The best airstream rentals near Lake Elsinore, California

Perched in the foothills below Los Pinos Peak, Lake Elsinore is a resort town developed around a freshwater lake popular for swimming and boating—perfect for camping enthusiasts. The wider area is even more scenic, with nearby Walker Canyon and Lake Perris also pulling their weight. Cleveland National Forest serves as a wonderland of outdoor beauty and adventure, while the Ortega Highway leads campers and RVers to San Juan Capistrano and the Southern California coast. The entire region is widely recognized for maintaining the natural beauty of its abundant open space, with campgrounds to be found all over.

95% (32)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. BaseCamp at Palomar

89%

(44)

37mi from Lake Elsinore · 9 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Pauma Valley, CA

Experience excellence at BASE CAMP PALOMAR Campground. Whether you seek a cozy campsite or desire to rent our cabins, retro airstreams, or glamping tents, we have precisely what you're looking for. Our amenities include a newly retrofitted game room, a playground for the little ones, a WIFI Hot Spot, and well-stocked vending machines for ice and firewood. Choose to relax in one of our rental cabins, enjoy a spacious RV site, or pitch your tent amidst our Oak Groves. Our campground offers a fantastic opportunity to view the Milky Way or keep an eye out for UFOs. In fact, our location is world-famous for being the site of the first documented UFO encounter, Check out the George Adamski Foundation. This Campground was first opened in the early 1930"s as the Base Camp for the Contruction crew to build Route S6 "Road to the Stars" top of Palomar Mountain. The Road needed to be built wide and smooth in order to transport the Hale Telescope. The construction had to stop due to the start of WW2. Once WW2 had ended the work was completed 1948. The Base Camp first name was Palamar Gardens, Then Oak Knoll Camp and is now being rebranded back to its Original Name Base Camp Palamar. The property is rustic, a little dusty and very old school. If you're looking for a new type of camping with 5-star amenities we recommend Pala or Pechanga Resort RV Park Casino RV Park. We are just plain and simple. Note: the property has two sections one is for Kamping / RVing and the other is Seasonal / fulltime RVers

2. OC Airstream Glamping

31mi from Lake Elsinore · 1 site · Lodging · Costa Mesa, CA

Step through the gate into a lush, private sanctuary. Enjoy quiet conversations by the fire pit and fall asleep to the sound of flowing water. This fully renovated vintage Airstream has everything you need for a relaxing stay — a refrigerator, microwave, electric kettle, full bathroom, cozy couch with a workstation, and a very comfortable queen-size bed. It’s within walking distance of restaurants, shops, and a beautiful yoga studio, and just minutes from the beach and John Wayne Airport.

Perched in the foothills below Los Pinos Peak, Lake Elsinore is a resort town developed around a freshwater lake popular for swimming and boating—perfect for camping enthusiasts. The wider area is even more scenic, with nearby Walker Canyon and Lake Perris also pulling their weight. Cleveland National Forest serves as a wonderland of outdoor beauty and adventure, while the Ortega Highway leads campers and RVers to San Juan Capistrano and the Southern California coast. The entire region is widely recognized for maintaining the natural beauty of its abundant open space, with campgrounds to be found all over.

95% (32)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. BaseCamp at Palomar

89%

(44)

37mi from Lake Elsinore · 9 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging · Pauma Valley, CA

Experience excellence at BASE CAMP PALOMAR Campground. Whether you seek a cozy campsite or desire to rent our cabins, retro airstreams, or glamping tents, we have precisely what you're looking for. Our amenities include a newly retrofitted game room, a playground for the little ones, a WIFI Hot Spot, and well-stocked vending machines for ice and firewood. Choose to relax in one of our rental cabins, enjoy a spacious RV site, or pitch your tent amidst our Oak Groves. Our campground offers a fantastic opportunity to view the Milky Way or keep an eye out for UFOs. In fact, our location is world-famous for being the site of the first documented UFO encounter, Check out the George Adamski Foundation. This Campground was first opened in the early 1930"s as the Base Camp for the Contruction crew to build Route S6 "Road to the Stars" top of Palomar Mountain. The Road needed to be built wide and smooth in order to transport the Hale Telescope. The construction had to stop due to the start of WW2. Once WW2 had ended the work was completed 1948. The Base Camp first name was Palamar Gardens, Then Oak Knoll Camp and is now being rebranded back to its Original Name Base Camp Palamar. The property is rustic, a little dusty and very old school. If you're looking for a new type of camping with 5-star amenities we recommend Pala or Pechanga Resort RV Park Casino RV Park. We are just plain and simple. Note: the property has two sections one is for Kamping / RVing and the other is Seasonal / fulltime RVers

2. OC Airstream Glamping

31mi from Lake Elsinore · 1 site · Lodging · Costa Mesa, CA

Step through the gate into a lush, private sanctuary. Enjoy quiet conversations by the fire pit and fall asleep to the sound of flowing water. This fully renovated vintage Airstream has everything you need for a relaxing stay — a refrigerator, microwave, electric kettle, full bathroom, cozy couch with a workstation, and a very comfortable queen-size bed. It’s within walking distance of restaurants, shops, and a beautiful yoga studio, and just minutes from the beach and John Wayne Airport.

