Hiking

Surf Outpost

95 RV Sites, 35 Tent Sites

Surf Outpost in Malibu, California, offers 95 full-hookup RV sites and 35 tent sites on the Pacific coast, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 45 feet. Ocean view, premium ocean view, and XL categories join no-view back-in sites, with beach access across Pacific Coast Highway. Ninety-five back-in sites span no view, no view XL, ocean view, ocean view XL, and premium ocean view categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with site WiFi, sized to 45 feet, with picnic tables. The category structure is refreshingly plain about what you are paying for — an ocean view or not, and extra length or not. Thirty-five tent sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. Beach access is on foot: down the driveway, right on PCH, then to the signal and crosswalk at the gas station. Stays of four nights or more in September run 20% off, applied automatically. The beach carries the recreation, with surfing, paddle boarding, swimming, hiking, and horseback riding all available. A dog park sits on the grounds. Pets are welcome. The Malibu coast's surf breaks and the Santa Monica Mountains meeting the Pacific make this one of the most photographed coastlines on earth — and full hookups here are genuinely scarce. Summer is peak on the Southern California coast. Reserve as far ahead as you can.

from $75/night

Lake Piru Recreation Area

228 RV Sites

Lake Piru Recreation Area in Piru, California, offers 228 RV sites on a 1,200-acre reservoir in Ventura County, with 30 and 50-amp service, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 55 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout. Full-hookup, electric-only, and no-hookup back-in categories serve every budget, with a marina and boat rentals on site. Two hundred twenty-eight back-in sites span full-hookup, electric-only, and no-hookup configurations, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 55 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and site WiFi. Accessible sites are available. The tiering by hookup level is genuinely useful — self-contained rigs can take a no-hookup site at a lower rate. A general store, laundry, dump station, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side. The reservoir carries the recreation. A marina and boat rentals put guests on the water, with boating, water sports, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing all running from the property. A disc golf course, walking trails, hiking, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes, a playground, and a dog park fill the grounds, with planned activities through the season. Pets are welcome. Lake Piru sits where the Santa Felicia Dam impounds Piru Creek in the Topatopa Mountains, surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area and Los Padres National Forest — one of Southern California's most scenic accessible mountain lakes, roughly 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Summer draws heavy demand from the LA metro. Reserve well ahead for warm-weather weekends.

from $32/night

Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara

79 RV Sites, 24 Tent Sites

Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara in Goleta, CA, offers 79 full-hookup RV sites and 24 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 50 feet. Sites come in four categories — standard back-in, standard parkview back-in, standard pull-thru, and premium back-in — all carrying water, sewer, electric, and cable TV with site-delivered WiFi, a fire pit, picnic table, and barbecue. If you booked here before, note the name change: Ocean Mesa is now Sun Outdoors Santa Barbara. The resort is rated big rig friendly, with laundry, a bathhouse with showers, a general store, firewood, on-site dining, and a bar. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. An outdoor pool, a hot tub and sauna, a beach, walking trails, horseshoes, and a playground fill the grounds, with hiking, swimming, fishing, boating, wine tasting, and planned activities. Goleta sits eight miles west of downtown Santa Barbara on the Santa Barbara Channel, where the Santa Ynez Mountains drop to the Pacific and the Channel Islands sit on the horizon. Rates by site category are on the booking page. This stretch of coast is among the most in-demand in California — reserve as far ahead as the resort will take it.

from $75/night

Arrowhead Tree Top Lodge

Arrowhead Tree Top Lodge in Lake Arrowhead, California, offers 20 cabin and hotel-room accommodations at 5,100 feet in the San Bernardino Mountains, with an outdoor pool, walking trails, and a creek on the property. A wedding venue and mountain setting serve guests two hours from Los Angeles. Twenty cabins and hotel rooms make up the accommodations — this is lodging rather than an RV park, with no sites or hookups. Restrooms and showers serve the property, with WiFi throughout. The lodge also operates as a wedding venue, which the pine and cedar setting supports well. Pets are welcome. An outdoor pool anchors the warm months, with walking trails through the forest and a creek running the property. Birding is productive across the mountain terrain, with swimming from the area and a lake, golf course, wineries, and skiing all nearby. The elevation is the point. At 5,100 feet in the rim country above the Inland Empire, mountain air runs 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the valley floor below — which is the entire reason Southern Californians make the drive. The Rim of the World Drive's panoramic views stretch across the San Bernardino Valley to the Pacific horizon, and the contrast between elevation and valley is what gives the Lake Arrowhead corridor its character. The lodge serves guests year-round. Summer heat in the valley drives the heaviest demand as visitors escape uphill, with winter bringing snow and ski traffic to the same corridor. Reserve well ahead for summer weekends and holiday periods.

