T
Tamatha B.
Traveler
TravelerSanta Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
This is a great camp ground. Plenty of activities. Showers are clean, laundry room takes tap pay.
Cabin Camping near Los Altos, CA
20 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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Rustic cabin rentals near Los Altos include several options within state and county parks. Big Basin Redwoods State Park offers tent cabins with wood-burning stoves, elevated wooden platforms for sleeping, and picnic tables. Mount Madonna County Park provides cabin accommodations with basic amenities including heat and dedicated parking. Most cabins come equipped with double beds, tables, and wood stoves for heating during cooler evenings. Santa Cruz KOA Holiday campground features cabin rentals with more modern amenities including electricity and outdoor fire pits. "The tent cabins are super convenient. We camp here every year in May or June," noted one regular visitor about Big Basin's accommodations.
Depending on the campground, cabin styles range from rustic shelters with minimal amenities to more developed units with electric hookups. Del Valle Campground in Livermore offers year-round cabin rentals approximately 45 minutes from Los Altos. Santa Cruz North-Costanoa KOA provides pet-friendly cabins with amenities including picnic tables and access to shared bathroom facilities. Most locations require reservations several months in advance, particularly during summer weekends and holidays. A camper described the Big Basin cabins as having "just the right amount of space for my wife and I, our two daughters and all our gear."
Most cabins provide beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, pillows, and sleeping bags. Some locations offer add-on packages with bedding, cooking equipment, and lanterns for an additional fee. Kitchen facilities vary widely between properties—some have only outdoor fire rings with grill covers while others include small refrigerators or microwaves. Firewood is available for purchase at most cabin locations. Nearby towns such as Boulder Creek, Watsonville, and Gilroy have grocery stores and markets for additional supplies. "The cabins had 2 double beds, a table, and a wood stove. It can get cold at night in the redwoods so the wood stove was great," reported one visitor to Big Basin.
Best Cabin Campgrounds near Los Altos (20)
1. Lower Blooms Creek — Big Basin Redwoods State Park — CAMPGROUND CLOSED
"We got one of the tent cabins, which are just adorable and so cozy. The sites are nice and distanced from each other, bathrooms were in great shape and it was pet friendly."
"We stayed in a tent cabin at the Huckleberry campground which was nicer than we thought it would be. It had just the right amount of space for my wife and I, our two daughters and all our gear."
from $35 / night
Check Availability2. Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Campground
"The sites in the Eucalyptus loop where we were had back-in sites, with a paved driveway, and are level. The sites have a picnic table, a fire ring, and wood-fenced platforms."
"Once we figured it out, the late check in paperwork was detailed on how to find our space."
from $100 - $200 / night
Check Availability3. Del Valle Campground — East Bay Regional Park District
"It’s a cozy place with boat rentals! Plenty of shade and bathrooms available. Only reason got 4 star is the constant blue-green algae, making the water unavailable for swimming."
"Our campsite (#139) could have used some shade, but we had plenty of space and the views were awesome. Almost every site was occupied, but luckily everyone respected the quiet hours."
from $15 - $200 / night
Check Availability4. Cotillion Gardens RV Park
"Park is rustic, but has a lot of amenities and is very close to Santa Cruz. We visit family and friends in the area often, but this was the first time we camped in the area."
"Entrance is a little nerve racking on your first visit, but once your at your site you can relax. Bathrooms are a little dated, no cell service but good WiFi if your close to the office."
from $60 - $100 / night
Check Availability5. pieffer big sur campground
6. Mount Madonna County Park
"There's something for everyone here, RVers, tenters, and those who want to rent tent cabins. There are plenty of trails to hike, as well as equestrian trails. No bikes on trails though."
"Location & Safety: Conveniently located between San Jose and Monterey - easy access off Highway 152. Felt completely safe throughout the stay."
7. Redwood Resort RV Park & Campground
"Was able to book the night before and get the last full hookup spot."
from $55 - $75 / night
Check Availability8. Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
"General: So many options, including full hookup back-in or pull-thru sites, sites with just w/e, pet sites, nine different types of cabins, and tent sites."
"The small cabins are nice and I quite like them. This is a good place for hiking, but unfortunately there is not a lot more to do. You can go to Monterey and do things there though."
9. Seacliff State Beach
"All camping spots are adjacent to the 'boardwalk' beach path and the beach. Yes, your rig is within 20' of the beach at all campsites."
10. Thousand Trails Morgan Hill
"Great culture here - friendly, lots of things to do (pool, basketball, volleyball, horse shoes, playground, billiards, karaoke, tennis)."
"Dog park, nice showers, nice bathrooms, trails to walk your dog, nice people, quiet. I loved it here."
Drive Time
- 17 min from San Jose, CA
- 32 min from Santa Cruz, CA
- 38 min from San Francisco, CA
- 1 hr 8 min from Vallejo, CA
Recent Cabin Photos near Los Altos, CA
8 Photos of 20 Los Altos Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Cabin Reviews near Los Altos, CA
214 Reviews of 20 Los Altos Campgrounds
- TTamatha B.Traveler
Treasure Island MH and RV Park
Henry in the office is amazing. Bathrooms are clean. laundry room very large and has many washers and dryers. Subway close walk, MUNI is at the park entrance. A gas station and Grocery store are both across the street.
