Best Glamping near Big Sur, CA

It’s too hot and the caves are closed in July due to the bats giving birth. We stayed here due to having to detour from Big Sur because of the landslide that closed the 1 hwy. on our way up to Alaska.

However, it was a nice campground with a good amount of shaded RV sites with electric hookups to run AC, a lot of nearby hikes, scenic views and wildlife. We definitely want to return when it’s cooler and the caves are open to explore.

Traveling alone with two little girls, I opted for more populated campgrounds with nearby amenities. Granted, it was spring and the weather still too cold for most, so the Fernwood Campground was all but deserted. (If there were more people, it would likely have been loud in the campground as the spots are really close together.)

We rented a yurt for two nights right on the Big Sur River. My girls had a blast playing in the mud, traversing the meadow and climbing readwoods. Really, this place lacks nothing.

One major stair climb and you are in the hotel on HWY 101. My youngest has a knack for falling in rivers, so we took advantage of the laundry facilities in a nearby hotel while sipping cocoa and eating a hearty breakfast.

Only 4 stars because the spots are too close together to achieve that "remote" feel I like.

This is my second choice campground right in Big Sur. Not because I really like it, I've been there when it was too crowded, but because it has similar qualities to my favorite campground across the road -Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. 

In the summer the campground is thick with families and RVs/trailers, and tent campers. But off season the place mellows out and there is room to move. The campground is on either side of the Big Sur River, RVs and trailers on one side, tent campers on the other. 

Amenities are there, but the free showers on the tent camping side of the campground are better than the pay for showers on the RV side. Every time I've had a meal at the restaurant there has been a different menu and style. Maybe they change chefs every season, but it's not a far drive down to Deetjen's for breakfast if one is up for a treat. The Fernwood General Store has a good selection of food items, wood for the fire, and a few camp supplies.

My most recent stay here was in July 2019, on my sister's vacation with her RV. We had spot number 9 which was smack dab in the middle of everything which was not my preference, but my sister loved it. When I have a choice, I tent camp or vanlife in Big Sur between September and April. 

I would give it between 3 and 4 stars, depending on season and how much you like to be around other people.

I have always ended up here every time I have visited Big Sur because the public campgrounds in the area are always booked out, but this has to be one of my favorite places that I have ever camped. The setting is 10/10 and is probably one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring places I could think of pitching a tent. There is something truly special about sleeping underneath a giant redwood forest, and this grove of trees is nothing short of amazing. 

The camping experience aside, Ventana is by far the most expensive campground I have ever stayed in. This is partly due to the fact that it's owned by the luxury Ventana Resort up the hill, and also simply because it's Big Sur (where camping is pricey even at the public campgrounds.) I get that Big Sur is extremely popular, but there becomes a certain point where the price tag for a simple campsite becomes outrageous. I feel that Ventana is more or less taking advantage of campers in that respect, banking on people who are willing to pay any price just to be able to camp in Big Sur, especially when every other option is booked. 

Bu with the hefty price tag, you get to camp in a beautiful setting that is very well maintained, that has probably the nicest/cleanest camp bathroom I have ever seen. Seriously, the bathrooms are actually pretty nice and they have showers. (Pro tip: Use the bathrooms in the lower loop because they have individual single rooms with showers where you can be alone. The bathrooms in the upper loops have showers in the shared bathroom space.) Firewood and shower tokens can be purchased from the host, and they sometimes drive around in golf carts to your site with wood and tokens so you don't even have to leave your site. I will note one slightly frustrating thing about this campground: while you can reserve ahead of time, you can't choose your site specifically. But what you can do is write a comment in the reservation and request a specific area and that has usually worked for me. Some of the campsites are kind of close together with shared parking, but it has never been issue. 

All in all, I loved camping at Ventana/Big Sur. I just wish I didn't have to spend so much to do so.

Jake from the Dyrt here!  If you're trying to find a great spot in Big Sur, you found it, this is a great spot to pitch a tent and enjoy being near the ocean and the redwoods forests!  Check them out and share some pics of your stay!

Enjoyed this campground. The park features breathtaking views of the Big Sur Coast, the beauty of the redwoods, the rugged coast and the cultural history of limekilns. The park is small with 24 campsites and they are booked 6 moths ahead so will will have to plan in advance. Waterfall is pretty and runs to the ocean.

Fernwood is a unique campground because it has tent sites, RV spaces, canvas tents, cabins, a motel and even a restaurant. It’s situated on the river in Big Sur, and is surrounded by the majestic Redwood trees. If you don’t feel like cooking head up to the restaurant for a delicious meal. There’s also a small market to pick up necessities and ice.

You are deep within the magic of Big Sur. Come here to relax and recharge.  This camp is close to nothing - in a good way! Escape your phone.

We enjoyed short hikes to see waterfall and like kilns with no one else on the trail.

The camp sites near the ocean seemed a bit windy in November, but we were cozy in the trees.

