10 Best Family Camping Spots in Southern California

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Going camping with your family would be a great idea if you love adventure. In Southern California, you can go camping anytime as the weather is gorgeous while the winters are pretty mild. You can find fantastic family camping spots all over Southern California to suit your taste and budget.

Here are the 10 best family camping spots in Southern California:

Serrano Campground
McGill Campground
Moro Campground
Burnt Rancheria Campground
Campland on the Bay
Arroyo Campground
Ryan Campground
Lake Skinner Campground
Horse Flats Campground
Sycamore Canyon Campground

Let’s look at these 10 best family camping spots in Southern California.

1. Serrano Campground

Serrano Campground is one of the best family camping spots in Southern California. The campground is around the San Bernardino Mountains and on the upper side of the Big Bear Lake in Los Angeles.

Beautiful trees surround most of the sites giving you a calm and relaxed camping experience.

Serrano campground is quite large, and you can choose to camp in double or single sites.

No matter what camping site you choose, it has the necessary amenities, including:

Drinking water
Restrooms
Showers
Picnic tables
Dump station
Comfort station

You’ll also get many services at the Serrano campground to make your camping experience stress free. Some of the services there include:

Camp host
Fire rings
Firewood sales
RV hookups
Bear boxes
Camp host
Parking

Since the Serrano campground is near a mountain and a lake, you can have an adventure of a lifetime. Some of the popular activities with campers in this camping spot are:

Fishing
Mountain biking
Hiking

At Serrano campground, you can camp in a tent, RV, or trailer, as long as you make reservations in advance. You can reserve a space 24 hours or even six months in advance.

2. McGill Campground

McGill campground is a large camping spot around Frazier Park, Kern, in Southern California. The camping spot is inside the Los Padres National Park, and the mixed conifer forest makes the place beautiful and calm.

The spot is well maintained, clean, and has friendly staff making it ideal for your family.

There are about 74 single-family campsites scattered in this vast campground, which are all well-spaced, giving you all the privacy you need while camping in a tent, RV, or trailer. There are patrols by the Los Padres National Park staff, thus making this camping spot safe for you and your family.

McGill Campground has no running water, so you have to bring your own. Although this camping spot has no water, you get to enjoy other amenities such as:

Vault toilets
Picnic tables
Parking
Barbecue and fire ring
Grate
Fire pit
Dumpsters

You and your family can enjoy numerous activities in and around McGill Campground. Some activities you could try include:

Day hiking
Nature viewing
Winter sports
Horseback riding
Mountain biking
Picnicking
Interpretive site

Interestingly, this camping spot has some bears, so keep your food locked in the car or the bears might feast on it.

McGill Campground opens from May to November. If you’d like to camp in this camping spot, it’s good to note that some sites are on a first-come, first-served basis while others are on a reservation system.

3. Moro Campground

Moro Campground is located inside the Crystal Cove State Park in Los Angeles, Southern California.

This beautiful camping spot is next to Moro Creek and Moro Canyon. The camping experience here is fantastic as you can camp overlooking the ocean and watch beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

With 60 campsites, this campground is expansive. It has three sections with approximately 20 family camping sites each. So, when camping here, you get all the peace and privacy you crave. You’ll have a stress-free time while camping at Moro Campground as it has the amenities you and your family require.

Some of the amenities you’ll find here include:

Coin showers
Restrooms
Drinking water
Picnic tables
Parking

You can either put up a tent in this family camping spot or use an RV. If you’d like to camp at Moro Campground, you can book up to seven months upfront.

4. Burnt Rancheria Campground

Burnt Rancheria Campground is a family camping spot in Cleveland National Forest, Laguna Mountain Recreation Area, San Diego, Southern California. It’s on elevated grounds, giving you a breathtaking view of the Anza-Borrego desert.

The pines and an open oak grove in the campground make the place heavenly.

Burnt Rancheria Campground has about 109 camping sites, and you can choose to camp in tents, RVs, or camping trailers. The camping spot has no dump station or hookups for RVs, but other things make your camping experience enjoyable and comfortable.

Some of the other things available in this camping spot include:

Potable water
Restrooms with vault toilets
Coin-operated showers
Table
Picnic table
Campfire ring
Firepit
Firewood (available for purchase)
Parking

Interestingly, you can access a segment of the Pacific Crest Trail from Burnt Rancheria Campground, which is a national scenic trail running from Mexico to Canada. You can go day hiking and horseback riding on the accessible section of the Trail.

There are other fun activities that you can enjoy with your family, including:

Picnicking
Bird Watching
Biking
Interpretive trail hike
Birdwatching
Stargazing

Burnt Rancheria opens from March to November, but you may want to book your camping site in advance to avoid disappointment.

5. Campland on the Bay

Campland on the Bay is an urban camping spot in Mission Bay, San Diego, Southern California.

This camping spot sits on Mission Bay, so you’ll be able to experience legendary camping on the shores of Mission Bay. The camping spot is vibrant, family-friendly, and has a sense of community.

Each campsite at Campland On The Bay can accommodate two tents and two cars. When camping at Campland On The Bay, you can enjoy numerous modern facilities such as:

Modern restrooms
Hot showers
WiFi
Cable TV
Picnic tables
Firepit
Laundry
Dump stations

Campland on the Bay is a unique camping spot where you get to relax as the children play. The reason is that there are numerous bayfront activities for the whole family.

