Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Cayucos? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Cayucos. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Large oak-shaded camp on the banks of Alder Creek. Contact the Monterey Ranger District for more information on this campground at 831-385-5434 X 0.
Temporarily closed. Small campground with 9 campsites located among oak trees. Located near a running creek. Recreational Vehicles no longer than 25 feet.
Adventure Pass ($5/day or $30/year), or Annual Interagency Pass required.
Located among oaks and chaparral vegetation. Recreational vehicles or trailers no longer than 25 feet.
Large oak-shaded camp on the banks of Alder Creek.
Off-highway vehicle area. Located among oaks and chaparral vegetation.
Scout
Back in February, before my foot injuries hobbled me, we spent two nights here. We chose to camp in the tent camping area, away from RVs and their generators and lights.
The location was great.....right next to the beach, with our car conveniently parked next to our tent campsite.
We hadn't been tent camping for a long time before that, so we were surprised that we were one of the very few people in the tent camping area that actually camped in tents. The rest of the people in the area just camped in the campervans, small camper trucks, or disconnected towable campers.
We could hear the wind all night in our tent, but during the day, the weather was perfect....cool and sunny.
Restrooms were nearby and clean. There were no showers, but we were told that we could (if we wanted) use the ones in another nearby State Park.
Rangers were friendly.
Overall, a very nice experience.
Guide
We’ve camped here many times over the last 15 years. We’ve tent camped on primitive sites and camped with a pop-up with electricity & water. None of the full hookup sites have a view but some of the tent sites do. There isn’t much fishing now, because the water is so low, but there are still pretty hikes to be had and water slides if it’s hot. We’ve been to the ropes course too, which is really fun.
Legend[ PROS ]
[ CONS]
This campground is basically like one giant parking lot which mostly caters to RVS and trailers.
Not ideal for tent camping. There is very little space to pitch a tent, don't even think about 2 tents.
Sites are very, very close together with very little privacy. I could hear my neighbor's whole conversations even with the sound of the surf.
It was super windy here at night. We were camping in our tent trailer and our entire tent was rattling for hours. The tent next to us packed up in the middle of the night and left.
No shade at this campground so it's pretty awful when it's sunny. I wouldn't suggest bringing a canopy because it gets super windy here.
Overall, this campground was very disappointing. Especially for the price! The only redeeming quality is the beach. It was super hard to get a reservation and is normally completely booked.
GuideYou can’t get much closer to the beach than this campground in Morro Bay. Located just off Highway One between Morro Bay and Cayucos, the grounds look somewhat like a parking lot with trees and shrubs separating it from the sand dunes and the ocean. RV parking is basically a parking space whereas tent camping is along the dunes with protection from large shrub trees to keep the wind down. There are two large restrooms and a camp hosts. Bike trails head out at each end and breaks in the trees allow direct path access to the beach. This is not comfy cozy camping, but if you like the beach and crashing waves this is the place. Close to restaurants and stores, the fishing town of Morro Bay and the small coastal gem of Cayucos. Reservations made on the State website ..35$ tent/50$hook up..pics I have were taken when closed due to Covid in June 2020. Four stars for lack of showers but flush toilets are a plus.
Scout
Nice bathrooms, ocean sounds, not that level for tent camping at c7 .
TravelerClose to the beach within walking distance. Showers and restrooms not chemis . No hookups last time I was there both RV & tent camping .
Scout
Beautiful park. We thoroughly enjoyed our drive-in tent site, the scenery, and the abundant bird life.
Ranger
Green, grassy campground with well separated spaces. Most pull thru and level. All surrounded by grass for nice tent camping. Surf sound is continuous. Masks other sounds except noisy generator in next site. Nice restrooms
GuideThe location was pretty sweet right by the beach. I tent camped while my family members RVd. My site was large with a fire pit but they were slightly crammed in and had no fire pit. Did notice that some had the pits so be careful if choosing which site. Overall a nice visit.
Traveler
We looked for a beach not overly populated but clean and easy to camp. Lovely hookups if you need them and tent sites beach side are mostly protected from the winds. Cooler time of year but we knew that coming in. Would love to visit again in warmer months!
ScoutThe squirrel campsites for tent camping is great as they have more shade than other spots. Restrooms were clean and always had toilet paper stocked. They have been having bears coming into camp but we kept our food locked up and cleaned up all trash and didn't have any issues with them. The lake is low but they have great hiking trails and the wild turkeys are always fun to see.
Scout
Eenjoyed 2 days here with many other campers. Staff helpful..friendly..restrms clean..quiet at night..fun things for kids..lake nearby also. Only 1 pitfall...we tent camped in space #63..next to a dirt road which looped around the campground. We got nailed with dirt dust every time someone drove by. Other than that..all was well...saw wild turkey and dear right next to our site. Inwould return but not at that camp space.
