Best Tent 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 lake is 1/2 mile away, so very convenient. The park is loaded with really nice hiking trails. We are enjoying our weekend stay."
"The temperature at the lake often exceeds 100 in the summer. There is ample space for camping . You’ll need reservations if you want a hookup . Boat ramps are available."
"The lake is everything. A few years ago it was dried up. Thank you rain! Now it’s back and better than ever."
"We camped at a primitive spot off the road on the way to the main camp. It was very quiet. Do watch for the cow patties!"
"Alder Creek campsite is 8 miles offroad from Hwy 1 in the Big Sur area. 4x4 is definitely recommended."
"Tucked in the forest along the Nacimiento River is this nice little campground with just a few campsites (9 or 10 sites total)."
"So beautiful and right next to a creek with fish to play in. The views from the top of the mountain when driving to the ocean are the most beautiful views in the world!"
We camped here February 24-26, 2025. The forest service website indicated the campground is open all year, but when we arrived on the site one through four were available. Beyond site number five was a locked gate. Site five was closed due to “hazardous tree“. The stream was running plentifully and gave a lovely background noise. Sites 1 & 2 share a parking pad which is almost level. Site 1 is completely exposed and quite spacious and full of ground squirrel disruption. Site 2 is very convenient to the parked car, and it was our choice because we sleep in our van. Most of the water taps were not operable but the one by the toilet near the entrance did work and was labeled “non-potable, not for drinking or cooking”. The tap in site number 2 had no handle and was dripping at a rapid pace so we hung a bucket on that tap and use the collected water for handwashing. There were trash cans conveniently located to all of the sites, and there was a good supply of toilet paper, but even though the weather was cool, the toilet closest to the entrance was a bit smelly. It is a pit stop for people driving over or back on Naciemiento-Ferguson Road. I noted that reviewers indicated that they were plagued by flies and yellow jackets in the mid summer, but we had only a couple of flies, no yellow jackets. The weather was predicted to be sunny and pleasant with highs of 70° based on checking the weather reports for Jolon, California. It was almost a new moon and the stars at night we’re gorgeous. There was heavy dew which turned into frost in the early morning. We saw the occasional lizard and a couple of slow moving salamanders. We saw no raccoons, and considering that they have switched from having dumpsters to having trash cans I suspect that raccoons are not a problem. There was a posted memo dated February 2 reported that for the Monterey Ranger district, campfire restrictions were lifted until March 25, due to sufficient rain having been received. We walked the loop of the other campsites; some of them have the picnic table and fire ring located some distance from the parking spot, a few are possibly suitable for RV camping but most of those would require at least some leveling. I don’t know when they plan to open the rest of the sites, but probably March would be a good time to come and enjoy this campground. Bring your own drinking water. The fee is expensive for a no-water campground, but I was willing to pay the discounted price with my lifetime senior pass.
If you can’t secure a spot on the coast in Big Sur, this might be a nice option for you. Tucked in the forest along the Nacimiento River is this nice little campground with just a few campsites (9 or 10 sites total). There really isn’t room for RV’s or campers (I think the limit is 25 feet), so most of your neighbors will be tents. Sites are set right next to the river which drowns out any road noise. Sites are also fairly close to each other, tho there is some underbrush and there is great tree cover for shade. Most sites have good hammocking trees. The vault toilet is fairly clean and each site has a picnic table and fire pit with grill. These sites are not reservable, so first come first serve. It’s only about 10 or so miles to the coast and there are lots of hiking trails nearby both in the forest and on the coast.
[ LOCATION -5 Stars ]
[ AMENITIES -4.5 Stars ]
[ CLEANLINESS -5 Stars]
The best part of this campground is access to the beach. We were there in early July and the water was like ice but absolutely beautiful. The campground itself was ok, it was a bit more primitive than I’m used to, but the sites themselves were nice. Each had a picnic table and fire ring. Most of the sites were nice sized as far as I could tell. There are no showers and only vault toilets so I wouldn’t stay here for more than 2 nights. Another perk is how it feels so far removed from civilization, but it’s really not.
