Barns near San Diego

Enjoy year-round beach camping with sun, sand, and surf in America's Finest City.

67% (10 reviews)
  1. United States
    —
  2. California
    —
  3. San Diego
67% (10 reviews)

Popular camping styles for San Diego

4 top barns sites near San Diego

  • Horsetel River Retreat
  • Horsetel River Retreat
  • Horsetel River Retreat
100%
(5)

Horsetel River Retreat

8 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents2 acres · Fallbrook, CA
Settle in and saddle up for an unforgettable experience that combines the freedom of the road with the serenity of the ranch. We can't wait to welcome you to a piece of paradise! Whether you're seeking relaxation or an adventure, our place offers the perfect setting for a relaxing getaway. Explore the local charm of arts, wineries, festivals, and nearby trails off the beaten path. Bring your horses and have a peaceful place to stay while attending equine events in San Diego County and Temecula. Our ranch provides the perfect base for discovering the unique offerings of this quaint town and rugged terrain. We have direct access to the Santa Margarita River Trails, a three minute drive; which are famous for world-class hiking, mountain biking and horse riding along the last free-flowing river in Southern California. We are also a 20-minute drive to Old Town Temecula, 30-minute drive to the beach in Oceanside and 15-minute drive to the east gate of Camp Pendleton. In 1-2 hours, you can also get to Mount Palomar, Julian, Idyllwild, San Diego, Orange County and other destinations. We offer a camping spot large enough for your own trailer, RV or tents next to our barn. You can also select the add-on for our trailer to be set up and ready for your arrival (this option will appear at checkout). There is an outdoor shower and rustic water closet, as well as water and electric hookups. Please see the site descriptions or inquire for any additional details. Traveling with horses? They have room to stay in our Horsetel too! We have up to 5 stalls available in a covered barn, complete with automatic waterers, feeding mats, wash rack, round pen and fenced pasture. Any horses staying must be in good health and up to date on all vaccines. We can arrange for a trail guide to take you and your horses on the local trails, as well (trails are advanced terrain). **When reserving stalls for your horses, select only one guest for the sites to show as available. Horse stalls may not be booked without owners booking the campsite for the same duration. Boarding is not available.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Showers
Trash
from 
$22
 / night
  • Refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cream and sugar provided
  • Fenced and gated deck to keep your fur babies secure
  • Refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cream and sugar provided
100%
(5)

Lazy Y Guest Ranch

4 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Aguanga, CA
Secluded, freshly renovated 21' Toy Hauler. Roomy fenced deck, and propane grill in a little high valley east of Warner Springs. A million stars! Four great wineries, roadhouse bar and grill, live music, glider and horseback riding, Elim Hot Springs all close by. Explore Anza Borrego and Julian. Adjacent to California Riding and Hiking Trail; hike to Mexico or Canada. Miles of trails to explore outside your door! Only 30 minutes to world class Temecula Valley wineries. Horses and dogs welcome.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$40
 / night
  • JP Longstock Ranch
  • JP Longstock Ranch
  • JP Longstock Ranch
Booked 2 times

JP Longstock Ranch

2 sites · Lodging10 acres · Campo, CA
This is a historical property in campo California. A great old west town with an interesting history behind it. This particular property was where the Buffalo soldiers kept their working horses close to 100 years ago in what is now the last standing original buffalo soldier barn. Old artifacts and handmade tack can still be found in the giant rustic barn. The barn is now used to breed unique crossbred horses that have gained Note-oriety, and have been featured on the cover of magazines, including the Boot Barn campaign (who intend to use the barn in in future photo shoots) as well as use famous spotted horse, Confettis American Warrior in the next ad campaign being shot in Hollywood next month. We tried to keep the barn with its original charm and added some world class beautiful horses that are available for riding around the property and/or photoshoots during your stay for an additional cost. We have extra stalls available for people who would like to bring their own horses for a unique camping experience including riding your horse in Camp Locket and along the USA/America border wall. Lots of space for trailer and very secure stalls in the barn. We are just starting out doing this, but have the options of staying in a brand new shed yet to be converted, in the barn inside an old stall to have a real authentic experience where the soldiers used to rest or a tent overlooking the old historical barn and the fabulous horses (right now we have babies!). We have multiple cross fences fenced areas including stalls and areas for your dog but will need to discuss details beforehand. We are very pet and people friendly.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$125
 / night
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
100%
(1)

Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch

1 site · Lodging5 acres · Temecula, CA
NOTE: Namaste Farms is a true working farm with copious amounts of sheep, goats, chickens, peafowl, and countless other animals. Along with those, we have free range squirrels, rabbits, flies, dust and yes, even free range spiders. If you're wanting a rustic experience that gives you a break from city life and you can handle dust, dirt, cobwebs (and these can happen over night inside your cottage and WILL be in the common areas), with sounds of animals vocalizing at all hours of the day and night, then Namaste Farms is a perfect fit for you. While most guests (and your hosts) see the idiosyncrasies and obvious cohabitation with animals and bugs beautiful, you may not. If your primary focus is on amenities, and you're looking for a completely dust/dirt, cobweb/bug, and animal/animal sound free experience, a working farm is probably not a good fit for you. We are dog friendly, but to keep our free range animals safe (and we have had them injured or killed by people not recognizing that dogs are predatory by nature), please keep your dog easily under control and on a short leash at all times. Also, because it's not possible to control your dog on a long line, dogs may NOT be tied or tethered anywhere on the property. For the sake of the antique furniture, do not leave your dog alone in the cottage unless they are crate trained and in a crate. If you want to let your dog off leash, 2 blocks down our road (and off property), there is a large scrub field where you can let your dog run free. Thank you for supporting this 501c3 charity where all the revenue goes to support the animals and the large number of dogs we foster from high kill shelters. This booking is for the Hay Barn cottage located at Namaste Farms in the heart of Temecula's Wine Country. This is a beautiful and quiet (with the exception of animal/farm sounds) private working farm situated down a wide and maintained disintegrated granite/dirt rd. While the cottage is only 1/2 a mile from the city limits, it has a rural feel and is centrally located to all wineries and most of the major equestrian facilities including Galway Downs, Green Acres and California Ranch Company. For those who are coming to Temecula for horse shows, we also have a large barn with bedded stalls and turnouts (for an additional fee). There are designated horse trails right outside our gates which will even take you to Galway Downs. If you're into golf, you can enjoy Temecula's 7 PGA golf courses or Pechanga Casino which are also within a short driving distance to the farm. If horses or golf isn't your thing, you can visit Temecula Valley wineries which are all within 1/2-3.8 miles of the cottage gates. The wineries are not within walking distance of each other, and if you want to peruse all of them, we can arrange a driver for you (30.00/hour) who will drive (Jaguar) and take you anywhere within Temecula/Murrieta while happily waiting for you so you can quickly go to your next destination. If you're not interested in any of the above activities and simply want a "staycation," you can hang out here where you're welcomed to walk around the farm and interact with the animals. At night, enjoy the sounds of serenity while roasting marshmallows at our wine barrel fire pit! The "Hay Barn" cottage is a studio with high ceilings, a beautiful stained glass window, a kitchenette and a rustically chic bathroom. The Hay Barn sleeps 3; one queen bed with a twin pull out. Please let us know ahead of time if you need the pullout and you MUST put the accurate number of people who are staying here. If you have more people in your group and don't want to share, please check out the main cottage, Hammie and the Treehouse in separate listings. Please keep in mind that we are not a "pretend farm" set up to simply attract people to our facility. This is an actual working farm where shepherdess, Natalie Redding (Nat Geo Wild's, Shear Madness) and her working dogs, Lacey, Lad and Nesta work every day. This means there is dirt, dust, chickens, peacocks, alfalfa, sheep, bugs, and other living beings associated with nature and farm life. People who've not had the opportunity to experience the beautiful and grounding life on a working farm may not understand this. I do stress that if you're an animal lover who is excited about staying at a true working farm, your co-guests may not share your verve. Please let them know there is dirt, dust, very little concrete or pavement, and they will surely leave with dust on their shoes. That said, I'm a frequent Louboutin wearer and I regularly chassé in my stilettos; dirt ground and all. Interested about life on a working sheep ranch? Check out Airbnb's Farm Experience!
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
Campfires
Showers
from 
$250
 / night

