Lake Elsinore Camping

Discover this Southern California camping hot spot!

As with the area's beach camp sites, finding tenting and RV spaces at Southern California's lakes can be tricky during the busy summer season...and especially on weekends and holidays. Luckily, however, the availability of campsites is not so severely limited as are the beach sites...and you'll actually have a chance of getting in on short notice. Mountain camping is probably the least popular of these 3 types of camping, judging from the fact that you can find spaces at mountain campgrounds in Southern California during the busy season even if you haven't made plans in advance. (In fact, the National Forest campgrounds often do NOT take reservations...unlike the California State Parks which generally REQUIRE them.)

On this page, you'll see photos and get details about several mountain campgrounds along the Ortega Highway (California route 74) which stretches from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore. Plus, you can get the scoop on several lakeside camping grounds in the city of Lake Elsinore itself. (Note: In the photo above, you're looking at the big & beautiful Lake Elsinore itself...as seen from the mountains of the Ortega Highway.)

Heading from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore---

Caspers Wilderness Park camping

A park which features both hiking and camping (including equestrian camping!) that you'll reach about 8 miles east of San Juan Capistrano is the Caspers Wilderness Park, an Orange County park. Caspers Wilderness Park is a natural area which has a rare trouble there with mountain lions. In fact, it's against the rules to bring pets to Caspers because of the chance of mishap; and it's also a rule that adults must accompany children at all times. But, the park remains popular, and in case you'd like to visit, here's some information about the Caspers camping grounds.



Caspers Wilderness Park has several campgrounds: the "regular" campground for RVers and tenters;   the equestrian campground for horse-lovers;   and the large-group campground which organizations such as church & scouting groups use. We'll be talking about the Live Oak Campground on this page...which is the camping area meant for the RV and tent campers who are not part of a large, organized group.

CASPERS LIVE OAK CAMPGROUND DETAILS: Within the Live Oak campground, you'll find 42 campsites. Most are level (which the RV's need), but some are only semi-level (and will be OK for tenters.) Each campsite has a picnic table, fire pit and cooking grill. Some campsites are situated in open grassland, while others are sheltered by the cover of trees. No wood gathering is permitted, but bundles of wood are sold at the park.

Amenities at the Live Oak Campground include a dump station, flush toilets and showers, and a pay phone on-site. Activities at the park include 35 miles of hiking trails, a visitor's center with interpretive exhibits, weekly nature hikes (on Sundays), and mountain biking.

CASPERS PARK PHONE NUMBER: The Caspers Park telephone number for further information is 949/923-2210.

CASPERS WILDERNESS PARK ADDRESS: The location of Caspers Park and campground is 33401 Ortega Hwy, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675.

MAP TO THE CASPERS PARK AND CAMPGROUND: Here's a Google map to Caspers Wilderness Park and Campground. If you play with the map in its hybrid satellite view, you can even get an aerial view of the Caspers campground loops!

CASPERS CAMPGROUND MAP: If you'd like to see a campsite map of the Caspers Wilderness Park campgrounds, you may use the link to access the Caspers Wilderness Park PDF camping map.

CASPERS PARK CAMPGROUND RESERVATIONS: Since Caspers Wilderness Park accepts reservations, like other campgrounds in the Orange County Parks chain, you'll be able to plan ahead for your visit. Once you know the dates of your campground stay, you may head to the Orange County Reservations page of the ReserveWorld.com website.

CASPERS PARK CAMPING FEES: Campground fees at Caspers Wilderness Park's Live Oak Campground run $15 per night as of January, 2008. The Reserve World website does alert would-be campers that this rate may increase furing weekend and holiday periods. Tjere is a $5 extra vehicle fee if you bring more than one car to your campsite. Also, you may have to pay a $12 reservations processing fee, which will be forfeited if you cancel the reservation you make. RV's may set up one tent at their campsite as part of this fee. Tent campers may set up 2 tents per site. As mentioned earlier on this page, pets are not permitted at Casper's Wilderness Park campgrounds.

If you're looking about other activities within Caspers Park, you might enjoy looking at the Caspers Wilderness Park official web pages on the Orange County Parks website.

Ortega Highway Camping

Upper San Juan Campground

There are 18 spots at the Upper San Juan camp, laid out along a circular path. RVers and tenters are welcome to use any one of them. The one bad thing here is that the "easy highway access" that makes this campground attractive to family campers is also a source of noise. You might wish to consider taking a camping spot on the side of the campground away from the highway.

Registration for your site is done at a sign board as you enter the camping area (see the photo below.) Currently, the nightly fee here is a mere $15...a real budget saver for cash-strapped families...payable by cash or California check.



One other drawback to the Upper San Juan campground is that you'll find vault toilets here. Pit toilets are what you'll find not only here, but also throughout the Cleveland National Forest at campgrounds, picnic areas and trail heads.

There's water available at several areas in the campground..."pump" style. The water is safe to drink and to use for cooking, but it's recommended that you pump for several minutes before using the water you obtain.

Each campsite has a picnic table, a grill, and a fire pit. Most of the time you can actually use them, but there are times that there are no fires allowed due to high danger of forest fires. Check the Cleveland National Forest website (link below on this page) or the sign board at the campground for up-to-date information about fire danger.



