Best Glamping near Big Sur, CA

Recent Glamping Reviews in Big Sur

263 Reviews of 14 Big Sur Campgrounds

• K

  Korey Y.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 8, 2024

  Salinas-Monterey KOA

  Parking lot with a pool

  Pretty basic place. Level, noisy highway. Very friendly staff clean. I enjoy more of the outdoors so not really my cup of tea. Very narrow spaces.

• S

  Susie B.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2024

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  The Pinnacles are Other-Worldly - this is your launchpad

  I didn’t enjoy this campground for years — I’d always drive home, to my cooler coastal home. It is WICKED hot in the summer. But one time, I joined my daughter, who did have a summer reservation, and I changed my mind! They have a pool! The kids are thrilled! There are beautiful tucked away campsites in the shade, by a creek. Really enjoyed cooking in the evenings outside and settling in. By day, of course, the trails are wild, like a moonscape. In spring, it’s a wildflower fantasia. 

  I was selfishly a little sad when Pinnacles became a national monument, instead of a regional secret. But I’m so glad they got the money, they deserve it! Note: I discovered it because my kids were in rock climbing classes in town, and “this” was the field trip. So exciting to see their first climbing and bouldering outside.

• 

  Michael O.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 2, 2024

  Saddle Mountain Ranch

  In between camping and glamping, but somehow neither

  So, if you’re looking to be in nature and have a proper camping experience, this ain’t it. If you want a resort style vacation, this isn’t it either… yet somehow it’s a little of both. I wouldn’t recommend tent camping because you’re literally right next to your neighbor camping and isn’t really in the “woods”. Suggest you get a delux tent which includes a bed, fire pit and bbq. That’s why I’ve rated it high because it’s what I needed for one night. Plus the pull and games (corn hill, ping pong) are nice additions. Just know what you’re in for.

• B

  Boberto R.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 6, 2024

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Don’t go after June

  Campground is fine. Very hot and very dry after June. No camp fires after June bear gulch caves are also closed after June. Seen a ton of wildlife and over all wasn’t very crowded. Great for star gazing.

• N

  Nathan S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 10, 2024

  Saddle Mountain Ranch

  Review Update

  I have spent the last 7 hours listening to a child cry in the space that is 20 feet away from me b

• N

  Nathan S.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 9, 2024

  Saddle Mountain Ranch

  Nice but crowded

  First of all this place is beautiful. It is a very well maintained campground. Its set up is very much like a KOA. The sites are very close to each other. There is room enough for your rig but parking is elsewhere and limited. The bathrooms are clean but small. On the men’s side there is one stall and one separate shower. There is another site but I didn’t see it. Overall I suppose if RV camping is your thing it’s ok. I just don’t like being this close to people when I am on vacation. It’s like a hotel room without walls. It was convenient, clean, and close to where I needed to go.

• 

  Sonya S.

  Traveler

  

  May. 31, 2024

  Sunset State Beach

  Clean and quite

  This is a beautiful place, camp site behind woods, this, waving sound won’t bother at night.

  Very clean and friendly staffs

• 

  James N.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 19, 2024

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Beautiful, and secluded spot

  They have had some flood damage, so repairs are going on. Beautiful spot, great trails, showers, general store. Didn't get to see any condors.  I'll stay here again. AT&T was acceptable coverage.

  Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the maintenance going on, once that is complete it's a 5 Star.

• 

  Robert G.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 8, 2024

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Fun Drive, Far Out

  Just driving here was worth the visit, but get out on the trails to really appreciate the diversity.

• 

  dakota B.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 8, 2024

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Great views

  Bathrooms were a bit of a distance apart. Great views. Very dark at night which is great for star gazing. Good distance from any other stores and the camp store closes promptly at 5.