Dog-friendly getaways

  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
100%
(1)

Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch

1 site · Lodging5 acres · Temecula, CA
NOTE: Namaste Farms is a true working farm with copious amounts of sheep, goats, chickens, peafowl, and countless other animals. Along with those, we have free range squirrels, rabbits, flies, dust and yes, even free range spiders. If you're wanting a rustic experience that gives you a break from city life and you can handle dust, dirt, cobwebs (and these can happen over night inside your cottage and WILL be in the common areas), with sounds of animals vocalizing at all hours of the day and night, then Namaste Farms is a perfect fit for you. While most guests (and your hosts) see the idiosyncrasies and obvious cohabitation with animals and bugs beautiful, you may not. If your primary focus is on amenities, and you're looking for a completely dust/dirt, cobweb/bug, and animal/animal sound free experience, a working farm is probably not a good fit for you. We are dog friendly, but to keep our free range animals safe (and we have had them injured or killed by people not recognizing that dogs are predatory by nature), please keep your dog easily under control and on a short leash at all times. Also, because it's not possible to control your dog on a long line, dogs may NOT be tied or tethered anywhere on the property. For the sake of the antique furniture, do not leave your dog alone in the cottage unless they are crate trained and in a crate. If you want to let your dog off leash, 2 blocks down our road (and off property), there is a large scrub field where you can let your dog run free. Thank you for supporting this 501c3 charity where all the revenue goes to support the animals and the large number of dogs we foster from high kill shelters. This booking is for the Hay Barn cottage located at Namaste Farms in the heart of Temecula's Wine Country. This is a beautiful and quiet (with the exception of animal/farm sounds) private working farm situated down a wide and maintained disintegrated granite/dirt rd. While the cottage is only 1/2 a mile from the city limits, it has a rural feel and is centrally located to all wineries and most of the major equestrian facilities including Galway Downs, Green Acres and California Ranch Company. For those who are coming to Temecula for horse shows, we also have a large barn with bedded stalls and turnouts (for an additional fee). There are designated horse trails right outside our gates which will even take you to Galway Downs. If you're into golf, you can enjoy Temecula's 7 PGA golf courses or Pechanga Casino which are also within a short driving distance to the farm. If horses or golf isn't your thing, you can visit Temecula Valley wineries which are all within 1/2-3.8 miles of the cottage gates. The wineries are not within walking distance of each other, and if you want to peruse all of them, we can arrange a driver for you (30.00/hour) who will drive (Jaguar) and take you anywhere within Temecula/Murrieta while happily waiting for you so you can quickly go to your next destination. If you're not interested in any of the above activities and simply want a "staycation," you can hang out here where you're welcomed to walk around the farm and interact with the animals. At night, enjoy the sounds of serenity while roasting marshmallows at our wine barrel fire pit! The "Hay Barn" cottage is a studio with high ceilings, a beautiful stained glass window, a kitchenette and a rustically chic bathroom. The Hay Barn sleeps 3; one queen bed with a twin pull out. Please let us know ahead of time if you need the pullout and you MUST put the accurate number of people who are staying here. If you have more people in your group and don't want to share, please check out the main cottage, Hammie and the Treehouse in separate listings. Please keep in mind that we are not a "pretend farm" set up to simply attract people to our facility. This is an actual working farm where shepherdess, Natalie Redding (Nat Geo Wild's, Shear Madness) and her working dogs, Lacey, Lad and Nesta work every day. This means there is dirt, dust, chickens, peacocks, alfalfa, sheep, bugs, and other living beings associated with nature and farm life. People who've not had the opportunity to experience the beautiful and grounding life on a working farm may not understand this. I do stress that if you're an animal lover who is excited about staying at a true working farm, your co-guests may not share your verve. Please let them know there is dirt, dust, very little concrete or pavement, and they will surely leave with dust on their shoes. That said, I'm a frequent Louboutin wearer and I regularly chassé in my stilettos; dirt ground and all. Interested about life on a working sheep ranch? Check out Airbnb's Farm Experience!
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$250
 / night
  • Horsetel River Retreat
  • Horsetel River Retreat
  • Horsetel River Retreat
100%
(5)

