This is my third time to camp at this campground. The first two times were a few years ago. I can't believe I haven't reviewed it yet. Although I didn't this time around walk to the beach you must if the weather permits. If it's not too hot or too cold. It's a short walk maybe a mile. It's not paved and in some parts it is narrow. It's along side the road but a barrier does separate you from the road. But the beach is beautiful. My campsite on this visit was in the first grouping. I was at campsite 38 which had a water spigot and electrical hookup. Also at the site is a fire ring and wooden picnic table. It had a good size dirt area for a couple of tents. During this visit this time of the year were plenty of squirrels running around. Now I have heard stories of car cables being chewed up at other campgrounds so there could be that possibility here too. When we went for a walk, we noticed a blinking device under someone's truck. Not sure if that was to deter critters. So the dirt area at the site is not level in some spots and there are squirrel holes as well. Wood is available at check in for $10 a bundle. Occasionally the rangers will drive by checking if anyone needs to purchase wood. You have privacy on both sides with the help of some shrubs. Behind the site 38 it is open, but shrubs from other sites help with blocking their site. Since I had privacy on the sides I chose to set up my hammock on one side. The restrooms/showers are just about 7 sites away. Restrooms are pretty clean and showers. Showers are coin operated and they do have a coin machine at one side of the building. I did see the staff there in the mornings cleaning the restrooms. Garbage pick up could be daily at 8 or 9 am. We were there a couple of days when they did pick ups. Staff at the time of my check-in didn't leave a good impression. But I heard the person ahead was not so nice. You will hear traffic noise from the freeway and occasionally artillery training from Camp Pendleton. Views are nice from the sites on the outside of the circle. i would definitely camp here again. read more

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It's a nice camp overall, the facilities are decent, a bit rough, but they're getting used 24/7 at a rather large campground. The weather was hot and extremely humid in the evenings, but the area is beautiful with plenty of wildlife, and a quick 1.6 mile hike takes you to Trestles. :) read more

San Mateo Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

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GLamping in the new Bell Tents! My 2 besties and I went glamping for 2 nights. I should have booked a 3rd. Our original site was just swarmed with bees, luckily there was another site available. Easy transition. The bell tent was clean, lots of space to change , sleep 4 pple. They supply towels, board games, fans, and couple lanterns ( later i found out i could charge me phone with) we also added the kitchen kit. Has really everything you need even a coffee perculator. They included a tub and soap and dish towel. We over packed . But had a great time by fire. No cell service, very spotty. Beach is only 1.5 miles away. And they are so close to bathroom and showers. Buy tokens 3 was plenty. Staff was so nice and helpful. The Holidays Camp was very attentive nice. read more

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We loved our trip to this campsite. First off, the campground had everything we needed: bathrooms, water, dumpster. Other campers were friendly and it was safe for kids to ride their scooters and bikes around. The campsites were a good size. Campsites are separated with bushes/trees that act like a hedge for privacy. There was a picnic table and fire ring with a grill on it. We had plenty of space for a canopy and a 6 man tent. We definitely could have fit another 6 man tent too. The driveways were long. We camped during a heat advisory during the summer but it wasn't a problem because during the day, we had the windows of our tent open for the breeze to pass through and when you were in the shade the wind made it a perfect temperature. Great location. You have a 1.5 mile one way hike to the beach, less than a mile hike to the San Clemente trolley station, quick drive to San Clemente. We even did a quick drive to Oceanside. read more

San Mateo Campground - Campsite with plenty of space - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

Stayed in Campsite 106 Its on the corner of the road, so it's pretty exposed to all the cars that come in and out of the camping loop. The sites adjacent to it are much better. Cons: - 1/2 the bathrooms were closed - T-Mobile Cell Service sucks (If you have a WeBoost, you can get up to 3. Verizon works good. Bars). - Nothing in the immediate area to get supplies, you need to drive out. Pros: - Its away from the freeway, so you don't hear cars - Trail down to the beach (1.5 miles) - Big campground if you have kids and they want to ride bikes around - Huge lots and clean; pave driveways. read more

San Mateo Campground - site 106 - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

