4.21442 reviewsPrice
$40 - $70/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
157 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
Price
$40 - $70/night
Booking
Reservable
Sites
157 campsites
Season
Year-round
Cell
No Service
Pets
Very Pet Friendly
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Learn more about alerts →San Mateo Campground
830 Cristianitos Road, San Clemente, CA, 92672
We'll monitor this campground and alert you the moment sites become available.
Free to start · paid plans add 2-min scans
263,000+ sites monitored · Email alerts to start; SMS and in-app with an account
Learn more about alerts →Surfers and birders get the most out of this place. The 1.5-mile trail to Trestles is bikeable and shorter than it looks on a map, and sites 85 and 87 have enough vegetative cover to feel genuinely secluded. Fall temperatures in the 70s make everything easier.
No cell signal from any major carrier is the hard stop for most people who need to stay reachable. Add freeway hum, Camp Pendleton drills at random hours, and a few reviews noting the staff and crowd vibe can feel unwelcoming, and light sleepers will regret it without earplugs.
Camper Report Card
Rated higher than 26% of graded campgrounds
Graded on what 171 campers actually wrote - graded on 14 things that make or break a trip. Each topic is graded against every other campground on it - A is among the best, C about average. No star ratings.
Strengths
Watch-outs
Each topic is graded against every other campground on it; a topic campers liked never grades below C−. ± shows the 95% confidence range from the sample size.
San Mateo Campground appears in our curated guides. Explore more top-rated campgrounds for the same activities and regions.
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Fall delivers the most balanced conditions. Days reach 70-80°F, nights drop to the mid-50s to low-60s. Summer fog and crowds clear out. Hiking and biking the creek corridors is comfortable, and the beach at Trestles stays warm enough for surfing or wading. Wildlife activity picks up as migratory birds move through and local species emerge from summer dormancy. Spring and summer work fine but bring more people and occasional coastal fog. Winter sees some rain, though daytime temperatures stay between 60-80°F. The mild climate allows year-round camping, but fall avoids both the summer rush and winter dampness.
Positive spring reviews and staff/helpful notes; pleasant conditions reported in spring.
Reservation tips, booking windows, and free cancellation alerts.
San Mateo Campground offers a full range of amenities suitable for tent campers, RVers, and groups. It includes fire pits and picnic tables at every site. RV sites come with water and electricity hookups, and there's a dump station available, although it incurs a $10 fee. Restrooms with flush toilets and pay-per-use hot showers are available, and these facilities are frequently noted for cleanliness in both official descriptions and user reviews. Drinking water is readily accessible via spigots. The campground lacks Wi-Fi and cell phone reception, even for major providers like Verizon and T-Mobile. Firewood is available for purchase at $7 per bundle at the camp host or entrance, and $6 at a nearby liquor store. Accessibility features include accessible parking and restrooms, and five designated accessible campsites.
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