$10 - $47 / night

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Camping

Established Camping

Veteran's Memorial Park Campground

30 Reviews

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About

Municipal

Veteran's Memorial Park is a popular and beautiful 50 acre park in the forested hills of Monterey. Located only a mile from Downtown Monterey, this park is an affordable and fun way to stay overnight in the Monterey Peninsula. Besides campgrounds (open 365 days per year), the park includes hiking trails under towering Monterey Pine forest and bay views. You will also find BBQ picnic areas, play equipment, turf and lawn playfield and a basketball court.

FIRE RESTRICTIONS During fire season (June 1st - November 1st, weather pending) no fires allowed and cooking with fuel camp stoves only.

Campsites are first come, first served; no reservations. Camping is limited to three (3) consecutive days. Vehicles or trailers cannot be longer than 21 feet. Pets are allowed in the camp (leashed and attended only), but are not allowed in hiker/biker sites.

Fee Info

Campsite with 1 Vehicle $44 Additional Vehicle $12 Each Bicycle - Hiker Campsite $9 Overnight Youth Group Area 2 $11 per person Overnight Youth Group Area 3 $9 per person Active Duty & Retired U.S. Military, Disabled U.S. Veterans & Senior Age 62 and Older –Vehicle Campsite $5 discount Active Duty & Retired U.S. Military, Disabled U.S. Veterans & Senior Age 62 and Older –Hiker Campsite $2 discount Shower Fee for Non-Campers $4 Dump Station Fee for Non-Campers $13 per use Recreational Vehicle Surcharge $6 per night

Reservation Info

Camping sites are not reservable, but available on a first come, first served basis.

FIRE RESTRICTION: During fire season (June 1st - November 1st, weather pending) no fires allowed and cooking with fuel camp stoves only.

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Location

Veteran's Memorial Park Campground is located in California

Directions

Veteran's Memorial Park may be reached by driving due west on Jefferson St. (up the hill) from the heart of Old Monterey, or by taking Highway 68 west from Highway 1 until you see a white adobe wall on the right side of the road with black letters that says "Skyline Forest". Turn right there, go to Skyline Drive and turn left. Skyline Drive will lead you right into the Park. Veteran’s Memorial Park is about 1 mile away from historic downtown Monterey. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is about 2 ½ miles from the park, and various beaches are within 2 miles. The picnic areas are reservable; call (831) 646-3865 and leave a message if nobody is available to answer. Camping sites are not reservable, but available on a first come, first served basis.

Coordinates

36.59901396 N
121.91098982 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site
Walk-In
Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

WiFi
Available
Verizon
Good
AT&T
Good
T-Mobile
Fair

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)

Features

For Campers

ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Phone Service
Showers
Drinking Water
Toilets
Alcohol
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Water Hookups

$10 - $47

/ night

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

First Come - First Served

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Contact

General Info

Robert G.

Guide

Reviewed Feb. 19, 2024

Not hard to get into

Hilltop. Narrow roads. Overpriced.

Site34

Month of VisitMarch

Joachim M.

Guide

Reviewed Sep. 22, 2023

Good but too expensive

Simple campground with a decent shower and bathroom. Lots of animals around, both dogs and deer and squirrels. Played the reveille both in the evening and morning.

A bit too expensive for what you get, but a nice location

We arrived around 11 and had no problem finding a camp spot (it is first come first serve)

Site5

Month of VisitOctober

Elisa C.

Traveler

Reviewed May. 27, 2023

Nice Campground

Really nice campground in Monterey. $50 a night - max. stay 3 nights Self check in worked really well.

Site11

Month of VisitJune

Allison

Guide

Reviewed May. 3, 2023

Such a pleasant surprise

We stayed at this campground for three nights and had such a nice and relaxing time. The sites were plenty big for our camper van, the area around our site was clean, bathrooms with showers were old but cleaned on a daily basis, water was plenty warm. The proximity to Monterey was great. An easy walk down to town was maybe a little over a mile. The walk back up to camp was a little more difficult but easy enough. I highly recommend this campground and am looking forward to our next visit.