Space #45 I stayed at San Mateo Campground in site 45 and had such a great experience! The site itself was spacious, level, and offered a nice mix of sun and shade throughout the day. It felt private without being too isolated, which made it perfect for relaxing while still being close enough to the bathrooms and water. The campground was clean and well maintained, and the camp hosts were friendly and helpful -- you could tell they really take pride in the place. What really stood out was how peaceful it was in the evenings. This campground is just a quick drive or a nice bike ride to the beach, which made it super convenient. Overall, site #45 turned out to be one of my favorite spots in Southern California camping. I'd definitely stay here again. Restroom and trash bins are close by but far away you don't hear the foot traffic. Showers available. $1 for two tokens. Each token = 2 mins. Cleaned daily. read more

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Great privacy, nice bathrooms, pretty scenery, no noise issues (at least during the week). The walk to trestles beach is gorgeous - but it's more of a 1.5 hike. Only nitpick is that the shower token dispensers were a hit or miss. We had to walk to three different dispensers one night. read more

The spots were a little cramped without any space between them. There were lots of holes and pits in the ground so you need to watch where you step. The restrooms were not too bad. Was a little disappointed that the beach wasn't closer (too far to walk). Had to pay $15 for every car that entered even though the campsite holds 3 car in each spot. read more

Always a nice place to camp. Recently though it seems there aren't enough showers and restrooms OPEN to accommodate their customers. Nobody wants to wait an excessive amount of time for these facilities when you see others but they're locked up. Is it funding? read more

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 read more

San Mateo Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Everything was great . Things that made it tough to rate higher. Ton of bathrooms out of order. No dish washing sinks available. The dump was not available. Seems like they have some major plumbing issues . Other than that showers were warm, they stayed on seemingly longer than other state beaches. Sites are narrow but nice. 59 had a ton of real estate read more

This is a great place to get off the grid a bit Minimal cell service and no Wi-Fi Great for families Good walking running hiking trails Great for bikes Dogs must be on leash Great for kids! We went with our parents and our one year old over a weekend and minus the weather we had a Great time We saw one rat. But that's a given it's outdoors. Employees and camp hosts were friendly and helpful! Beach is 1.8 miles away from campground We went in an rv and we had water and electricity hookups Campground does have a $10 dump station. Overall great experience!!! read more

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. read more

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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. read more

San Mateo Campground - The trail to the beach. Lots of pooches. (Shhh not allowed on the beach tho) - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

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The campsites are spacious, with bushes providing partial shade. Each site has a picnic table and a fire pit, which is convenient. Overall, the campsites themselves are good. However, the management of the facilities needs serious improvement. For every 50 campsites, there is only one toilet and shower building. This would be fine if all of the toilets and showers were open, but the state park keeps most of them closed--even on a fully booked Labor Day weekend. That left 50 campsites sharing just 2 toilets and 1 shower. Not surprisingly, the toilets were dirty, often out of paper, and lines were common. In the afternoon, the shower line was consistently about 10-15 people long. Even at off-peak times, long waits were unavoidable. Another issue is that showers require tokens, but some of the token machines were out of order. The facilities clearly need closer attention and better maintenance. I like this campground, but with these facility problems, I can't give it more than two stars. I hope the park addresses these issues soon. read more

One of our favorite campgrounds. Just be aware it's not full hookup, only water & power with a good dump station on site. Friendly staff always. Most spots are good sized and fairly private with trees between. Clean bathrooms & showers. Nice and peaceful during the week usually. But beware, there are people who like to be loud and rowdy and disregard the rules of quiet time. We had to report a couple folks the next day to the rangers because they were playing their music and talking so loud even at 3AM; we could hear it with all our windows closed and heater on. They were even 2 street rows down and we could hear it. The camp host was only a few spots away from them so we were surprised they didn't ask them to be quiet...maybe they weren't there that night. The rangers must have said something to them because the next night, which was a weekend night, both trailers were very quiet. read more

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. read more

San Mateo Campground - Non thieving rabbits - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

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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. read more

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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. read more

