Santa Monica mountains"
$30 - $34 / night
"Way up near the Reyes Peak Trailhead, 6 sites right on the ridge. Vault toilet. Picnic tables. No water. The first 4 sites are wooded and near the toilets. Site #1 could fit a group."
"Love the proximity to Santa Barbra. And a fun place to check out with amazing views of the islands. We went and just snagged a first come first serve spot and it worked out."
$30 - $34 / night
"Primitive vault toilet. No water. Site 6 is closest to the toilet - only one I'd avoid. Sites 1 & 5 were nice."
$5 / night
"Spots have picnic and fire pits available, with clean newly updated bathrooms near by. Lots of big boulders and trees on the landscape, providing ample shade and beautiful full trees in the summer."
"*** this review refers to the Oak Flat campground along the Sespe trail and is accessible by backpackers only, 7 miles from Piedra Blaca parking lot***."
RangerMy husband and I are using our senior park pass to it’s fullest advantage. On our most recent trip, we decided to try Channel Islands and we were thrilled. First thing to know is that this trip requires some planning and flexibility. You must book your boat ride and camp site in advance and then check the day before to make sure weather permits the boat ride. Island packers provides the boat ride for both campers and day trips. We camped two nights. We departed at around 9 am and arrived at around 10:30. We had to check in by 8 in the parking lot at Ventura bay. You must not have water in your back pack, the propane must be out in a separate bin, and you are allowed only 60 lbs of “stuff” each. We took our Mountain House meals along with our jet boil, a few fruits, and a couple of sandwiches; our tent, sleeping bags, a Wenzel air mattress and were set. You take your stuff to the boat to load. On the day of our travel winds were gusting so severely that they cancelled the day trips, and it was rough! Lots of people got sick on the ride over. Upon arriving on the island, you form a bucket brigade to unload all the luggage/stuff, then a park ranger gives a brief overview of rules, mainly pack out all trash, no trash can be left on the island and to use the “Fox boxes” for all food stuff as the island foxes and ravens WILL take your stuff. You then take a short hike with all your stuff to your campsite - it’s about 1/4 mile or more, depending on your site. Each campground has multiple spigots on potable water, so no need to bring water with you. There are plenty of very clean vault toilets that are always filled with supplies including hand sanitizer. The hikes are spectacular and the trails are well maintained. Note, the hikes are challenging, when they say strenuous, they mean it! The park rangers are very helpful and accessible. The last day of our trip, we packed up our site and moved our stuff to a staging area so the next group could set up their tent. We watched the kayakers and snorkeling groups. The weather was very calm. The boat ride back was amazing, we saw schools of dolphins, the captain estimated over 2000 dolphins. He stopped so we could get lots of pictures. Note, there is no store on the island, we did have spotty cell coverage with AT&T.
GuideAt 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.
GuidePark 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
LegendThis place had been on my bucket-list of camping forever and it takes a decent amount of planning because not only can you only access the campground by private boat, once there you have to walk in about a 1/2 mile with all your stuff. It's totally worth it however. Incredible views, perfect weather (in April!), amazing flowers and so much to see and do.
The campsite itself is "basic" in that it has a vault toilet, water, and "fox boxes" (like the bear boxes in other campgrounds) to keep all the cute but quick and greedy foxes away from your food. There's also picnic tables, but other than that make sure you bring everything you need since there's no way to pop into a local store to grab something you might have forgotten. No camp fires are allowed and all garbage must be packed out (but can be stored in the fox boxes until you're ready to leave).
At only $15/night, the camp sites are a steal, though the boat trips will add on about $80 per person round-trip (slightly less for kids). 8am is the earliest boat ride and 4:30 is the last (via Island Packers).
Summary/Tips: Do it! Especially if you love hiking, this is an amazing place. Try to get your gear down to one well-planned backpack (or perhaps one of those foldy wagons as another reviewer recommended) so you only have to take one trip to the campsite, though you can always take more trips if needed.
ScoutHiked from Scorpion Harbor cross-island to Del Norte Camp, great way to see the island. Camped at site 1, had the most wind but also the best views of the ocean. Food storage locker provided to protect food from sneaky foxes. No water anywhere near the campsite. About 4 miles from Prisoners Harbor ferry landing. Shared the campground with one other group. Only 4 campsites total. Great place to camp for solitude.
GuideIt’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.
LegendThis place is magnificent, and also chaotic. Its strength is its location. Every campsite is a few steps from the beach, made picturesque by a line of palm trees. There is little shrubbery to give campers privacy, but this is as it should be. Shrubs would only block the view.
Amenities are good. Bathrooms are single occupancy and fairly clean and modern. The one I used had a high-flow faucet that delivered hot and cold water without needing to be held down or pressed repeatedly. Many dishwashing stations are also available.
There was, as I said, some chaos: children riding scooters, children riding bicycles, children driving a Barbie jeep, children running and hollering and being rambunctious. There is also a railroad track just east of the campground. Multiple Amtrak and freight trains passed during my stay. Lastly, the wind picked up in the evening and forced me to stake down my tent more securely. All told, it was a noisy stay, but the beach made it worthwhile.
Final note: the water here, while potable, does not taste very good. Recommend bringing a good supply of drinking water.
GuideI can't emphasize enough how much I love camping here. We came here for about 5 days a few years ago, and had a great time. The campground has ample shade, provides benches, food storage lockers (definitely use them, the island foxes are adorable, but ruthless when it comes to stealing your food), and pit toilets. Choose a site a good distance away from the pit toilets if you have a choice. This should go without saying, but this campground is on an island, so you need to take a boat to get here (Island Packers out of Ventura). Word of wisdom--pack wisely when you go, as the campground is maybe a half a mile to a mile from the boat landing. If you have a ton of loose items and a ton of bags, expect to make many trips back and forth. When we went, we took our kayaks to get the most out of our week on the island. You can also rent kayaks (I THINK you have to make reservations ahead of time), and the kayaks are already on the beach waiting for you. We took our own, however, so we could tour on our own. I believe when you rent you have to go with a guide. We had to make a reservation for our kayaks, for an added fee, but they help load them and paddle them for you to the beach. We stored our kayaks on the beach during our time there, but brought a chain lock to lock them together to prevent anyone from taking them on joy paddle. There are also a great number of different hiking trails that leave from the campground that can keep you busy. Another note for the campground, the time we were there was EXTREMELY windy. The way the campground is situated, it is in a narrow valley that acts as a wind tunnel when it is windy out. Many of our neighbors did not do a good job of staking down their tents and some of them nearly blew away. If you are looking to really get away from it all, this is probably for you.
TravelerBeautiful location. Close to town. Walkable, hike-able, bike-able, rideable via paths. No dogs on beach. There is a dog beach further up the coast. Sites are pretty tight. Lots of families and tent camping. Need token from kiosk for showers. Train comes by every once in a while. I stayed in Santa Cruz in my 25’ motorhome with no hook ups. Had my own picnic table and fire ring. May stay again only because of the nice walkable paths. Watch where you step near the tar pits.
Ventura, California, offers a variety of tent camping experiences surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Whether you're looking for solitude or family-friendly activities, there's a spot for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ventura, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ventura, CA is Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground — Channel Islands National Park with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Ventura, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 41 tent camping locations near Ventura, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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