I just camped out at San Mateo Campground Aug 18th to 20th ‘08. I took all the neighborhood kids, many of them are on the High School Surf Team and we all loved every minute of it. We had to reserve two different spots #122 and #103 both nice and we couldn’t see our neighbors due to the dense bushes... more

My family and I were looking for a quick get away near Orange County and we found it. I must admit I was concerned when I read several bad reviews ranging from too much noise to stolen articles. San Mateo is located off the 5fwy and Exit Cristianitos. Camp Pendleton Marines actually own the property but camping is open to... more

We have stayed at the San Mateo Campground in the past and it has been fine. This time we were disappointed to discover that there is no one there to check anyone in during the evening hours. We arrived around 7:00 p.m. both nights this past week. Although we booked our reservations through the website and had our confirmation numbers... more

The campground itself is descent, typical so cal desert camping, but it ts literally only one mile off the freeway so if you want to feel like "you are getting away from it all" this is definitly not the place. The inner loop is basically like a large group campground. There is NO privacy between the campgrounds that back each... more

I haven't been camping since I was a kid myself. I wanted to take my sons (hubby's idea of camping is no room service) and maybe see if they enjoyed it. I rented a tent trailer and headed off....... We all enjoyed the campground, was VERY clean, the boys enjoyed the wildlife (rabbits, ground squirrels, birds), and the bathrooms were... more

Nearly every year my family camps out at one of the local campsites here in California and many friends join us as well. We have been to San Mateo Campground (SMC) before and this time (August 2006) is a return visit. We camp for 3 nights each time. The campground is well kept, very clean with lots of shade on... more