This is the first time we stayed here. It is a California State Park so getting a reservation is almost impossible, however, with that said we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. All the RV sites are big roomy pull-throughs with enough room for an extra vehicle and a tent. The fresh clean ocean air is fabulous. The restrooms and showers are immaculate and the staff we encountered were very nice. The only draw back is the very steep, long walk to and from the beach as the campground is way up on the bluff/cliff. The view is incredible but the walk down to the beach is not. We camped here in a Motorhome.

This campground is ultra-convenient during my winter visits of nearby relatives. It is located on a bluff above the fabulous San Clemente Beach, which makes for amazing walks and great surfing (Requires a 10-minute walk down a fairly steep incline to the beach). Fisherman's restaurant at the pier is awesome and only 25 minutes walk along the beach. Sites have full hookups and 50 amps. Some of the sites in the front row of the hookup area have an awesome 'Catalina Sunset' view, but they are also the shortest of the sites, and sometimes they get picky about not letting you park your car on the dirt. The negatives - sites are fairly close together; besides the front row there is no view except if the place is uncrowded; it is full just about every weekend all year, and all summer days, booked months in advance, it can be a major hassle to try and camp here without reservations - they make people come back the next morning, wait in lines, do ridiculous raffles, etc. And getting in and out of the park can be time consuming if there is an incompetent and/or inconsiderate gatehouse attendant. Warning - the ATT wifi only works halfway consistently near the gate house, is expensive, and is not maintained well by the staff. We camped here in a Motorhome.

WIFI available in vicinity of gatehouse. We could only stay in our campsite for one night as the registration person did not know if anyone had reserved that site for any future nights. Next morning found out it indeed was reserved and had to move to another site. California state park system needs to change this! Sites are pull thrus in the RV section. Lot of dogs not on leashes during our stay. Train tracks between park and beach, but did not hear much noise. However, campsites close to gatehouse did get some noise from the freeway. We camped here in a Motorhome.

San Mateo is the inland campground portion of San Onofre State Park, whereas the Bluffs campground is a summer-only primitive camp along the driveway of the beach campground. San Clemente State Beach is nearby but is a different park altogether. Note that only a few of the Bluffs sites have ocean views, but all are within a nice trail to the long, beautiful beach. San Mateo campground is several miles from the Bluffs portion of the park. This camp is 1+ miles inland from the beaches, down Christianitos Road, an access road to Camp Pendleton Marine Base. San Mateo camp has one section for electric-water hookup sites, and several loops for primitive sites. There is a double dump station in the camp. The sites are mostly very spacious and more private than most campgrounds, with lawns, trees and shrubs, ample picnic tables and fire pits. The perimeter sites look out onto a beautiful riparian wilderness area. This also means that your small pets are in danger if left outside unattended. I have seen coyotes roaming the campground and I was thrilled one day when a bobcat (not a cougar) emerged from the brush and went under my rig. Mostly though you will see lots of rabbits. This camp has availability more frequently than nearby San Clemente State Beach, which is booked most weekends and all summer. However, hookup sites sell out on many weekends and holidays and during the summer here as well so site-specific reservations are suggested for those. Now the negatives (besides no sewer hookups) – a firing range is close to the site, and the sound of gunfire echoes through the camp most weekends and some evenings. Finally, the bombing practice at Camp Pendleton can be heard very clearly here. Besides all that, enjoy, you’re in a great location to explore the area from! We camped here in a Motorhome.

This is a great place in the off-season. We were here midweek and lots of sites were available. Weekends and summers fill up fast. It's 1.5 miles on a trail to the beach. There is quite a bit of ups and downs on the trail so it is not just an easy ride or stroll. Sites 1-67 have water & electricity, the rest have no hook ups. Off season rate for hookup sites is $29 with $2 discount for seniors. We camped here in a Motorhome.

Just returned from a 3-day weekend at San Onofre / San Mateo Campground with my wife and two children. From my understanding there are only 68 "full hookup sites" at this campground, which offer 30amp service and water. There is a double station dump site. Reasonably sized pad, easy to back into. Site was not completely level. Fire ring and large picnic table at site. Our site had plenty of shade and the rear joined a common area with a nice tree for the kids to climb. There are community fresh water spigots located every few spaces which were very convenient. Dumpsters and bathrooms were located conveniently throughout the park. There is a "campfire" gathering area, however programs only take place in the summer. The beach is approximately 1.5 miles away and is accessible by walking/biking path or Christianitos Road. The path is hilly and may prove a challenge to those not on mountain bikes. The closest convenience store is St. O's liquor store on Camino del Real, ~1.5mi away. There are a few restaurants close by, also on Camino del Real. We had a great time, however unless you have motive transportation (toad, bicycle, skateboard, scooter) expect to do some walking to get anywhere. I am certain we will visit again. Note: Sunday morning/afternoon we noted that there must be a firing range (not Pendleton) nearby. We did not confirm this with the park staff, but might be worth checking out if you are into shooting sports. We camped here in a Motorhome.