Site5

Month of VisitMay

Kelsey M.

Traveler

Reviewed Apr. 28, 2023

Great Place to Stay in Monterey

Interesting fact: there are horn noises played over a loud speaker at 10 pm and 7 am. Neither are loud or jarring, but it was unexpected. Great camping nearby everything we wanted to do. Big sites, and spaced out. Very quiet. No wifi. Reasonably priced for location.

Month of VisitMay

Laura M.

Legend

Reviewed Apr. 21, 2023

Nice City Campground Close to Downtown Monterey

Nice parklike campground run by the City of Monterey. It’s adjacent to a day use area with a big playground and some little hiking trails. You can walk to downtown Monterey’s restaurants and shops from here, about 1-2 miles away. The campground is on a hill though, so you’re going downhill the whole way down and uphill the whole way up.

Cost is $44/night, plus a $6 surcharge for RVs. Sites are dry camping but there’s a dump station with potable water, free for campers, $12 for non-campers. Showers are free for campers as well! A rarity in California. Showers were clean and had good pressure, but the water was only warm, not hot.

The website and the signs in the campground say there’s a 21ft vehicle limit. But according to other reviews it seems to be hit or miss if you get called out on it by the rangers. We are in a 26ft class C and decided to go for it and had no issues. I can see why there’s a length limit though, as the roads in the campground are narrow and full of overhanging trees. The drive through town to get to the campground was a little gnarly as well. UPDATE: Ranger spoke with us about the size of our motorhome and didn’t kick us out, but asked us not to come back. Fair enough. He was very nice about it.

Cell service was really weak in the campground, and the cell booster did not help (this was for both Verizon and ATT). Lots of trees in the campground so our solar panel didn’t get much sun. Also most sites are iffy on flatness, but #30 was ok with levels.

Site30

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Erin

Guide

Reviewed Jan. 28, 2023

Nice Place To Stay If You're Exploring Monterey

The best part of this campground was its proximity to everything in Monterey. While I had no real attraction to the campground, I also had no complaints.

The campground: Located uphill from the rest of Monterey, the campground has lots of trees and deer. The bathrooms and showers were clean. Fires were prohibited when I visited. The staff were friendly.

The area: There are multiple roads you can use to access the campground; if you have a large RV I'd recommend looking at them ahead of time, because one was curvy and narrow. I had no difficulty navigating it in an SUV. It's a quick trip into downtown Monterey from this campground, and not much longer to the ocean. I really enjoyed driving down to the coast and sitting on a rock watching the sea otters float over the waves. Monterey is a lovely town with plenty of things to do.

Booking: In November, I showed up here pretty late in the evening and had no trouble getting a spot. Just stop at the front and pay once you know where you're staying for the night. It's a little pricier than I'd like for car camping, but I couldn't find anywhere else nearby.

Month of VisitDecember

Kiki J.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 23, 2022

Pretty, clean and nice campground

Its a nice and clean campground with enough places under the trees or at the grass.

Site6

Month of VisitOctober

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Alex M.

Legend

Reviewed Jun. 9, 2022

Good urban campground

This place is a mixed bag. First, the good: it is super convenient. Literally minutes from any location in Monterey. It appears to be first come first served. I was able to find a campsite around 6 pm on a Friday night, and there were several other sites available. I was initially hesitant to camp inside the city, but the campground feels safe. There were lots of families around. It was somewhat noisy in the evening but then quieted down at night. The park plays taps at 10 pm to mark the start of quiet hours.

I skipped the crowded bathrooms on the west side of the campground and used the ones down the hill to the east. They were reasonably clean and well lit. The low-flow faucets provide only cold water and must be held down or pressed repeatedly.

