Arroyo Seco

We stayed at site 12 which is a double site. It was a good enough size for 2 families. We had a truck, SUV, and small box trailer fit just fine. The only thing I didn’t care for in the layout is that the tent pad is on the other side of the site from the fire pit and table so you park right in the middle. It just wasn’t ideal since we had small children. But it wasn’t a big issue.

We were right across from the bathrooms but there was no smell. They were clean flushing toilets, and showers.

There is also a road directly behind our site leading to another camp area. There was no barrier between our site and the road but cars were going slow enough it wasn’t too nerve wracking with the kids.

The tent pad was in the sun, but the table area was well shaded.

We were checked in by the camp host who was very friendly. She and her husband checked in once or twice but only because we had our music too loud after hours. They were very nice about it though.

There is no water close to the campsite. You can swim in the creek, but you have to walk or drive down the hill to get to it. There is a day-use area but if you want to park there you have to pay. Get there EARLY if you do want to find a parking spot. Once it fills up, they close it off and no one else can park there the rest of the day. It also closes (everyone has to leave) at 5 which kinda sucks.

There are some really shallow areas nice for littles or some deeper swimming holes you can hike to. I believe there is a waterfall upstream but you have to walk/hike to it. I’m not sure how far up.

You can probably scout your own spots along the river somewhere, but the day use would be your most family-friendly option.

There is another swimming hole higher up above the campground but you have to hike to it. We were advised against it with the kids but it seems like it’d be really neat if you can hike up to it.

We will most likely return but will be more prepared to get to the day use area earlier!

We are more backpackers and prefer free dispersed camping, but it's hard to find when traveling with pups, but not impossible. This was more of a regular camping trip. It was super busy and full, but I suspect that is year-round because it is a great and well-kept campsite. 

We stayed at this campsite mid February and the weather was beautiful - warm and sunny during the day, cold at night - around mid 40's. It's a little costly in my opinion but also it's fairly inexpensive compared to the majority of facilities like this in California. I personally might give it 4 stars because I prefer more secluded, free dispersed campgrounds, but this just isn't that. That being said, this is an excellent and well kept facility with bathrooms, showers, and the campsites are fairly well spread out considering how many there are. If you want regular cookie cutter camping, this is the place for you (no offense, no judgement - all depends on what you're looking for). There are great campfire rings, lots of twigs and sticks lying around to start fires, and a decent amount of space for a couple of tents and a couple of cars (probably not more than two). 

I thought when we were looking for a site that the primitive sites were not reservable, but that was not the case. However, the staff that was there late at night was SO HELPFUL and hooked us up with one of two sites that were left open. 

We had three adults and two dogs at a single site. (They also have double sites which are twice the price I believe.) There was plenty of room and space with decent privacy, it was $10 extra for the additional car per night which isn't terrible. 

They are very dog friendly, so if you've got pups, this would be a great place to take them. I highly highly recommend bringing a long lead (we had 40ft ones that were absolutely perfect) that you can attach to the picnic table or a tree so they can meander around the campsite but not run off. The trees were great for hanging hammocks as well.

The water was down, but they had the cleanest port-a-potties I have ever seen and were driving around regularly with gallons of water and bundles of firewood for sale. ($3 for a gallon, $10 for wood). All in all, I definitely would recommend this campsite for anyone looking for a getaway in nature with the perks of having facilities available.

Arroyo Seco Campground https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/lpnf/recarea/?recid=10906 is located about 60 minutes south of Salinas in the Los Padres National Forest. The Arroyo Seco river runs close by the campground and there is a day use area right on the river with picnic areas, grills, and a playground. In the summer it gets very hot here, so the river is a nice way to cool off. There is also great hiking up the Arroyo Seco gorge with plenty of swimming holes along the way. There is also a small lake nearby for fishing, but swimming in the lake is not allowed. Big Sur looks to be close by, but it is actually about an hour and a half drive along a winding road to get there. For $30, the sites are a little on the expensive side, but there is plenty to do when camping there. The campsites are on the small side and some of them can be stacked right on top of each other, with little privacy, so be sure to look at the map if you reserve online. All of them have a picnic table, firepit, and grill. There are also some more primitive campsites located above the main campground that they hold for first come/first serve campers if you can't reserve one online. This is a very popular campground in the summer and sites get reserved quickly. There are very clean toilets and coin operated showers, which are handicap accessible. Be warned, sometimes there are issues with the drinking water, signs are posted that it is not drinkable. If that is the case, it is a long drive out to get drinking water in Greenfield.

Driving though the John Steinbeck's novel "East of Eden", the Salinas valley's plush farmland stretches south east into the stomach of California. On its southern slope Arroyo Creek cuts though its velvety green slopes which nestle the vast majority of American produce. The Arroyo Seco Campground in the Los Padres National Forest is a secluded cliff lined sanctuary. The campgrounds themselves harbor all the amenities such as bathrooms and potable water sources . In the middle of the day after picnicking under the redwood gazebo and hiking through the holes, take a dip in Arroyo Creek where the water temperature varies between a frosty 45F in Spring and 75F during the summer. If you the adventurous type park in the back parking lot and hike approximately 2 miles down the fire road which penetrates into the Los Padres National forest where you can swim in any of the many gorges. Enjoy cliff jumping from formidable hight and sunbathing along the white sand lined shoreline. Continue upstream from the main gorge to experience a granite slot canyon that can be 15-30 feet deep depending on the season which leads to a waterfall nicknamed "The Waterslide".