Kirk Creek Campground

small hill top campground with amazing sunrise and sunset view. There is a small trail to go down the beach right next to camp site #22 Avoid sites that close to the restroom as it can get very smelly. Site #7,8,9 are the best with open space for ocean views. Can get very windy at night (depending on on season) so secure down your tent tightly

Did not know you could see such beauty in a campsite. Absolutely heavenly views, staff was great, A+ experience

amazing place to stay! great few, access to the beach through a small path and friendly staff. 1 star less for crazy amount of racoons, who will steal your food as soon as the sun sets

Small campground, every spot is amazing. No cell service or showers. Pit toilets, clean campground. “Hiking” tent spots are a super close walk, not a hike but you cannot have a vehicle at all. 009 is the best view and a big plot. I personalized liked where I was better because I could just see everything :) you really can’t get a bad spot, obviously the closer to the beach side the better. Bring your own water and food etc, there are a few spots close but you’re not going to want to leave. Host and staff have been friendly every time I’ve gone here

This camp ground is epically beautiful. There are pit toilets and trash cans, but basically no other amenities. Not even drinking water. Make sure you have what you need.

We came down here on a van trip. It was first come first serve and we got here around 7:00 am. There were a few people waiting too, but we all got our own spot! We came with our dog and she had a fun time too, but be careful of poison ivy. The camp host let us know they have raccoons around but we didn’t see any. The view was awesome. You can see the mountains behind you and an awesome ocean view in front of you. There’s no cell service though so be aware of that before you come!

This campsite is one of my favorites! I've camped here two times and had a blast both times. The trails just off of the grounds take you down to a rock beach that is absolutely beautiful. 

We also used one of the walk in sites during one of our trips (just parked at the road and was allowed to use it as none of the other sites were available). There was a small trail heading north of those sites that we were able to do some night sky photography at. 

Can't wait to go back!

Upon arrival I was greeted by the campsite host whom informed me that that the campsite was full except for a single site. I understood that coming in the sites are first come first serve but online showed that there were a few sites available. He informed me that the site is late by an average of 24hrs and unreliable. The bathrooms were clean and there was a small trail leading down to a rocky shore beach. They had firewood/starters/water available for sale. The views of the coast are partially hidden from trees along the border of the campground. Also very important !!! The raccoons here are very stealthy and WILL steal your food. Overall , it was a place to sleep that wasn’t on the side of the road so a win.

Luckily got this camp site because of a cancellation, it was well kept, and had wonderful views. Would def visit again!

This campsite is right along the ocean on a cliff. It is a very popular campsite but they always have mandatory spots available for bike riders since it’s the halfway point between two cities. If you don’t have reservations they will let you camp there if there are open sites after 5PM, but you have to park and walk into the campsite. It’s really chilly at night and most of the day so be prepared with warm layers. If the campsite is full you can drive up the mountain on Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd and there are 2 campsites about 30min down the road where it’s warmer and beautiful as well next to a creek.

This is one of my favorite campsites due to iats relatively small size and gorgeous views of Big Sur. There is a cute, rocky private beach with access from the campground and a long hiking trail across the street that is dog friendly (just be aware of poison oak). 

Just note that if planning to reserve a spot, you must come first thing Friday morning when they open. By lunchtime, all spots are usually gone. If you come mid-week, even better. Also important if you want a spot overlooking the ocean. 

Also, raccoons are intense here. They will go through your stuff if you leave anything out. My dog did have a good time patrolling the campground at night and scaring them all away though. 

The last time I was there there were massive motor homes parked in all the front facing spots which was kinda a bummer, so even more reason to get there early to strategically pick a spot if tent camping.

If you are driving up from the south and going to Big Sur this is a great place to camp for the night. It captures the beauty of the coastline and has some hiking trails down to the water. They had firewood for sale when we were there which was super convenient. There isn’t much more that needs to be said other than it is just absolutely beautiful. The site we were in was nice and level so it made set up easy.

Beautiful views with the majority having panoramic views of the coast. Camp hosts made it that much better!

$15 firewood so pick it up before hitting 1.

The views spectacular because you are on a cliff. Short brush so you see your neighbors. Highway one is right behind you if road noise bothers you. bathrooms were clean and well-maintained. Sunset was awesome. we got breakfast at Gorda (south of this campsite) the next morning, super delicious highly recommend, and hiked Salmon Creek Falls (south of this campsite). Not many people there so we had the whole waterfall to ourselves for an hour. The pictures I uploaded are of Salmon Creek Falls. I forgot to take pictures of the campsite.

No cell service, beautiful views. Personally I think it the best spot in Big Sur, over looking the ocean on once side and the Forrest on the other. Lots of hiking around the area, or just driving down PCH time feels like it’s stops! Definitely one of my top camping spots highly recomend!