My campsite was not ideal. The ground was dry, dusty, and hard packed, making it difficult to drive tent stakes and dirtying the tent besides. There was also a fair bit of garbage lying around, mostly bottle caps but also an abandoned sandal. My site had zero privacy, and it looks like this is the case for most of the other sites. Lastly, the registration fee was considerably higher than at the state parks I visited previously, where the campsites were better.

Site9

Month of VisitJuly

Matt

Traveler

Reviewed Mar. 21, 2022

Convenient and comfortable

This spot is located close to all the tourist activities yet you feel secluded and safe. You can hear the barking sea lions in the morning, the waves crashing from afar yet nestled in the trees on the hillside. I’ll be coming back again. It’s first come first served and we had no problem driving in on a Sunday afternoon securing a prime spot.

Site6

Month of VisitApril

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Jorge M.

Traveler

Reviewed Nov. 23, 2021

Great place and not far away from the tourist spots.

Great place for only $40 a night. It has all the essentials for your stay. First come, first served. Very clean showers and restrooms! Showers are included in the price. No need to buy annoying tokens. (You can also shower for $3 if you aren’t staying over night). This campsite is located in the middle of Monterey so you aren’t far from all the touristy spots. The campground also has short hikes to a nice view! A lot of deer come out at night so I suggest packing your food away in a container. I suggest checking this place out for yourself.

Site39

Month of VisitDecember

Ashley Loren C.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 25, 2021

First come first serve

There were still plenty of spot at 4pm.

Month of VisitNovember

Dan H.

Scout

Reviewed Aug. 30, 2021

Great first come first serve site

Easy checkin, lots of sites available. Bathrooms, showers, and shaded areas a plenty. Be aware, that will be price is $40, not the advertised $30-$35 online. The ranger also makes frequent rounds to be sure that your camping dues were paid.

Site38

Month of VisitSeptember

Richard S.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 18, 2021

Good Family Park

"Vets'" Park is a campground run by the city of Monterey, Ca. It has a dump station, two bathrooms, one with showers. It also has a playground, picnic area and a group area. Half the sites are in a wooded area & half in the open.

SiteDon't recall the number.

Month of VisitAugust

Jim M.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 21, 2021

Wonderful Surprise in the Middle of Monterey, CA

VMCG was recommended by a friend as we were passing through Monterey. We really enjoyed it’s location, nice facilities and friendly host, and appreciated the hike up the stairs right next to the campground. Wonderful place to stay for a night, or even a few days if you’re exploring the Monterey and Carmel area.

Site19

Month of VisitMay

Mike N.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 5, 2020

Cheap camping in Monterey

This is a great campground near Monterey. Only about 10-15 minutes from downtown. Though you still here the sounds of the city in the early evening, the sounds taper off deeper into the night. First come, first serve and $35/night, you will not find a cheaper place to stay while in Monterey. 3 night max but you can hop to another site and start that clock over again. Clean and some of the sites are surprisingly quiet as there are plenty of trees in the campground.

Jessica N.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 19, 2020

Nice spot

Close to town, I stay here when attending Cali Roots festival, nice campgrounds. Love coming to Monterey :)

Luis N.

Guide

Reviewed Jun. 19, 2020

Best in Monterrey

Great campground. Payment is cash or check only. It has flushing toilets, potable water, and a bonus sink for washing your dishes. Showers are available but you have to pay. Sufficient shade on each site. Large grass area available to anyone to use, along with a playground.

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Ricardo C.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 17, 2020

Veterans Park Camping

This location offers a great sense of primitive camping with commodities here and there. From my understanding, there are two bathrooms, a playground, and a hiking trail. Check in is self serve and easy.

The city is close enough, one can pick up groceries or utilities in less than 10 min.

Overall it was a great camping experience for the price!

Tom and Marianne H.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 5, 2020

Walk to Fisherman’s Wharf

Pros: Secluded yet within walking distance of popular tourist areas. Can hear taps played at nearby Fort Ord at 10 pm. It’s magical! Pretty nice sites. Showers available. Cons: No reservations so need to arrive early if camping outside of winter. Bathrooms not the best but convenient and decent.

