Best Dispersed Camping near Cayucos, CA
Are you in need of a campground near Cayucos, CA? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Cayucos. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Cayucos camping trip.
Are you in need of a campground near Cayucos, CA? Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Cayucos. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Cayucos camping trip.
"The road was a bit sketchy, any 4WD would be fine I think. I took my mini van and camped at a turn out along the road because I was a bit hesitant, but again, others would probably be fine."
"We came up to TV tower road and found a great spot to pull the car into, with a little trail that pulls off to a spot to pitch the tent."
"Best with a decent clearance 4wd - definitely not an RV spot. Windy at night for sure, and can be a bit busy with people going past on the road."
"Got there around 2pm and was the only car in sight until 4 ish when a car pulled up and parked for the night 5 feet away from me 🙄 RUDE!!"
"Amenities include one vault toilet, sometimes runs out of toilet paper on a busy weekend, picnic tables with shelter and fire pits. No water, no trash, fire bans most the dry months."
"Sites have covered shelter with metal picnic tables with overhangs for stove and a fire ring. Sites 5 and 7 suitable for larger rigs. Site 5 is pull thru will accommodate 40ft+ rig and pull vehicle."
"Dispersed camping all along the trail, despite a sign saying no car camping. It was a 45 min (6 mile) trip up a dirt road but boy was it worth it."
"I’m surprised I haven’t known about this little gem that is only 2 hours away from me. Above the fog line and beautiful views!!"
"Turning on Redhill Road from hwy 58 follow the dirt road about 2 miles to the intersection of Redhill and Fernandez."
"Amazing location to wake up in the morning. View of the pacific ocean on one side and valley on the other. 4x4 vehicle needed. Fairly safe, clean, and not crowded."
"I showed up around 5 pm and there were still a lot of sites open."
Amenities include one vault toilet, sometimes runs out of toilet paper on a busy weekend, picnic tables with shelter and fire pits. No water, no trash, fire bans most the dry months.
7 sites suitable for tents, vans, rv's, tt. Sites have covered shelter with metal picnic tables with overhangs for stove and a fire ring. Sites 5 and 7 suitable for larger rigs. Site 5 is pull thru will accommodate 40ft+ rig and pull vehicle. Site 7 is back-in site pull vehicle parks on one side of shelter, 40'+ capable. These sites are dry camping with vault toilet. Offers views of Coastal Range on west Salinas Valley on right. Eastern road from San Ardo/PCH unpaved, washboard on lower end, no steep grades. Turn onto W1 is close for larger rigs as well as turn into campground. Directly opposite of campground entrance is extra large flat dispersed site capable of any length. Road up is narrow must yield to downhill traffic. No electric hookups gens allowed but be mindful of neighbors.
Turning on Redhill Road from hwy 58 follow the dirt road about 2 miles to the intersection of Redhill and Fernandez. This spot, and there are others, is right at the intersection so it can have some traffic with residents that live further down the road and OHV riders. It is a good spot for the night or to stay while you bike or ride ATVs. We stayed one night. It was very quiet and walking down the road was pleasant as there weren't any OHVs riding around on a Monday.
It is a fairly flat spot and we had no trouble with our 26ft Class C. The road in is wide and dirt with some washboard but fairly smooth overall. Further down the road is Navajo Flat Campground which is $20/night with additional fees. (see review of Navajo Flat campground) This spot is in National Forest Land so we camped for free. There seem to be other areas for dispersed camping but be mindful of the private property areas.
There is zero amenities so pack in and pack out. There is no water, garbage or fire pits. Cell service is spotty with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. Download map before you come so you don't camp on private land.
Campfires are allowed with permit.
Overall a nice place to stay, quiet at night less traffic on weekdays. We would stay here again.
We stayed here for 3 nights in the summer, arriving on a Sunday, and it was great. I was worried about the heat, but it really wasn’t too bad, even on the hot days (low 90s) it cools down in the evening and didn’t get hot until early afternoon. Just be sure to get one of the shady spots! We set up in site #1 when we first arrived because it was private and had nice views, but it was way too much direct sun. We moved to #4 and it was much better- shady and even better views.
