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 - $165 / night
"We rarely make reservations to camp in California Beach Parks, as they are usually filled up weeks or even months in advance."
"Awesome 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."
"If you want a great little place with quick easy access to San Francisco that has a great view of the ocean this place is great! And affordable!"
"Very nice park for an on the water location, I've been to some where you can't even turn without hitting someone."
$95 / night
"Great spot right off the highway and on the beach. Lots of activities and places to eat within walking distance. Surfing, walking/bike trails, kayaking….Pet friendly"
"Walking distance to shops and restaurants, walking and bike trails, beach access, and friendly staff!"
$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."
"Large, user-friendly campsites surrounded by redwood trees. Great ferny hiking trails for every level of camper/hiker. Very easy access to campsites and near Pescadero and Highway One."
$35 / night
"Near the bathroom, wash room, garbage dumpsters. The only con was the windy road! I eat sour patch kids to help with getting car sick. Easy to find. The site is pet friendly."
"We stayed here with our 2 dogs last November as a nice winter getaway from L.A. We got one of the tent cabins, which are just adorable and so cozy."
$88 / night
"We stayed here for approximately 2 weeks and loved the location."
"The facilities were kept clean and the location is unbelievable. It is expensive at $75 / night no hook up however it was very relaxed and we met lovely people here. Would return for one night."
"Clean, has some views from far border of the hills but the spots are tight and there is not much to do but hook-up."
"After-hours check-in was a breeze, as the checkin instructions were taped to the main door of the office at the park entrance."
$25 - $200 / night
"Midweek in June the park, which is fairly large, is still nearly empty."
"as usual some spots are better than others but most close to restrooms and/or water. lots of poison oak and star thistle right off trail. great deterrent for kids to stay out of tick areas but id worry"
$100 - $200 / night
"Very clean, well maintained, and about a 20 minute walk to the ocean. Decent takeout from the restaurant and great cocktails! Very convenient dog park."
"But for a quick weekend jaunt for RV campers, this location slightly more than an hour from the Bay Area is hard to beat."
$45 - $65 / night
"What they do have are scores of hookup sites for $60 / night and three tent / drive-in no hookup water-only sites for $45 / night."
"Since it's a new campground, the trees are young and don't supply much shade, but since it's close to the SF Bay, the bay breeze helps."
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.
LegendWe rarely make reservations to camp in California Beach Parks, as they are usually filled up weeks or even months in advance. While meeting up with some friends in Half Moon Bay we happened along the campsite and simply enquired if they had an open site for the night. They did, and we ended up staying for 2 nights due to a cancellation. It never hurts to ask!
The campsite is a nice quiet stretch of grass, live oak trees, and beach shrubs about 30 vertical feet above the Pacific beach shoreline. While you get away from the blowing sand, you get to hear the pounding ocean at night. I can’t imagine a more gentle lullaby, frankly. The sites themselves are a little close quarters, but all provide just about enough space for a long camper and a tow/towed vehicle as well. For a small camper like us, there’s even enough room to have a friend visit.
The sites offer electrical and water hookups, additionally there is a dump station just as you exit the camping area. Showers and flush toilets are available, but also used by all the beach goers in the area, so you know what they look like....never clean.
The town of Half Moon Bay offers pretty much everything you need in terms of restaurants or grocery stores. Riding your bike, or walking along the path toward town for a well-earned brunch should definitely reach the top of your to-do list while you’re there. We had brunch at Mavericks Creparie and dinner at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Both are absolutely fantastic!
Beachcombing, sunbathing, swimming, horseback riding, and skim boarding during the warmer months also are great ways to fill up the day. The beach path goes for miles in either direction so you can get some exercise off of the main roads.
TravelerWe enjoyed our 4 week stay. We stayed thru the month of Nov 2021, and left Dec 3, 2021. The RV Park is clean and secure. There are many full time residents that take pride in their community and it shows. 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. Most of the other available sites are much larger with picnic tables and grills. Facilities are clean, the atmosphere friendly and hospitable. Cameron's Pub is a fun place to eat and is located right next door. Just a couple of minutes to downtown Half Moon Bay and 10 minutes to Pillar Point. We will be back to stay here again! Lots of great beaches and an excellent trail that goes on forever within walking distance.
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.
GuideHMB in general is pretty cold and foggy most of the year, but I was most recently at this campground on Christmas and it was gorgeous. I would recommend going in the fall if you want sunny weather.
The campsites are not very private, but every time I’ve camped here the people around us have been nice. You can bike or walk a trail here that goes pretty far up and down the coast. The sunsets here are amazing.
If you go in the fall, make sure to check out the nearby crab fishing at Half Moon Bay pier. You can buy fresh Dungeness crabs right off a boat and you can get them steamed at the pier.
RangerGetting there: Easy from anyplace in the bay. The 92 into Half Moon Bay tends to get a lot of traffic as it's only 1 lane each direction. The beach is right off where the 92 and PCH meet up and is super easy to find. Campsites: The campsites are close to each other, your not going to get a 'secluded' camping experience here. The facilities were kinda dirty, probably because they are overused by day trippers to the beach and not just campers. The sunset, beautiful. The stars, scarce with the fog and ambient light from all the surrounding cities. Dogs are allowed at the campsite on leash, but not on the beaches here at all. If you want a dog friendly beach go just a little south to Poplar Beach where the pups can roam free off leash and have a blast. The Park: Tiny. Beautiful beaches, nice scenery, not a lot of vegetation. What to do: If you want to swim, surf, or just watch the sunset this could be the campground for you. If you want to hike, be alone in nature, or have a secluded experience then go someplace else like Big Sur. There was a LOT of trash on the beach when we were there (beer bottles, red solo cups, bonfire wood/ash). I'm sure this is an isolated incident of some assholes trashing the beach to party, but it should be noted.
