Best Camping Spots & Outdoor Adventures

Explore the best best camping spots & outdoor adventures options for kids and families in San Marcos

Discovery Lake

Discovery Lake

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Rhino Adventure Gear

Rhino Adventure Gear

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Double Peak Park

Double Peak Park

Hiking trails with panoramic vistas. Rugged, 200-acre park featuring a play area & hiking trails that lead to a summit with ocean views.

Ridgeline Trailhead

Ridgeline Trailhead

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Elijo Park

San Elijo Park

Picnicking, off-leash dog area & hiking. Green space with a dog park, community center & splash pad, plus playgrounds, trails & picnic areas.

Harmony Grove Village 4th of July Park

Harmony Grove Village 4th of July Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Leo Carrillo Historic Park

Leo Carrillo Historic Park

Historic park in the heart of a canyon. 19th-century hacienda in a secluded & meticulously landscaped park, home to numerous wild peacocks.

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Alta Vista Botanical Gardens

Botanical park integrating art & gardens. Botanical gardens dotted with works of art offering native plants, a lotus pond & ongoing classes.

Brengle Terrace Park

Brengle Terrace Park

Expansive outdoor area with disc golf. Lush outdoor park with unique activities including a disc golf course & performance amphitheater.

Oak Riparian Park

Oak Riparian Park

Playground with a field & picnic spots. Scenic neighborhood green space next to trails with a playground, grassy field & picnic areas.

Boomers Vista

Boomers Vista

Family fun center with mini-golf & more. National amusement center chain featuring mini-golf, go-karts, bumper boats & arcade games.

Dixon Lake Campground

Dixon Lake Campground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

CampsitePhotos.com

CampsitePhotos.com

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation (Discovery Center)

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Daley Ranch Park

Daley Ranch Park

Nature reserve with hiking trails. Conservation area featuring 20+ miles of trails for hiking, biking & horseback riding, plus views.

Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation

Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation

Coastal wetland & nature reserve. Protected wetland habitat with on-site parking & wildlife-viewing opportunities.

Rancho Guajome Adobe

Rancho Guajome Adobe

Historic hacienda in a park setting. Rambling Spanish Colonial–style hacienda, built in the 19th century, with gardens & wetlands.

South Carlsbad State Beach

South Carlsbad State Beach

Campsites on a beachfront bluff. 200+ clifftop campsites with picnic tables & stairs to a beach park with 40+ acres for watersports.

Agua Hedionda Lagoon

Agua Hedionda Lagoon

Tranquil wetlands with a nature center. Expansive lagoon & wetlands known for recreational activities & varied marine life & waterfowl.

Moonlight State Beach

Moonlight State Beach

Volleyball, kids' play area & snack bar. Sandy beach with a snack bar, playground, volleyball & tennis courts & recreation equipment rentals.

San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve

San Elijo Lagoon and Ecological Reserve

Wildlife-watching & visitor center. Nature reserve with 7 miles of trails plus a visitor center with exhibits overlooking the lagoon.

Guajome Regional Park campground

Guajome Regional Park campground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Guajome Regional Park

Guajome Regional Park

Camping amid lake, pond & marsh areas. Campground is home to a lake, pond & marsh, plus a playground, trails & a historic adobe house.

4S Ranch Sports Park

4S Ranch Sports Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

4S Ranch Community Park

4S Ranch Community Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

San Dieguito County Park

San Dieguito County Park

Natural area with playgrounds & sports. This scenic park offers play & picnic areas, plus trails, baseball & basketball facilities.

Annie's Canyon Trail

Annie's Canyon Trail

Hiking area in an ecological reserve. Rugged wilderness hiking paths in an ecological reserve with sweeping ocean & lagoon views.

Black Mountain Open Space Park

Black Mountain Open Space Park

Hills, canyons & a trail with a view. 2,352 acres of hills, ridges & canyons. Hike or bike to a central peak offering a 360-degree view.

Lilac Oaks Campground

Lilac Oaks Campground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Libby Lake Park

Libby Lake Park

Green space with a lake & skatepark. Recreational park area featuring a lake, playground, a skatepark & picnic facilities.

Buddy Todd Park

Buddy Todd Park

Grassy retreat with grills & a play area. Shady outdoor park featuring a children's playground & a covered picnic area with grills & outlets.

Fletcher Cove Beach Park

Fletcher Cove Beach Park

Waterfront viewing deck & a playground. Picturesque park with a viewing deck, grassy area & playground, plus tables & a basketball court.

Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort

Paradise by the Sea Beach RV Resort

Family-oriented RV campsite with a pool. Comfy RV campground offering a heated pool, a recreation room, restrooms, Wi-Fi & beach access.

