O'Neill Regional Park

Clean, quiet campground located in one of the OC Parks, with plenty of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use. I stayed here on a weekday, and there were a few couple of vacant campsites in my area, so it was an extremely quiet visit. Bathrooms were clean and well stocked for my stay. I didn’t use the showers since I was only staying one night, but I heard they were free!

Rangers were very friendly and firewood was only $5 for a decent bundle that lasted me over 2 hours.

The city of Rancho Santa Margarita is right up the hill, so you can grab food and any necessities if needed.

My site backed to the creek, so I never had people walking through my campsite.

My dog & I slept in my van, but there was room for multiple tents, and a decent amount of shade in my spot.

My spot didn’t have its own water spigot, but there was one at a site across from me.

I was fortunate that all of the campers around me were quiet and considerate. I know that it doesn’t always work out that way, and having obnoxious neighbors can really ruin your experience.

SITE: 

This site is great if you like hiking, biking, MTB, and running. It is very clean, and the showers are free and clean as well. It's tucked back in the canyon, but you will still hear all the traffic from the road. Since it is a canyon, many loud cars and motorcycles zoom past at high speeds. 

Free dump station.  

SURROUNDING AREA: 

There aren't too many shops in close proximity, but there are shops down the road a few minutes away if you need supplies. 

ACTIVITIES 

The campground is located next to Oneil Park, which is huge and great for bike and running. There are many hiking trails nearby in all directions. I usually ride to Caspers from the campsite or Trabruco creak up to Holy Jim.

My 3 dogs and I stay here often, as it's the lowest cost in Orange County and allows dogs. It has several restrooms, showers, equestrian areas, nature trails and picnicking for day use too.

Always clean and safe. Has showers that are free. Has a crowd in summer but really nice in Spring and Fall. You can camp year round and you cannot beat the price. County operated by Orange County and people here have been great. If you want to eat out, restaurants and stores are just miles away but the campsite makes you feel so far away. Come sample some of Orange County’s best.

We absolutely loved coming here for a little get away right outside of town. Sights were really nice a few bugs but what’s new. We really enjoyed our sight as well. Will definitely be coming back!

Had a great stay here, bathrooms are clean as well as the sights were nice and very spacious. Only drawback was the bugs but it wasn’t enough to change my opinion on this place. People were respectful who camp here as well as close to town.

I was nervous to stay here after reading some reviews but it’s not bad. Definitely some interesting characters “camping” but no one bothered us. It was a pretty clean camp ground but there were cigarette butts all over our site. There aren’t full hookups, so I don’t know why it says there are. Water is available at the sites along with a bbq and fire pit. There is an area for dumping your tanks by the front of the park. Heard coyotes at night. Didn’t have any noise issues and workers are nice.

Free showers and restrooms available. Tmobile and at&t service both were intermittently fair to good. Campsites are all mostly level. Dogs are not allowed on some of the trails. Each campsite has a table, fire ring and grill. They do allow car camping and there were more than a few car campers there. Seniors camp for $15/night. Generators are allowed and unfortunately the camper nearby ran theirs allllll day. They have equestrian camp sites and group sites as well. Water spigots are at every site or nearly every site. Trash bins are also plenty.

Don’t be afraid of coming here. Very cheap. Close from the beach and civilizations. Very well maintained. Big lots. Nice trails around.

I took my family here for a 5 night stay during the week from Sunday to Friday.

Although the park itself is clean and rangers are nice I did not feel safe with the amount of permanent campers and sketchy characters camping here. There were mostly beat up rv’s with beat up cars next to them and very few families tent camping.

The gates never closed so there were cars coming and going at all hours of the night. The first night we had neighbors right next to us show up at 10:30pm to setup camp. They were extremely loud and didn’t care who heard them. We gave them the benefit of the doubt for a good hour or more thinking once they got their tent up they would quiet down. That never happened. This couple continued being loud and even left in their car at midnight playing loud music to then come back and continue being loud once inside their tent. We could not sleep with their constant talking. At one point they left their campsite on foot and went right through ours. When they returned about an hour later they were laughing and doing who knows what in their tent. They continued their own party until 4:30am.