Some of the bayfront activities include:

Concerts
Volleyball
Swimming
Cantina
Skating
Horseshoes

At Campland On The Bay, there is a lively camping environment, and everyone has a good time. If you’d like to camp at this camping spot, you can reserve a place up to 2 years in advance.

6. Arroyo Campground

Arroyo Campground is inside O’Neill Regional Park, Trabuco Canyon, Orange County, Southern California.

The campground is near the park’s entrance, and oak and sycamore trees surround it, making it look like a woodland wonderland. It’s a calm and serene family camping spot near the road which is easy to access.

You’ll find about 80 individual campsites for tent or RV camping at Arroyo campground. The campsites are not far apart, making Arroyo Campground a safe camping spot. The superb facilities at the Arroyo campground make your camping experience even more enjoyable.

The facilities at this camping spot include:

Potable water
Flush toilets
Free hot showers
Dumping ground
Picnic tables
Ground stoves
Grills
Barbeques
Campfires

Apart from camping, you can use the Pawfoot Trail to explore the surrounding areas. The nearby activities you can enjoy with your family include:

Hiking
Biking
Wildlife watching
Horseback riding

Arroyo Campground is open throughout the year. However, it’s a popular camping spot, and it’s best to book a space in advance.

7. Ryan Campground

Ryan Campground is in Joshua Tree National Park, near Ryan Mountain, Riverside County, Southern California.

If you are an adventure lover, you’ll enjoy camping in this camping spot because it has a desert’s stark beauty. In addition, the area has incredible fauna and flora, including beautiful spring wildflowers.

Ryan Campground has more than 31 standard campsites, some of which are on the open ground while boulders shield others. The campsites in the open area are pretty windy, but this windy camping experience and the fact that there is no water in this camp give you a memorable desert camping experience.

Although you bring your water to Ryan Campground, you get some other facilities such as:

Vault toilets
Picnic tables
Fire grate
Vault toilets

While camping here, you can also indulge in exciting activities in the area, including:

Horseback riding
Rock climbing
Bouldering
Star-gazing
Mountain biking
Hiking
Bird watching

The main campground is open to the tent, RV, and bicycle campers throughout the year. It’s best to book a space in advance to avoid disappointments.

8. Lake Skinner Campground

Lake Skinner Campground is in Lake Skinner Recreation Area, Winchester, Riverside County, Southern California. The campground is extensive and can accommodate many families. It has over 250 campsites where you can hitch your tent or park your trailer or RV.

Since Lake Skinner Campground is extensive, you can enjoy peace and privacy. This camping spot also has facilities that make your stay enjoyable.

For instance, you can choose campsites with the following facilities:

Full hookups
Electric and water hookups
Water only hookups

In addition, this camping spot has the necessary amenities to make your life and your family’s life comfortable. Some of the amenities you find here include:

Piped water
Restrooms with flush toilets
Laundry room
Picnic tables
Fire rings
Dump station
Splash pad
Camp store

Apart from camping, you can enjoy numerous fun activities with your loved ones. Some of the activities you can enjoy while camping at Lake Skinner Campground include:

Fishing
Boating
Star-gazing
Splash Pad
Cycling
Play a game of horseshoes
Horseback riding
Hiking
Running

The campground lets you bring your dog along as long as you keep it on a leash. There’s also an amphitheater where you can watch movies or attend concerts.

You can camp at Lake Skinner Campground any time of the year as it’s open all year round.

9. Horse Flats Campground

Horse Flats Campground is a great family camping spot in Los Angeles County of Southern California. This camping spot is unique in that it sits in a wooded meadow at an elevation of about 5,000’ (1,524 m), which makes it a great place to escape to when you want to forget the smog-laced highways and the hustle and bustle of the city.

Horse Flats Campground is not large, as there are about 26 camping sites, but each site can accommodate approximately 8 guests camping in a tent and about 6 vehicles.

You can also camp in your RV or camping trailer.

If you plan to go camping at Horse Flats Campground, remember to carry lots of water as there is none. Although this camping spot has no water, it has other great amenities to make your camping experience enjoyable.

Below are some amenities you’ll find at Horse Flats campground:

Vault toilets
Campfires
Fire rings
Picnic tables

You and your family can also enjoy various activities around this camping spot. Some of the fun activities you can try are:

Hiking
Mountain biking
Star-gazing
Boating
Fishing
Wildlife watching
Horseback riding
Paddling
Climbing
Swimming

Horse Flats Campground is a great camping spot for your family because the campsites are well spaced and rarely crowded. You can go camping here from April to mid-November, although the dates may vary depending on the weather.

10. Sycamore Canyon Campground

Sycamore Canyon Campground is inside Point Mugu State Park, Malibu, Southern California. This camping spot is unique as it sits in a canyon and is within walking distance of the beach. The campsites have old, gigantic oak and sycamore trees surrounding them, which makes the area beautiful and peaceful.

The campground is medium-sized, and it has approximately 58 campsites to pitch your tent or park your RV or camping trailer. Each site can accommodate a maximum of 2 vehicles and 8 people.

This camping spot has modern amenities to make your camping experience awesome, including:

Drinking water
Paid hot showers
Flush toilets
Dump station
Grate
BBQ grills
Picnic tables
Fire ring
Campsite tables
Overflow parking

There are outdoor activities you and your family can participate in. Some of the activities you can participate in are:

Hiking along the beach
Mountain biking around Santa Monica Mountains
Horseback riding
Biking
Wildlife viewing
Picnicking
Water sports

You can camp at Sycamore Canyon Campground any time of the year as long as there’s an available campsite.