Stories from the community

L

Lynette

September 2025

Group trip

Weekend Trip to BaseCamp at Palomar

The Airstream was cute, clean and very comfortable. Bathrooms were clean. Definitely a great place for kids.

J

James

August 2025

With pets

3 nights at BaseCamp at Palomar

Great spot . Clean pool. Trailer is spacious. Close enough to restock supplies .

PJ

July 2025

2 nights at BaseCamp at Palomar

Very clean inside the Airstream, a/c was pumping when we got there. The campground is great, they were prompt to respond to messages when we had an issue with a gate code, overall lovely experience.

L

Lauryn

January 2025

With pets

4 nights at BaseCamp at Palomar

It was really quiet and peaceful. Airstream was really cool and we had a great time. My dog was enjoying the outside and we went up to Julian for the day. We are totally coming back to try the retro tv!

Des

December 2024

2 nights at BaseCamp at Palomar

Jennifer was great and her brother Steven—also extremely helpful and welcoming with my Holiday stay! The airstream is great and has everything you could ask for (water spigot, a heater, power outlets all throughout, portable stove top, microwave, utensils, plates and a mini fridge w/ freezer. Also, the community had a nice little Christmas feast and met some of the loveliest of folks while there. Facilities were all clean and very well kept. Will definitely be coming back!

B

Brian

December 2024

Weekend Trip to BaseCamp at Palomar

From the booking to checking in the entire process was super easy. The RV was super nice. It had a fridge, microwave and a coffee maker. I brought my own gas stove for cooking. The campsite was clean and quiet. I’ll definitely come back and camp here again!

Other options near Lake Elsinore

Sunset Hideaway Farm

88%

(4)

37mi from Lake Elsinore · 35 sites · Pauma Valley, CA

Located just 6 miles from Palomar Mountain Observatory- Basecamp is the perfect location to stay at. This historic campground is surrounded by vast farmlands growing mostly citrus and avocados. Drive through Pauma Valley and enjoy the views before you start heading up the mountain to Basecamp. The campground itself is undGo for a hike, star gaze and enjoy the outdoors!er a canopy of century old oak trees, along with the trailers and glamping tents, there are tent sites, sites with hookups as far as water, power and sewage.

Pets

Potable water

Toilets

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

The best airstreams near Lake Elsinore guide

Where to go

Walker Canyon

Just north of town, the Walker Canyon Trail is popular for wildflower spotting in late winter and early spring, although Lake Elsinore has closed the trail during recent superblooms to combat excessive crowding. If it’s safe to visit, the Walker Canyon hills may be covered with the California state flower, painting the hills orange, green, and tan for visitors camping nearby.

Lake Perris State Recreation Area

About 40 minutes’ drive from Lake Elsinore, Lake Perris State Recreation Area is a larger waterfront spot offering camping facilities to go along with boating, fishing, swimming, and picnicking along the shores.

Ortega Highway (State Route 74)

Ortega Highway connects Lake Elsinore to San Juan Capistrano with scenic pullouts and campgrounds along the way. The Spanish mission, established in 1776, is considered one of California’s most picturesque sights, and the area is recognized by wildlife enthusiasts for hosting “the swallows of Capistrano” on March 19 each year, when migrating swallows briefly pause on their seasonal journey. San Onofre State Beach is just an additional 15 minutes down I-5 from San Juan Capistrano, offering coastal camping with ocean views.

Palomar Mountain State Park & Cleveland National Forest

A bit over an hour’s drive southeast of Lake Elsinore via Temecula, Palomar Mountain State Park offers campgrounds surrounded by scenic views, birdwatching opportunities, and nighttime stargazing. Cleveland National Forest is right there too, with designating campsites, dispersed camping, and hiking trails. Keep going to hit Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, known for its vast desert landscapes, wildflower blooms, and campsites.

Mount San Jacinto State Park

Mount San Jacinto State Park is all about hiking—the 10,834-foot peak is the second highest mountain range in Southern California, after all. This park sits about 90 minutes’ drive from Lake Elsinore and houses a number of drive-in and hike-in campsites. From Palm Springs, take the aerial tramway to reach the park's higher elevations without the hike. Otherwise, charming Idyllwild is also nearby, a mountain town full of campsites and cabins near rock climbing and area hikes.

San Bernardino National Forest

Situated about 1.5 hours northeast of Lake Elsinore, San Bernardino National Forest is another popular spot for campers thanks to a huge number of fishing spots, hiking trails, and dispersed camping opportunities.