Best Cabin Camping near Boulder Creek, CA

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.

They have nice facilities and a heated pool although a hot tub would be nice also. The sites are a little small but very mature trees and they keep it clean. Some of the back in sites for tent trailer are a pain to get into but very nice setup with private dishwashing station and cook space. Bathroom is. Lean and nice club/game room and clean washing facility. Close to the highway with a fairly easy on and off the although it's a little confusing at first. All day/night highway noise but it starts to become white noise after a while. Staff are friendly and accommodating and quick to respond to any issues. Its got a grocery store nearby and the camp store is fairly complete as well. Not a lot of outdoor activities other than the pool and bags and the K9 trail, but pleasant to walk though. It is very hilly and steps are around to get between levels. After being here for 4 days, I would consider coming back again.

We stayed here the summer before it burned down. It was 95 degrees in this redwood forest. I am grateful to have visited these big trees. We had a great trip. It was a nice park with a lot of old redwood trees. Fun creek behind campground for pups to splash around. Easy flat trails to walk. There were Friendly Europeans with their families, Quiet park, But a ton of misquitos! Bring the spray. We drove 9 miles to Boulder Creek and found an epic swimming hole by Cafe  to help cool us in the 95 degree heat. Bring groceries and firewood as it cost us $13 for a bundle at the market. Best Sites: Huckleberry #62 Blooms #129.

There is no down side to this campground.  I stayed in Blooms Creek, site 122.

You may find a fussy thing here or there, but really, it's a delightful place to camp.

Camp site 122 is truly the best - I scouted for better ones, but this one was tops! Lots of space (I set up my 14 x 9 tent in a circle of redwood trees), lots of privacy (hey-yo!).  But really, every campsite is pretty great.  Tall redwoods all around, plenty of shade, potable water, a dish washing stations (!!!!), flush commodes, coin operated showers, hiking trails galore and a camp store with most anything you might have forgotten to bring along.  Also, lots of programming through the Park Headquarters (nature walks, kids activities, amphitheater fireside talks).

Things to know so you get your head around it now ...

1. NO CELL SERVICE.  There is free wifi at the camp store and it stays on all night (I know, I went after hours to check the *Cubs/Cards score - go Cubs!  *Cubs won 5-1).

2. Firewood sold at the camp store or camp host (as of June 2019) is $13.00 a bundle.  Yes, that's twice what you might normally pay.  In town (Boulder Creek) is not much better.  Side note, there is a CUTE coffee shop in Boulder Creek called Tree House Cafe - GREAT coffee and nice staff.  Plus there are two Redwoods in the middle of the cafe.  I mean... come on!!!

3. This campground is very close to UC Santa Cruz.  I camped Sun-Tues right after school let out for the summer so there was definitely the 'let's camp and get wasted' kinda thing.  They were actually kinda of adorable and nothing too unruly, but maybe time your stay with that in mind if you are not in the mood for that sort of camping neighbor.  

4. No Bigfoot sightings.  I looked.

5. The bathrooms (while decent) did NOT have hand soap.  Bring your own.  And remember, sharing is caring (read: leave it in the bathroom cause most people were not aware of this).  

6. Midweek in summer is still crowded.  This place is RAD and people know it... get your reservations EARLY.

7. Mosquitoes are for realz here.  I left with over 30 bites (16 on my knees alone).  Citronella candle did NOTHING.  I had DEET spray... NOTHING.  I heard Bounce Dryer Sheets brings the magic (yes, take the sheet and get carried away on your arms, legs etc as if you are toweling off).  I'm trying this cause it's better than ya know... West Nile/Zika (which I probably now have).

I definitely returned better than when I arrived... this place is pretty.  I truly hope you have an outstanding time here.  

Cheers!

We stayed here with our 2 dogs last November as a nice winter getaway from L.A. We got one of the tent cabins, which are just adorable and so cozy. The sites are nice and distanced from each other, bathrooms were in great shape and it was pet friendly. We got a package with the tent cabin that came with bedding, cooking utensils and firewood, so were pretty much set once we got there. The beds are comfy and the wood burning stove (photo attached) is the only source of heat. It is neat but BE WARNED...it gets COLD on those winter nights so make sure you a) have enough wood; b) are good at keeping fires going throughout the night; and c) have lots of dry wood. The wood that was left for us as part of our package was really wet and wouldn't burn so we had a very chilly night even with loads of sleeping bags and blankets. Other than that, we had a great experience and got to take the dogs for a great walk on the paved trails in the State Park. Can't wait to go back!

