City, County & Regional Parks · California
Santa Margarita Lake Recreation Area Campground
City, County & Regional Parks · California, United States
- Sites
- 60
- Hookups
- 60 no hookups
- Showers
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,293 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Lake
- Santa Margarita Lake
- Nearest town
- Santa Margarita
Season dates aren't confirmed for this campground yet - opening and closing dates haven't been verified. Check the operator's page or call ahead before you plan a trip.
Site map
The imagery of the campground. Press and hold the map to drop your own pins and notes; the operator publishes no site points here. Your ratings, notes, pins and photos are kept with the campground on your Saved list, the same list the camping map and the drive page keep.
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About
San Luis Obispo County campground on Santa Margarita Lake (the City of San Luis Obispo's drinking-water reservoir - no swimming permitted). 60 primitive sites (no hookups) across the Coyote, Roadrunner, Grey Pine, and Osprey campgrounds; reservable up to a year in advance. Coin-operated showers. The Sapwi, Chipik, and Khus campgrounds are primitive boat-in-only sites.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 45° | 33° | 78° | 0 of 11 |
| February | 60° | 43° | 33° | 80° | 0 of 11 |
| March | 62° | 45° | 34° | 91° | 0 of 11 |
| April | 67° | 47° | 37° | 84° | 0 of 11 |
| May | 72° | 51° | 45° | 90° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 80° | 57° | 49° | 102° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 86° | 63° | 53° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 84° | 62° | 55° | 103° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 81° | 59° | 50° | 99° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 78° | 55° | 46° | 94° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 67° | 49° | 38° | 82° | 0 of 10 |
| December | 62° | 43° | 33° | 76° | 0 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Trails nearby
- Rinconada Trailhead · 2.8 mi as the crow flies
Rinconada 1.9 mi Hike · Drive there - Big Falls Trailhead · 3.5 mi as the crow flies
Big Falls 3.5 mi Hike · Drive there - Turkey Flat OHV Campground/Staging Area/Trailhead · 7.5 mi as the crow flies
Powerline OHV 1.9 mi Hike · Drive there
All 343 trails in Los Padres National Forest
Trailheads the Park Service and the Forest Service map, within 10 miles as the crow flies; each trail's page has its length, climbing and the Service's description.
Nearby campgrounds
- Hi Mountain · USDA Forest Service · 6 mi
- Turkey Flat Ohv Staging Area · USDA Forest Service · 8 mi · 4 sites
- Lopez Lake Recreation Area Campground · City, County & Regional Parks · 10 mi · 350 sites
- Navajo Flats Campground · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 6 sites
- American Canyon Campground · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 12 sites
All public campgrounds in California · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-29. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.