Horsetel River Retreat

8 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents2 acres · Fallbrook, CA
Settle in and saddle up for an unforgettable experience that combines the freedom of the road with the serenity of the ranch. We can't wait to welcome you to a piece of paradise! Whether you're seeking relaxation or an adventure, our place offers the perfect setting for a relaxing getaway. Explore the local charm of arts, wineries, festivals, and nearby trails off the beaten path. Bring your horses and have a peaceful place to stay while attending equine events in San Diego County and Temecula. Our ranch provides the perfect base for discovering the unique offerings of this quaint town and rugged terrain. We have direct access to the Santa Margarita River Trails, a three minute drive; which are famous for world-class hiking, mountain biking and horse riding along the last free-flowing river in Southern California. We are also a 20-minute drive to Old Town Temecula, 30-minute drive to the beach in Oceanside and 15-minute drive to the east gate of Camp Pendleton. In 1-2 hours, you can also get to Mount Palomar, Julian, Idyllwild, San Diego, Orange County and other destinations. We offer a camping spot large enough for your own trailer, RV or tents next to our barn. You can also select the add-on for our trailer to be set up and ready for your arrival (this option will appear at checkout). There is an outdoor shower and rustic water closet, as well as water and electric hookups. Please see the site descriptions or inquire for any additional details. Traveling with horses? They have room to stay in our Horsetel too! We have up to 5 stalls available in a covered barn, complete with automatic waterers, feeding mats, wash rack, round pen and fenced pasture. Any horses staying must be in good health and up to date on all vaccines. We can arrange for a trail guide to take you and your horses on the local trails, as well (trails are advanced terrain). **When reserving stalls for your horses, select only one guest for the sites to show as available. Horse stalls may not be booked without owners booking the campsite for the same duration. Boarding is not available.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$22
 / night
  • Refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cream and sugar provided
  • Fenced and gated deck to keep your fur babies secure
  • Refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cream and sugar provided
100%
(5)

Lazy Y Guest Ranch

4 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Aguanga, CA
Secluded, freshly renovated 21' Toy Hauler. Roomy fenced deck, and propane grill in a little high valley east of Warner Springs. A million stars! Four great wineries, roadhouse bar and grill, live music, glider and horseback riding, Elim Hot Springs all close by. Explore Anza Borrego and Julian. Adjacent to California Riding and Hiking Trail; hike to Mexico or Canada. Miles of trails to explore outside your door! Only 30 minutes to world class Temecula Valley wineries. Horses and dogs welcome.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$40
 / night
  • JP Longstock Ranch
  • JP Longstock Ranch
  • JP Longstock Ranch
Booked 2 times

JP Longstock Ranch

2 sites · Lodging10 acres · Campo, CA
This is a historical property in campo California. A great old west town with an interesting history behind it. This particular property was where the Buffalo soldiers kept their working horses close to 100 years ago in what is now the last standing original buffalo soldier barn. Old artifacts and handmade tack can still be found in the giant rustic barn. The barn is now used to breed unique crossbred horses that have gained Note-oriety, and have been featured on the cover of magazines, including the Boot Barn campaign (who intend to use the barn in in future photo shoots) as well as use famous spotted horse, Confettis American Warrior in the next ad campaign being shot in Hollywood next month. We tried to keep the barn with its original charm and added some world class beautiful horses that are available for riding around the property and/or photoshoots during your stay for an additional cost. We have extra stalls available for people who would like to bring their own horses for a unique camping experience including riding your horse in Camp Locket and along the USA/America border wall. Lots of space for trailer and very secure stalls in the barn. We are just starting out doing this, but have the options of staying in a brand new shed yet to be converted, in the barn inside an old stall to have a real authentic experience where the soldiers used to rest or a tent overlooking the old historical barn and the fabulous horses (right now we have babies!). We have multiple cross fences fenced areas including stalls and areas for your dog but will need to discuss details beforehand. We are very pet and people friendly.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$125
 / night

