We have done our fair share of car camping in California and throughout the West. One of our family’s favorite campgrounds is only about twenty minutes away from where we live: Moro Campground in Crystal Cove State Park which is located in Orange County, California. Reservations can be made online six months in advance. If you know the date you want to camp, I would highly suggest nabbing a site the first day possible. However, you might luck out with random cancellations. For instance, I was able to grab the one remaining reservation on a Friday night in February just about a month prior.
Why we love this campground (and why it is perfect for beginner campers):
- Every site has an ocean view. Although it is located across PCH, the campground is on a gradual cliff, which affords everyone an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean.
- There is direct access to the beach. You can easily drive down to the beach (it is walkable, but it is fairly steep) without leaving the campground. And the beach there is gorgeous–see our pictures!
- The bathrooms are CLEAN. These are seriously some of the cleanest campground bathrooms we have encountered.
- The environment is quiet and family-friendly. We have been camping in other parts of Orange County where it is much more of a party scene. We have always had courteous neighbors in our experience here (of course, your mileage may vary!)
- The coastal location means fairly moderate temperatures. Camping here in February was not a problem, nor does it get too hot in the summer.
A couple of “cons”:
- It is on the expensive side for campsites. One night cost us $55 + $8 reservation fee. However, it comes with one parking pass that can be used at any state park/beach for both days of your visit, which is usually $15 per day.
- There are no wood or charcoal fires allowed, which is not a deal-breaker for us since we just use our gas stove to cook.
- The campsites themselves are not very big, but there are large plants strategically placed in between each site so that you still have a feeling of privacy.
We are loving our REI Kingdom 6 tent. We are still amazed at how roomy it feels inside compared to our Base Camp 4.
So pretty at sunset!
They can be cute even when they are being disagreeable.
That’s better!
There was a whale spotting just off shore, and this whale watching tour boat came in for a closer look. (We just saw some spouts/splashes).
This man had just come in from a paddle.
I kept on putting away my camera and then taking it out again because I could not stop taking pictures!
After enjoying the beach, you can just go back to your campsite, prepare dinner and enjoy the rest of your night. I hope that this post convinces you to try camping at Moro Campground!