If you love the outdoors, camping is one of the coolest ways to explore an area. Campsites give guests an opportunity to enjoy prime real estate along the water's edge near iconic locations like Malibu, at a fraction of the cost of the nearest hotels. For a few nights, campers can call the beach, forest, or mountains their home at these campgrounds in the states of Washington, Oregon, and California. Many of these West Coast campgrounds are open year-round, thanks to the temperate climate.
The sites that you'll find on this list have the highest ratings and properly show off the natural beauty of the West Coast including sandy beaches and sunsets over the ocean. Staying at one of these campgrounds gives visitors an incredible perspective of the landscape where the land meets the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast of America. There are plenty of options to choose, whether you want to explore an ancient forest, glacier-topped volcano, or the world-famous coastline.
One of these West Coast campgrounds will completely change your perspective of Los Angeles.
Cape Blanco State Park Campground: A Hiker's Paradise on the Oregon Coastline
Hikers and ocean lovers, look no further! This beautiful campground located at Cape Blanco State Park offers a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and more than eight miles of hiking trails along the beach. Campers can explore a historic lighthouse from the 19th century and the home of an early Irish settler. This coastal Oregon state park also offers accommodations for horses.
Located 28 miles south of Cape Blanco and 80 miles north of the California border, Cape Blanco State Park Campground is located right off Highway 101, ideal for West Coast road trippers. The campground offers reservations for tent campers, RVs, and cabins with access to toilets, showers, and electric hookups.
Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara: Luxury West Coast Campground in California
Santa Barbara is a gorgeous section of Coastal California that is definitely worth a visit and this campground is top-notch! Here, the Ynez Mountains create a beautiful juxtaposition to the Pacific Ocean; it's almost hard to believe that mountains standing so tall could be so close to the coast.
Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara campground has spaces for both tents and RVs, with lots of amenities including toilets and showers, and everything RV campers need for vehicle maintenance. This campground also has a heated swimming pool and a beyond-amazing Canyon Market camp store for everything you need but didn't bring with you.
This campsite has a five-star rating on Dyrt. Lana W called the site a "luxury campground near Santa Barbara" in her four-star review, noting that she was pleasantly surprised at the level of privacy between campsites and the cleanliness of the facilities.
Marina Dunes RV Park: Beachfront Campground near Big Sur, California
California's Big Sur coastline is a stop to add to your West Coast road trip bucket list. Luckily, there's an RV park located nearby in Marina, California. With beachfront access to soft, sandy dune beaches and a short driving distance to downtown Monterey, this RV park is a perfect home base to take in the beauty of the central coast of California.
Marina Dunes RV Park was given a four-star review on RV Life Campgrounds. Visitors noted that it was clean and an excellent location, but pulled back the five-star review due to the noise from Pacific Coast Highway. It's hard to beat the close location to Big Sur State Park, though.
Sunset Bay State Park: The Best of the Oregon Coastline
The campground at Sunset Bay State Park shows off Oregon's rugged good looks with towering sea cliffs, balanced by the beauty of its sandy beaches - the best of both worlds on the West Coast. It's also a great campsite for those looking to get out on the water and includes a boat launch.
There are several hiking trails connected to Sunset Bay State Park to choose from, with incredible wildlife. Enjoy scenic hiking through forests and wildflowers, finding ocean views. This campground allows both tent camping and RVs, and has showers to warm up in after enjoying the bay.
Leo Carrillo State Park Campground: On the Beach in California
North of Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway sits the gorgeous campground in Leo Carrillo State Park. Book your reservations at this California campsite to experience a beautiful Southern California beach.
Large sycamore trees shade the campgrounds that have quick access to the beach for surfing, swimming, and exploring the coastal caves and tidepools. Campers can also access hiking trails. The campsites have token-operated showers to rinse off after a day spent in the water. This campground has a 4.6-star rating on Google.
Malibu Creek State Park, California: Paradise Outside of LA
You'd never know that you were just outside the busy city of Los Angeles at Malibu Creek State Park. Tucked back into the wilderness of the Santa Monica Mountains, this lovely campground offers plenty of hiking trails with insane scenery.
Hike along the well-maintained trails under the oak and sycamore trees and you'll pass by rock climbers and horseback riders enjoying Malibu Creek State Park. Hikers can take the trail to the filming sites of Planet of the Apes and the M*A*S*H television series. Visitors who reviewed the campground on Google gave it a 4.3-star rating.
San Elijo State Beach Campground: A Beach Lover's Paradise in San Diego
If gorgeous ocean water and a surfing town vibe are your thing, San Elijo State Beach Campground should be on your radar. This coastal campground in San Diego County sits on the Pacific Coast Highway with expansive beach views and beautiful West Coast sunsets.
Bring your surfboards, bikes, skateboards, and beach toys to San Elijo Campground, where you can walk into the town of Cardiff for groceries, restaurants, and shopping. This campsite allows tent camping and RVs, and has showers, restrooms, and firepits. Campendium reviewers gave San Elijo Campground a four-star rating.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground: Experience the Best of California
Grab a campsite on or near the river at Pfeiffer Big Surf State Park Campground near the coast in California. This campground is super popular and books quickly, so be sure to jump on making reservations six months out. The good news is this Big Sur campground is open year-round and they even have hot showers!
Campers can access trails with a wide range of distances from their campsite, including the three-mile Buzzard's Roost hike, and an eight-mile roundtrip hike on Mt. Manuel Trail. 98% of reviewers recommended Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground on Hipcamp.
White River Campground: Visit Mount Rainier National Park
Located in Washington state, White River Campground offers an ideal location for campers who want to explore Mount Rainier National Park. Located in an ancient forest filled with ecological diversity, this campsite has walking access to trails including Burrough Mountain Trail, River Trail, Glacier Basin Camp Trail, and the Wonderland Trail.
Mount Rainier is an active volcano and has the biggest glacial peak in the contiguous United States. The highest elevation reaches 14,410 feet, while the campground sits at 4,440 feet in elevation. Hikers can explore ancient forests around the base of the volcano. There really are no bad views at this bucket-list national park!
White River Campground has a five-star rating on Recreation.gov. The campground typically opens for the season at the end of June and is available for camping through the end of September.
Comments