I love limekiln state park. It is a little south of big sur, and may be difficult to drive to from hwy 1 south with the bridge construction. That being said, if you are able to head here I highly recommend it! You can camp near the beach or in the redwoods. There are a couple of short trails to both a waterfall and the limekilns. I absolutely love this park!

This is an AMAZING camping location! The site run along the little river from the beach up into the giant trees. The sites are all along the dirt drive. Sites are not overly secluded. This is a great place to stay when exploring Big Sur area, or a place to stay put at and relax. There are 3 main hiking trails as well as camping and the beach area. Highly recommended!

The Pinnacles Campground offers a variety of sections to fit the need of most every type of camper. There are two sections to the park - an east and a west side which are not connected very easily unless you hike through the Pinnacles themselves. However, the main Campground offers a ranger station and store that provides books, snacks, and information on the park. There is wifi and a pool and showers available. Sections include group sites (which were the ones I stayed at), good for families, school trips, or camps, and more family style camps, and places where you can glamp in your RV fully equipped with hook ups.

The pinnacles is unique because they are one of two spots in California where you can see the California Condors, a huge giant scavenging bird that almost became extinct. From the campsite you can watch them soar back to their roosts in the higher Pinnacles through binoculars. Truly a wonderful experience.

Cons: Watch out for the raccoons. They will eat everything you don't lock away!

This spot is a favorite in Big Sur's magical beachside forest. Books up well in advance, so last-minute reservations are quite the long-shot. Lower sites are more exposed, but get the benefit of the ocean sounds and rocky beach proximity. Upper sites are tucked back into redwoods, with a little stream nearby.

Hike to the kilns! It's fun to see them still standing, and the CCC keeps the trail in fantastic condition!

Campsite Review:

Ventana Campground

Ventana Campground is a tent only campground, which I love as I feel like it’s harder and harder to find now a days. They can’t accommodate RV’s, motor homes, travel trailers or pop-up tent trailers. Although we did see a few of the rental company camper vans and trucks with roof tents or small campers on top. This campground isn’t cheap… But for the Big Sur area, I guess it’s “reasonable” as this campground is right in the middle of Pfieffer Big Sur and Julia Pfieffer Burns State Parks. It really is in a great location to explore the coast That being said, I did find it a little disappointing just how close the campsites are to each other here, meaning you’re not going to get anything close to a secluded camping experience. These (like almost all campground now a days) come with a fire ring and picnic table. We were lucky enough to get randomly placed in a spot right next to a wonderful little 2-foot waterfall on the creek that runs through the campground. We lucked out as there was never anyone at the front gate and there was just a list of everyone’s per-assigned campsite. There were some other campsites which were right on top of each other and you had to basically walk through someone else’s area to get to “your” table and fire ring.

It was nice that there was both recycling/trash and potable water stations scattered throughout and the bath facilities were decently maintained, and as they say “modern” (i.e. flush toilets). However, I was blown away that they only have coin-operated showers available (2 minutes per quarter). This and they really did pack in the 60+ sites plus a “glamping” area in the back for $425-695 (average ~$600) a night…

The tent site campground is reservable by phone at 1-855-391-8683 or online ($85 for Sunday-Thursday, $105 for Friday & Saturday)

While we don’t have one, I know people like to know that dogs are allowed at the campsite on leash (2 per campground).

For me personally the campground only gets 3/5 stars :

Overall, remember that while you have great access to the beauty that Big Sur Coast has to offer and the campground is pet friendly you’re definitely, not really going to get a remote camping experience and there’s a lot lacking for how much you’re paying. The facilities don’t have dish washing areas and while they are nicely cleaned and maintained things like a shower shouldn’t have cost extra…

These rules are copied from their pamphlet.

•        Respect the peacefulness and quiet of the redwoods.

•        QUIET HOURS 10 PM TO 7 AM.

•        No loud noise or loud music at anytime.

•        NO RVS. NO HOOK UPS. NO GENERATORS.

•        All fires must be in fire rings, under control at all times and extinguished before departure.

•        PLEASE DO NOT DEFACE TREES OR STUMPS.

•        Please purchase your firewood in Big Sur. Collecting groundwood is forbidden.

•        No fireworks or fire arms permitted on property.

•        LEAVE NO TRACE on campsites or facilities.

•        Conserve water. Firmly close water taps when not using.

•        Dogs must be quiet, on leash at all times and stay in campsites or roads. Please clean up after your dog. No dogs left unattended.

•        Recycle bins are available for plastic bottles, cans and glass. Please recycle.

•       Maximum five people, one vehicle, two dogs.

Gear Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and what I got to use during this trip for protecting our food from the wildlife and the elements was RovR’s RollR 60 cooler. While listed as “a 60-quart carrying, all-terrain attacking, patented design that can go anywhere you can. Engineered with the world's best cooling and organization design on the inside and built to carry your campsite, tailgate or party on the out.” It really turned out to be all this plus so much more. We had a really easy time wheeling it around and to our site and it was so much nicer than having to carry a cooler like I’ve done with my other rotomolded brands. Ugh… they get heavy with food and ice in them.