- DDoug O.Traveler
Marina Dunes RV Park
Our favorite place. We have stayed here 14 times. Always clean.
- TTwindaddy
GuideDel Valle Campground — East Bay Regional Park District
East Bay Parks - IYKYK
Like most/all east bay parks, this is well appointed for the masses. It’s also surrounded by rolling hills and close to suburbia. For many, these are positives. As an east bay resident they are for me as well. Del Valle is a bit more removed than many east bay parks. From my location in Fremont, it’s a one hour drive. A pleasant drive for the most part. I camp to get away for a bit and almost always to mountain bike. As such, I seek parks that have trails. Del Valle has a map of many trails. They also appear on many of the mapping services used by mountain bikers. Review those and digest them if this is also your intention - these are east bay parka style trails. In other words, mostly steep and loose fire roads, with many “social trails” sprinkled between. If you are compelled to stay legit/legal trails, bring an ebike. Now on to the camping. I picked a spot as far removed from any booked spot on the map. I triple checked this up until the day before I arrived. I want solitude! When I arrived Thursday afternoon, I was surprised to see the sites just 3 spaces away, on both sides, occupied. This is a fairly compact area. And while I’m sure they’re lovely folks, this isn’t what I expected on a Thursday. Saturday? Sure. Anyway… be aware that these reservation services aren’t completely reliable in that regard. The bathrooms and showers are amazing! Clean, smell good, cared for. Noteworthy is the hot showers in the camp grounds are free and your one push of the button provides water for two minutes I'd guess. Very nice! The space, 135 for me, is okay. A couple trees for shade, a nice table and fire pit. It’s now dark and the noise is minimal - mostly from the group campsite just down the hill. I’ll update this with more details in the coming days since it’s a 4 day visit.
Update 1: it’s my first morning here. Using starlink as there is no cell signal to be found. What I noticed last night was that this park is directly below the flight path to the local airports. Every couple minutes last night, a plane would fly overhead. According to flight aware, they’re at about 10,000 feet. If this will ruin your getaway, you’ve been warned.
Update 2: On Friday night, the majority of the spots were filled. Many large groups of people with varying degrees of consideration, but to their credit almost all (except the barking German Shepard) were quiet by 10PM. It was a bit more crowded come Saturday morning. Some friends came to visit for a mountain bike ride, and we set off at about noon. I had been complimentary of the facilities and bragged that I'd be taking a nice shower after our ride. Unfortunately, upon our return, there was no hot water and no lighting in the showers. And, sadly, someone decided to remove the tags and hangers from their TJ Maxx haul and leave them all over the floor of two of the showers.
Verdict: I'd only come back here in the springtime when it's likely to be green and have some water in the arroyo and only during the week. The density and composition of the people here was akin to being at Costco on a Saturday, and I only did that once.
David W.GuideBeach RV Pleasure Point
Convenient spot in Santa Cruz
I came into Santa Cruz to visit family and needed a place to park my bus while there- this park was available and fit my needs perfectly. It’s a simple gravel parking lot set up - clean bathrooms / showers, full hookups. Not what I would call camping but a great place to stay with proximity to the things that matter.
Tim P.TravelerThousand Trails Morgan Hill
Great Campground
I liked this Thousand Trails resort because it’s more like camping. The staff is amazing. The facilities are great amazing big pool. The only problem I had is they didn’t have any sewage hook up, but I have a tote so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
- TTom H.Guide
Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
Great place for kids, lots to do.
Koa’s in this area are typically expensive and this is no exception. But, for families it may be worth it. Playground, jumping, bouncing area, dog yard. Lots to do. It has good shower facilities, bathrooms are clean. For retirees and older folks, it may not be worth it. Not much room between sites and lots of kids for the nervous folks. My site (35) was electric and water only with a dry creek behind us. My only beef (and it was not only with the campground, but with irresponsible dog owners) was the piles of poop I had to pick up before I could safely walk around. Come on people! If you own a dog, please take care of them and pick up after them. Otherwise, the location was convenient, the place was clean (exception noted) and I will likely return.
Rosa M.
ScoutCarnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area
Stayed 2 nigths, it was perfect
We stayed 2 nigths, 10$ per night. The staff was very kind. The place has showers and bathrooms clean enough for being it the middle of towns. Each space has a fire ring and a table. There's a little bit of noise in the morning and afternoon because of the cars that avoid the highway and pass nearby. It's first come first served. Overall, it's a very safe and good place to camp
Lee D.
LegendSanta Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
Many options for families
General: So many options, including full hookup back-in or pull-thru sites, sites with just w/e, pet sites, nine different types of cabins, and tent sites. Some sites are paved and some are gravel.
Bath/Shower: The one closest to our site had a women's and men's restroom, and the showers are individual units but shared for both genders. I expected a more upscale shower (it was ok but a little tight, skimpy on hooks and no bench).