Although there is a host on site rangers seem to disappear and go home well before 10pm which is considered quiet time.

There was absolutely nothing we could do from our tent. There was no answer when calling so we lost a whole nights sleep.

Once the sun came up we decided to see what these neighbors looked like so we could kindly ask them to be quiet the next night as we were staying 3 more nights. They looked like the type of people who wouldn’t care and we did not want them to retaliate against us. We did talk to the ranger station but they didn’t seem to want to address the situation besides offering a different site for us. We had to tear down everything and move camps. After multiple loading trips we were at our new campsite. We were just happy to be away from those sketchy people.

The next nights we tried to make the best of it but I wasn’t fully comfortable and didn’t feel safe in this campground knowing anyone could just drive in whenever they wanted.

If you’re looking for a safe campground to take your family look at a campground that has a strict quiet policy and a closing time so there is no entry after 10pm.

My family and I came here for a quick end of year camping trip. We wanted something close to home, but able to get away. In this, the campground excels. It’s literally five minutes away from civilization, which we took advantage of on several occasions.

The campground is well maintained, the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. All of these are huge pros, and if that’s where the story ended I’d be giving this campground five stars.

However the biggest issue my family and I had was with our neighbors. From generators running all night (the staff refunded our night, and rangers spoke with the rv owner) to people coming and going all night. The park for some reason doesn’t have a closed gate policy, and that encourages people to come and go as they please all day and all night. On our first night we had a camper setup next to us at 1030pm, well after quiet time. They played music and stayed up until 4am. When I brought this to the staffs attention they offered to move us, which we accepted, but it was a huge inconvenience to have to tear down our camp and setup elsewhere due to our neighbors behavior.

The campground also had an air and culture of permanent campers, very few families, and very few tent campers. Most of the sites were full of old tore up cars, and old tore up rvs filled to the brim. We had a few moments where we joked we were on breaking bad. I understand that folks have to do everything they can to live their best life, and times aren’t always easy. That being said, if you’re camping during the week like we were, I’d expect to find the campground filled with folks that might not make your experience enjoyable, possibly even uncomfortable.

Been here quite a few times it's a great park, lots of hiking trails to explore, but beware if you have a diggo they are only allowed certain trails. But they have warm showers and full bathrooms which is very nice.

Good

Giant oval loop with camp sites all along both sides. Rv sites, tent sites and equestrian (horse) sites. Paved road is good for bike riding. Behind my Camp site was a few different hiking paths. Restroom buildings have water, toilets, and showers. It says to bring quarters for the showers but they were free. Each site is typical... Picnic bench, fire pit, and metal grill. No gathering fire wood, gotta buy it at local grocery or gas station. $20 a night. Lots of families with kids. Feels really safe here. Saw the park rangers driving around and the front has a gate guard who checks you in. Also only 10 minutes away from city.

Excellent and well maintained campground with nice bathrooms and showers. Lots of oak tree and shade.

Very well maintained campgrounds with quality facilities located throughout. $20 a night, they have water spigots shared between campsites (if you bring a “y” you can stay connected, otherwise fill tanks and disconnect). Self pump out (free) and good rubbish collection points throughout. Campsites are located on a relatively busy road, so you can hear road traffic but nothing that bothered us. Good cell reception, fire pits, charcoal bbqs, nice tree’s etc. I liked it here. Campsites seemed to be largely pull thru’s which is nice too. Neighbour are close but not too close.

A fairly large campground tucked into the foothills. The river runs behind the camp which is fun to explore. Facilities were nice, and the spots aren't too close together. It's just a few minutes into town if you forget anything.

I've been camping at O'Neal Park since I was 13. Now I'm 64...its nice and convenient for me, just 30 minute drive from Orange. Showers, water, hook up. Dry and sometimes wet riverbed...

If you're looking for primitive dispersed camping, this is probably not your spot.

If you're camping with kids, it doesn't get much better than this!  We stayed at campsite #58 which we felt was very large are private. Will definitely come back.