This cooler comes with a lot of really unique features that no other cooler has! Plus many other customization and add-on possibilities. Their coolers come with a folding tote container which is attached to the top with velcro straps so that while wheeling it around it won’t just slide right off. Good thinking there! When not in use this tote folds flat, and fits into an indention on the top thus serving possibly as a slight cushion for sitting.

When in use, the tote is unfolded and becomes an additional dry container for holding extra gear like a stove, pots and pans, paper towels, etc. You can also remove it entirely from the top and placed to the side or move it to a picnic table with all that dry gear you have for cooking or whats not. This “feature” is awesome - it is like having two carrying containers in one.

There are additional fixtures on the cooler which are designed to attached auxiliary items like a cutting board, umbrella or drink holders. There’s even a fixture for attaching an extension that can be attached to a bicycle. Thus, one can pull the cooler behind a bicycle like a trailer. Innovative game changer for those bike campers!

My favorite feature was Inside the cooler there is a special bin that can hold items that may not need to be chilled like bread, towels or utensils. This feature is so important to keep items separate and dry when moisture develops, or the ice starts to melt. The bin itself has an internal divider which further aids with organization. Sometimes you want things right on the ice, but other stuff isn’t going to do as well if you freeze it!! This was an awesome idea.

Overall, I give the cooler 5/5 stars. I really love the company’s innovation to the rotomolded cooler and even our cats approved! Go get ourselves one of these instead of some of those other rotomolded coolers at RovRproducts.com

Cooler’s Features:

•        Certified grizzly bear resistant rotationally molded body and lid with anchor pins for attaching prep station and accessories!!! Yes, please. Especially with all the bear cu

•        Up to 10 days of ice retention depending on use. Umm....need to test this out fully, but it lasted the 4 days i needed it with opening the cooler a few times per day.

•        Capacity: Without Deepfreeze dry bin installed: 60 cans and 20lbs. of ice. With Deepfreeze dry bin installed: 40 cans and 10 pounds of ice in main compartment and 4-6 bottles of spirits upright with meats, breads, fruits and vegies in dry compartments. 

•        High performance wheel assembly: 9-inch all-terrain rubber tires with interchangeable tube, aluminum hubs with 2 sealed bearings 

•        Aluminum pull handle with dual motocross style grips. This is great for pulling the heavy cooler around. Have you tried carrying one of the other brands without wheels?!?! It sucks!! They get really heavy, really fast.

Loved camping here as a stop on a road trip along Oregon coast hwy 101. The entire campground isn't like this, but our site was directly beneath the highway and next to the beach. There are fun hikes that leave right from camp that go to a waterfall. Check out the actual decommissioned lime kilns nearby.

It's just on the edge of Big Sur. Not much oversight to the park, but that was OK. It allowed us let some traveling kids without a reservation share our site.

This place was awesome for kids. A little loud and busy but still had clean bathrooms, hot showers, pool, hot tub, outdoor games, bike rentals… they were even delivering pizzas to campsites when we stayed that smelled amazing. Compared to other KOAs we have stayed at, this one was extremely expensive. However, given the location and all of the included amenities I can understand why. We had a great time and used this a launching off point to visit Big Sur.

Limekiln State Park is one of the many campgrounds located off of Highway 1 in gorgeous Big Sur, CA. Limekiln is one of my very favorite places to camp EVER. There are three different areas to camp in; the beach, by the creek, and in the redwoods. All three areas are gorgeous and magical. I have camped in both the redwoods area, and down by the creek.

We have camped in site 16 in the Lower Creek area the last couple times we have camped at Limekiln, as it is the most secluded area to camp in. There are only 3 sites down in the Lower Creek area, and they are fairly small sites, so large parties cannot camp there, which leaves it pretty quiet. You are still surrounded by redwoods down in the creek sites, and listening to the creek is so relaxing and peaceful.

Each site has a firepit and picnic table. The campground has plumbed toilets, coin operated showers, and drinking water.

We like to cook in the campground, plate our food, then walk over to the beach to eat in front of the ocean. The beach is essential a private beach, as the surrounding cliffs block it from other areas of Big Sur.

The trails through the redwoods are easy hikes, and absolutely beautiful. There is a small waterfall down one fork in the trial, and the old, decaying lime kilns are down the other fork - they are a must see! The history of the lime kilns is very interesting, and worth reading about.

One time the camp hosts told us about the bats that come down the creek at dusk - they told us to go stand on the bridge that connects the beach sites with the rest of the campground, and ait for the bats at dusk. I’m sure bats are not everyone’s cup of tea, but we enjoyed seeing them fly around the bridge and down the creek.

Limekiln, in my opinion, is one of the prettiest places in Big Sur, and is a must see!

CAMPSITE SPECS

Fees: $35/night

Plumbed Toilets: Yes

Drinking Water: Yes

Showers: Yes (coin-operated)

Picnic Table: Yes

Firepit: Yes

Cooking Grate: Yes

Shade: Yes

Cell Service: No

Animal Bins/Food Lockers: No

Trash: Yes