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What a great find at the county line of Orange and San Diego counties. Great set up for one or more nights of outdoor camping. Each lot is situated with a mini-driveway, a picnic table and a fire pit. The fire pit has a removable grill so you can cook up dinner. You can set your tent along the bushes or open area, depending on the lot number that you choose. I do suggest that you bring folding chairs and even a folding table as their picnic tables are infested with ants. I would not suggest laying out your dinner plates on their tables as the ants will have their share of your food before you do. Also be very careful driving around your chosen lot. There are large wooden safety barriers around each lot. They are very low to the ground and unable to be seen when you are driving. I made the mistake of taking the corner too sharply as I pulled out of my lot and caused some significant damage alongside my truck. Park officials should attach some sort of warning device high enough for drivers to see at those outermost barriers. Otherwise, it was a good experience camping in a nice area with nice weather (less than 2 miles from the beach). Public bathrooms are available within any lot you choose. Pretty clean for the most part. Also showers are available (50 cents for 2 minutes). It requires tokens provided at a machine adjacent to each facility. So if you want a quick shower, bring dollar bills for the tokens. One last item: the reservation website can be confusing. Locating "San Mateo Campgrounds" falls under "San Onofre". But once you're in, it's pretty simple to maneuver. read more

We found staff to be dishonest, smug, and argumentative. The campground is too close to a major freeway to be quiet and serene. We were told over the phone it would be $45 per night per spot, but upon leaving they forced us to pay $70. $70 for a fire pit, a picnic table and pay showers - in the off-season. It was flat out extortion. For $70, we could have purchased a motel room and got a better night sleep. Seriously. You're better off sleeping in your car for free at the rest stop a few miles south. It has the same bathrooms and is closer to the ocean, and fun, friendly squirrels. Save your money and avoid this place. read more

We've been coming here for years. The campsite has always been beautiful. The bathrooms, well-maintained and the facilities as well. However, this time, we had a different experience for sure. we booked late last night as we were coming in after hours- Upon arrival It was already dark, we set up camp and then walked to the bathrooms only to find that every single shower was out of service. It didn't have a map showing where the other shower were on the campgrounds.. Though we knew where they were, I'm sure many other paying campers did not. As the state of the bathroom sinks and bathrooms looking like somebody had had a water gun fight in them showed the people had been using them to wash up in due to the lack of functioning showers . I realize that at times facilities can be out of service, but there was no mention of this on the website when we reserved. I would've expected with the 8.95 additional booking fee that is now in stated would provide up-to-date information on the sites you're actually booking at. People who book an ADA site, elderly people, people with very young children or people that just might not feel comfortable wandering around in the pitch dark trying to find a shower facility if they're camping by themselves would've been stuck paying $53+ dollars for a campsite that didn't have shower facilities. * note the other showers are a significant distance away. You actually have to leave the camping area you're in and go to one either up the road or down the road. On top of that, we've always had wonderful experiences with the park, rangers and staff that work at these facilities. Though the hosts of the area were ok, the man was cordial, however the woman with him did insuate that I was in fact line and did not pay for a site. We mistakenly parked in the site that was empty next to the site that we were meant to park at. As I explained, we didn't have any service when we got down there and I couldn't remember if it was 132, or 134. Normally, I would simply shrug this off that she didn't have enough coffee this morning, but upon coming up to the front kiosk to check out and confirm that we had indeed paid, yvette at the front was rude and agitated and shouted at me when I tried to come up and check out. Though, a thanks to the young man that was there helping her. For some reason she was unable to see my name under the campsite number that we had reserved yet he was able to look over her shoulder and point it out right away. I realize that this is a thankless job at times and I realize that there are people that come in late and then leave early to evade paying the fee. As there was actually at least two people that we saw do this. However, as someone who has worked many thankless jobs for many years, kindness goes along way. Simply put your bad day or bad mood should not represent the facilities you work for nor should you be subjecting patrons who are coming at you pleasantly and comply with the rules to being treated like some scam artist. Don't get me wrong, will be back because it is a beautiful campground, but we definitely will not be staying in this part of the campsite. We will stick to the upper area 1 through 65. Where we have never had a bad experience yet. And we will do our best to not make a human error so as to avoid a bummer of a morning that really ruined our vibe. read more

