San Mateo Campground

A lovely campground! We really enjoyed our four-night stay here, and already look forward to coming back. We got a spot that backed into the brush, and it felt so secluded and private even with neighbors on both sides and in front of us. The bathrooms were impressively clean and well kept. Although, just an FYI that there's no soap or towels/dryers for handwashing and drying. We did not use the showers, which run on tokens purchased by the bathrooms, so if you need to use their showers be sure to bring small bills (1s and 5s) to feed the machine.

It's worth noting that we had no cell phone service while we were here. We were on vacation and didn't care, but if anyone is looking to work remotely off their cell phone's hotspot or is anxiously awaiting an important phone call, then this isn't the spot for you. We were able to get service using our travel hotspot device, but without it, we only sporadically received messages.

The walk to the beach is about 1.5 miles, and was a decent little hike with some pretty steep incline and declines. I mention this because it might be difficult for someone with mobility restrictions. The trail is wide making it great for bikes, too.

The beach is absolutely beautiful, and we loved the town of San Clemente. It has so many cute shops and excellent food! We can't wait to spend more time here.

Love this campground for the location and awesome sites. Great walking path to Trestles Beach, takes approx 20 to 30 min by foot. Many people bike. Good showers and clean bathrooms. Camp is well run with lots of surfers and families. Cool in the evening and warm in the afternoon. Fire rings and picnic table at sites. Many sites have great privacy with thick plants between.

Peaceful and quiet campground. I love the space you get between your neighbors and the smart layout of the place. The trail to Trestles beach is a nice walk of 1.5 miles. The trails are scenic and my dog loved walking each day.

-update 6/28- Back again at the place I love. Each time I come up here, I enjoy it so much. I just found out you can use your camping pass to go to the other state parks for free during your stay. We drove to San Clemente State Park for the day and walked down to the sand.

-update 10/7- your camping pass is also good for parking at Calafia Beach for the day.

-update 6/27- still my go-to spot. Mid week spots are open even during summer. I got my spot just one week out. For beach camping, you have to be 6 months out and only if you're lucky.

-update 9/24- Super peaceful and quiet. They even called me when I was walking to tell me water was spilling out of my trailer. Plus they turned the water off as well.

My family went camping for the first time and this campsite was perfect. It was close enough to other people so I didn't feel too nervous but far enough for privacy. There are bushes and trees in between each camp site to really give you your own space. It has hot showers and bathrooms and sinks to wash dishes and brush your teeth. The gates close at 10 so make sure you have everything you need. There is a trail to the beach but we chose to drive. Overall an amazing first time camping.

Great little campground with free water for RV's and a dump for $10. Staff was friendly too.

Camping here on a Wednesday was awesome. Camped during the weekend before and there is way more people. Took the trail to the beach which was a very nice stroll . 1st time in 10 years you'll see the river that passes San Mateo connect to the ocean. We walked to the point where the river touches the ocean and it was beautiful to see 🥰

We love this place! And have a site that we keep returning to. RVs and tents welcome with partial hook ups (water & electric) and dry camp sites. But they do have a dump station ($10 fee). They have restrooms and some have showers (coin operated). It is a family friendly location, even for your fur babies. Although I think all the bunnies and squirrels were more than happy to see us leave with our dogs.

Very nice campground, although is nearby the freeway is not as loud as you would think in fact it is quiet and comfy, there is a store near by less than 2 miles drive for all you needs.

Absolutely loved this campground. Rabbits, hazelnut trees, and birds are everywhere and they are beautiful. We never took the trail to the beach but drove instead, my kiddos don't like walking far and it appeared far from the valley but in my opinion it would have been better than driving. We tried San Clemente State Beach and San Onofre State Beach. San Clemente require a hike from the parking lot to get to the shore. The hike is steep, takes you over train tracks, and not ADA friendly. We loved San Onofre Beach the best for the waves and the accessibility. Beautiful rocks and shells everywhere. Back to the campground. The front gate sells wood each day for roughly $10 a bundle. There is no store on site, but there are stores close to the camp ground if needed. Showers were hot! Felt great! They take TOKENS only. A token machine is outside on the exterior of the shower facilities. Roughly $1 for two tokens which is about a four minute hot shower. Plenty of bathrooms, and water stations throughout the camp ground. Lots of privacy on our campsite! Fire pit and picnic table. Ample parking. Enough for a mini van and two more cars. And visitor parking onsite if needed. I believe it is $20(for visitors) but your pass will get you parking at the state beaches as well. Due to the rainy year we have had, we had to clear our camp ground before pitching our tents. I had a root poke my air matresses, so it is a good idea to bring some kind of scissors just in case. Also, the ground is either hard almost stone or sandy like, so bring good stakes and a hammer. So many furry rabbits. They are so cute in the morning. And a ton of hazelnut trees. Our view of the mountainside was gorgeous and so many stars at night. Loved it and cant wait to return. Oh, our doggy loved it as well. Very dog-friendly!

This is always a go-to camping spot. I have been coming here since 1996. The spaces are nice and big and in the water/electric section at least 1/2 of the spaces are mostly secluded. Bathrooms and shower are kept up, it is a quality state park. The only downfall is there are no sewer connections but there is a dump station. We had our first company campout here and everyone had a great time!

We stayed here recently with another couple, reserving 2 adjacent campsites. (#138 and #135.)
We were in 138...it was large enough for our cabin tent and a canopy that we used to cover the site picnic table.
There is a water right across the road, and the restrooms are about 100’ away.
We did have fire rings at both sites, and the camp host at the entrance sold wood.
The restrooms had flush toilets and pay per use showers.
We were there Sunday - Thursday...and no issues with noise or parties in our loop, it was very quiet, except for the Marines a few mornings blowing stuff up.
The beach trail to the ocean is right nearby, it is a long walk...about 30 minutes up and down a hill, under PCH with little or no shade.

Make sure to take the time to properly tie down and secure your tent. It can get windy during the day and we seen about three tents go for a walk lol

Beautiful campground! All spots are private, surrounded by low trees and bushes. Very clean and quiet.

One of the best campaign place, we booked 3 sites and all of them were good. The restrooms were clean and environment was nice. All sites are surrounded by trees which gives you natural privacy. Be careful with squirrel/hamster you will see them a lot along with rabbit. The management team will be making rounds to make sure voice are low after 10. Beach is around 2m from this, you can either take trail or drive. Sad part is only 1 free car allowed and you have to pay 15$ for other cars.

Super fun place for families to camp,close to nearby San Clemente state beach and lots of other pretty beaches to see too!

Great place, just NOT near the beach. A mile and a half at least and it's only an easy walk if you are a Marine! The campground itself is very nice. Clean, well maintained area. Bathrooms were clean and functioning, showers are token operated, machine right there, great pressure and hot water!! Sites are mostly good sized and far enough away from neighbors. Thanks USMC!

Great campground, 1.5 miles from the beach. Spots are very well spaced and private. Great trail to the beach.

Favorite campground in Southern California. The trail to Trustles is a must if you stay. It is a great place where kids can make friends and feel safe playing outside. Our kids don't even ask for electronics when we are there.

1 mile from upper trestles surf break. Large well maintained campground with great bathrooms, amphitheater, signage. Estuary nearby with great blue herons and a few mosquitoes. Bring bikes, scooters, skates. No shade so bring your own.

Great campground in San Clemente. It is tucked under a dense canopy of trees. Sites are very spacious and offer privacy. Hot showers. The only drawback is that the beach is on the other side of the freeway which makes it a bit too long for walking there. I recommend to at least use a bike or drive to the beach