Activities/Amenities: So many amenities including a pool and hot tub, playground, jump pad, climbing “palms”, rec center with bike rentals and concessions, and a train (I’ve probably missed a few). Laundry is available on site (operated via an app and your phone).
Although this is not our preferred type of camping, after five nights in California State parks with limited amenities, we stayed here for hot showers, laundry, and full hookups for van maintenance. This was a typical KOA in many ways, but one thing that was different was that we had to wear wristbands, and there was a gate to enter and leave. While it should have made us feel safe, I wondered why there were extra security features.
Guide to Los Altos
Cabin camping near Los Altos, California provides access to coastal redwood forests at elevations between 500-2,900 feet. Most cabin locations experience significant temperature fluctuations, with daytime highs reaching 85°F in summer months while dropping to the low 40s at night. The fog-influenced microclimate creates naturally air-conditioned conditions that protect campers from extreme heat even during peak summer periods.
What to Do
Hiking through redwoods: At Big Basin Redwoods State Park, trails wind through ancient forests with trees over 1,000 years old. "Best thing about this campground is proximity to the Berry Creek Falls... a huge series of water falls on a super long and strenuous hike," notes Andrew D. about Big Basin Redwoods State Park.
Archery practice: Mount Madonna County Park maintains a 28-target archery course through wooded terrain. "There is an archery trail with 28 targets on a trail through the woods. We were there 3 days in a row and did 20 of the 28. It's really pretty and a cool challenge," shares April N. about Mount Madonna County Park.
Wildlife observation: Fog-collecting redwoods create their own miniature ecosystems. "In the morning it's raining under the redwood trees but not under the madrone or tan oak trees, which is wild," explains a Mount Madonna visitor, who also noted the park's white fallow deer descended from William Randolph Hearst's exotic animal collection.
What Campers Like
Natural cooling system: The redwood canopy creates a natural temperature buffer. "It can get cold at night in the redwoods so the wood stove was great at night," notes a visitor to Cotillion Gardens RV Park, highlighting how even summer days require evening warmth.
Off-grid relaxation: Limited connectivity allows for digital detox. "The lack of cell reception really helps the feeling of being away from the city life," explains Uriel S. about Del Valle Campground, who appreciated disconnecting despite being only 15 minutes from downtown Livermore.
Year-round availability: Most cabin options maintain year-round operations with varying seasonal rates. "We camp here every year in May or June. It's always fun," notes one camper about the scheduling flexibility, allowing for both peak season and shoulder season visits.
What You Should Know
Temperature planning required: Pack for significant daily temperature swings. "Prepare for it to be 40 degrees colder than Gilroy or San Jose. We weren't prepared and had to drive into town and buy more clothes!" warns a Mount Madonna visitor.
Advance booking essential: Most cabins require reservations 6-9 months ahead for summer weekends. Spring and fall offer greater availability with 2-3 month advance booking windows typically sufficient.
Mosquito seasons: Bug protection should be prioritized in warmer months. "The ONE nit I have is that the lack of air movement during the summer = LOTS of bites. I highly recommend camping in the spring or fall if you are prone to welt-y bug bites," advises Tai W. about Santa Cruz North-Costanoa KOA.
Tips for Camping with Families
Kid-friendly amenities: Look for sites with dedicated play areas. "The campgrounds are really well maintained. Bathrooms have soap and TP and kept clean," notes a Mount Madonna visitor, making it easier for families needing reliable facilities.
Water features: Streams provide natural play spaces beyond structured activities. "The campground has great bathroom facilities and has a creek that runs through it that the kids loved playing in all day," explains Adventure M., who found the slug-hunting activities particularly engaging for children.
Protected biking routes: Several parks offer contained cycling environments. "This is a good campground for the kids to bike at but there are a few big hills so make sure they know how to use their brakes," advises Weston W. about Mount Madonna's bike-friendly layout.
Tips from RVers
Site selection strategy: Research individual sites before booking. "The pull through spaces are extremely tight to the point that our slide out was hitting vegetation and our neighbors awning was about two feet from our RV. But, if you expect that, it's a great place to stay," advises Andrea A. about Santa Cruz KOA Holiday.
Electrical needs: Most cabin-equipped locations offer limited electrical options. "Spots are very close together but worth being nestled in the redwoods," notes Jacob B. about Cotillion Gardens, emphasizing the trade-off between convenience and natural immersion.
Leveling considerations: Many redwood sites feature uneven terrain requiring additional equipment. "Site 211 was listed as 30' trailer but that was definitely not the case as it was a weird triangle parking area. We made it work and enjoyed the park," shares Weston W. about Mount Madonna's site accuracy challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin
campsite near Los Altos, CA?
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Los Altos, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Los Altos, CA is Lower Blooms Creek — Big Basin Redwoods State Park — CAMPGROUND CLOSED with a 4.7-star rating from 34 reviews.
What is the best site to find
cabin camping near
Los Altos, CA?
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Los Altos, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 cabin camping locations near Los Altos, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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