In the image to your right, you see the sign board at the entry to the Upper San Juan campground...and you'll find one just like it at the El Cariso camp ground (discussed below) and other National Forest campsites throughout California. As I mentioned above, after selecting your campsite, you'll pay your fee into a secured box at the sign board. You can also find out campground rules and other notices posted by the park rangers. (The National Forest rangers, by the way, do not stay at this campground full-time...but they do patrol both the Upper San Juan and the other park campgrounds on a regular basis. This area is generally recognized as being safe from thugs.)

By now, you must be getting the idea that the Upper San Juan campground is only semi-developed...and you'd be right. The amenities you WON'T find here are laundry facilities, camp stores, swimming pools and spas, playgrounds, etc. The main activity in the area is hiking, though a trail head doesn't lead directly out of the campground. (Below, you'll find the link to a map of the area, so that you can find the trailheads, if you like.) There is no store in the immediate area, but there IS a small store several miles down Calif Hwy 74 going towards the town of Lake Elsinore. And, of course, with Lake Elsinore only about 15 miles away, it's an easy thing to enjoy the lake or the stores in-town, then return in the evening to your beautiful mountainside campground.

This is a lovely campground...but it's for "nature lovers" only. This is the perfect campground for parents who want to introduce camping to their kids. You know...for families who want to share the joys of a tasty meal cooked over the fire; whose kids squirm with delight at the thought of setting up a tent and snoozing in a sleeping bag; and kids for whom a stroll through the tree-lined campground would seem like a wonder-filled nature hike. Or, it's also good for families who want a getaway at bargain-basement prices.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a campsite at a spot with a full roster of activities at-hand, the Upper San Juan campground will seem quite dull to you.

Contact information for the Upper San Juan campground is the same as for the El Cariso campground, discussed below. You'll find the phone numbers and website links you'll need to plan your visit at the end of the next section.

Ortega Highway Campgrounds

El Cariso Campground

Like the Upper San Juan campground, admission to the El Cariso camping area is on a first-come, first-served basis. The fee here is the same $15, paid at the sign board. And, also like the Upper San Juan campsites, it would be a rare instance to find all the camping spots filled here. There are 22 camping sites at El Cariso, and both tents and RV's are welcome. There is a 22 foot length limit for RV's. The campground is open from May through October each year.



In the photo to your left, you can see one of the El Cariso camp ground's attractive campsites; each site has its own picnic table, grill and fire pit.

In the photo to your right, you see one of the water spigots which are scattered around the campground at intervals. As you can see in this image, you won't be pumping water at the El Cariso campground; you'll simply turn the knob here. Toilets are the vault (pit) type...darn it!

Since the El Cariso campground access is directly off of the Ortega Highway, you'll have easy access to your camping site...but the disadvantage of road noise, particularly on campsites closest to the road.

You won't find many amenities here...no laundries, camp stores, or restaurants. There's no swimming pool nor fishing hole. You will, however, be only a mile or less to little El Cariso Village, where you'll find a store (and candy shop!)



CAMPGROUND PHONE NUMBERS: The Upper San Juan campground and El Cariso campground phone number to call for further information is 909/736-1811.

MAP TO UPPER SAN JUAN AND EL CARISO CAMPGROUNDS: The National Forest website features a PDF brochure...complete with maps to these campgrounds; a list of all Cleveland NF camping grounds in this area; a list of hiking trails around the campgrounds; and further info about these other activities you can enjoy while visiting Southern California's Cleveland National Forest. Use the following link to view this Cleveland National Park PDF brocure. Or, to view a better quality road map to this area, here's a Google map to El Cariso, California, where you'll find the El Cariso Campground directly to the side of the road (it's well marked by a sign.)

While reading through the brochure, you'll notice 2 more campgrounds in the Trabuco Unit which I did NOT mention on this page. Those would be the Blue Jay campground (open all year), which I didn't mention because it's off the main highway on a gravel road. You'll also find info on the Wildomar Campground, which is also off the main Ortega Highway road. However, the Wildomar camp ground may be of particular interest to off-road vehicle lovers...because it sits on the edge of the forest's OHV park!

Lake Elsinore Campgrounds

Camp at the lake's edge in the Roadrunner RV Park or the Lake Elsinore Marina & RV Resort

If you come into town over the Ortega Highway, as described on this page, you'll pass by two lakeside camping grounds directly on Highway 74 itself.

One of these camping grounds is the Roadrunner RV Park. Though both of these 2 Lake Elsinore campgrounds look very similar, the big advantage of the Roadrunner RV Park is that it accepts tents. The campground's amenities include---
*Flush Toilets
*Hot-water showers
*Coin laundry
*Direct lake access and boat dock
*Water, sewer and electric (30/50 amp) hookups
*Some RV sites with cable TV hookups
***Shade, shade, shade
*100 total campsites

The Roadrunner RV Park address is: 32500 Riverside Drive, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. The Roadrunner RV Park phone number is: 951/674-4900. You will need to call the park for their current camping rates because this campground does not have its own website.

Map to Lake Elsinore's Roadrunner campground: You may use the following link to view a map that will serve you for both this campground AND the one which will be discussed next (which happens to be right next door.) Here's a Yahoo map to the Roadrunner RV Park of Lake Elsinore, California.

The Lake Elsinore Marina and RV Resort address is: 32700 Riverside Drive, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 (just next door to the Roadrunner RV Park.) There are 2 telephone numbers. The Lake Elsinore Marina & RV Resort toll-free phone number: 800/328-6844. The local telephone number is 951/678-1300. Use the following link to view the RV park's website at www.lakeelsinoremarina.com







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