Malibu Creek State Park Campground

I feel somewhat wishy-washy about this park. On one hand, its an oasis in the middle of LA county, with jaw-dropping beauty, hiking trails, and close proximity to high end dining and grocery stores.
On the other hand, the park is run down, no hook-ups, and no dogs allowed on any park trails, even leashed!! The grounds have been invaded by squirrels, and in all their cute furriness have really destroyed the park. The sites are shallow and tight. The weekend brought hundreds of camping teenagers, boy scout camps, etc. so it was loud and super smoky from dozens of campfires. $45 is a bargain in Malibu but you still feel like you're getting ripped off.
But on the one hand, the hills are so pretty.........

Great spot for a quick get away. Some sites are better than others with more trees while others are a bit more exposed. We enjoyed our 2 day New Year’s Eve stay and would return on a non peak day for a bit more seclusion. Great facilities and lovely surround landscape.

Stayed in October 2016, our weekend happened to coincide with a 5K event which started and finished adjacent to the campground at the day-use area. I assume this happens with some frequency given the immediate proximity of the park to residential areas, and the general proximity of the park to a few million people. Nevertheless it's a pretty cool place to stay, particularly if you're a fan of the TV show MASH, which was filmed in the park. There's a creek, rock climbing and some nice hikes. The campground itself is fine, nothing to write home about.

The asphalt parking pads are small, not level, and have concrete parking chocks around the perimeter so check the size before reserving. There are only about 9 sights that an RV can fit in. There is a 48 hour advance window for reservations, but the park does allow walk-ins if space is available. Free Wifi near the bathrooms. There is an $8 additional reservation charge for online or walk-in, so over $50/night for Dry Camping. Potable water spigots are spread out in the campground area.

Our spot in particular was very tight and sloped significantly. Large rocks or other concrete barriers cause difficulty when backing into the space. Very busy and a bit crowded. Otherwise the view and the location was great. High prices for dry camping, but that is pretty standard throughout CA state parks campgrounds.

The natural beauty and proximity to Los Angeles and the area were nice, but considering the campground has no hookups the price is quite high. We paid $45/night plus a $7.99 California Parks reservation fee. Los Angeles is 1-2 hours away, depending on traffic (only 30 miles or so), but beach towns like Santa Monica are closer and easier to get to.

Sites and grounds are clean. Some sites are quite small and really only intended for tents, so pay close attention to the site size when you book your spot online. Our travel trailer is 21 feet long and fit without any issue, although we did need to park our tow vehicle in a parking area next to the site. Our site, #46, was quite unlevel. Some of the sites are more flat, but this site happened to be on a downward slope. Thank goodness for leveling blocks!

Bathrooms are no-nonsense and could stand to be a bit cleaner. No soap or paper towels, and tokens are required for two minutes of shower. The bathhouse closest to our site had three individual toilets (two with sinks), three individual showers, and four outdoor sinks. There are also water spigots between most of the campsites. Our site had a fire ring and a picnic table, and firewood was available to purchase from the camp host.

The park gates are closed and locked from 10pm to 7am.

The dump station is accessible outside the park gates and is a $10 fee.

The park is relatively close to plenty of shops and stores on highway 101, and lots of outdoor attractions with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Unfortunately none of the hikes in the state park are dog-friendly, but the hikes in Santa Monica Mountains NRA generally allow dogs.

One of the cheapest in the area, near Malibu (40 mins) and Hollywood (45 mins). To dump grey water, you need to pay an additional $10 fee. In Feb 2023, no drinkable water is available. No one warned us about it, we are a bit angry about that. How could you charge $50 a night without providing water?

Beautiful view and hot shower are my 2 stars. Average rate for dry camping in the area. However, sites are small even for my small toy hauler (13.5”) and surrounded by concrete barracks. Then campers using generators outside posted hours (both nights/days) and waking up to screaming kids. Not my kind of camping. No dogs in any trails.