This KOA is great for a family getaway. TONS of activities on site- huge bouncy pad, a climbing wall, ping pong tables, a swimming pool, pedal go karts, the list goes on and on. There are also Plenty of options on how to stay- RV sites, cabins, tent sites, you can even book one of the campgrounds Airstreams! There is also relatively quick access to Santa Cruz to the north and Monterey to the south.

My only criticism is that it is not that woodsy. But hey, this is a KOA! If you want to camp in the woods, go to a national park!

We stayed in a cabin in the huckleberry campground. The cabins were nice, and each cabin has 2 double beds, a table, and a wood stove. It can get cold at night in the redwoods so the wood stove was great at night. Each campsite has a fire pit with a grill cover which made it easy to cook dinner. The sites are a decent size with lots of trees to climb on, hide in, and play on. You can get ‘add on’ packages with the cabins, which include things like sheets and pillows for the beds, propane lanterns, and cooking items.

We camp here every year in May or June. It's always fun. The tent cabins are super convenient.

So sad the devastation of last month's fires on the oldest state park in California, home to thr biggest redwoods south of San Francisco. We were lucky to have camped there this summer and when it reopens will return.

Our space was in the Huckleberry campsite. My only complaint was the proximity to the cabins & their noisy doors, lol. The site was otherwise quite comfortable.

If you like day hiking the Santa Cruz mountains are glorious. From giant trees to waterfalls to sandstone, the variety will keep you interested.

Great for familyfamily time and outdoors. I recommend taking camping essentials even if you camp on a cabin. They stay is almost always quiet and peaceful and nice.

There is something awesome about standing inside a tree that is literally 10 times bigger than you! Camping here was one of the most special, amazing camping adventured in my life. My husband is an environmental geologist, so he had been working in California for the cleanup after the wildfires. So we decided when he was done I would fly down and we would take a little vacation. We had spent the week before in Yosemite National Park, so by the time we got here (not even gonna lie) we were exhausted and a little sick. In Yosemite the temperature drop at night gave us both a little cold, but thankfully the temperature in Big Basin was not nearly as harsh.

Before arriving we reserved a campsite on their website at the Huckleberry campground. At the time the Huckleberry campsite was the only one open, maybe because it was off season, although I am not sure. On the website there are actually pictures of each site so you can choose to your liking. I chose a small site with a lot of trees, what I thought was the most breathtaking site. It was just our little tent so we didn't need much room. The site had one parking spot, a picnic table, a fire pit with rack, and what I call a "bear box" which is a animal resistant container for food.

Our site was close to the bathrooms, showers, and dumpster which was convenient for us especially after 'roughing' it in Yosemite. Every facility was clean and surprisingly very nice. We didn't end up using the fire pit, but instead just cooked our food over a pocket rocket, but I do believe they had firewood for sale at the rangers hut. They had a grocery store but it is not open during the winter months so plan accordingly. However there is a town in Bouldercreek, CA with a grocery store, some bars, and a few restaurants. It is about a 20 miles drive out of the park to the town.

We ended up taking a break from the cold one afternoon while we were there and drove into town to eat at Boulder Creek Pizza & Pub. It was absolutely delicious, but whether it was actually the best pizza in the world, or it had been so long since we had a real meal, either way it was great!

The trails and campground are easy to get too and well marked, but we did lose service on the drive into the park. The education center on site is very interesting and teaches you so much about the history and growth of the amazing Redwood trees. Even every single campsite is breathtaking so you can't lose. We did a few trails around our campsite, nothing very extreme.They do have very good hiking trails with distance, just make sure you get a map before. Everything was just so wondrous and beautiful. I felt like a kid exploring this place, so small and insignificant in the big scheme of things. I will never forget this park, it will forever hold a spot in my heart and soul.

Great location with nice views of the valley. Easy drive in with parking spots next to most sites.

Camp sites and cabins are a little close together but nice, clean grounds make it comfortable. Good playground for kids. Foosball, ping pong, corn hole, horseshoes, and other games available. 3 gas fire pits near the office with nice space for socializing or sharing an outdoor dinner.

Cabins are tight but nice and clean. Our kitchen had all the necessary utensils and dishes to cook for a couple nights.

Staff is nice, communicated well ahead of the trip, and made late check in easy.

Huge pool is heated May to October. Small sauna next to pool currently closed but looks fairly new.

I am a tent camper so that is what I know.  I do know there are cabins here as well, but I have only seen them, not stayed in one.

This is a big park down at the end of a long winding road.  I have camped in the group site and individuals sites.  All appear wooded.  But do look for poison oak!  Also there is creek which runs through the park so I like to get a site on the creek.

There is great hiking here.  You can hike down to the ocean, but also to a wonderful water fall.

This can be a busy place with the cabins, the visitor center and the store. But when you are out on the trails it is not crowded.  There is a well signed nature trail through some old growth redwoods with large tress to climb on!