from $119/night

Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort

90 RV Sites

Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort in Oceanside, California, offers 90 full-hookup RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, ADA-accessible sites, and rigs accepted to 60 feet, behind a gated entrance on the coast. This is an adults-only resort, with named site categories including Island Back-In, Bamboo Hillside, The Jetty, and Motorcoach Pull-Thru. Ninety sites span group, island back-in, motorcoach pull-through, premium back-in Bamboo Hillside, premium back-in Beach Preferred, and The Jetty categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 60 feet, with picnic tables and BBQ pits. Accessible sites are available. Naming categories by position rather than tier makes choosing genuinely easier. A general store, laundry, propane exchange, restrooms, showers, personal mailboxes, and recycling handle the practical side. Note the adults-only policy before booking. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with mini-golf, a game room, arcade, recreation center, clubhouse, billiards, shuffleboard, ping pong, and corn hole besides. A beach, walking trails, community fire pit, dog park, and playground fill the grounds, with surfing, swimming, fishing, hiking, and biking from the area and live music through the season. Pets are welcome. Oceanside sits 90 miles north of Los Angeles with direct I-5 and CA-78 access. The pier, Oceanside Harbor whale watching, the California Surf Museum, and Carlsbad and Encinitas are all close. Summer is peak on the Southern California coast. Reserve well ahead.

from $80/night

Golden Village Palms Resort

Golden Village Palms Resort in Hemet, California, is one of the largest RV resorts in the state — a 55-plus destination in Riverside County's Diamond Valley with full-hookup sites, a spa, fitness center, mini-golf, and pickleball courts behind a gated entrance, open all year. Personal mailboxes and RV storage support the long-stay residents who fill it through the winter. Full-hookup sites serve the resort's largely seasonal population, with laundry, RV storage, personal mailboxes, restrooms, and showers handling the practical side, plus WiFi and recycling throughout. Check-in for RV sites is 1:00pm with check-out at 12:00pm; early arrivals and late departures may be available for a nominal fee, and cottage check-in times differ — confirm when booking. The amenity roster is the reason people come. An outdoor pool and spa anchor daily recreation, with a fitness center, clubhouse, craft room, and game room for the social calendar. Pickleball, bocce ball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, volleyball, billiards, corn hole, and sports courts fill the competitive side, with mini-golf and a dog park besides. On-site dining covers meals, live music and planned activities run through the season, and the resort also serves as a wedding venue. A casino, hiking, wine tasting, and hot air ballooning are all nearby. Pets are welcome. Hemet sits in the Diamond Valley between the San Jacinto and Santa Rosa Mountains, in the inland reach of Southern California — warm dry summers, mild winters, and a dramatic mountain backdrop, roughly 30 miles west of the Palm Springs resort corridor across the San Jacinto Fault. Winter is decisively the season. Book well ahead for January through March.

from $64/night

Grey Squirrel Resorts

19 Cottages

Grey Squirrel Resort in Fawnskin, CA, offers 19 private cabins across three wooded acres on the north shore of Big Bear Lake. This is a cabin resort rather than a serviced RV park — the published record shows no RV sites or hookups, so contact them directly if you're traveling in a rig. A general store, firewood, a spa, and WiFi serve guests, and the resort is open all year. Pets are welcome. The property also hosts weddings. A pond, walking trails, horseshoes, swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, mountain biking, and birding fill the grounds, with skiing and snowboarding close in winter and golf nearby. Fawnskin sits on Big Bear Lake's quieter north shore, away from the village bustle on the south side. The resort has welcomed families, couples, and group retreats since the 1950s — more than seven decades of mountain hospitality in the same place. Rates for the cabins are on the booking page. Ski season and summer both fill Big Bear — reserve ahead, and call about RV accommodation before you tow.

from $75/night

Native Falls Campground

11 RV Sites, 14 Cabins, 18 Tent Sites

Native Falls Campground in Temecula, CA, offers 11 full-hookup RV sites, 14 cabins, and 15 tent sites, with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 45 feet. Sites come in three categories — back-in 30-amp, back-in 30/50-amp, and pull-thru 30/50-amp — all carrying water, sewer, and electric with a fire pit and picnic table. The grounds are gated, with laundry, a bathhouse, a clubhouse, and 14 cabins for guests without a rig. Pets are welcome. The centerpiece is a private swimming lake with a waterfall and a sandy beach, plus catch-and-release fishing — a genuinely rare combination in Southern California's increasingly developed inland valleys. Walking trails, pickleball, shuffleboard, billiards, corn hole, hiking, and swimming fill the rest. Temecula sits in the wine country hills of southwest Riverside County, with the valley's tasting rooms a short drive from the gate. Rates for every accommodation type are on the booking page. Eleven RV sites at a lake resort this close to San Diego and LA means summer books out early.

