Best Campgrounds Near Manhattan Beach
20 hand-picked camping destinations curated for families visiting REI Manhattan Beach. Each campground selected for quality, scenery diversity, and memorable experiences.
Showing 20 campgrounds
Featured Picks
Dogwood
Dogwood pairs towering pines and shady, spacious sites with easy access to Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory, so families can mix hiking, fishing, swimming, and biking in one trip. It has one of the highest ratings and review counts in the region, making it a reliable, amenity-rich mountain base camp for a classic weekend away from the city.
Malibu Creek State Park Campground
As the closest full-service campground to Manhattan Beach, Malibu Creek delivers big scenery with minimal drive time, with volcanic rock walls, a flowing creek, and oak-lined trails. While its rating is a bit lower than some farther options, its mix of proximity, scenery, and activities makes it an ideal first family camping destination.
Sycamore Campground
Sycamore Campground tucks shady, tree-covered campsites between coastal hills and a seasonal creek, with a short underpass walk to the beach. Families get a classic Malibu coast experience on a manageable drive, with hiking, surfing or boogie-boarding, and bike-friendly roads and paths nearby.
South Carlsbad State Beach Campground
Perched on a bluff directly above the sand, South Carlsbad State Beach is a favorite for families who want to step from tent or RV straight into surfing, boogie-boarding, and tide play. Strong ratings, many reviews, and bike paths and walking in the area make it a dependable choice for an activity-packed beach weekend.
Heart Bar Campground
Heart Bar offers classic high-country pine forest camping with the Santa Ana River and the Big Bear region nearby for fishing, wading, and biking. Its strong ratings and infrastructure give families a cooler-climate mountain alternative to the beach while still keeping plenty of easy trails and activities within reach.
Borrego Palm Canyon Campground
Borrego Palm Canyon lets families experience Southern California desert scenery at its best, with dramatic mountains, dark starry skies, and a palm oasis hike right from camp. Its excellent reviews, especially for fall–spring trips, and very different desert environment round out the featured list beyond forest and beach experiences.
More to Explore
Moro Campground
Moro Campground at Crystal Cove State Park combines ocean-view bluff sites with tunnel access to the beach and a large inland trail network through chaparral canyons. It is an excellent backup or alternative coastal day-trip option for families who like to mix hiking with time by the water.
Thornhill Broome Campground
Thornhill Broome offers true on-the-sand camping with the surf just steps from your tent or RV and the Santa Monica Mountains rising above the coast. Chosen for families who want an immersive, no-frills beach experience with fishing, swimming, and sunset walks right out of camp.
Rv Campground
This bluff-top RV-friendly campground overlooks a long sandy beach and gets outstanding reviews for its ocean views and water access. It is ideal for families camping in trailers or RVs who want a lively coastal scene with surfing, biking, and fishing options.
Carpinteria State Beach Campground
Carpinteria State Beach pairs gentle sandy stretches and tidepools with a nearby seal rookery and estuary, making it especially fun for kids who love wildlife. It is a highly rated weekend beach destination north of LA, with good walking and biking both in the park and in the adjacent town.
Santa Cruz Scorpion
Santa Cruz Scorpion gives adventurous families a true island-camping experience, reached by boat and set among canyons, coves, and clear water. Its excellent reviews and ranger programs make it a great step-up trip for families ready for something more adventurous than drive-in camping.
Santa Rosa Island
Santa Rosa Island offers a wilder, more remote Channel Islands experience with long beaches, rolling grasslands, and mountain views. It suits experienced camping families who want multi-day hiking, fishing, and beach exploring far from crowds.
Green Valley
Green Valley sits in a shady mixed-conifer forest a short distance from Green Valley Lake, which offers trout fishing, swimming, and small boat rentals. It provides a quieter, highly rated mountain-lake setting for families who want water play without the busyness of larger resort towns.
Pineknot
Pineknot places families in the forest just above Big Bear Lake with direct access to hiking and mountain biking and an easy drive to marinas and town amenities. Strong reviews and its central location make it a great base for combining camping with boating or lakeside activities.
Paso Picacho & Cabins
Paso Picacho offers oak and pine forest camping with open meadows and summit hikes in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, plus nearby Lake Cuyamaca for fishing. The mix of campsites and cabins is especially appealing for families who may want both tent sites and roofed lodging on the same trip.
Ricardo Campground
Ricardo Campground sits beneath dramatic sandstone cliffs in Red Rock Canyon, creating a natural playground for kids and photographers. It was chosen as a unique desert and geology-focused option for families looking for striking scenery and short exploratory hikes.
Smith Forks Campground
Smith Forks blends montane desert, chaparral slopes, and oak woodlands, offering big views and a quieter, more off-the-beaten-path feel. It is a good fit for families who want uncrowded sites and hiking or mountain biking in a semi-desert setting.
Wheeler Gorge
Wheeler Gorge’s oak and sycamore forest along Matilija Creek provides shady riverside sites, small swimming holes, and easy nature trails. Its high review count and family-friendly atmosphere make it a strong choice for creekside camping north of Ventura.
Round Valley Campground
Round Valley is a high-elevation, hike-in campground nestled in subalpine forest and meadows below granite peaks in the San Jacinto range. It is recommended for fit families with older kids who want to try backpacking and cooler alpine camping with outstanding views.
Coldbrook Campground
Coldbrook lies along a babbling creek in the Angeles National Forest, with pine shade and several hiking trails heading into the surrounding mountains. Its relative proximity makes it an appealing day-trip or one-night option for families who want a quick forest and creek experience without driving all the way to the higher mountain ranges.
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