We visited the Big Basin Redwoods State Park late July this year with a large group of friends and their families and it was such an awesome experience. We stayed in a tent cabin at the Huckleberry campground which was nicer than we thought it would be. It had just the right amount of space for my wife and I, our two daughters and all our gear. The entire campground is loaded with trees so there was plenty of shade everywhere. There's also a few decent hiking trails close to the campground which is really cool and convenient. My daughters enjoyed every minute from the hiking, riding their bikes, campfires as well as all the other great things to do when camping. We also explored the Visitor Center to see some of the most magnificent dinosaur-like redwoods including what they call the 'Father of the Forest' and 'Mother of the Forest' trees. The guide was an encyclopedia of information on the massive trees which he shared with us along the tour. If you're at all interested, then you must go on the short tour. The only complaint I have is about the one night there were what seemed to be very loud college students, probably from UC Santa Cruz or another nearby college, who were in the cabin at the site next to ours and were partying way too hard. We had to tell them to keep it down since they had woken us up. I'm all for a little partying, but damn, they were loud and no one came around to tell them to keep it down besides us. Other than that, all in all, we had a great tent cabin campsite and did notice some even better in the campground, so we will definitely be going back again.

The small cabins are nice and I quite like them. This is a good place for hiking, but unfortunately there is not a lot more to do. You can go to Monterey and do things there though. If you have kids, they also have a pool and a giant trampoline made out of beach ball material. Will definitely visit again.

Big Basisn is a bit hard to get to with a long and winding road... but you get a great park in the Redwoods with a creek running through it.  This can be a busy crowded park so I like to enjoy it in the spring and the fall.  In spring you get wild flowers as a treat.

Great nature hikes here for the little ones and some prime hiking for the adults.

Cabins are available here and then there is a store and a visitor's center.  Not your primitive out of the away place.  It has all the amenitites.

We stay at this KOA 3-4 times a year. We especially enjoy the Halloween and other theme weekends they have. They have made tons of improvements over the last 10 years we have been going. Sites range from tent sites, RV sites, to full size cabins. They even rent out Airstream trailers. The staff is wonderful. Fun place. A little expensive but what you would expect for all the amenities offered. Beautiful pool but the kids kind of take it over. All the rest of the stuff KOA offers plus super clean bathrooms and sites.

Can’t beat the view, proximity to Carmel, amenities and cleanliness of this facility. The cabins and camping sites have been nestled into terraced platforms on the side of this beautiful ridgeline located about 15 minute drive from Carmel.

But the sites are much smaller than what we’re accustomed to (we typically don’t camp within 10 feet of another family). But it is a very family friendly campground with a lot of oversight and CLEAN bathrooms!

For those coming with RVs and travel trailers: be advised that there are sections of one-lane road in the last mile leading to the resort. And the driveway to the campground is STEEP!

All in all, it’s worth returning,

It’s a cozy place with boat rentals! Plenty of shade and bathrooms available. Only reason got 4 star is the constant blue-green algae, making the water unavailable for swimming. Regardless of that, you can still fish and go on boat rides.

Great place for a quick getaway with some friends or family. Enjoyed walking around and taking in the views. Saw some deer, rabbits, and hummingbirds. Enjoyed hanging out by the lake.

Staff is very friendly. Bathrooms were clean.

I had a very different take on this place than the others. The RV spot was a fair distance from the neighboring spots, it was low-density, quite, all good qualities, but there was very little see or do near the loop. There were no hikes suitable for young kids as far as I could tell. There was a little store for ice cream and camping supplies and dump station on the loop.  HOWEVER, WARNING: the road around the campground looks wide but there are boulders every 10 feet or so making it insanely hard to back into our spot - and we had only a 22ft trailer! I can't see myself coming back here. The maps do accurately depict the relatively narrow space you have for back in spots. Once we were in, it was fine.  The pedestal and sewer set-up was just fine. No issues there. It's just not worth the hassle. 

As for the park/water part of the park, well, it was covered in garbage from the day-trippers. It was packed and only accessible by driving to it. Truly not a place I wanted to BBQ or picnic at.  Cars, people, dogs, loud music, and garbage. A gross diaper on the shore.     We took a very nice hike starting at the dog run. That was beautiful, but not worth the trip.

I didn't bother to photograph our site. There were all adequate, just avoid back in site here. There are so many better places to visit.  I checked this off the list, no reason to return. I don't believe there was reception either from the campsite.

Last thing, we peaked in on the cabins in our loop. They looks very nice and maintained.

Great place to hike and "get lost" in the woods. No dogs on trails though. California state park rule....