from $61/night

Lake Hemet Campgrounds

245 RV Sites, 10 Cabins, 19 Tent Sites, 1 Glamping Site, 3 Onsite RV/Trailers, 1 Park Model

Lake Hemet Campgrounds in Mountain Center, California, offers 248 RV sites, 11 cabin and park model units, 19 tent sites, and a glamping site on a reservoir at roughly 4,340 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains. Sites run full hookup, partial hookup, dry, and lakeview dry, with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 50 feet, open all year. Two hundred forty-eight sites span full hookup, partial hookup, dry RV, and lakeview dry categories carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted on 30 and 50-amp, sized to 50 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. The tiering by hookup level lets self-contained rigs take a dry or lakeview dry site at a lower rate. Named rental units — Eagle's Crest, Lakeside, and Trout Pines among them — plus cabins and park models round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, dump station, boat storage, restrooms, showers, and firewood handle the practical side, with a gated entrance controlling access. The reservoir is managed for recreational fishing and non-motorized boating, with a marina, boat ramp, and boat and kayak rentals on site. An outdoor pool and splash pad, sports courts, volleyball, basketball, hiking, biking, paddle boarding, and picnicking fill the rest, with a bar on the property and a wedding venue besides. Pets are welcome. Mountain Center sits where the Pacific Crest Trail passes and climbers drive up from Los Angeles and San Diego, on the winding Highway 74 escape from valley heat. The elevation makes this a genuine four-season destination. Summer is peak — reserve ahead.

from $57/night

San Diego RV Resort

100 RV Sites

San Diego RV Resort in La Mesa, California, offers 100 full-hookup back-in RV sites eight miles from downtown, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 56 feet, open all year behind a gated entrance. Luxury, Elite East Side, Premium Plus, premium, deluxe, and standard categories give six clear tiers, with a heated pool, hot tub, spa, fitness center, and game room. One hundred back-in sites span standard, deluxe, premium, Premium Plus, Elite East Side, and luxury categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with cable TV and site WiFi, sized to 56 feet. Every space has water, sewer, cable, and 30/50-amp electric. One billing detail worth knowing: consecutive stays of 14 nights or longer are subject to metered electric charges. A laundry, propane fills and exchange, restrooms, showers, and recycling handle the practical side. A heated outdoor pool, hot tub, sauna, and spa anchor the property, with a fitness center, clubhouse, recreation center, game room, craft room, arcade, billiards, ping pong, corn hole, a dog park, and beach access filling the rest. Biking, swimming, and planned activities round it out, with wine tasting, a casino, an amusement park, and beaches nearby. La Mesa sits in San Diego County's eastern inland communities, which keeps rates below coastal properties while leaving downtown, Balboa Park, the zoo, and the beaches all within practical driving range. Southern California runs year-round, with summer the peak. Reserve ahead, and factor the metered electric into longer stays.

from $64/night

Cathedral Palms RV Resort

62 RV Sites, 1 Onsite RV/Trailer, 1 Apartment

Cathedral Palms RV Resort in Cathedral City, California, offers 62 full-hookup RV sites and an apartment with 30 and 50-amp service and rigs accepted to 55 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, with EV charging on site. Deluxe and water-and-electric back-ins join the Happy Camper travel trailer rental, with a pool, hot tub, and pickleball courts. Sixty-two back-in sites run in water-and-electric and deluxe full-hookup categories carrying 30 and 50-amp, sized to 55 feet, with site WiFi. EV charging is available — still uncommon at RV resorts and increasingly decisive for guests towing with an electric vehicle. The Happy Camper travel trailer rental and an apartment serve guests without a rig, with check-in for rental units at 3:00pm. A laundry, propane fills, dump station, RV storage, bike rentals, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with a clubhouse, community fire pit, and dog park besides. Pickleball, bocce ball, basketball, billiards, ping pong, and corn hole fill the competitive calendar, with biking from the property, planned activities through the season, and a golf course and national park nearby. Pets are welcome. Cathedral City sits between Palm Springs and Palm Desert in the Coachella Valley, which puts the region's golf courses, spa culture, national park access, and mid-century modern architecture all within easy reach. Winter is decisively the season in the desert. Book well ahead for January through March.

from $65/night

Circle RV Resort

98 RV Sites

Circle RV Resort in El Cajon, CA, offers 98 full-hookup back-in RV sites with 30 and 50-amp service and room for rigs up to 46 feet. Sites are tiered as standard, premium, deluxe, and luxury back-ins, all carrying water, sewer, electric, and cable TV with site-delivered WiFi and a picnic table. The grounds are gated, open all year, and rated big rig friendly. Laundry, a bathhouse with showers, propane fills and exchange, RV storage, a clubhouse, a library, and a game room cover the practical side. Pets are welcome, with a dog park. An outdoor pool, a spa, a hot tub and sauna, a fitness center, billiards, and planned activities fill the grounds. El Cajon sits twenty miles east of downtown San Diego in East County, off Interstate 8 and a 20 to 25-minute drive from Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and Coronado. Golf, a casino, the beach, a lake, and the mountains are all nearby. Rates by tier are on the booking page. Luxury back-ins go first, and the winter snowbird season books far ahead.

from $52/night