For our purposes:

• Dog Friendly: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Kid Friendly: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pros:

• Clean facilities, flushing toilets and hot showers, well maintained sites.
• Very affordable
• Friendly staff and atmosphere
• Recently paved streets (perfect for scootering, skating, biking)
• Great playground for children
• Easy and fun "Story Trail" hike for children.   The hike features a new book every month, each page is mounted to a placard along the trail.
• Nice creek for kids to explore
• Close to town if you need a quick drink, lunch, or shopping.

Cons:

• Traffic noise from nearby roads (not terrible, but reminds you that you're not fully engulfed in nature.
• No alcohol (not an issue for us, but may be an issue for some).
• No hammocks or anything hanging from trees.
• Dogs 100% must be on leash at all times.  If you're a dog owner, they do patrol the park frequently and your dog must be leashed.

ONeil is a great little park that’s tucked away among the urban sprawl of Orange County. Once in the park you feel like you’re far out in the wilderness. It makes for a great weekend great away. The park is well maintained and has 78 sites to choose from. There’s a general store nearby but its stock is limited. There’s also Trabuco Oaks Steakhouse across the street if you get tired of cooking. There are a number of trails in the park for hiking and mountain biking. Overall it’s a great park.

O'Neill Regional Park is amazing. Weekends fill up fast since it's a small drive from the hustle and bustle of Orange county life. It's a fun place to escape and feel a little more "wild..." The rangers and the attendants at the front gate are super nice and friendly. The campground is super clean and we'll maintained. Bathrooms and showers are clean and lots of hiking trails to choose from. After the holy jim fire you cant get up to the waterfall but there are other options around.

Like a lot of So. Cal. Campgrounds this one fills up on weekends but usually easy to camp at during the week. You can also hike through here by entering from nearby neighborhoods. Years ago this place was out in the boonies but now urban sprawl is surrounding it. We are OC natives camping here in our new RV getting used to our rig before we get to where we really want to go which is in the middle of nature. The campground is fairly quiet and primitive except for the showers which can vary from good to phenomenal. Most sites have a picnic table and fire ring and/or bbq. The ground is mostly like rock hard and it’s common to see bent spikes left behind so please be prepared if putting up a tent or canopy. Also water sources are few and far between. Basically dry camping only but there are sites with water.

Great for a quick little weekend getaway. Especially for those who are less experienced campers! Restaurant and general store in walking distance.

This campground is easy to get to for local Orange County residents. It’s clean, nice sites and has clean facilities. Not all sites are shady but many are. It can be pretty hot in the summer.

camped here as a kid, before the houses were in view .. so I’m biased. not a favorite now, due to the pure nature views disrupted

The campground is beautiful, the drive can be a bit weird since it is all commercial and residential. there is literally a Starbucks 3 minutes from camp. the sites are wonderful and many hiking areas.

If you live in LA and you're looking for a close place to get away for the weekend, O'Neill Campground is perfect. It's close to civilization so you'll have easy access to lots of shops and markets, but you still can enjoy the great outdoors. This campsite is definitely more family-oriented so you'll see lots of youth groups at the group sites. Campsites are large and spacious, but you're quite close to your neighbors -- don't expect much privacy. Each campsite has a paved driveway, fire pit, grill, and a picnic table. The showers and restrooms here are pretty incredible. Great water pressure and FREE hot showers. If you like hiking, this place will be great for you. Depending on how much of a work out you want to get in, you can choose your trail and length of your hike. Along the hike, you can get great views on the peaks as well as enjoy all the beautiful cactus along the path.

This place is very family oriented so you'll see lots of children and youth groups here. They have fantastic group camp sites that can accommodate groups of 50+. 

Note: No alcohol allowed on the park grounds.

This is a nice little campground tucked away amidst the hustle and bustle of South Orange County. The great thing about this park is that it is easy access to shopping, freeways, amenities while feeling secluded in the oaks and dry creek beds. So, perfect for families that want a fun camping experience for the kids. Great hiking trails through Holy Jim Canyon and up the monastery trail right from the park. This park fills up and so you need to make reservations for the better shaded sites at least a month in advance.