Oceanside RV Resort

Oceanside RV Resort

RV hook-ups with a pool, spa & clubhouse. Solar-powered RV resort with a pool, spa, clubhouse, general store, laundromat & free Wi-Fi.

Crest Canyon Open Space Park

Crest Canyon Open Space Park

Scenic open space with a hiking trail. This tract of chaparral features hills, canyons & a day-use-only trail loop for hikers.

Sea Grove Park

Sea Grove Park

Recreation lawn with an oceanfront view. Oceanside park offering lawns for relaxing & picnicking along with beach access.

Mira Mesa Park

Mira Mesa Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve

Trails, beaches, lagoons & wildlife. Acres of oceanside trails for exploring or exercising while spotting occasional dolphins or bobcats.

Lake O'Neill Recreational Checkout

Lake O'Neill Recreational Checkout

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Live Oak County Park

Live Oak County Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lake O'Neill Campground

Lake O'Neill Campground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

UC San Diego Recreation Outback Adventures

UC San Diego Recreation Outback Adventures

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Goodan Ranch

Goodan Ranch

Sprawling preserve with hiking trails. This tranquil 2,272-acre preserve is a hiking destination with canyons, ravines & rolling hills.

Morning Song Farm

Morning Song Farm

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve

Santa Margarita River Trail Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santee Lake rv Resort

Santee Lake rv Resort

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Palomar Mountain State Park

Palomar Mountain State Park

Forested hiking, camping & fishing area. 1,862-acre forested area featuring hiking trails, campsites, a fishing pond & scenic coastal vistas.

Doane Valley Campground

Doane Valley Campground

Natural campground with bathrooms. Basic campsite in hiking area offering pitches equipped with fire rings, picnic tables & bathrooms.

Oakoasis County Preserve

Oakoasis County Preserve

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve

Lake fishing, plus campsites & cabins. Staycation spot for locals with 7 man-made lakes for camping, boating, fishing & picnics.

Santee Lakes Campground

Santee Lakes Campground

RV sites, cabins & pools in a lake park. RV hook-ups & cabins in a 190-acre lakeside park with a clubhouse, 2 pools, showers & dog area.

Pechanga RV Resort

Pechanga RV Resort

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Mission Trails Regional Park

Mission Trails Regional Park

Expansive recreational area with trails. 8,000-acre recreational park featuring 60 miles of trails, along with a lake for boating & camping.

De Anza Cove Park

De Anza Cove Park

Beachfront volleyball & recreation area. Beachfront park offering volleyball courts, picnic space, a multiuse path, boat launch & playground.

Campland on the Bay

Campland on the Bay

Well-equipped bayfront site for 500 RVs. Beachfront 40-acre RV resort with 2 pools, a gym, games room, restaurant & half basketball court.

Louis A. Stelzer County Park

Louis A. Stelzer County Park

Leafy park with play areas & trails. A 310-acre wooded park offering play equipment, barbecues & a horseshoe pit, plus multi-use trails.

Crown Point Park

Crown Point Park

Bayside park popular for picnics & boats. Spacious, grassy park known for boat launches also has bonfire rings, picnic tables & grills.

Bayside Bonfires

Bayside Bonfires

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lake Jennings Campground

Lake Jennings Campground

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Lake Murray

Lake Murray

Fishing, boating & a waterside path. Small boat rentals, fishing & many picnic areas, plus a walking & biking path along the reservoir.

Fiesta Island

Fiesta Island

Peninsula for picnics, parties & pooches. Vast island off Mission Bay with fire pits, dog parks, various water sports & 27 miles of beach.

Temecula Duck Pond

Temecula Duck Pond

Pocket park with veterans memorial. Compact park featuring ducks paddling in a petite pool & a memorial to war veterans.

Vail Lake Resort

Vail Lake Resort

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Butterfield Stage Park

Butterfield Stage Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Temecula KOA at Vail Lake

Temecula KOA at Vail Lake

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Ventura Cove Park

Ventura Cove Park

Small swimming beach with fire rings. Tiny waterfront park offering fire rings & picnic tables plus seasonal lifeguard-monitored swimming.

Lake Jennings

Lake Jennings

Camping, fishing & picnicking spot. Laid-back option for tent or RV camping with lake & mountain views, plus fishing & picnicking.

South Shores Park

South Shores Park

Park with a boat ramp & picnic tables. Small, basic park adjacent to Sea World offers a boat launch, an RV dump & several picnic tables.

Pauba Ridge Park

Pauba Ridge Park

Visit this great place for kids and families!

Flinn Springs County Park

Flinn Springs County Park

40 acres with a stream & playground. Large 40-acre green space with a stream & gazebo, plus a playground & baseball fields.

Explore More Activities

Discover more events and activities happening in San Marcos.