Great location for beach and surfing but pretty much nothing else. Showers: pitch dark, no lighting available unless you shower with a flashlight. One dollar gives you 2 tokens which last maybe 1 minute. Trailers can have hook-ups except sewer, though there is a dump site on property. Loud! Until late at night you have parties on weekends that are not policed by camp hosts. Mosquitoes: unrelenting, all day, all night. Cell service: basically non existent. Not sure what you could do in an emergency. Camp Hosts: if you can find any, good luck. The Hosts near us were not very friendly. Rangers and Hired help: very nice, always pleasant. They helped a lot. Fairly sure we won't be back. read more

Came here to spend the day at the campground one weekend and loved our experience. The gate attendant was polite and guided us to our parking spot. We had a large parking spot enough for 2 SUVs. We loved our camping area that was allocated to us. It had a large wooden bench, a fire pit. And the bathrooms were clean. read more

This was my first time camping and honestly, it was so much better than I expected! (I'm not your typical nature girl, but I think this experienced may have changed that!) - - B O O K I N G - - California State Park reservations are all done through reservecalifornia.com now. Reservations can be made up to 6 months in advance and judging by how packed EVERYTHING was when I was doing research...I highly recommend booking as early as possible! There is a $7.99 reservation fee in addition to the cost of the actual site (we paid $65 per night...this probably varies with the season). There's also a $7.99 cancellation fee, if you decide to cancel. This was technically under the San Onofre Campground. - - C A M P S I T E - - So if you have an extra vehicle, it's an extra $15 per night. I did notice a lot of cars parked on the streets near the exit to get to the campsite, so maybe that's another option if you don't feel like paying that. They also sell firewood there (sorry I can't remember how much it is...but it is cash only!) We had space 58 (hookup site for RVs). It comes with a grill and a picnic table. It also has electricity (30 Amps) and water which is always crucial! There are trees that are on each side of your campsite to separate you from your neighbors, but it's still not the most private area. While we were there, there were a lot of friendly families throughout the site. Plus it's DOG FRIENDLY! The bathrooms are also kept very clean (another pro!) and showers came with HOT WATER! They also have a change machine to give you tokens for the showers. So make sure you bring your 1, 5 and 10 dollar bills. Each dollar gives you 2 tokens and each token is 2 minutes. Aka each dollar gives you a 4 minute hot shower. There's also a 1.5 miles trail that takes you to the beach. Or you can take a quick drive over there. Parking for the beach is included with your campsite fee! Also, parking at the beach was easy to find while we were there. San Clemente is a beautiful beach town, I'd love to come back! It's a great beach for surfing and they also allow fishing at the San Clemente State Beach. read more

Great option for camping near Trestles. One and a half mile from the beach with a walking path from camp straight to beach. There are pay showers $2 for 4 minutes and clean toilets. Fire wood sold at the Kiosk for $7 bundle cash only. The staff at San Mateo are super friendly and helpful. Shout out to camp hosts Tayler and Shelly. The only bummer is that the military base is nearby and you do hear some bombs and gun sounds, but during the weekends it's fairly quiet. Ralph's is the closest spot for groceries in San Clemente(5 min drive from camp) and they also sell fire wood if you don't find the kiosk at the park open. read more

San Mateo Campground - Surf spot map and description - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

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Unfortunately, our stay wasn't the best. We were in spots 85 & 86 this September and aside from being super-hot that weekend, a partially eaten Rabbit in one of our spots and some of the bathrooms out of order, rodents (Squirrels or rats) got into the engine compartment on two of our three vehicles and chewed the wiring, multiple check engine lights on driving home. So, our inexpensive weekend camping trip cost us an additional $ 2000. We won't be coming back to San Mateo anytime soon. read more

The campground and sites deserve a 4 rating, but the bad taste from the staff just can't be overlooked... We arrived at 1pm and while check-in time is clearly stated as 2pm, the gentleman at the kiosk was super rude and told us we had to leave until 2pm and couldn't wait in the overflow lot more than 15 minutes. Totally understandable. As many other early arrivals, we parked on the main road and of course, at 2pm a huge line forms at the gate but that's fine. What irked me was that when we were let in finally at 2:30pm, maneuvered our 2 caravan party to our spots, someone was in our site - trailer only, no truck... So in the time that they should have been checking the grounds from noon-2pm, they didn't. They were so confused on what to do - told us to wait in the 15 minute lot until they could figure it out. We waited there until 4pm when the late camper finally showed up. A little niceness would have gone a long way but that initial interaction and the rude staffers really just soured the mood. Plus they charged an extra $15 for a vehicle on a spot that had a motorhome only - didn't make much sense to me considering if I said it was towed in they wouldn't have charged... With all that unpleasantness aside, the campground is really nice. Super spacious spots (we had #53 and #55), E/W hookups, nice dump station. The backs of our spots opened into a small clearing which was really nice for the kids to play in. We took a 15 minute drive to Mission San Juan Capistrano, hiked the mile trail to Trestles Beach, and had a nice couple nights. I could see coming back and hopefully the attitudes of the staffers will have improved. read more

