we stayed in the group site with friends a while back. the park is about 15 miles from the coast but still is heavily influenced by coastal weather. the fog can stay in the river valley and keep the campground cold even in the summer. the river is nice earlier in the year before the water warms and it fills with algae. theres swimming and hiking on site as well as the ranger station to explore. the redwoods are beautiful but the campground is directly adjacent to highway 36. luckily, its a low volume road, but the noise can be a bother still. we will be back even if its just for a day trip to swim.