Star Hosts in San Diego

  • Horsetel River Retreat
  • Horsetel River Retreat
  • Horsetel River Retreat
100%
(5)

Horsetel River Retreat

8 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents2 acres · Fallbrook, CA
Settle in and saddle up for an unforgettable experience that combines the freedom of the road with the serenity of the ranch. We can't wait to welcome you to a piece of paradise! Whether you're seeking relaxation or an adventure, our place offers the perfect setting for a relaxing getaway. Explore the local charm of arts, wineries, festivals, and nearby trails off the beaten path. Bring your horses and have a peaceful place to stay while attending equine events in San Diego County and Temecula. Our ranch provides the perfect base for discovering the unique offerings of this quaint town and rugged terrain. We have direct access to the Santa Margarita River Trails, a three minute drive; which are famous for world-class hiking, mountain biking and horse riding along the last free-flowing river in Southern California. We are also a 20-minute drive to Old Town Temecula, 30-minute drive to the beach in Oceanside and 15-minute drive to the east gate of Camp Pendleton. In 1-2 hours, you can also get to Mount Palomar, Julian, Idyllwild, San Diego, Orange County and other destinations. We offer a camping spot large enough for your own trailer, RV or tents next to our barn. You can also select the add-on for our trailer to be set up and ready for your arrival (this option will appear at checkout). There is an outdoor shower and rustic water closet, as well as water and electric hookups. Please see the site descriptions or inquire for any additional details. Traveling with horses? They have room to stay in our Horsetel too! We have up to 5 stalls available in a covered barn, complete with automatic waterers, feeding mats, wash rack, round pen and fenced pasture. Any horses staying must be in good health and up to date on all vaccines. We can arrange for a trail guide to take you and your horses on the local trails, as well (trails are advanced terrain). **When reserving stalls for your horses, select only one guest for the sites to show as available. Horse stalls may not be booked without owners booking the campsite for the same duration. Boarding is not available.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$22
 / night
  • Refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cream and sugar provided
  • Fenced and gated deck to keep your fur babies secure
  • Refrigerator, coffee maker, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cream and sugar provided
100%
(5)

Lazy Y Guest Ranch

4 sites · Lodging, RVs, Tents10 acres · Aguanga, CA
Secluded, freshly renovated 21' Toy Hauler. Roomy fenced deck, and propane grill in a little high valley east of Warner Springs. A million stars! Four great wineries, roadhouse bar and grill, live music, glider and horseback riding, Elim Hot Springs all close by. Explore Anza Borrego and Julian. Adjacent to California Riding and Hiking Trail; hike to Mexico or Canada. Miles of trails to explore outside your door! Only 30 minutes to world class Temecula Valley wineries. Horses and dogs welcome.
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$40
 / night
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
  • Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch
100%
(1)