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So many campgrounds were full, but I found a site here. 1.5 mile walk to the beach was okay. Not many campers, the noisiest sounds from the highway traffic. Watch your food as there are plenty of squirrels and rabbits in the area...did not see a mountain lion although a sign does warn you they can be in the area. Restroom was good, nice hot shower...buy tokens so you can use them. read more

Nice spots electrical and water spots are nicely secluded with bushes and trees restrooms are somewhat ok they do need to hoes down all the spiderwebs up buy the ceilings, showers are ok for state camp ground read more

The camp group has decent bathrooms and showers. They are cleaned every morning. We stayed at sites 147 and 148 They are very close to each other and we didn't have much privacy at all. 1 1/2 mile walk to the beach. 1st car parking is free. 2nd car pays $15 per day. Don't care for this campground. read more

Had a great time here with the family. We had a tent on a site with no hookups. Bathrooms are well maintained. Check in was smooth. We hiked to the beach and back. It was a nice hike to and from the beach. Very convenient location. The noise from the military training activity was minimal and didn't bother anyone. The brazen squirrels are a thing. Just keep an eye out for them and any open food or garbage they might get into. I would come back again. read more

Good things: Clean bathrooms. Coin showers. Instant warm water. Bad things: High premium on extra cars per campsite starting with the second car. Quiet hours aren't respected. Tips: Parking paid for camping covers all parking at nearby beaches, even those needed to be paid for by a machine. The folks at the campgrounds won't tell you this even as they slowly over charge you for your night's stay here. I'm not sure if this is a problem at this campsite but I'm hoping if it is the rangers will take notice and start acting towards a solution. Quiet hours were not respected during my stay. Folks were drunk and yelling passed 2am. Maybe I ran into a bad crowd of fellow campers but if it is a problem I think it would be a good idea for the rangers to just remind people as they checkin, when quiet hours are. If I'm dying to do a camping trip in this city I might come here, but I've definitely experienced better beach camping areas. read more

This is a nice campground, well defined sites, 68 sites with water & electricity, clean restrooms, best dump station ever, two mile walk to beach, courteous and helpful staff but seriously need to address the squirrel population. The squirrels are fearless and enter tents, vehicles and RVs - I know the whole respect 'nature' thing but these varmints are out of control. Trap, kill, and/or introduce birth control but do something, burrows are everywhere, look like land mines exploded. And what do 'camp host' do? The camp host sites are anything but campsites, they appear to be developed for long term existence, but look more like homeless encampments. On Friday nite a group celebrating a family reunion blasted their karaoke machine until after 11pm and it could be heard throughout campground but apparently asking someone to a serve the quiet hours is not in their job description. All in all still a good place but can be improved. read more

We camped here two weeks ago. Staff was friendly. I believe we paid $40 for one night. It was very low occupancy (probably because it was pretty cold). I thought that it was great no one was there because each camping spot is way too close to each other. We were lucky to have no one near us, but if we did have a neighbor they would be within a couple feet from us. The campgrounds was well-maintained, very clean, especially the bathrooms was clean and stocked with toilet paper. The only thing I'd say is bring a flashlight if you need to use the bathroom because there's no lighting (totally common on most camp grounds). The trail to the beach was a nice mini hike. The beach is very rocky but adds a unique scenic view. read more

San Mateo Campground - My pups on the beach - Campgrounds Near Me - San Clemente, California

Had a great time here. We had privacy with trees which a lot of the campgrounds have if you get a good spot. Beautiful time and the weather was perfect. Beach is a short drive if you don't feel like hiking. Four stars is for the beach 1.5 miles away and I can see some camp spots have no privacy. read more

