California
About
Cerro Alto Campground
Cerro Alto Campground is a well-known hiking and mountain biking paradise. It is located a short distance from the sandy beaches of Morro Bay, where visitors enjoy surfing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and more. While the campground offers a serene, relaxed environment, both Morro Bay and the nearby town of Atascadero offer numerous dining opportunities, shopping, museums and other activities. Natural Features: The campground is situated in a mixed oak, pine and sycamore forest at an elevation of about 1,000 feet. It lies in a verdant canyon pass along a semiannual mountain creek. The roads are paved, but narrow, winding and single lane with turnouts to each site. Recreation: Visitors enjoy ample hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding opportunities, along with a 360-degree view of the Central California coast and inland valleys. The 4-mile Cerro Alto Trail, which leads to the peak, begins within the campground. Morro Bay beaches are less than 10 miles from the campground, offering wide sandy stretches and swimming, surfing, fishing, kayaking, sailing, scuba diving and more. An 18-hole championship golf course is located in the oceanside town. Facilities: The campground offers single-family sites for tent or RV camping. Each site is equipped with a table and campfire ring and grill. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are provided, but no hookups are available. Trash collection bins are scattered throughout the campground. Nearby Attractions: Paso Robles, which is quickly becoming known as a premier spot for Central Coast wines, is located 20 miles from the campground. Wine tasting tours are offered daily, or visitors can select individualized tours of numerous wineries located in the area. The campground makes a great base camp for motorcyclists or day-trippers to visit the quaint, neighboring towns of San Luis Obispo, Cayucos, Harmony and Cambria, all of which are within 35 miles of the campground. Tours of historic Hearst Castle are also available. Visitors can spend time relaxing at the many available day spas located at nearby Avila or Grover beaches. Off-road vehicle trails are available on famous Pismo Beach. ACTIVITIES Biking Boating: Kayaking Fishing Hiking Hunting Water Sports: Scuba Diving Wildlife Viewing Swimming Site
Access
Drive In, Walk In
Operator
USDA Forest Service
Contact
Location
Cerro Alto Campground
is located in
California
Directions
From Atascadero, travel southwest on Highway 41 for about 8 miles. Campground entrance is on the left; turn and continue south for about 1 mile to the campground. From Morro Bay, travel east on Highway 41 for about 8 miles. Campground entrance is on the right; turn and continue south for about a mile to the campground.
2 Reviews of Cerro Alto Campground
A bit sketchy
I love the hike here and really wanted to like the campground too but our stay was a bit sketchy! There are some more private sites as you drive into the campground but we were in the cul-de-sac area near the trailhead. We had some trouble with a lady who was clearly spending the night in her van and kept yelling at us that we were parked in her space. The camp host came over in the morning and confirmed that we were parked right where we were supposed to park. There was also a couple there that were pretty clearly on drugs and they came in and out of our campsite at times. The scenery itself is beautiful, and the Cerro Alto hike is amazing, but we had some questionable people and little to no help from the camp hosts.
First to Review
Shady tree-lined campground with a few trailheads that I passed. It was cool morning in May & had condensation form on our tent in the early morning hours. The bathrooms were well stocked and clean. It was small and the campsites had enough elbow room in between them. Will definitely make it a point to come back! We were able to walk-in & pay for the site after it got dark, just make sure that you read for the handwritten dates for when the signs say it is reserved(we passed all the sites because all you read is reserved as you drive by them).