• 

  David J.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 23, 2023

  Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday

  KOA electric destroyed my poo up

  We are new popup campers and this KOA facility was just our 2nd time taking our popup camping. We arrived the day before Thanksgiving and our experience was fun. We plugged into the shore electricity and tried out our fridge, heater and other neat things about our popup that we were just starting to enjoy. Then Thanksgiving day came and with it, 100s of RVs. They parked and plugged into power. The whole place was full, not one space was left. Later in the evening, as we were getting ready for bed, we had a surge of electricity in our popup. The lights would get bright and then dim. We surmised it was because a lot of power was being used, as the lot was full and we didn't have problems the first night. When everyone was in bed, I saw a spark shoot up in the air with a'pop' sound and a burning smell. I quickly ran outside and unplugged from the power. Across our space, I observed several staff members working on an electrical box. They were apparently having another electrical issue. I advised, what appeared to be a lead worker of my incident, and he said once they finish with their work, he would come over and check. He never did. At 8:57 PM, we received a text from 831-220-3855 from KOA stating the following:"Hello Santa Cruz guests- We have a section of the park that has lost power. Our team is troubleshooting but we have not yet identified the problem. Unfortunately, we are not likely to have power restored tonight....." Then on the next day we attempted to try the power and our toaster surged and would only burn toast, my in law's electric blanket was non functional, we finally gave up and unplugged from the pedestal.(Friday) at 9:58 AM we received the following message:"We appreciate your patience as we work through these electrical issues that came up overnight. We ask that you unplug your RVs from the pedestals at this time....." The offer to refund part of the stay. We also found that our closest bathroom showers were also down. After we returned back from our trip, I brought the camper to our garage, and we tested the power. Nothing works, at all. After we found this out, I contacted management at KOA, and they heard what happened and advised that they would put me in touch with their claims service(insurance). Once they provided me the claims service, the said"once we submit, they will handle any communications." I had attempted a follow-up and left a message with their claims provided, Gallagher Bassett located out of Pittsburgh PA. So after I had left a voicemail(no call was every returned to me) I received a letter from the aforementioned claims provider which stated in part:"This letter is to advise you that we have completed our investigation into your claim against our client[KOA]. After careful consideration and review of the facts, we must respectfully decline payment for this matter for the following reason(s):"-"The power outage was beyond our client's control and subsequently, they are not liable for any damages incurred to your camper. They have taken all necessary precautions to ensure the smooth functioning of their facilities." I am very disappointed in KOA's lack of accountability for this incident. It's a shame, because the place makes great effort in all aspects for making it a welcoming place. But since KOA is unable and unwilling to take responsibility for ruining my camper, I decided to post this review. I would HIGHLY suggest you not visit any KOA sites as I don't believe they have the capacity for running their electric system, and you would run the same risk to your RV/campers as we did. If you do decide to visit a KOA site, I would recommend that you do NOT plug into their power system. I plan to advise KOA corporate and post this experience across all my platforms so families know the risks involved with KOA. It's a shame that KOA doesn't take accountability for their mistakes. Update: I spoke with corporate KOA and was advised there is nothing they can do either.

• 

  mario G.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 30, 2023

  Fernwood Campground & Resort

  Absolutely beautiful

  This is a perfect place to go for a camping experience. The kids would absolutely love it. Free showers. The water is very hot. Washers and dryers for a small fee. There is a quarter machine inside the washer & dryer area so bring some cash. The place is very clean. Enough spots on the river to enjoy for yourself. We stayed in lot #39. I love the redwood trees so being surrounded by them was amazing. I hope this helps. Oh and there are a couple cats out there that will stop by if you have food left out so put away your food.

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 26, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Convenient to check out the park

  Not a bad campground, very open. Dry desert area, would not want to come here in July, though it was basically full on a Wednesday.

  They have a pool, but it's small. No way am I getting into it with all the potential people. You are in middle of nowhere so they had a decent camp store.

  I had a bar of reception but you can also purchase internet if needed.

  Spot was not level, so definitely needed blocks. Did see two deer hanging out.

  Only a couple of showers but glad they had them. Only two per gender.

• F

  Frederik F.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 18, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  What is the idea of quite hours 10pm and 6am if you can’t have a car running outside quite hours?

  Generators or vehicles are not allowed to be running anytime any day to recharge phones or any other electrical devices or doing anything without paying for a hookup and too many flies to stay outside enjoying things!

• J

  Joachim M.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 22, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Not again

  Our camp site was located just by the entry, which was a bit noisy but at least close to toilet and shower. Had a quite dirty pool and a lot of young kids that also were quite noisy. Worst toilet paper so far on our 2 month trip around the US

• 

  Leslie R.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 17, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  The last place you would expect a pool!