Chris M.

Traveler

Reviewed Oct. 6, 2019

Hidden Jem in the Monterey bay!

This first come first serve campground is amazing! It’s only $35 a night with one extra vehicle costing only $9 more. RVs are limited to 25’ and smaller and They don’t have any hookups but a pump out and potable water fill station is available below the lower restrooms by the entrance. Super easy self registration with availability on most weekdays and weekends if you get here before mid afternoon. Oh and They’re are deer on the field every night. Definitely recommend staying here for up to three nights at a time.

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Jaws G.

Guide

Reviewed May. 22, 2019

Great spot for camping

My family and I enjoyed a day in Monterey, and we camped here the night. It was very nice! Clean bathrooms, clean warm showers! Friendly neighbors from all around the world. Even saw six deers walking around.

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Cha C.

Guide

Reviewed May. 13, 2019

Great location

Right in the middle of town, we were there for a quick overnighted on a road trip. Bathrooms were clean, campsite was spacious, but lots of city noise. (Middle of town on a hill)

Stefanie W.

Guide

Reviewed May. 13, 2019

Not Great for RVs

There's a hefty grade to get up the hill to this campground. It's a nice spot and it has a park and hot showers. It's about a mile to walk into town and it's back down the hill you just drove up. They have a limit of 21 feet for RVs.

Mitchell S.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 27, 2018

Quiet and central

Easy access to the town, free showers nice campsite even saw deer

Site17

Month of VisitMay

Rob M.

Guide

Reviewed Mar. 11, 2018

Good and bad

This was my third visit to the park. It’s in a very picturesque location. Close to downtown but you feel secluded at the same time. My only real complaint is that the bathroom is very small and not very clean.

Site5

Month of VisitMarch

Lisa M.

Traveler

Reviewed Jul. 29, 2017

Get there early

We have camped here many times. The spaces are small but there's a great playground with a large area to run around for the kids. If you're lucky enough to get one of the 8 or so sites along the field the kids can just run and play while we cook dinner, set up camp, etc. It's near the city but far enough out you would never know it when you are there.

It can be noisy at night with cars driving in and out. And despite going on a Tuesday the campground was filled by late afternoon.

Rosie C.

Traveler

Reviewed Jun. 10, 2017

Nice surprise

Nice spot right near downtown Monterey. I live in the area, but when friends or family come into town, we usually stay here. Sites are first come, first serve, so get there early if you want to camp on a weekend in the summer. Dog friendly, and there is a big lawn area they can run on off leash, as well as a small playground for kids. There is access to a few hiking trails as well.

One thing to note is that in the dry season they do not allow campfires. If that's a deal breaker for you, call ahead of time and double check whether or not they ate allowed when you want to camp.

Overall, it's a fun, cheap alternative to the overpriced hotels in Monterey and only about a 10 minute drive from downtown.

Kelly S.

Guide

Reviewed Apr. 26, 2017

Veterens Memorial Park

I was pleasantly surprised by this campground. Not a bad place at all to spend some time. Pretty spot to pitch your tent. Can get busy and campsites are right on top of each other. Some sites are better than others. Can get loud. Close to anything you want to do in the Monterey area.

Jiwon K.

Guide

Reviewed Oct. 1, 2016

Perfect spot for bike travelers

I stopped here during my bike trip from San Francisco to San Diego. Veteran's Memorial Park is a very popular spot to camp out among bike travelers who make the SF to LA/SD journey. It was nice that they had a spot that was designated only for bike travelers. I got to meet a lot of other bike travelers. So that was cool! The bathroom and shower were nice and clean. The ranger walked around the park to collect the fee. But he didn't carry any change with him, so I had to ask around for smaller changes. The night time was chilly. The park was a little bit away from the downtown. I had to ask around to get there. It was quite hilly getting there too.

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