LegendCampsite Review: 2/5 Stars
Half Moon Bay State Beach – Francis Beach Campground State Beach Phone # (650) 726-8819
I find it a little disappointing just how close the campsites are to each other here, meaning you’re not going to get anything close to a secluded camping experience. The facilities were dirty/sandy (although you are right on the beach), probably because not only are they being overused by day trippers to the beach and the many campers. Although, they do have coin-operated hot showers available (2 minutes per quarter). They really do pack in the 50+ sites here although there are 3 walk-in sites with great views over the beach and of the ocean, which are separated from the RV (up to 40’) mad house, but then you’re right by all of the day use people and even more out in the open as there is literally no coverage at all. The RV sites have electric hook-ups and there are shared water spigots (not hook-ups).
All of these are reservable by phone at 1-800-444-PARK (7275) or online at www.reservecalifornia.com/ ($35 for tent, $56 or $65 for RV and a $7.99 online fee)
Dogs are allowed at the campsite on leash, but not on the beaches here at all (Although horses are… Guess only one animal per “beach”). If you want a dog friendly beach go just a little south to Poplar Beach where the doggos can roam free off leash and have a blast.
The State Beach Park itself is very tiny. $10 to park, there’s a small visitor centers, beautiful beaches, nice scenery, not a lot of vegetation. From here you have access to the 4-ish mile long Half Moon Bay coastal walking/bike trail which runs right through the back of the campground and into the “park”, and of course there are ~4 miles of sandy beaches to enjoy. Should you need connectivity there is actually (unsecured) wi-fi provided by the park and adequate cell coverage!!
For me personally the campground only gets 2/5 stars :
Overall, remember that while you have great access to the beach and the campground is pet friendly you’re definitely, not exactly going to get a remote camping experience and the dog beach is a little way away. The facilities are a bit dirty and jam packed and could be a little better maintained.
Gear Review: 4/5 Stars
As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and what I got to use during this trip as a day pack during this trip was Ethnotek’s Setia 20 Liter backpack. While listed as a laptop backpack I used it to store my snack, water bladder/bottle and other first aid type items. I used the laptop pouch to hold the water bladder and ran my tube out the side. Worked perfectly!! For being a compact backpack, I really liked that it has both padded shoulder straps with a slide adjusting sternum strap and the raised lower back padding which made for a comfy fit and allowed a bit of airflow.
I also like that it’s water resistant and contains a hidden built-in rainfly, not that it has rained once since I’ve moved out to Northern California, but it is foggy and a bit damp first thing in the morning. The top zippered pocket in the top hood is the perfect size for items which you’ll want to have easy quick access to like; IDs, credit cards, extra sunscreen, etc. The main pocket is easily accessible via either the drawstring at the top or the side zipper so you can grab things out of the bottom without having to root around through everything in the pack. I do appreciate the laptop compartment, but for a more urban commuter bag I think this would be better utilized with additional pockets to separate out your work items and as a day-pack I think the laptop sleeve would be better utilized as a water bladder holder if there was a slot to pull the tube through.
The only real drawback I had with this gear was that the side zipper doesn’t have a lock of sort for security. I like that there are the 2 zippers, but I think that having some sort of webbing across the zipper so that you could place them both on that side making it a little more difficult for someone walking behind/beside you to just unzip the side and pull out items. This added security isn’t really needed if you’re out hiking, but if you’re commuting in a large city or on crowded public transportation could really save you from losing some valuables.
Overall, I give the bag 4/5 stars. I really love the company’s mission of keeping culture alive by creating high quality laptop and travel bags that feature ethically sourced handmade textiles. The back is extremely comfortable and has a ton of great features, but I think there are just a few minor tweaks which would make it truly unsurpassable.
Backpack’s Features:
· Water resistant 840 denier ballistic nylon main bag fabric
· Built-in handmade textile paneling. Exterior & interior.
· Left side zip gusset pocket for water bottle & quick-grab accessories
· Back-right side zip pocket to access main internal compartment volume
· Main compartment can also be accessed by its large drawstring cinch top
· Main compartment is sealed with a buckle clipped top hood
· A zipper pocket is built into the top hood for easy access storage
· Padded shoulder straps with slide adjusting sternum strap for comfortably fit while wearing
· Built-in rain cover tucks into and can be removed from the bottom of the bag’s back panel
· YKK® zippers
LegendHigh priced. Nice people at desk. Damon who helped us park was very friendly. Almost entirely high-priced big rigs, some of whom seem settled here but it's clean, 'orderly,' very quiet. Rigid rules keep the order; nice that no political flags/signs allowed. 2 dog parks and lots of grassy areas to take for a walk. Showers in locker-room/bldg, bathrooms nice and clean. Green grass. Also has laundry with 2.50 wash and.25 dry for 8 min. Skunk wandered by site in the night. Cool train sounds from nearby tracks at night. Was probably the most convenient to San Jose, otherwise we likely would've been in mtns. and too far away from town for our needs at the time. Would not be a regular choice for us.
ScoutPros: Has numerous amenities including hot (free) showers (cleaned daily), flush toilets, full hookup RV spots, laundromat, US Post office, fenced playground, dog park, drive in tent sites, and firewood for sale. Cons: expensive, sites are close and poorly defined and the after hours check in procedure doesn’t prevent overlapping.
Discover the perfect spots for pets-allowed camping near Half Moon Bay, California, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Half Moon Bay, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Half Moon Bay, CA is Half Moon Bay State Beach Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 27 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 78 dog-friendly camping locations near Half Moon Bay, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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