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    San Mateo Campground

    3.5 (118 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

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    Alex J.

    Great location, not too far of a drive to the beach. Pros: - quiet -clean grounds - great views around the grounds - Safe Cons: - the showers - not all the bathrooms work

    Trestles Beach
    Ibjawge G.

    I don't really want to broadcast the charms of this park but it is so nice and relaxing. We spent four weeknights and it was so quiet and peaceful, with much screened privacy at each site. No cell service so best to bring Starlink for cell and internet. Beach is about 1 1/2 miles away.

    The trail to the beach. Lots of pooches. (Shhh not allowed on the beach tho)
    Johanna S.

    Clean and spacious campground BUT not close to the beach. It's a good mile and a half plus. Maybe 40 mins to walk there. And not shaded so your kids will think it's forever and a day. We still had to drive and walk some more. So yes. It was not beach camping. If you just want something cheap to overnight near the beach it's a great base. Lots of super markets and food within a 10 minute drive in case you forgot ketchup like we did.

    Non thieving rabbits
    Jordan K.

    The rats didn't get my food. Not a single bee in sight. The thieving squirrels were replaced with cute rabbits. The trumpets made a great alarm My wood wasn't stolen.

    Campsite #138
    Larry N.

    We stayed here recently with another couple, reserving 2 adjacent campsites. (#138 and #135.) We were in 138...it was large enough for our cabin tent and a canopy that we used to cover the site picnic table. There is a water right across the road, and the restrooms are about 100' away. We did have fire rings at both sites, and the camp host at the entrance sold wood. The restrooms had flush toilets and pay per use showers. We were there Sunday - Thursday...and no issues with noise or parties in our loop, it was very quiet, except for the Marines a few mornings blowing stuff up. The beach trail to the ocean is right nearby, it is a long walk...about 30 minutes up and down a hill, under PCH with little or no shade.

    Lots of wildlife
    Robert H.

    There are RV sites and tent sites in this beautiful campground. However, for some reason there are a ton of tent people staying in the RV sites. Lots of people with barking dogs and music playing outside all day Saturday and Saturday night. It was nice and quiet Sunday and Monday. As Sunday turned back into just RV owners at the RV sites and the noise level was gone and the barking dogs. If you're using the public restroom, check the floor before you drop your drawers. People can't seem to get it into the toilet. There are lots of squirrels and hawks, swallows, little knat bugs, and rabbits. You are allowed to burn wood in their designated fire pits. We have Verizon and T-Mobile cell phones. Neither had any cell coverage in any location of the campground, whether the RV sites or the tent area or day use area. I repeat we had NO cell coverage with our Verizon or T-Mobile cell phones in any location of this campground. Our cell phone booster could not find a signal either. We were surprised to find we had no coverage as all reviews we read on campground said Verizon was fine there. Sites are clean and fairly level. RV sites are paved. They have parking stops at the back, but that was not an issue with our rear entry Travel trailer. Lots of vegetation around rv sites so you have some privacy. No sites have sewer, but they do have a dump station that you can go to on your way out of the park. It's a Double dump station that charges you $10 to dump even though you've just spent $70 a night to camp here. (Just a heads up). We rated this campground a 4 due to also having to pay for dump station.

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    3 years ago

    Great privacy, clean bathrooms, great views and trails! It's quiet and clean bathrooms! Definitely recommend staying here!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - San Mateo Campground

    Can a motor home camp in the tent area?

    Yes, motorhomes and trailers are allowed in tent campsites, however, there are no hookups.

    What time is checkin?

    2:00pm

    Are there fire pits there? I've seen reviews saying yes and no so I'm confused...

    We have stayed in 2 separate campsites last year, and yes, both had fire pits

    Anyone get decent AT&T cell phone service here? How many bars? Thanks!

    One bar the most. It depends a lot on the location of your campsite.

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    Review Highlights - San Mateo Campground

    The campsites have a beautiful view and they are decent size (not huge, but still way bigger than the sites at San Onofre's BLUFFS campground).

