Looking for the best campgrounds near Half Moon Bay, CA? Half Moon Bay is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Discover great camping spots near Half Moon Bay, reviewed by campers like you.
$35 / night
"It is a smaller park than many of the other redwoods parks in Northern California, so it was very nice and peaceful. Butano is a bit off the beaten path to get to, but so worth it."
"The campsite has car camping and walk-in sites. I had sites 5 and 6. The map for the campground is deceiving as they looked close together and connected but they were separate."
"From booking until leaving, we had a positive experience. Our site was a little tight, that would be the only thing I wish was better."
"The site was a pull through as well as our friends who were able to face the opposite way to have a common camp side with us. Of course the utility sides were in great position for that."
$8 / night
"I liked the trees, picnic tables, and fire rings at the sites. The sites were spaced nicely to allow for privacy. Frog Flat seemed a bit more secluded than the main camp."
"This is sweet hike in trail camp. We have used it for two purposes. "
$25 - $100 / night
"There is a separate bedroom, you could sleep 2 couples on beds easily with extra floor space and a small individual bunk for larger families."
"And charcoal grills outside each cabin. A couple general use picnic tables scattered about. So those are the basics you can read anywhere."
$30 / night
"Angel Island is a unique backpacking experience, one I'd gladly do again."
"Angel Island is a California State Park, but it's surprising how many visitors do not know of the 10 campsites scattered around the island!"
$2 / night
"The hike in is only 1.5 miles, but there's plenty of trail options to tack on more mileage on either the hike in or out."
$92 - $140 / night
"Looked like there was easily room for at least a dozen small tents at each of the sites and nice restrooms accessible via combination punch pad."
"Pitch tent on wood chips. Level. Fire pits, water. Nice and close, yet feels a ways away. Accessible to many trails."
$25 / night
"this is an excellent primitive campground with 3 sites."
"3 sites, very close to each other/nothing separating them. Sites were clean."
"We walked through and enjoyed the nature areas so much. We continue to go back and spend time at Cayote Hills because it is so beautiful. We can't wait until thwe next time."
TravelerFamily friendly, easy hiking, creek running through, clean but old bathrooms, spacious sites, only 2 bathrooms with showers, a few steep hills, rangers and small camp store on site. About 20 mins from small town, about 1/2 hr from Pescadero State Beach, about 45 mins from Half Moon Bay, about an hour from San Francisco…all estimates without traffic, of course. Some sites are very private, some right on top of each other.
LegendPantoll is a pretty campground located adjacent to the entrance to Mount Tamalpais. You can hike to, bike to, take the bus to, or even drive to this campground. If you choose to drive, just know that it can be impossible to find a place to park on busy weekends (you'll need to drop your stuff off, find a place to park along the road, then come back to park in the evening when the parking lot clears). We hiked in. On a weekend night in March, only four of the 16 sites were taken so we had no problem nabbing a spot. The campground is situated across a steep-ish hillside. Water spigots are spread out among the sites, but all the bathrooms are located down the hill near the parking lot. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, and a flat spot to pitch a tent. Sites are fairly close together in bunches (for example, 2, 3, and 5 were close, 6 and 7 were close, but there was a bit of space between the groups). Firewood is sold at the ranger kiosk but they have limited hours. Some spots are larger than others, and very few can accommodate a house-size tent (you know what I mean - and no judging, I have a house-size tent for car camping). We had our 3 person backpacking tent with us and it would have fit in all the sites. Sites up the hill require a bit of a hike-in but are farther from the road noise and busy parking lot. There is one dishwashing station near the bottom.
Pros:
- Location. You can hike anywhere from this campground. Down to Muir Woods in less than 3 miles. Up to Rock Springs, Bolinas Ridge, and Mount Tam. Down to Stinson Beach. I could spend a week here exploring all the trails.
- Amenties. Dishwashing sink, many water spigots, food storage lockers, fire pits, toilets that flush. And Wifi from the ranger kiosk (squee!!!) which we appreciated to check the weather and bus schedule (very poor Verizon signal).
Cons:
- Noise from Panoramic Highway.
- Busy parking lot with lots of people potentially moving around the campground (especially the lower sites).
- No reservations: FCFS only.
