Reviews

Devin S

Good campground. Rangers are there and sell firewood which is nice. Only issue is you here motor rounds from Camp Pendleton. So your talking and boom. Don't feel it just hear it. Isn't that loud though.

Steve “Shock” George

One of our preferred campgrounds. Facilities are decent and clean (for a campground). Most spaces have bushes separating them for some privacy. They have smokeless type fire pits. And it's really close to town if you wanna hit up the grocery store for some extra inventory.

Aracely Cardona

It’s advertising as part of the state beach but it’s not, walking to the beach is like 1 hour out. And there are coyotes so be careful with small dogs. But the worst part is. There are poles at each spot that make it super hard to park. The water flow is really really slow

Vickie Mayer-Davis

Very nice campground, a little pricey #145 no electric, close to restrooms (no hand soap). Phone service spotty or none, diff to make calls or look up directions. NEED CASH to buy tokens for the showers! No convenience store. Employee ignored me, drove by when asked about firewood. 12 minute drive to beach or Walmart or Ralphs.

Chris

San Mateo Campground is one of those spots that quietly overdelivers if you know what you’re getting into. It’s not oceanfront, so if you’re expecting to walk out of your tent onto the sand, that’s not the setup. But if you want a clean, well-run campground with easy access to the beach without the chaos, this place nails it. First thing, it’s organized. Campsites are clearly laid out, and you’re not stacked on top of the next group like some of the tighter beach campgrounds. There’s enough space to actually relax without feeling like you’re part of someone else’s trip. You get a mix of tents, trailers, and RVs, but it still feels balanced. The bike trail to the beach is a big win. You can ride straight down to San Onofre State Beach without dealing with traffic or parking headaches. That alone makes this campground worth it. You get the beach experience without paying beachfront chaos prices. Facilities are solid. Bathrooms and showers are actually clean, which is not something you can say about every campground. You can tell they maintain it regularly. There are fire pits and picnic tables at each site, and everything feels functional instead of worn down. Now, real talk. It’s near the freeway, so you’re going to hear some road noise, especially at night. If you’re a light sleeper, plan for that. It’s not terrible, but it’s there. Also, depending on your neighbors, it can get a little lively on weekends. Not out of control, but not silent retreat vibes either. The crowd is a mix. Families, surfers, weekend campers. Generally respectful, but like anywhere, you’ll get the occasional group that forgets other people exist. Comes with the territory. What makes this place stand out is consistency. You show up, everything works, nothing feels neglected, and you can actually enjoy your time without dealing with a bunch of nonsense. Bottom line, if you want a reliable campground in South Orange County with beach access, decent space, and clean facilities, San Mateo Campground is a strong choice. Not perfect, but it delivers where it matters.

Jacqueline Reyes

A great camp ground. We are here during this time and it’s raining but we love it. The camp grounds is almost empty except for the few who are braving it through the atmospheric river 😆. The hike to the beach is amazing, about a good 4 miles round trip, great exercise for you and your dog, my husky loves it. Dogs not allowed but still worth the hike. Pretty huge camp ground with lots of sites. One of favorites to date. The drive to go into town is not long either, San Clemente is a cute little beach town.

Brian Andersen

All the Rangers are great! Camp hosts are out and about and very helpful. $10firewood bundles $10RV Dump fee Tokens available for operating showers, cash only

Katherine Abeyta (Kate)

Very pretty, but far from the beach, loud and uncontrollable kids running around and our camp area had ONE SINGLE shower because all the other ones were closed. This was majorly inconvenient as there are probably about 200 people within this area that have to share 1 shower.

Crysta Meador

The trees here get five stars but everything else was just okay so three stars overall. The sites are nice size and the trees on either side give the illusion of privacy from your camp neighbors. Unfortunately, noise here goes completely uncontrolled even though there are strict policies in the paperwork you are given about keeping noise contained to your own campsite regardless of the time of day. My husband and I booked a full RV site Thursday through Sunday. Thursday was lovely actually, not too many people and we were able to enjoy sitting outside peacefully. All that changed on Friday when the campground filled up. Tons of kids running around screaming (yes playing, but still screaming uncontrolled) into the later hours of the night. Camp hosts just kind of shrug and say hopefully they'll stop soon. The other issue is once you've walked around the campground or taking a bike ride around it, there's really not much else to do. The 1.5 mile trail to the beach is so steeply inclined at various points that it becomes a real hike on a hot day, there and back. We brought old school pedal bikes with us not knowing, no way you can make it without an e-bike. You definitely need an e-bike or a vehicle outside of your RV to get around and really do anything fun. For $70 a night, we did not feel we got our money's worth. We would have if we had been able to sit out at our campsite and enjoy a peaceful nature experience without all the noise, but that was not to be.

Jannine

The campsites themselves are clean, spacious, and there’s plenty of parking, which was great. However, the facilities were a big letdown—especially over Labor Day weekend when you'd expect everything to be fully operational. Out of several shower stalls, only one was working across all the loops, and more than half of the water stations were out of order. On a positive note, the one working shower had excellent water pressure. Just be aware that showers are token-operated (50 cents per token, good for 2 minutes), so come prepared.

Veronica Rodriguez

We have been camping for years so there are things that are essential to us when we search for campgrounds and this campground didn't meet them after we arrived. 1- soap in the restrooms. There was none. 2- cleanliness. The restroom/showers seem like they are pressured wash each morning however they don't smell or seem like any soap is used to disinfect. 3- Site cleanliness. Our site was infested with rats. There were 2 rat nests in the high bushes. According to the host this is known and nothing is done. We found out our last night there. 4- noise. it was louder that we expected. Overall not a place we will be returning nor recommending.

Maria Castro

With Only one coin operated shower working with water that was so uncomfortably 🔥 hot that skin felt so dry after. That was not enjoyable. No onsite dump station either. The plus is Campsites are spacious and private.

Lily

They sell wood there but no fire starter. Restroom is very clean as well as the shower room. Many kids play balls and ride bikes in the campground.

Jessica Stuart

I live in Downtown San Diego and this hidden gem is a great place for R&R close by. This particular trip I'm enjoying a week of rest and recovery with me and my pup in the RV after she got spayed on Monday (easiest way to keep pets separated during recovery). On Tuesday, I accidentally locked us out of the RV at 6:30am and of course my phone, jacket, keys are all inside. Campground hosts Victor and Martha totally rescued me, letting me borrow their phone and a jacket until I could get my spare brought to me. They gave us good company and treats until my husband arrived. The location is amazing, clean, quiet, and it's beautiful out here but I really just wanted to share a review because the hosts are incredible. I know hosts rotate but I'm glad they'll be here the next few months.

Sarah Ogren

We love this campground for it's close proximity to surfing at San Onofre Beach. The campsites are spacious with enough space in between and small trees & brush for privacy. Ground is flat for tents & yoga mats, however, pounding stakes into the ground doesn't work due to very hard ground. Each site has paved parking, a fire pit, a picnic table, and trees we were able to use with a clothesline to dry our wetsuits overnight. Garbages are convenient and easy to access. Also the showers have wonderful hot water & great water pressure. The park Rangers spray out all the bathrooms & showers each morning for sanitization. We will definitely be back for our next San Onofre surf trip!