San Mateo Campground

San Clemente, California

5.0/5

based on 1 reviews

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Camp next to world class surfing beaches, where you can also swim, kayak, fish, and bicycle. Look out for sea birds, and even the occasional whale, dolphin, or sea lion.

San Onofre State Beach, best known for its famous surf breaks, additionally offers two well equipped campgrounds.

San Onofre Bluffs has fire pits and picnic tables, as well as outdoor showers, chemical toilets, and an RV dump station. Swimming and surfing are popular here.

Further inland from the beaches is San Mateo Campground, which has access to the 1.5 mile Nature Trail to Trestles Beach, another famed surf spot. The San Mateo Creek wetlands are also located alongside the campground. Amenities include fire pits, picnic tables, hot indoor showers, and flush toilets. For RVs there are hookups with water and electricity, as well as a dump station.

The other well-known beach is San Onofre Surf Beach, although there is no camping allowed. There are chemical toilets, cold showers, and limited fire pits.

You can make reservations online here.

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Cycling

Chillin

Camping

Fishing

Photography

Surfing

Hiking

Bathrooms

Beach

Family Friendly

Picnic Area

Scenic

Wildlife

San Mateo Campground Reviews

Grant

San Mateo Campground

07/15/18

Tons of sites, great atmosphere, food/ shops nearby, and just an all-around awesome place to bring the family. You can surf, lounge, walk the beach, play games and have a BBQ!!!

5.0

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

San Clemente State Beach

Beach Day at San Onofre

This spot is no secret but it’s by far one of the best beaches California has to offer and has been regarded since the 1950s as a friendly surfing sanctuary. The beach is divided into three surf spots (named from North to South), known as “The Point,” “Old Man’s,” and “Dogpatch.” To access the beach you drive down a hill and onto the hard packed dirt road that parallels the beach. There is park...

Stand Up Paddle Dana Point Harbor

Whether I’m looking for a quick workout on the water, wanting to catch some waves, or simply explore the coastline, Dana Point is one of my favorite places to paddle. There is plenty of parking close to the beach, so you don’t have to walk far with your board. It’s also a great spot to launch as there is a soft sand beach with flat water.If you want to do a short and mellow paddle, I recommend ...

Explore Tide Pools at Dana Point

If you're ever driving on the 5 between San Diego and Los Angeles and traffic is miserable (always), consider making a stop at Dana Point to check out the tide pools. The best place is behind the Ocean Institute which offers plenty of free parking and a short walk behind the building will quickly get you to the tide pools.Be sure to check the tide levels and try to go at low tide or no tide to ...

Walk the Dana Point Preserve Trail

Ocean views the whole time, plenty of wildlife and different species of native plants make this short hike beautiful. With the hike being short enough to complete in the afternoon after a day at the beach you can see a beautiful view of the coastline north and south. There is plenty of parking inside the Dana Point Nature Interpretive Center and before you get to the center along the west side ...

Colinas Ridge Trail

First, you'll be parking in the parking lot for the dog park. It's free parking and there are roughly 40 spaces, so there is plenty of parking. I've never seen more than 20 cars here at any one time. Once parked you'll find the trail head/ start on the northwest side of the lot (opposite the dog park and the view from the second photo). Once you go about 50yds, you'll see a tunnel on your righ...

San Mateo Campground

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San Mateo Campground Reviews

Leave No Trace

Nearby

San Clemente State Beach

Beach Day at San Onofre

Stand Up Paddle Dana Point Harbor

Explore Tide Pools at Dana Point

Walk the Dana Point Preserve Trail

Colinas Ridge Trail

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