164 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
The Santa Monica Mountains surrounding Westlake Village, California feature diverse camping options within a 30-minute drive, ranging from beachfront sites to canyon retreats. Leo Carrillo State Park Campground in Malibu offers shaded canyon camping with beach access approximately 10 minutes away on foot. Malibu Creek State Park in nearby Calabasas provides year-round camping with hiking trails and natural swimming holes. Point Mugu State Park's Sycamore Canyon and Thornhill Broome Beach campgrounds offer both mountain and oceanfront experiences. Most sites accommodate both tent and RV camping, with varying levels of hookups and amenities.
Reservations are essential for most campgrounds in the region, particularly during summer weekends when sites fill months in advance. California fire restrictions frequently impact camping, with seasonal bans on open flames common during dry periods. As one camper noted at Leo Carrillo: "The campground is tucked away in a beautiful canyon setting with lots of shade trees, which was really nice for keeping cool." Many campgrounds feature coin-operated showers, picnic tables, and fire rings when permitted. Cell service varies significantly, with canyon locations like Leo Carrillo having limited reception while beach areas typically offer better connectivity. Traffic noise affects some locations, particularly those near Pacific Coast Highway or Highway 101.
Beach access represents a major draw for many campgrounds in the area, with tide pools and marine wildlife viewing opportunities. Campers consistently mention the juxtaposition of mountain and ocean environments as a highlight. "You get access to a private beach with gorgeous California hill views of PCH behind you," reported one visitor to Leo Carrillo. Noise considerations include weekend crowds, passing trains at some coastal sites, and highway sounds. Malibu Beach RV Park receives praise for ocean views despite its proximity to the highway, with one camper noting: "Once night falls all you can hear is the sound of waves crashing on the shore." Wildlife sightings include birds, coyotes, and occasional marine mammals along the coast, though proper food storage is advised as small animals may visit campsites.
"It was a quick drive up the coast and onto this hidden gem. You get access to a private beach with gorgeous California hill views of PCH behind you. Perfect place for families or even RVs."
"Nice big spots, close to the beach. Very quite. Needs to reserve at California State parks website. Dump station and water fill up on your way out not on the campsite, but thats no issue for us."
from $45 - $60 / 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"Fantastic body surfing, some good surf waves up the highway a bit. There is a backpacking access site as well up the canyon about 3 miles."
"If you love Fall and trees and the California golden sun... this place is the place to be! It has it all in one."
from $45 / night
Check Availability"Not crowded and a place you can rarely camp beachfront in souther California. I have to note the bathrooms are absolutely terrible."
"Not that close to the bathroom. Has a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Every site is pretty much the same other than if you’re close to the bathroom or not."
from $35 / night
Check Availability"If you’re looking for a campsite off the beaten path with gorgeous views and some unique exploring nearby, this is it. I stayed here in a 22 foot RV at one of the hookup sites."
"Incredible drive through vineyards, citrus tree farms just to get to the Salton Sea. Such a cool place to stay and see. Nice, paved short trail to the beach."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"This is a very nice campground near everything but still away from it all. No issues parking our 42' 5th wheel here. Clean and quiet despite the peacocks. They can be rather loud when startled."
"This campground happens to be very close to home so we went here to try out our brand new pull behind camper trailer for the very first time.
The campground is small, quiet and very well-kept."
"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 tent sites are very basic and very close together, but the surroundings are worth it!"
"This is a wonderful campground right next to the beach however it is only available to the military and their families."
"Also multiple hiking trails right from the grounds, and some playgrounds and basketball courts. Feels very family friendly. First come first serve spots and you make reservations online."
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 a great spot near the river. The restrooms were clean and the hookups were great. The camp host was friendly and there were several people at the camp, but it was very quiet. We will be back.
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.
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.
TravelerThis is such a cute and non expensive spot. They allow RV's and Tent camping. It's a dry camp so no hook ups or showers. Fun hiking trails and animal friendly, with a river across from the camp ground.Each spot has a table and fire pit. Playground has only two swings and a 4 horse shoe pits. Only con is the highway is right by so you hear alot of the traffic during the day and a little through out the night. Over all we've loved it and the camp host is very friendly and keeps the property looking beautiful.
ScoutWe have camped at Carp for 30 years - brought our grandchildren this year - felt unsafe for the first time - and rangers blew us off causing us to have to camp next to an illegal homeless camper with a pitbull next to our 2 year old and 6 mth old - he screamed at all hours at his dog on a 20 ft leash - I heard say on his phone that his dog has mange - he was allowed to camp illegally in bicycle only camp site and next to the visitor center- without a tent and his worldly possessions spread out everywhere - when I complained ranger said he was sweet - I know bicycle campers rode by when they saw him in their site, pitbull and tarps and stuff spread all over site - I know others did not go to visitor center because of him - ranger told me he and his dog are “sweet” - we found him to be an intimidating freeloader - we left early
TravelerAnacapa loop is a good spot for tent camping. Trailers work, too. On busy summer weekends, the campgrounds can be loud because its so much fun. A lot of people come from inland where its hot. This loop has space, though. You will have enough room for 2-3 tents. It is easy walking distance to a playground, a big field, the beach, the little town. It will be super fun with bikes for the kids, beach toys, all day at the beach, or letting older kids do their own thing given the small town!