This is a gem of place to camp with only one black mark against it (I’ll get to that in a minute). This site is run by the US Forest service and sits alongside the really pretty Nacimiento River. If you don’t mind the noise from the road, the best two sites with the river running next to them are right in front across from the pay station and host site. The river is great for wading and supposedly for fishing. There are some swimming holes further up the river (but still in the campground area) as well. There are no hookups for RV’s and the road is very narrow; probably not the ideal place to bring your rig, which makes it perfect for tent camping. Some sites are really private and spread out, and others are on top of each other. They all have picnic tables and fire rings with grills, and there was water available. Alright, now for the bad part. The vault toilets were terrible! They definitely needed to be pumped out, and were in desperate need of a good cleaning. The flies and smell was overwhelming. They had obviously been “maintained” as they were stocked with toilet paper, but that was the extent of that. There are lots of nearby hiking trails to pick from and you are not too far from the coast.
If you want to escape, this is the place. No signal, hardly ever see any other people and tons of open space and trails for motorcycles and quads. Dry camping only. No water available but there is a vault toilet and picnic tables.
I was attending a weekend Jeep event at Pismo Dunes and had booked a space in the OHV area on the beach. When I got there the wind was so bad it was impossible to put up a tent. So I looked up this place, which is probably 1/2 mile from the entrance to the beach.
The campground has mixture of tent and pull-through sites. All sites have full hookups, and include a fire ring and picnic table. The bathrooms were clean and had showers, but everything was very old. There was also a pool and laundry rooms on the property.
The sites were flat, but there was no barrier between you and your neighbors. The RV sites looked very cramped but the tent sites seemed adequately spaced for the most part. I stayed in site 252 which appeared to be some kind of double site, because there were two sets of hookups in the space (one of which required a large pole in the middle of the site).
In spite of the convenience of the location, there were drawbacks. The campground is narrow and situated directly between PCH and the railroad tracks on either side. So traffic noise was significant, and as an added bonus, every now and then Amtrack would roll past.
Over all, it met all the basic needs, was well maintained, and was close to the beach. And the noise was probably less than I would get sleeping in the OHV camping area.
We didn't stay at this campground, but we walked over and checked it out while disperse-camping up the road.
This campground has 6 sites, and is $20/night and $10 additional for each extra vehicle. There is a $10/day fee for day use.
5 campsites are reservable through recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777, and 1 site is first come first served.
There is zero ATT, Verizon, or T-Mobile signal at this campground, but the Los Padres forest area as a whole is very spotty - you can go from zero to good reception for all 3 carriers as you move from area to area.
No water or any amenities here other than vault toilets. Fire is allowed in the fire rings at each site, no fire permit required here (but fire permits are required elsewhere in the National Forest). There were a couple of garbage cans by the toilets. Sites have 2 picnic tables, a shade structure, fire ring, and a grill.
There is no signage directing you to the campground, so download the map ahead of time if you need directions. From 58 you take Red Hill Rd/Forest Rte 29S15 and turn left at the dead end at Fernandez Rd. Keep going straight until you see the campground on your right. There is a road turning right at the cattle guard, but keep going straight.
Campground is fairly large with wide open spaces to turn around, so bigger rigs should be fine. The roads coming in from Hwy 58 -- Red Hill Rd and Fernandez Rd -- are ok, they are compacted dirt / DG with some washboarding and a few ruts. There are people who live in this area and travel these roads in regular sedans, so it's definitely doable for most vehicles, but I'd imagine large class A's would have a tough time.
Nice family oriented campground. Many tents, trailers, few rv’s. Spots are fairly far apart 50-70 feet. Just fire ring, table, and parking spot. Vault toilets. Few trees. In mid June mostly dry grass with little shade, but fine tent pitching area. Most spots are mostly level for rv parking. Few bugs. Hawks,crows, towhee, quail. Should be good star gazing. Quiet. No road noise. Somewhat windy.
Tent camping near Cayucos, California, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from family-friendly amenities to serene natural settings, there's something for everyone.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cayucos, CA is KOA Campground Santa Margarita with a 3.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Cayucos, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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