Best Campgrounds Near Marina del Rey
20 hand-picked camping destinations curated for families visiting REI Marina del Rey. Each campground selected for quality, scenery diversity, and memorable experiences.
Showing 20 campgrounds
Featured Picks
Malibu Creek State Park Campground
Malibu Creek State Park is one of the closest full‑service campgrounds to Marina del Rey and offers a dramatic canyon landscape with a year‑round creek, small lake, and famous rock formations. It’s highly popular with families thanks to plentiful hiking, creek swimming and wading spots, fishing, and easy biking on park roads and trails.
Canyon Campground
Canyon Campground at Leo Carrillo State Park pairs shaded creekside sites with quick access to sandy beaches, tidepools, and coastal caves, making it a standout ocean option under a 30‑mile drive. Strong ratings and family‑friendly amenities plus great hiking and biking trails make this an easy first camping trip for coastal‑loving families.
Thornhill Broome Campground
Thornhill Broome Campground offers one of Southern California’s classic experiences: camping right on the sand with waves just steps from your tent or RV. Highly rated and within an hour’s drive, it’s ideal for families who want maximum beach time along with easy access to nearby coastal hikes and bikeable stretches of Highway 1.
Dogwood
Dogwood Campground near Lake Arrowhead is one of the best‑reviewed family campgrounds in Southern California, set in a beautiful mixed conifer forest at a comfortable mountain elevation. Close access to Lake Arrowhead and Lake Gregory for boating, swimming, and fishing plus numerous hiking and biking trails makes this a balanced mountain‑getaway choice.
Santa Cruz Scorpion
Santa Cruz Scorpion on Channel Islands National Park delivers a truly unique island adventure with boat‑in access, coastal bluffs, coves, and canyon trails, all within a manageable weekend itinerary. Its excellent ratings, ranger presence, and short walks to beaches and viewpoints make it a great step‑up trip for families ready for something more adventurous than drive‑in state parks.
Ricardo Campground
Ricardo Campground in Red Rock Canyon State Park showcases towering sandstone cliffs and colorful desert badlands, offering a very different feel from coastal or forested sites. Strong reviews, short family‑friendly hikes right from camp, and excellent stargazing make it an ideal weekend destination for families wanting an approachable desert experience.
More to Explore
Sycamore Campground
Sycamore Campground offers shady sites in a sycamore grove with a short underpass walk to the beach, giving a more sheltered forest‑by‑the‑sea feel compared with exposed beach camping. It’s highly rated and ideal for families wanting both creekside and ocean play within an easy day‑trip drive.
Coldbrook Campground
Coldbrook Campground sits along a babbling creek in the Angeles National Forest, creating classic mountain‑camp vibes within roughly an hour of the city. Families who enjoy shady pines, stream‑side play, and mellow hiking will appreciate this quieter, highly rated alternative to the coast.
Halfmoon Campground
Halfmoon Campground offers a more rugged, open landscape with sparse pines and direct access to Piru Creek for scenic riverfront relaxation and fishing. Its strong reviews, creekside setting, and day‑trip distance make it a good fit for families seeking quieter, less developed camping with water nearby.
Circle Canyon Campground
Circle Canyon Campground showcases Tejon Ranch’s rolling grasslands, oak woodlands, and chaparral hills, offering a very different montane‑desert feel compared to coastal or pine forests. Well‑reviewed trails and bike‑friendly terrain make it a nice choice for active families who want wide open views and wildflower displays in season.
Green Valley
Green Valley combines a classic pine‑forest setting with easy access to nearby Green Valley Lake for trout fishing, swimming, and boating. Its strong ratings and compact scale make it appealing for families who want a quieter mountain‑lake weekend than the busier Big Bear or Arrowhead areas.
Carpinteria State Beach Campground
Carpinteria State Beach offers family‑friendly beachfront camping with tidepools, a nearby seal rookery, and an estuary to explore, all in a charming seaside town. It’s highly rated and great for families who value walkable amenities, gentle surf, and a mix of nature and nearby services.
South Carlsbad State Beach Campground
South Carlsbad State Beach Campground sits atop coastal bluffs with stair access to a long sandy beach, offering big‑view ocean camping that’s very popular with families. Strong reviews, bikeable paths, and good access to surf and sand make it an excellent choice for a classic SoCal beach‑weekend further from LA crowds.
Quail Campground
Quail Campground at Lake Perris brings warm‑weather lake camping within a reasonable drive, with easy access to swimming, fishing, boating, and paved paths for biking. It adds a different freshwater‑play option compared to mountain lakes, especially appealing for spring and fall family trips.
Wheeler Gorge
Wheeler Gorge, just above Ojai, combines shady oak and sycamore forest with Matilija Creek, including a small swimming hole that kids love. Its very strong review history and creekside atmosphere make it a great option for families wanting a cool, watery escape that still works as a long day trip or close weekend.
South Fork Family Campground
South Fork Family Campground lives up to its name with a forested setting along the Santa Ana River, offering soothing creek sounds and easy access to the water. It’s a strong choice for families who want a quieter, more nature‑focused mountain stay with good hiking, fishing, and some bikeable roads and trails.
Barton Flats
Barton Flats is a very popular high‑elevation campground set among tall pines and oaks, with nearby Jenks Lake and the Santa Ana River for fishing and paddling. Its high ratings, cooler temperatures, and extensive trail network make it ideal for active families looking for a full weekend of hiking and exploring.
Santa Rosa Island
Santa Rosa Island offers a more remote, wild island experience than Santa Cruz, with long beaches, rolling grasslands, and rugged mountains. For families ready for a boat ride and some hiking between pier, camp, and beach, it’s a spectacular, highly rated option that feels like a true getaway from the mainland.
Belknap
Belknap Campground lets families camp among giant sequoias with a creek running through camp, creating a magical, big‑tree experience that contrasts sharply with coastal or desert trips. Its excellent reviews and mix of creek play, hiking, and biking make it a memorable longer‑drive weekend for families who want to see California’s iconic sequoias without backpacking.
Selby Campground
Selby Campground in the Carrizo Plain offers wide‑open views of surrounding ranges and rolling grasslands, famous for spring wildflower displays. Its remote, dark‑sky location and simple, well‑reviewed facilities provide a peaceful, big‑sky experience for families who enjoy stargazing and hiking away from coastal crowds.
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