Overall I'm really happy I finally got to chance to camp here and would recommend.
Scoutgreat campsite! be careful driving up the windy road and watch for the many cyclists. going up/down with you.
driving in was very easy; parking is right next to the site. the campsite itself was beautiful - panoramic views of the east bay area. i could recognize walnut creek, lafayette, danville and san ramon through the binoculars. site was clean, but the ground itself was very rocky. irritating that there wasn't really any level spots to set up the tent, so sleeping on a slant was a real treat (sarcasm). weather was very mild during the day; not too hot, nor too cold. nights were bearable in the high 50s, and by late night (cuz i kept waking up because of slanted sleeping), but felt like low 40s and slightly windy. make sure you bring thermals and a warm sleeping bag. sleeping pad is a definite must on the sharp rocks; be careful when stepping around in the tent with just socks on.
drought meant that flushing toilets were all locked.. as were the showers.. but from what i heard the "chemical toilets" (aka porta-potties) were an adequate substitute. water access had been shut off as well, so make sure you bring plenty of your own for washing and drinking.
critters - we didn't encounter any during our stay. no racoons, bears, mice, rats.. nada. just a ton of pincher bugs everywhere. not even many flies! we had those spinning fly deterrent things, though. maybe those really DO work?
ALSO because of the drought - NO WOOD FIRES ALLOWED. total/complete bummer to camp without a campfire. gas stoves and lanterns were permitted, though.
LegendTheses are limited (5) hike in tent sites. Not far in - less than a mile. You are on your own here. Bring your own water. No fires. You get a picnic table and a food storage locker, nothing else.
Meadow sites against a row of trees. There is very little privacy between sites but the couple times I have been here it was not full. It can get windy - there is some shelter under the tress.
Here you can strike out hiking through Tennessee Valley to the beach and beyond!
Great for a close get-a-way and seclusion.
GuideWe hiked up to Juniper campground from the Clayton side. The sites in the teens have less overhead shade but more privacy than those of higher numbers. The sites closest to the driving road/entrance/overlook will have the potential to be downwind of the bathroom, unfortunately.
The campground is a dry campground - as in no alcohol.
That said, we loved our site #15, and enjoyed the privacy it provided, plus the views (if you stand on the table or are tall). We didn't encounter critters. We had some trouble staking down on the rocky dirt.
This is a good campground to explore the rest of the summit areas, plus Rock City.
GuideThis was a long family camp trip in an amazing location. Our campsite was a walk-in, fairly secluded spot partially up a steep hill. There were only a handful of spots on that pathway, so there weren't many neighbors. Camp had a picnic table, fire ring, bear box, & lots of nearby trails & paths for exploring. Toilets with showers, and dishwashing stations were nearby as well.
The highlight of this campground is the ample opportunity for wandering. There are many trails, easy walks through ancient redwoods, moderate trails to beautiful waterfalls, and tougher trails for dedicated hikers.
At the lodge area, there's a store, restaurant, and gift shop, plus educational programs, family events, and community campfires. The kids went on a guided hike to become junior rangers, which gave the parents some free time in the afternoon.
It's an amazing place to be, and we definitely need to spend more time there.
TravelerI liked the trees, picnic tables, and fire rings at the sites. The sites were spaced nicely to allow for privacy. Frog Flat seemed a bit more secluded than the main camp. There was no water running at the site when I stayed there, but vault toilets were available. There is a nearby shooting range and you can hear the gunshots during the daylight hours.
GuideAwesome campground right by the beach in beautiful Half Moon Bay. Enjoy the sound of the ocean waves all night long. Sites are spacious, level and have picnic tables. Electric hook up is available but no water or sewer. They have a dump station for $10. Bathrooms have toilets on one side, coin operated showers on the opposite side of the buildings. One of THE Best campground to enjoy the sunsets by far.
TravelerA few low spots. Cleared 12' barely with minor scrapes. Good parking and turn around. Lots of opportunities for horse riders in area. Pets on leash.
Tent camping near Half Moon Bay, California, offers a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the stunning coastal scenery and lush redwood forests.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Half Moon Bay, CA is Ben Ries Campground — Butano State Park - CLOSED INDEFINITELY with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
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