We've been camping here for during my August birthday for the past 8 years & its something I look forward to all year!

While we used to just head up & find a site- its become nearly impossible to "walk-in" during high season. Being one of the last campgrounds at the bottom of Big Sur we meet ppl every year hoping to find a spot after being turned away from every other campground on the way down.

•BOOKING• The great sites book out VERY quickly. If you want to score you'll need to plan:

1. Use the website, not the call center.

2. Booking windows open 6 months in advance, you’ll need to make your reservation then if you have specific dates & can’t wing it whenever something is available to book.

3. There’s a 14 days limit so ppl who booked before you mean a site may be unavailable On your planned check-in day. Research ahead of booking to see which sites are going to be available on the date you want to arrive.

*TIP: Booked site’s are only held through checkout the day following a planned arrival...so if your desperate & see a posted reservation thats passed the no-show deadline you MIGHT be able to kindly ask the on-site camp director if you can camp on it.

The camp directors diligently check reservation cards & drive around; you won't get away with trying to sneak onto a spot!

•SITES•

We've stayed on sites: -3B -18 -21 (Multiple times) -26 -29

*I’ve tried to book site 9 for YEARS but even with availability & hand on the mouse it seems impossible to get.

Site 21 is along the cliffside. The large beautiful tree between 21/22 shades the driveway not the site, so be sure to bring a cooling vest 4 fur babies in the summer.

The nature of this site allows for a lot of privacy if you’ve got a large vehicle in the drive. Its a short walk across a well beaten trail to the toilets & just down the curve and through the bike-in sites you’ll find a beautiful forest with plenty of look out spots.

Because of the tiered setup every site has ocean views and there are NO bad sites, so don't stress too much if you don't get your first choice, any site is sure to be wonderful!

After trying for a cliff site for days we had to book 18 this year (2020). Even though its on the inside bottom loop and a bit smaller than 21 we found it peaceful & would’ve enjoyed it had we not had to evacuate after 3 days due to an illegal fire causing catastrophic wild fire :(.

•NOISE•

Unlike a lot of other California campgrounds you won't be drown out by generator’s throughout your stay. The surrounding plants, ocean waves, and overall space btwn sites absorb noise very well. Unless your used to huge private camp sites, its easy to forget other people are around.

The upper sites do get more audible noise from cars driving along highway 1 but it's not excessive or distracting, just thought I should mention it.

•BATHROOMS•

The bathrooms are non-flush toilets but they’ve always been rather clean by campground standards. There’s the normal fly population of course but the camp directors work to keep it minimal & you shouldn't be in there much anyways.

I’ve upgraded our gear & bring a pump flush composting toilet + double room pop-up for basic bathroom and shower use which is nice to have on site.

No running water; bring plenty for washing, drinking, etc.

We use a 50 gallon container & find its perfect for a 8-9 day trip with 2 solar showers, lots of hand & dish washing, and dog water refills. We do freeze bottled water & keep it in the cooler for drinking.

•OVERALL•

There’s nothing that can compare to drifting off the sleep on the edge of the earth while gazing up at the milky-way, cut off from the rest of the world.

In the mornings you’ll wake to the sounds of the ocean and watch as the fog rolls in, lifting away from the ocean & surrounding hillsides until it seems heaven is kissing the earth.

It calms the soul in a way that only those who have been can understand...this place is PURE MAGIC!

*Note: You will be quite literally cut off from the world here. You won’t find any cell service so turn that phone off when u hit the main road in & enjoy the feeling that comes with uninterrupted connection with nature.

If you really NEED to check on things, wifi can be found by stopping for a beer at the pub connected to the Big Sur post office.

Wonderful visit, best view!!! We happened to drive in at the right time, had one walk- in site available. Campsites, large, away from other campers and clean. Bathrooms were also clean, but vaulted..... and so worth it because the view was amazing. Beautiful hike down to the ocean, nice small area to tide pool and picnic. Good place to stay and enjoy the view and campground. Try and bring everything u need, little camp stores are located about 20 min away, both directions, and very expensive. Beware, do not leave any food or cooler out, raccoons come out at night and will slaughter ur food 😃

Also a good place for a base camp, centrally located, close to visit places in Big Sur, like Pfieffer state park and restaurants.

This campground is great because of its location and yes, you look out over a beautiful view.  I felt like it was a little too open for my liking because I prefer some privacy when I camp, but you can't be too picky in paradise.  Take advantage of all the amazing hikes - especially because most will lead you to a waterfall.  And walk down to the beach because you might find a jade stone or see an elephant walrus!