Hay Barn on Working Sheep Ranch

1 site · Lodging5 acres · Temecula, CA
NOTE: Namaste Farms is a true working farm with copious amounts of sheep, goats, chickens, peafowl, and countless other animals. Along with those, we have free range squirrels, rabbits, flies, dust and yes, even free range spiders. If you're wanting a rustic experience that gives you a break from city life and you can handle dust, dirt, cobwebs (and these can happen over night inside your cottage and WILL be in the common areas), with sounds of animals vocalizing at all hours of the day and night, then Namaste Farms is a perfect fit for you. While most guests (and your hosts) see the idiosyncrasies and obvious cohabitation with animals and bugs beautiful, you may not. If your primary focus is on amenities, and you're looking for a completely dust/dirt, cobweb/bug, and animal/animal sound free experience, a working farm is probably not a good fit for you. We are dog friendly, but to keep our free range animals safe (and we have had them injured or killed by people not recognizing that dogs are predatory by nature), please keep your dog easily under control and on a short leash at all times. Also, because it's not possible to control your dog on a long line, dogs may NOT be tied or tethered anywhere on the property. For the sake of the antique furniture, do not leave your dog alone in the cottage unless they are crate trained and in a crate. If you want to let your dog off leash, 2 blocks down our road (and off property), there is a large scrub field where you can let your dog run free. Thank you for supporting this 501c3 charity where all the revenue goes to support the animals and the large number of dogs we foster from high kill shelters. This booking is for the Hay Barn cottage located at Namaste Farms in the heart of Temecula's Wine Country. This is a beautiful and quiet (with the exception of animal/farm sounds) private working farm situated down a wide and maintained disintegrated granite/dirt rd. While the cottage is only 1/2 a mile from the city limits, it has a rural feel and is centrally located to all wineries and most of the major equestrian facilities including Galway Downs, Green Acres and California Ranch Company. For those who are coming to Temecula for horse shows, we also have a large barn with bedded stalls and turnouts (for an additional fee). There are designated horse trails right outside our gates which will even take you to Galway Downs. If you're into golf, you can enjoy Temecula's 7 PGA golf courses or Pechanga Casino which are also within a short driving distance to the farm. If horses or golf isn't your thing, you can visit Temecula Valley wineries which are all within 1/2-3.8 miles of the cottage gates. The wineries are not within walking distance of each other, and if you want to peruse all of them, we can arrange a driver for you (30.00/hour) who will drive (Jaguar) and take you anywhere within Temecula/Murrieta while happily waiting for you so you can quickly go to your next destination. If you're not interested in any of the above activities and simply want a "staycation," you can hang out here where you're welcomed to walk around the farm and interact with the animals. At night, enjoy the sounds of serenity while roasting marshmallows at our wine barrel fire pit! The "Hay Barn" cottage is a studio with high ceilings, a beautiful stained glass window, a kitchenette and a rustically chic bathroom. The Hay Barn sleeps 3; one queen bed with a twin pull out. Please let us know ahead of time if you need the pullout and you MUST put the accurate number of people who are staying here. If you have more people in your group and don't want to share, please check out the main cottage, Hammie and the Treehouse in separate listings. Please keep in mind that we are not a "pretend farm" set up to simply attract people to our facility. This is an actual working farm where shepherdess, Natalie Redding (Nat Geo Wild's, Shear Madness) and her working dogs, Lacey, Lad and Nesta work every day. This means there is dirt, dust, chickens, peacocks, alfalfa, sheep, bugs, and other living beings associated with nature and farm life. People who've not had the opportunity to experience the beautiful and grounding life on a working farm may not understand this. I do stress that if you're an animal lover who is excited about staying at a true working farm, your co-guests may not share your verve. Please let them know there is dirt, dust, very little concrete or pavement, and they will surely leave with dust on their shoes. That said, I'm a frequent Louboutin wearer and I regularly chassé in my stilettos; dirt ground and all. Interested about life on a working sheep ranch? Check out Airbnb's Farm Experience!
Pets
Potable water
Toilets
from 
$250
 / night
Value Prop
Value Prop

Barns near San Diego guide

Overview

It's easy to enjoy the best of the southern California lifestyle in sunny San Diego, just 30 minutes north of the California-Mexico border. A multicultural metropolis, it’s also blessed with a rich history, natural beauty, and more than 60 beaches and 70 miles of coastline. Mild temperatures and sunny weather makes it ideal for year-round camping and outdoor recreation. Numerous camping options within San Diego county and nearby make it easy for campers to spend the night under the stars, fall asleep to the soothing sound of the surf, or wake up under a canopy of trees.

Frequently asked questions about camping near San Diego

Can you camp overnight on the beach in San Diego?

Yes, you can go beach camping in San Diego in certain areas, but camping in the sand is pretty much forbidden on public land. Still, bluff-top beach campsites and RV spots can be booked at South Carlsbad State Beach and San Elijo State Beach, while Silver Strand State Beach offers only RV camping with water and electric hookups. It is illegal to sleep overnight at Mission Beach. Find more beach camping near San Diego.

Where can you camp for free in San Diego?