TravelerCarpinteria is a cute town with a great campground. To enjoy camping there, you do need to pick the right loop, right spot, or bring the right equipment. The loops vary. The good news is that even if you have a bad spot, you are easy walking distance to fantastic beaches and tide pools and a cute town. If you bring bikes, you can bike to everything and really explore. It's perfect for kids on bikes, as well. They go around the loop, or loop to loop with a bridge, or if older, they can go on the short trails or go into town on their own! It's really a great place, just plan on camping off-season or setting up alerts to grab canceled spots last minute.
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.
Westlake Village camping options span from mountain sites to beach locations with terrain ranging from rocky coastal bluffs to inland valleys at elevations between 400-1,500 feet. The Mediterranean climate provides mild year-round camping conditions with coastal areas typically 10-15°F cooler than inland sites during summer. Fire restrictions typically limit campfires to established fire rings during non-red flag conditions.
Hiking nearby trails: At Malibu Creek State Park Campground, access multiple trails directly from your campsite. "We stayed in site 59 which had a really nice shade tree and great views of a meadow and the cliffs out the back of the site," notes a camper. The park features former movie set locations along easily accessible fire roads with trail offshoots to lakes and pools.
Explore tide pools: The beaches near Thornhill Broome Beach offer excellent tide pool exploration. "The views from the beach are amazing! There are rocks to the left and right that are fun to explore," explains one visitor. Morning low tides typically provide the best viewing conditions for hermit crabs and sea anemones.
Wildlife observation: Multiple campgrounds offer wildlife viewing opportunities. "During a holiday weekend the trails were fairly busy with day-use hikers, but even then, it was easy to get away and be on trails alone if you wanted," reports one Malibu Creek camper. "On a hike right out of the park a few hundred yards, I came across a pair of bobcats—mom and cub—making their way to a running creek."
Proximity to amenities: Tapo Canyon Park provides camping with civilization nearby. "Go here to relax and disconnect! Large grassy area for picnicking etc. Small park area for the children. And a really amazing looking archery zone that the public can use on Saturdays for a mere $5," writes one camper. The park combines nature access with family-friendly facilities.
Flexible setup options: Many campgrounds accommodate various camping styles. At Musch Trail Camp, backpackers enjoy accessible wilderness camping. "Musch Camp is an easy one mile hike from the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot in Topanga State Park... The cost is $7 per person per night. You can pay at the Entrance Station at the Trippet Ranch Parking Lot or the Iron Ranger at the camp," explains a visitor.
Natural sound environment: Despite highway proximity, several beach campgrounds offer pleasing acoustics. At Thornhill Broome, "next to the highway but all you can mostly hear are crashing waves. Very chill," writes one camper. Another notes, "The sound of the surf lulled us to sleep and we woke up to dolphins playing a few yards from shore."
Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds fill quickly, especially during weekends and summer. "We noticed they had one random night available on a Monday. There were at least 3 other empty sites. I don't know why people don't cancel their reservation if they're not going to come. There are very few sites here," explains a Thornhill Broome camper.
Vehicle access limitations: Some campgrounds have specific entry/exit restrictions. At Point Mugu State Park, "be aware of the limited hours for entering with a vehicle (8am-10pm)." For Thornhill Broome: "They lock the gates for vehicles entering at night and if you leave you can not get back in until they re-open next day!"
Ground conditions: Surface types vary significantly between campgrounds. At Tapo Canyon Park, "for actual tent camping, you will be in either decomposed granite or concrete... I have camped here in a tent and there is no way to drive a stake into the ground." Rocky beach areas may require equipment adaptations: "You setup your tent right on the beach (there are plenty of large rounded rocks to use in place of steaks)."
Playground access: Several area campgrounds offer playground facilities. At Tapo Canyon Park, "there is a playground and large covered picnic area. First come first serve camping, decent sized spots with shade, fire pits, and water." Another visitor mentions the "wonderful playground" as a key amenity for families with children.
Beach-focused activities: For families seeking water activities, Malibu Beach RV Park offers convenient beach access. "Perfect weekend getaway for the family! Loved the store and how close to the beach this place was," writes one camper. The park sits on bluffs overlooking the Pacific with a "park to lounge or play games on the cliffs edge."
Bathroom facilities: Family campers often prioritize clean restroom access. At Musch Trail Camp, campers find "bathrooms with flush toilets and sinks as well as a water spigot." One visitor notes: "Did not expect the bathrooms to be very clean. They have running water to flush the toilets, and to wash your hands."
Space considerations: RV sites vary significantly in size and accessibility. At Tapo Canyon Park, sites are "designed for RVs. The sites are fairly large and well spread out for an RV lot." However, at Malibu Creek State Park, one RVer notes it's "best for tents, tight for RVs."
Hookup availability: RVers should research hookup options before booking. At Malibu Creek, there's "no hookups so this is boondocking at its best." Meanwhile, Tapo Canyon offers "full hook ups. 15, 30, 50 amp electrical, water, sewer, but no phone or internet." Many RVers report the trade-off between amenities and natural settings: "Great spot for beach day use."
Parking assistance: Some RV parks provide unique parking support. At Hollywood RV Park, "the spaces are so close together that they use a cart to park you," and "Steve the owner is amazing and the team will take your rig on a forklift to your site and fully set you up."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Westlake Village, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Westlake Village, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 164 campgrounds and RV parks near Westlake Village, CA and 7 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Westlake Village, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Westlake Village, CA is Canyon Campground — Leo Carrillo State Park Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 56 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Westlake Village, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 7 free dispersed camping spots near Westlake Village, CA.
What parks are near Westlake Village, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 9 parks near Westlake Village, CA that allow camping, notably Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Angeles National Forest.
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