Ben Ries Campground — Butano State Park

This is a hidden gem. A little bowl full of redwoods, a creek and great hiking. Lots of great tent sites but pick your site wisely so you are not too close to your neighbors.  Also have some good back country hike in sites.

There is a nature trail along the creek.

If you hike up to the ridge on a clear day you can see the ocean.  There is also an old landing strip on the hill you can hike to as well. Great hike along the ridge where you can bakcpack into a trail camp.  Little streams along the way to get access to water.

Butano State Park, Ben Reis was an excellent experience. 

The park itself has great hikes, thick with Redwoods, immediately you feel like you are in Ewok territory. Lots of varying levels as well. 

The campsite has car camping and walk-in sites. I had sites 5 and 6. The map for the campground is deceiving as they looked close together and connected but they were separate. If I were to come back and want two large sites to connect, I would choose either 6 and 8 or 10 and 13. If it's just two people, site 3 is pretty private as well as 14. 16 is also a good site, but too slanted. Overall, the sites are spaced apart nicely.

The bathrooms are pretty clean, flush toilets, no showers, no hot water and no soap. There is potable water throughout the campground, recycle bins, trash bins(animal proof) and bear lockers and firepits at each site. It does have a dishwashing station and most people cleaned up after themselves when using it(read: don't be a d-bag and clean the drain and basin people!!!). It is also a crumb free park and they take it very seriously. There is no cell service. 

Fellow campers were there to camp, not to party, so that's always a plus(I was also there Sunday to Tuesday so…). 

Great weather, lots of shade at the campsite and on the hikes. Coast was a cool 60's- 70's but warm in the sun(the coast/beaches are windy), night time was a lovely 55-59 degrees, easy to sleep, not too cold(first week in August). Hard to find stars as you are canopied in trees but if you walk a little out, the night sky is dark and stars a plenty. 

The campground is very close to PCH/Highway 1 and the beaches are lovely. PCH is also dotted with farms and fruit stands, artisan pies, etc. The closest town is Pescadaro, and has a tiny main street with an excellent coffee shop, and grocery store with fresh baked pies, breads, jams, sauces, and a deli counter as well as sundry items. There are cheese farms/creameries as well surrounding the park. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, cheers!

Butano State Park, Ben Reis was an excellent experience. The park itself has great hikes, thick with Redwoods, immediately you feel like you are in Ewok territory. Lots of varying levels as well. 

The campsite has car camping and walk-in sites. I had sites 5 and 6. The map for the campground is deceiving as they looked close together and connected but they were separate. If I were to come back and want two large sites to connect, I would choose either 6 and 8 or 10 and 13. If it's just two people, site 3 is pretty private as well as 14. 16 is also a good site, but too slanted. Overall, the sites are spaced apart nicely.

The bathrooms are pretty clean, flush toilets, no showers, no hot water and no soap. There is potable water throughout the campground, recycle bins, trash bins (animal proof) and bear lockers and firepits at each site.  It does have a dishwashing station and most people cleaned up after themselves when using it (read: don't be a d-bag and clean the drain and basin people!!!). It is also a crumb free park and they take it very seriously.  There is no cell service. 

Fellow campers were there to camp, not to party, so that's always a plus (I was also there Sunday to Tuesday so...). 

Great weather, lots of shade at the campsite and on the hikes. Coast was a cool 60's- 70's but warm in the sun (the coast/beaches are windy), night time was a lovely 55-59 degrees, easy to sleep, not too cold (first week in August). Hard to find stars as you are canopied in trees but if you walk a little out, the night sky is dark and stars a plenty. 

The campground is very close to PCH/Highway 1 and the beaches are lovely. PCH is also dotted with farms and fruit stands, artisan pies, etc. The closest town is Pescadaro, and has a tiny main street with an excellent coffee shop, and grocery store with fresh baked pies, breads, jams, sauces, and a deli counter as well as sundry items. There are cheese farms/creameries as well surrounding the park.

 I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, cheers!

- "The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."

― Nelson Henderson