There were other people here when we stayed here but everyone was very quiet and respectful, and we didn’t hear any shooting like other reviews have mentioned— this may be due to the ban on shooting (and camp fires) at this time because of fire danger, but I was still impressed and surprised that people respected the ban. There is one pit toilet that we didn’t check out, but man you can smell it if you camp in one of the sites near to it.
We saw one volunteer/employee come and clean things up while we were here. We were pleasantly surprised that the trash wasn’t too bad here. No trash service so please pack out your waste. Cell service is good up at the campground, though you do lose it in parts on the drive up. We made it up in our 26ft class c no problem, though the road is narrow at times and we were glad we didn’t come across any oncoming traffic. Sites are relatively flat/ fixable with levels. Two of the sites are huge/ pull throughs so would be good for bigger rigs or big groups. If you get up here and all the sites are taken, there are several spots outside of the campground where you can disperse camp.
This is an OHV area but we didn’t see any while we were here. We hiked along the OHV trails and there was nothing- but I could see it getting busy on the weekends.
There's a 14 day stay limit. No water provided up here.
My only complaint was the BEES! They were everywhere and aggressive, and all in our face, but didn’t sting us. One of the campers said that this was unusual though. Really nice campground, amazing that it’s free! Thanks BLM!
My wife and I found this spot on our Honeymoon. Dispersed camping all along the trail, despite a sign saying no car camping. It was a 45 min (6 mile) trip up a dirt road but boy was it worth it. The trail continued toward a campsite, but we found a spot that we couldn’t pass up (see pics). We were above the marine layer and the stars were something else never seen before. Highly recommend. No campfires.
We towed our 30' travel trailer up to this dispersed campground that is located along a ridge line on the west side of the 101. When we went, of the (7) formal sites that are up there, only 3 of them were taken and that was off and on. We didn't need 4x4 getting up there or even a high clearance vehicle. Our transmission did start heating up as the road was filled with washboard and it was steep and we had to go pretty slow. However, any car will be able to make it up there. The road was safe and relatively wide, but it drops off and you wouldn't stop until you got to the bottom..... If the (7) spots are taken, there are at least 2 large areas before and after the camp ground that you can camp.
The view is fantastic, there is a really nice pit toilet, but I don't remember seeing any water hoses.
Each of the (7) sites had a concrete pad with a covered picnic table and a BBQ pit! Please pick up your trash if you go. There was some beer cans and other garbage left behind by some mental midgets.
The road was a bit sketchy, any 4WD would be fine I think. I took my mini van and camped at a turn out along the road because I was a bit hesitant, but again, others would probably be fine. There were lots of people going up the road until very late at night, then turning around and coming back down (I assume because there were no spots?) The stars are beautiful and it's very quiet and cool. Got cold at night but nothing unbearable, lovely sunrise too! I'd recommend bringing a warm sleeping bag and any essentials for dispersed camping. Honestly such a beautiful place, next time I'd like to find a space to set up my tent. Loved it!
Every campsite within an hour range of Big Sur was full, and it was getting dark so we opted for this road. It is the only road where dispersed camping is allowed but beware: it is narrow, steep, unmaintained, and surrounded by cliffs. If you happen upon a pull out that is not occupied, does not have a private property sign, and is somewhat flat, then it works as a spot to sleep that feels like you’re on the edge of the world.
We came up to TV tower road and found a great spot to pull the car into, with a little trail that pulls off to a spot to pitch the tent. This is definitely a great spot for car camping, parking, or camping. It was absolutely beautiful, and we only passed a few cars on the way up. Our 4WD car was able to handle the dirt road. The drive was manageable, but high up!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Cayucos, California, where nature meets tranquility. With stunning views and a variety of outdoor activities, these spots offer a perfect escape for adventurers and nature lovers alike.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Cayucos, CA is TV Tower Road Dispersed Camping with a 4-star rating from 32 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 7 dispersed camping locations near Cayucos, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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