  It was horribly hot in July, the campground pool was an oasis. Our first time to this unique national park, what a hidden gem!

• 

  Brianna D.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 24, 2023

  Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday

  Expensive but tons of amenities

  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.

• e

  edith

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 23, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Great campground

  The camp store was a life saver. We left our tent poles at home but were able to buy some at the camp store. The staff were all friendly and helpful. The pool guy was funny too.

• 

  Jake C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 10, 2023

  A Place to Stay in Big Sur

  An awesome spot along the coast in Big Sur!

  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!

• 

  Travis A.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 5, 2023

  Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday

  Great for kids

  Had a nature preserve site for two nights. Overall everyone was friendly and great activities for kids. A little busy and can be loud but still a fun time

• T

  Tony M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 5, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Great stay

  Great place, hidden gym. Store and pools hours are dumb. 5pm store and 6pm pool. Showers were great. It had body soap and shampoo. The caves were closed though for 4 stars.

• 

  HandL C.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 2, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Not For Trailers

  As a tent, van or Class C camping location, I think this campground would be just fine. This is NOT a campground you want to pull your bump-pull trailer or Class A into. There are no turn arounds. The pads are facing the wrong way for backing in. The loops that the sites are on are rough roads with branches, logs and rocks that make turns damaging to your rig. It's tight back there, people! Go to an RV park outside the park or get a smaller rig. You've been warned.

• 

  Alma L.

  Ranger

  

  May. 29, 2023

  Sunset State Beach

  High Spot variability

  We traveled with a 22ft travel trailer. Spot 79 at Dunes Camp. This is the best spot at Dunes camp. Flat with lots of space.

  There is NO dump station or water for RVs anywhere at this campground. Closest dump station is at New Brighton State Beach 10 miles away for $20.

  Bathrooms old. Showers ok, old but clean.

  The beach only allows dogs in one location and you need to drive to it. There are stairs to the trail from Dune Camp but dogs are not allowed there because it is a Plover nesting site. Rangers drive by to tell you that if they see you.

  Last thing, only one bar AT&T cell coverage

• T

  Tricia M.

  Scout

  

  May. 29, 2023

  Ventana Campground

  Living under the Redwoods

  We just returned from a week living under the Redwood trees. It was both magical and peaceful to listen to rushing water in a creek below us, and the birds flying over head. It was so quite. The camp hosts are amazing, Manuel (our hero) helped us bring our gear to our “hike in” site that was uphill. Once settled it was the perfect spot to be one with nature. The rest rooms are clean and had plenty of hot water for showers. The price is more than a state run campground but for us worth the money. Happy Camping 🏕️

• D

  David

  Guide

  

  Apr. 25, 2023

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Do Not Be Fooled by recreation.gov - RV Sites are 82-112 Only!

  We had a reservation for site 59 but did not stay. recreation.gov says that this site can accept trailers with a max of 37 ft and while that may be technically true, I think that could only be accomplished if you could somehow have your trailer carried in and dropped into the site by a helicopter. The loop road around the campsites is simply too tight to back a trailer into this or pretty much any of the other sites along these loops. The actual RV sites are 82-112 so stick to those. 

  For reference, we have a 30' trailer and tried going at it from both directions, but the road and the bounding trees are just too tight to make the turn without scratching up your truck or trailer. The people in spot 60(right next door) had a tiny R-Pod trailer and said that the only way they could get their trailer into their spot was to make a circle by driving through 59 and then around into 60(technically driving on vegetation that would probably break some NPS rules). We ended up canceling our reservation and driving way back down the road to Thousand Trails San Benito. 

  Thanks a lot, recreation.gov for the inaccurate information, the frustration, and the wasted time. 

  TL;DR If you have an RV, do not book into any sites here other than the designated RV sites, which are 82-112.

• D

  Drenda

  Scout

  

  Apr. 25, 2023

  Thousand Trails San Benito

  Back to Nature

  Birds, trees, flowers, grass. Doesn’t have that jammed together RV park like some Thousand trails parks (ahem Cottonwood and Yuma AZ )

• 

  Bobbie Rea W.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 23, 2023

  Saddle Mountain Ranch

  Cramped / beautiful

  Beautiful views - the area for larger Rv’s is really cramped. The driveway is really narrow & steep.