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    The Holidays - We stayed at the Muir and the Drifter. Very rustic but the kids had a blast!

    The Holidays

    4.4(28 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    This place could be an amazing experience BUT it is very rustic and amenities are not what you…read moreexpect. The bathrooms reek of urine, the shower only accepts tokens so take dollar bills not quarters. The showers only have hot water so our grandkids had a difficult time taking a shower which was needed due to beach trip. Access to the beach is not an easy walk for older people like me. Our grandkids had a blast playing at the beach so we just tried to make the best of our time together. Please fix the screens, You can see the concept is very inviting but not the place for the people who have any sort of health issues.

    I organized a long-awaited Girl Scout reunion for 11 of us--5 moms and 6 girls--and we were…read morethrilled to book two 20' bell tents at The Holidays on the San Mateo campground. We paid $490 upfront for one night of glamping, knowing it was steep but worth it for the convenience. With busy schedules across five families, one night was all we could coordinate. When we arrived at the Ranger station, I was told we weren't on the list for Saturday night. Instead, my name was marked as a no-show for the previous night. I showed my reservation confirmation, but the Ranger explained the tents were run by a third party and gave me the owner's number. My calls went to voicemail. Hipcamp's customer service didn't respond. Eventually, Andy--the owner--called back. Turns out, Andy had double-booked our tents and claimed the other guests were already settled in--even though we arrived before check-in. He had no backup accommodations to offer. I was stunned. We had packed cars with food, clothes, firewood, and supplies. This trip had been planned for six months. I had to call two other moms mid-drive and tell them to turn around. We scrambled to find two hotel rooms so the girls could still have a mini reunion, but it was more expensive and nowhere near the experience we'd envisioned. To top it off, Andy asked me, "Haven't you ever made a mistake?" That's not how you handle a business error that disrupts five families' plans. This wasn't a simple mistake--it was a complete failure in communication, accountability, and customer service. Think twice before booking with The Holidays.

    Photos
    The Holidays - Family time!

    Family time!

    The Holidays - Matador red trailer, also called The Muir

    Matador red trailer, also called The Muir

    The Holidays - What to do with the otherwise useless push lights included with the campers ...

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    What to do with the otherwise useless push lights included with the campers ...

    San Clemente State Beach - IG: @yin_futography

    San Clemente State Beach

    3.8(194 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    This beach is really nice and clean as well as spacious. They have a cool pier that stretches over…read morethe water and has a good seafood restaurant right at the beginning. They also have a large downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants as well. A very nice outting. Parking is pretty tough to find along the streets, but they have a parking lot nearby.

    Lots of wildlife tucked into bluffs for you to enjoy. Pet…read moreowners and parents beware: Coyotes found a place to stay near the park's entrance. Many different birds fly through and stop in the enormous trees surrounding the campground. Squirrels dot the bluffs and duck into burrows. There are a few bathroom facilities that could use maintenance or repair / update. Most are fine and cleaned regularly by dedicated and kind staff. There is group camping, non hookup camping, and full hookup camping. A dump station and clean fill station on the way to the day lot. Quieter campground vibe than neighboring Doheny / Bluffs in my experience. The way down to the beach from the campground lot is a nicely graded path but it is very steep in places, beware stroller and wagon tuggers or those with heart conditions. If you drive right down Calafia to the end the beach is easier to access on foot. A cute state park gift shop is open from late morning to afternoon. The beach is more of a bodysurfing and swimming beach most days are shore breaks. They do have areas for each activity marked with flags. It's a relatively busy beach but not to the point of you having to walk far to find a comfortable spot. If you have the state parks pass and haven't been here, its so close the freeway there's no point in not making it a relaxed stop when road tripping. Safe travels and have fun!

    Photos
    San Clemente State Beach - IG: @yin_futography

    IG: @yin_futography

    San Clemente State Beach - Quiet little setup for us.

    Quiet little setup for us.

    San Clemente State Beach - IG: @yin_futography

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    IG: @yin_futography

    San Mateo Campground - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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