China Camp Campground

Los Padres National Forest — hiking

Location: Carmel Valley, CA, CA

Price: From $30 per night

Rating: 3.4 out of 5 (13 reviews)

Season: Year-round

Pleasantly nestled under a large canopy of pine trees, China Camp is a campground where peace and quiet is commonplace. The spacious campsites allow you to set up camp with more than enough space between you and your neighbors. As you drive into the campground you are overtaken by the sweet smell of pine and the natural beauty surrounding the campground.The campground offers 10 campsites, with campsites 1 - 5 open year-round and campsites 6 - 10 open only in the summer season.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Dump Station

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/china-camp-campground to be notified when sites open up.

China Camp offers peaceful camping under a large canopy of pine trees with spacious campsites and natural beauty in Carmel Valley. The campground provides access to trails including the Pine Ridge trailhead for hiking and wildlife viewing.

Wildlife alert: Mountain Lions present in area. Also California Condors, Mule Deer, and various lizard species (Blainville's Horned Lizard, Southern Alligator Lizard, California Whiptail).

Insider tips for China Camp Campground: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand. Road turns to dirt — drive slow and carefully on approach. RVs must be self-contained as there are no hookups available.

Skip China Camp Campground if: You need RV hookups — none available at most sites.. You prefer developed facilities — amenities limited to fire rings, picnic tables, vault toilets, and drinking water..

Best time to visit China Camp Campground: Year-round — Campground operates year-round, though operations may be seasonal at some sites..

Nearby campgrounds: White Oaks Campground (Carmel Valley, CA), Arroyo Seco (GREENFIELD, CA), Escondido Campground (Big Sur, CA), Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (Big Sur, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at China Camp Campground

Cell signal at China Camp Campground (Carmel Valley, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›CA›China Camp Campground
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Los Padres National Forest — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

China Camp Campground

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Carmel Valley, CA, CA★ 3.4 (13 reviews)From $30/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Pleasantly nestled under a large canopy of pine trees, China Camp is a campground where peace and quiet is commonplace. The spacious campsites allow you to set up camp with more than enough space between you and your neighbors. As you drive into the campground you are overtaken by the sweet smell of pine and the natural beauty surrounding the campground.The campground offers 10 campsites, with campsites 1 - 5 open year-round and campsites 6 - 10 open only in the summer season.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:TentRV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonYear-round
Stay limit14 days
Max RV20 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump Station
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — none available at most sites.✕ You prefer developed facilities — amenities limited to fire rings, picnic tables, vault toilets, and drinking water.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand.

Road turns to dirt

drive slow and carefully on approach.

RVs must be self-contained as there are no hookups available.

Best: Year-round

Campground operates year-round, though operations may be seasonal at some sites.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mountain Lions present in area. Also California Condors, Mule Deer, and various lizard species (Blainville's Horned Lizard, Southern Alligator Lizard, California Whiptail).

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
805 434 1996· Los Padres National Forest
Getting there →

Latitude: 36.29554 Longitude: -121.567507 The road eventually turns into dirt, please drive slow and carefully. From Highway 101 North, take exit for Arroyo Seco Rd before the city of Greenfield. Continue down the road for 16.2 miles to the junction of Arroyo Seco Road and Carmel Valley Road then follow to the right. Take Carmel Valley Road 17.2 miles to the junction with Tassajara Road and turn left. Continue for 11 miles until you see the entrance to China Camp on the right-hand side. From Hig

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Los Padres National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Los Padres National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does China Camp Campground cost per night?+
China Camp Campground costs $30 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is China Camp Campground open?+
China Camp Campground is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does China Camp Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at China Camp Campground?+
China Camp Campground can accommodate RVs up to 20 feet.
How do I make reservations at China Camp Campground?+
China Camp Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at China Camp Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at China Camp Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is China Camp Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
China Camp Campground is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$30 /night★ 3.4 (13)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does China Camp Campground cost per night?+
What season is China Camp Campground open?+
Does China Camp Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

White Oaks Campground

Carmel Valley, CA

From $30/night

Arroyo Seco

GREENFIELD, CA

From $35/night

Escondido Campground

Big Sur, CA

From $30/night

Coastal redwood forest campground with Big Sur River California

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park

Big Sur, CA

From $35/night

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