Most dispersed BLM camping near San Diego is free, but some campsites do require a fee, and Leave No Trace principles always apply. Cleveland National Forest allows permitted, dispersed camping, and within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park near Julian (a 2-hour drive from the city), Fish Creek and Blair Valley Campground are popular primitive camping spots.

Are San Diego County Parks open for camping?

San Diego County Parks are open for camping, as are California state parks near San Diego like Cuyamaca Canyon State Park and Palomar Mountain State Park. Within San Diego County, you can go camping at nearly a dozen regional parks, including William Heise County Park, Agua Caliente County Park, and Guajome Regional Park, all of which have either camping cabins or tent campsites.

Where can I buy camping gear in San Diego?

San Diego is home to a number of camping goods stores, where you can buy camping supplies, backpacking gear, and RV essentials. Big names include REI in Clairemont, Walmart, 5.11 Tactical off of I-8 in Mission Valley, and Big 5 Sporting Goods (near Old Town), all in addition to the locally owned Nomad Ventures in Escondido. TopoTerra is a downtown San Diego outpost for camping gear rentals.

Is car camping legal in San Diego?

Car camping is illegal on San Diego city streets. Different from temporary camping, the city has a "vehicle habitation ban," meaning it is illegal to sleep overnight or live in a car in San Diego. It’s also illegal to park an oversized vehicle or RV overnight (between 2 and 6am) on public San Diego streets without a permit. Your safest bet for car camping in San Diego is in designated camping areas, like a private Hipcamp campsite just outside of town.

Can you camp anywhere in San Diego?

No, you cannot camp anywhere in San Diego County (even if car camping or backpacking), but camping is allowed in San Diego in some state parks, on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, and on some private lands where you can find professional campgrounds, RV parks, or Hipcamps.

Where to go

San Diego and Coronado

Stay close to downtown San Diego at a private camping, glamping, or RV park, like the family-friendly Campland at Mission Bay. Across San Diego Bay, Silver Strand State Beach offers RV sites near Coronado, and further inland, Sweetwater Summit Regional Park has campsites with hookups and an aquatic playground. Stay in a floating cabin, or lakeside tent or RV site at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, or head near the border, where the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park offers campground, yurts, and a diverse ecosystem. For a unique experience, camp overnight in the San Diego Zoo.

Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, and San Clemente

Head north along the coast for endless waves, sandy stretches, and the ultimate beach camping experience, with several public oceanfront camping options. Many beach campgrounds are situated on bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and offer great ocean views and water access, along with picnic tables, fire pits, restrooms, and camp stores. Options include the popular San Elijo State Beach near Cardiff, South Carlsbad State Beach, San Onofre State State Beach, and San Clemente State Beach. In Oceanside, camp with your RV at Harbor Beach.

Julian

For a camping trip getaway in the mountains, head inland to the gold rush town of Julian. Go hiking and biking along the extensive trail network at Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, or play in Lake Cuyamaca, with spacious camping spots at Green Valley and Paso Picacho. William Heise County Park offers tent camping, RV camping, and cabins, while you can enjoy a high desert camping experience at Vallecito County Park. Nearby Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offers hundreds of miles of trails, great stargazing, and developed, primitive, and dispersed campsites. For forests and wilderness camping, head north into the Cleveland National Forest.

When to go

San Diego's mild weather and many sunny days make it a year-round destination. It's especially busy over the summer when everyone flocks to the ocean and beaches, and the city hosts numerous festivals. Visit in spring and fall to escape the crowds, but still enjoy nice weather. Spring is also a great time for wildflowers in nearby Coronado, Carlsbad, and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Expect some rain showers and cold ocean water in winter.

Know before you go

  • Although San Diego has a public bus and trolley system, you'll want a car to get around easily, especially to venture further up the coast or inland.
  • Beach campgrounds are very popular, especially in summer, so book campsites well in advance. 
  • Be aware of fire restrictions and bans. Some beaches do not allow campfires.
  • Bring or rent a wetsuit if you plan on being in the water in winter.
  • Pets are prohibited at many San Diego beaches and park trails.

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