Traveler
This lake has a no body contact rule which makes it a great quiet fishing lake with no jet skiing, swimming etc... there is a seasonal swimming pool that is right across from the rv spots. It is a dry campground and the 7 rv spots are basically on a parking lot but are on the waters edge which is nice. The tent sites are nice and are close the the lake. There is a well stocked and surprisingly well priced store as well as a marina that rents boats and kayaks. The lake has 2 boat launches and miles of hiking trails all within a short walk to the camping area. We get a few tv channels on our antenna but there is no cell reception. We launch our kayaks 20’ from our camper and when we had a boat we would launch it when we got there and leave it in the water right next to the camper which was very convenient. This of course always depends on the water level which has been very low some years, but has been good this year. The pool, showers and restrooms are newer, clean and very close to the rv spots but a bit of a walk to most of the tent sites.
GuideSuper clean and great location, but docked a star because of the price. After fees when booking, it comes out to about $42.00 a night.
Showers and bathrooms are spread out nicely. We tent camped and the noise wasnt bad at all. Though there was some mystery animal howling/screeching through out the night haha. Super close to the water. Kayak rentals an restaurant down by the dock and a great place to load kayaks into the water! Will definitely be back. Just make sure you book in advance! Fills up fast.
LegendThis is in a beautiful area, and a gorgeous site but I’ll tell you why I gave it a 3 Pro: friendly staff, lots of shade & some grass at what seemed like all sites, close to small food and many things to do, availability, They let my small van stay at tent only camping, firewood $10 on site, flushable clean bathrooms
Cons: upkeep of foliage was good but walking through whole campsite saw trash and full fire pits at every site. I stayed at two sites and preferred the tent camping first come serve area as it has less vehicle traffic. C36 felt so busy.
TravelerTent site C74 didn’t have much of a level setup site and was right across from the bathroom. We heard slamming doors all night. This particular site was practically on-top of the adjacent site. Good things is the proximity to the bathroom if you don’t mind the slamming doors. It was also close to the trashcans. We came in late and left early so we didn’t experience much of the park but it appeared well maintained and well traveled. Campsite was full so reservations are probably needed.
TravelerAmazing campground that has both primitive tent sites, as well as RV with full hookups. Running water, dishwashing station, hot showers, and flushing toilets. The facilities were clean, and the campgrounds are next to a golf course, and a quick drive away from the beach, Morro Rock, and downtown. Each site has a little outside “pantry” cabinet to stash your dry goods, and there is a fire ring for the must do campfire and s’mores. Wood is sold on site. This is definitely one of my favorite spots I have been to, and although far from where I live, it was well worth the trip. I would definitely go back!
GuideMorro Strand is steps away from a beautiful stretch of beach filled with sand dollars and an amazing view of Morro rock looking south. It gets windy starting around 2pm into the evening - right when you are setting up camp. If you are tent camping on the beach side, bring some extra long tent pegs as you are staking into sand. We had to go to Ace hardware while we were there to get extra long tent pegs. We also had a few ropes that came in handy to tie the tent down further.
If you are tent camping, make sure to get a spot on the beach side. Beach side sites are: A-D (30-40ft long) and odd numbered sites 1-45 (24ft or less). The middle sites (even numbered sites 2-46) are in a narrow parking median and pretty tight on space. Our site D was far and away the largest site with the highest view (meaning we could see Morro rock from our tent) and had the most distance from other campers. Snag that one if you get a chance. Not all beachside sites have views of the oceans since some sit further down. Odd sites 35-45 have a better view of the beach.
All the RV hook up sites are on the east side of the campground/parking lot.
The bathrooms are centrally located, but there are no showers. Luckily your parking pass gets you into Morro Bay State Beach Park and you can buy tokens there and shower.
I would definitely return. This location is beautiful and peaceful with amazing long empty stretches of beach to walk on. It stayed pretty cool, even in June. Downtown Morro Bay is delightful to spend the day walking through with amazing seafood, cute shops and even a skateboard museum. We even saw sea otters playing in the bay!
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that it seems like an old beach parking lot that was converted into a campsite, so not all the sites are great. But the location can't be beat and if you get a beachside spot you are good to go!
Guide
Montana de Oro is a beautiful treasure located along a wild coastline, sand dunes, tall peaks and high cliffs above beautiful beaches. Tent camping is limited but the availability of group horse camping is a rare treat. With pipe corrals, pit toilets and trails to the ocean, these site are primitive but worth it. The park has plenty of sun and shade, with mostly eucalyptus trees, great hiking trails and a beach with car parking that is popular with tourists and a few secret beaches locals know. Wildflowers abound in the spring and a car friendly paved road takes to the end and back with plenty of bathrooms and a State Park office/store you can get maps and tips.