No fires allowed, spacious sites, must book in advance. Raccoons will come through at night, must make sure everything is put away and secure. Breathtaking views and hiking trails are challenging yet worth it!

Truly one of the most beautiful places I have ever camped. The stars are out of this world, the Milky Way spans the entire sky.

We stayed 2 nights but could have stayed many more. We did have raccoon visitors each night but as long as you keep your belongings secure it’s no issue.

We went night bathing at the Esalen Institute which was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. Highly recommend trying to coincide your trip with their night bathing they open to the public every so often. It’s from 1-3am and is unlike anything I’ve ever done before. It’s clothing optional. We saw a constant stream of shooting stars.

My favorite campground in America. Seriously. Nothing but wonderful memories here and friendly groundskeepers. If you show up late, all spots are taken and you have to take one of the walk-in sites, make sure to tip the managers! Amazing views of the ocean and a great beach to relax on and stare at the wild surf of Big Sur. Also INCREDIBLE star gazing when the moon is down. Lots of whale and seal sightings, especially Humpbacks. Great sunsets. Make sure to bring everything you need since all this place really has is outhouses.

Always booked up on recreation.gov but I was able to snag a single night in the middle of the week due to a cancellation. It was well worth the three hour drive one way even for a single night! Beautiful views, perfect weather, camp host was very friendly and helpful! Looking forward to being able to go back!

This is one of my all time favorite campsites - it's hard to beat the ocean view, easy access to Kirk Creek and the ocean (rocky water access only from campsite but Sand Dollar Beach is just down the road), hiking trails and the rest of Big Sur right at your fingertips. The sites are fairly small and close together - this campground is all about location and views not having the place to yourself.

We stayed here over Labor Day weekend 2017 and had record high temperatures, beautiful sunsets and lots of fun exploring the area. Big Sur is a great place to visit year round.

We stayed at Kirk Creek this weekend in one of the walk up tent sites. although we could not park by the spot, we arrived that day with no reservation and we’re happy to park across the street with how beautiful how surroundings were! From what I could tell, every site had a wonderful view of the ocean with how the campground is situated on the bluff. I will most definitely stay here again!

Just recently camped at Kirk Creek Campground in Big Sur. Site #17. We were lucky that weather was perfect as fog is usual. Site #17 is on grassy spot, but ground is not so even. Sites are small so you can hear neighbors' conversation a bit. There is no shade at this site so if you are going to be there on a hot day, be sure to take shelter of some kind to hang out. Unobstructed view of the ocean and the coast towards the West and the sunset is awesome if there is no fog. There is no water on site so bring your own water. Campfire is still allowed at this point and firewood can be purchased from the camp host. It's about $12 a bundle so probably cheaper to bring in your own. Read reviews about raccoons, but did not see any. Rabbits and squirrels are around. Important - poison oak is everywhere around camp sites and along the trail down to the beach. They are overgrown along the trail so we did not even hike down. Overall, we enjoyed this campground a lot as our first time here had been blessed with perfect weather, quiet camp neighbors, etc.

One of the few campgrounds in Big Sur with beach access. Very different than most campgrounds in the area. It sits right on the bluff with trees and tall grass. It's a beautiful campground.

Full disclosure, I did not camp here (all the sites were full). However, I was passing through and wanted to take a look. All of the sites have great views of the Pacific Ocean which is about 100 feet below. There is very little tree cover, which means very little shade and it seemed like there was a slope going on (might be hard to get a level site). I talked with the ranger/camp host in charge (mostly because he had an amazing, huge, beautiful bloodhound dog) and he said that even though there is no water available in this campground it is very popular and usually full from May until October. You can buy water for $5 a gallon,so be sure to come with plenty of your own water! In the winter months you apparently can watch whales migrating just off the coast. The vault toilet was very clean and well maintained, and each site had a picnic table and fire ring with grill. You are allowed to forage for firewood, but you really won’t find any in or around the campground, so be prepared to pay out the nose for firewood ($12 a bundle!!). You will have better luck heading into the Los Padres National Forest (inland) to gather firewood. It’s only a couple of miles. Just up the road are Sand Dollar Beach and McWay Falls, and there are hiking trails all over the hills (including one trailhead directly across the street from the campground).

campsItes are covered In wonderfIl grass, so we were barefoot the whole tIme! campsites may not be level. there is no water available

Hands down the most epic camping ever-end of the world views atop and gorgeous cliff side-meets the endless Pacific Ocean-whale watching galore! Worth the trip!

Book in advance. Just like every campground in Big Sur it fills up. Totally worth it though. Beautiful sunset views looking up the rugged coast. Bring water and firewood. Put toilets that are very clean and friendly staff. Be aware of the poison oak and the raccoons at night!