Best Campgrounds near Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA

Absolutely soo clean and a great place to camp without having to travel so far. Bathrooms are constantly cleaned and showers are free and clean. Parking is free with paid camping . People seem to be very aware and pick up after themselves which i love. Will definantly bring family more often

This is a nice enough campground if you need a place to stay, but it's not our first choice for when we need something in this area. The sites are sort of awkwardly spaced and placed, and it's hit or miss if you get something level or private.  I think for tents this is a better campground, but for us in an RV it wasn't the greatest. But overall, still very nice, and it's a nice walk to the beach. Dogs are allowed on the beach.

We didn't have good cell reception (we did have some) in the campground, but on the beach the reception was great.  Showers were $0.25/min and they take quarters.  No dump station on site, and no hookups.

We took the "trail" to the beach one time, overgrown and grassy, and were all covered in ticks afterwards. Stick to the paved roads if you're walking to the beach, unless they mow or clean up the trail.  There's also a group camping area here.

Very nice County Park. Not busy when we were here. Bike/walking trail. Nice trees. Level spots with water and electric. Just off 101 but no highway noise.

We love staying here for the views, of both the landscape and the race track. Even when there’s not a big event here, there’s often car clubs out on the track. For race fans, that’s eye candy! This park has lots of campsites, some with electrical and water (non-potable), access to biking/hiking trails, some facilities (under renovation as I write this, but I’m guessing they’ll be ready for the summer), and friendly camp hosts.

Originally we planned on staying at a different park, but somehow there were people at our spot so we were left with finding a new place to stay last minute, which can be scary considering the highway was closed going up North, and had zero reception. We stumbled upon Kirk Creek, and let me tell you, HEAVEN ON EARTH. Not only was the camp host off duty, they still came out to greet us and let us know we were more than welcome to stay, find a spot we enjoyed and could take care of the finalizing of paperwork early the next day. As a mother traveling with her kid, father, and fur babies, you could imagine how grateful I was. We stayed at the most incredible spot, had amazing views, privacy, and just overall..we had the most incredible time. This is a location I plan on taking my family from now on, we are forever camping here. Thank you so much, we loved our stay.

Express it is named possibly due to the small number of sites. 46 I believe. That is an attraction for me. Situated off highway 1 and surrounded by the marina is very appealing for us. Reservations were made over the phone with Liz. She did a nice job of getting us in for the following day. Check in was with Ben. Friendly and in formative, he met us at our site and gave us some tips as we backed in. Also, Ben offered us 2 big locks to use at no charge for our$$$$ E-Bikes and some Otis Spunkmeyer cookies, a nice touch. Easy walk into the marina area or onto the beach. It was quiet at night. Occasional sounds from Highway 1 in the daytime. I really can't say anyhing I didn't like. Maybe a wider site would be nice but appreciated the clean concrete pads. We will be back for sure.

Getting there takes some attention. Do not take highway 9 from Santa Cruz as the RV park will tell you. Our car navigation changed our route even after we were approaching 17 north. Keep your eyes out for the highway signs. Once there, it was a pleasant check in. Roads to the sites are narrow, so again, keep your eyes pealed. Site was nice, partially under a redwood. River runs behind the park. We took a few hikes in the area that were very nice. Gas, propane and food are all located down the street.  I had to use a 6 foot extension on the sewer hose. Shore chord was fine as was the water spigot.

Moss Landing CA. We love this small town and have stayed here several times. Campground is nicely located and within walking distance to restaurants and shops. There is a great bird sanctuary where you can ride your bike or hike around. Seals barking out you door. Fun.

Clean restrooms. Great site (26) with room between others. Friendly staff and hosts. Quick walk to scenic ocean views. Amazing sunsets! Great experience all around.

We took a look but did not choose to camp here. Sites are exposed to one another and to the road. More shade than at Ponderosa.

It’s so peaceful and beautiful here! I will say, there is practically no service. which personally i enjoy because you get to be away from the world for a couple of days. the walk to the beach from the site i was in was also sort of a trek, it is definitely very different for anyone who is not in good shape, but once you get over the hill, the reward is so worth it!

Essentially deserted. Just us and one other camper. Very quiet from other campers, but can hear gentle highway 101 traffic in distance. Amazing farm machinery museum display. Restrooms are fine even have showers. No privacy between sites. Paved sites are on 35 foot spacing. Grass spots are a bit further apart. Might try something around site 80ish. If all sites were occupied this would be very crowded. Then again, it is a convenient stop between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

What a find! Mostly level, mostly gravel and grass, mostly pull through sites. Water, and 30 amp and 12 V available. Not sure about 50 amp. Good cell service, bathrooms, showers and a dump station round out the on-site conveniences. Firings and picnic tables with a choice of well-shaded or solar-friendly sites. A nice walking path, circles the campground and is well used in the mornings and evenings by locals running or walking dogs and babies. The first half of the park has a rustic agriculture, museum, and lots of old farm equipment on display. There are also spaces to rent for parties and events with their own parking area separate from the campground. King City has grocery, gas, some restaurants and some shops just outside of the park.

As folks who live in their van and travel, this is probably one of the fancier places we’ve stayed. Since part of 1 is closed, we had to detour. This is a true RV park that many live in for long periods. Thus, the bathrooms and showers were so nice and clean. It is expensive, at $80, but it’s what we had to do and found it to be super nice. It was a quick stay, as we headed to Pinnacles NP West for some hiking. Only 30 minutes away.

We were just traveling through since part of 1 is closed. Found this spot for $51 and it was great. It is hilly, which made it cool to walk around for views. The water is not potable, but bathrooms were very clean and the staff were so kind. There was not a race, but there were some cars running the track the next morning. Which was pretty cool!