GuideWe stayed there one night while traveling. It was ok. Campsites are very close together. The beach is just a short walk over the dunes but we were not allowed to take pups off leash on the sand. There was an abundance of Rangers patrolling the beach, we were stopped to give a warning even with pups on leash. Glad it was just one night. The best electric hook up with the most privacy was site #20. The best tent sites were 71 and 81. This campground is close to the beach and got very damp overnight. There is a level trail around the lagoon but warning the east side of this lagoon trail is slathered in poison oak. On the positive, great campground for bird watching on the lagoon.
GuideIt's a nice area, multiple camp grounds throughout the lake, some having hookups and other areas undeveloped and better for tent camping. Bathrooms and showers are typically clean but do get dirty during peak seasons. Showers cost money so bring quarters and it's hit or miss whether they have decent hot water. Roughly 15 miles from the beach entrance in Grover Beach so you get lucky with a marine influence during the evening. Can be windy and low lake levels. Also fires have been prohibited during fire season these past few years. This includes fires for cooking. Only electric or propane for cooking. It's super dry. Zip line and the water slides are cool and the marina rents all sorts of things. Fishing is decent. The marina has decent food and boose! Turkey, deer, and bear cruise through as well. Cool place for groups and families.
Scout
Nice rv/tent campground. It was the most reasonably priced campground we could find in the Big Sur area. It’s right off Hwy 1 so there is some traffic noise but since the road is closed a few miles south, there’s not much traffic (this will change when the road reopens in Sep 2018). There is beach access across the road, about a ten minute walk. There are flush toilets which are clean. Several of the sites have a slight slope but not too bad. Sites have tables/benches and fire pits. Most had bbq. Ranger comes around every evening selling bundles of firewood.
Scout
We have visited this place at least 3 times . It is a dog friendly camp sight with pull through campsites. The cost of the pull through is 25 $. They have 30 amp/50amp available. They also have overflow camping available for 5 $. Please beware that overflow is I. The grass area and does not have hookups. You can tent camp in those. If you do park your rv in the overflow there is a dump site for those. They have clean facilities on site, bathrooms with hot showers. You can bike, walk the base. The area is kept very clean and at night there is no noise. At 10 camp goes silent. They have a table and brick fire pit at each pull through. Bring you own firewood. This is a military base so don’t forget your military Id or civil service Id. There is a small commissary (store) near the campground, but hours vary.
We go here with our kids and love it as it’s clean secure and close to (15min) to the beach.
Note reservation maximum 30 days ahead.
Legend
California, Morro Dunes RV Park
Located right on the beach and ocean near Morro Rock. Within walking distance from Downtown Morro Bay.
Directions: From highway 1 exit at E. G. Lewis Highway(41) and go west toward the beach. The campground will be on the left in less than one mile.
Please see the Campbase map tab for the exact location.
Comment Morro Dunes RV Park is open all year with 170 RV and tent sites available. What a fun place to stay in Morro Bay. It's the best campground in Morro Bay if you want to be right on the beach and close to all the activity of the beach, marina, bay, and downtown area. You can park the car and walk or bike everywhere. The campground is the closest camp spot to Morro Rock. There is a lot of "fun factor" at this campground.
Make reservations early for this campground. It's usually booked solid all summer. If you are unable to obtain a camp site, at the bottom of this page are other near bye campgrounds.
The campground has paved camp roads with level crushed rock parking pads. Picnic tables and fire rings are also available. Shade spots are limited.
There is HorsebackIng in the dunes in front of the campground. There is also a dirt area for parking and unloading horses.
Cell phone service in the area is excellent.
GuideLong time campers in California are probably familiar with the feeling that the prep work required simply to get a reservation at the most popular national and state parks is more than prepping for the trip itself. This is true not just for the most famous parks, like Yosemite, but for many others as well. Wanna camp between late May and early October in a well known state park? Better book that reservation months in advance. This is especially true for RV sites, as there are even fewer of those.
But sometimes you want to just get away on shorter notice. This is where the CA county park system comes to the rescue. County parks are numerous and much easier to get reservations at. And Lopez Lake, part of San Luis Obispo county doesn’t disappoint. The lake itself is a man made reservoir, and the campground sits right behind it. It’s got a mixture of tent sites and RV sites, some will full hookup - although some may only have 15/20A power. There’s lots to do on the lake, and Pismo Beach is a short drive away. Is a weekend at Lopez going to be like that epic 4 day trip you took to King’s Canyon or Zion or Yellowstone that you planned years in advance? No. But if you decide to take a long weekend in the late summer, there’s a good chance Lopez Lake will have spots available, especially during the week. Highly recommended.
Legend
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.
Traveler
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cayucos, CA is Lake San Antonio - North Shore with a 4.8-star rating from 5 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 9 tent camping locations near Cayucos, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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