Decided to try out this campground since it's pretty close to where we live. We booked site 133 and the site itself was pretty nice. Short walk to the bathroom/hot showers and upwind from from the dumpster bin. The back of the site opened up to a clearing where a lot kids played. Reason for the 3-star rating was because of the insane amounts of bees and hornets flying around the camp sites. I ended up getting stung by a hornet while setting up camp. Other than the bugs it was a nice campground to stay at for a weekend. read more

It's a nice place for couples I think. If you have family and the kids want to go to the beach it's about a 1 mile hike maybe a little longer, the beach is very rocky and your kids definitely won't be happy! Good thing At night it's beautiful !!! read more

Was super excited to try this campground, as it combines 'beach camping' with 'wilderness.' Definitely more on the wilderness side of things since as others have noted, the beach is 1.5 miles away. (I think I clocked it at 1.8 from our site -- 82). 82 was a fantastically large site. Compared to those around me, ours was HUGE. I enjoyed that, as it gave us an option of where to put the tent. This site -- at least in October -- affords both shade and sun. The only thing that didn't work about it was my tree hammock: the trees at this site were not far apart enough from each other (I have the REI DoubleNest). Decent restrooms, for a campground. There was some noise at night (people a few sites down partying around 2AM), but I had ear plugs, so it didn't bother me. Only reason I even knew was 'cos I went to the facilities. Lots of groups. Lots of kids. But everyone was very respectful. My ONLY complaint was there appeared to be a homeless person in a tent behind my site? Between my site and 84. I didn't complain, but in hindsight, perhaps should have said something. The campground host for our 'ring' wasn't there, so eh... I can't say I wanted to go out of my way. My bad. read more

We stayed here for four nights on our visit to San Diego. We camped our way to west coast from Texas and San Mateo campgrounds were one of the few campsites that were still available. Overall, our stay was wonderful and I really enjoyed my time here even though we used the campground to sleep. The camp is very close to Camp Pendleton so you will hear noises from training exercises every once in a while, but nothing to ever disturb your sleep at night. The campground is 15 minutes away from San Clemente, which we found comfort in knowing that if we ever needed anything or something to do we didn't have to drive all the way to San Diego. The park does allow dogs at no fee, however, they are not allowed on the beach. We did hike to the beach and carried them when we got there since we only stayed less than 10 minutes. The area of the beach had a sign that said Trestles and the waves looked crazy and wild. I would be careful with the little ones out there. The hike is suppose to be 1.5 miles, but I felt it was a little bit longer - probably cause of the hill. But it's doable and nothing to difficult. Not ideal for strollers or children not use to hiking uphill. On some days, the campsite was windy so be sure to stake your tent down. The sites are sandy dusty so wear appropriate shoes. We did accidentally drop some food on the ground without noticing and the next morning, the ants were all over. But generally, we didn't see ants roaming around or have that many flying bugs problem. There were some ants in the restroom though. I'm glad I chose to stay here compared to San Onofre Bluffs. Here at San Mateo, you get privacy even if you're camping in the inner circle of the camp loops. The inner loops are more perfect for family and group camping cause of the middle open space. There are several trees that divide the sites, unlike the bluffs where you're practically pitching your tent to your neighbor from what I saw driving on the freeway- looks like a tailgate party. In San Mateo, you're still close to your neighbor where you could sometimes here their conversations, but it's still enough privacy. We stayed in site #134. Showers are coin-operated with the campground tokens. There are change machines that only take dollar bills so bring your $1 and $5 bills. I had quarters and had to ask for change in the front. 1 token = 2 minutes and the water is already set to a hot temperature for you. They have water spigots available and dish washing station at the restrooms. Some of the restroom stalls have electricity. One downside about my campsite #134 were people were able to walk alongside the back of the site, like a hiking trail, so it's not that secluded. And also, RVs are only allowed to book sites that have water and electricity hookups. If you're looking for a great weekend getaway, it's not a bad place to camp, but there probably aren't many hikes available. I was able to get cell phone service and there are no campground gates, so no curfew to return back in time before you get locked out. Quiet hours are the same at most campgrounds 10pm-6/7am? read more

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