Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Pacific Grove? Camping with horses is a beautiful way to experience nature. You're sure to find the perfect site for your California horse camping excursion.
Monterey Bay RV campground and preserve is nestled in rolling hills about 14 miles south of Hollister, California. The climate is tempered by the ocean, which is only 50 miles to the west, and wildlife is abundant throughout the area. San Benito RV Resort 's modern facilities ensure convenience and comfort. The on-site live entertainment and planned activities keep things interesting. When it's time to explore the area, there are many natural attractions and activities around San Benito RV Resort , such as the Pinnacles National Monument, fresh and salt-water fishing, and golf courses. Visit the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium during your time at Thousand Trails' Monterey Bay RV campground. It's an experience that won't be forgotten! See wildlife & natural attractions from a Monterey Bay RV campground Whether you're planning a retreat for the whole family, a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at San Benito RV & Camping Resort. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
$34 / night
$30 - $40 / night
Coe Ranch Campground
$20 / night
Ranger
I had a big spot and no neighbors my entire half of the campground on a Monday night in June. I was under 2 big oaks that were buzzing with bird activity.
The bathrooms were clean and I had water on my site. I had some AT&T service.
ScoutOne of my favorite campgrounds as it’s very local and has beautiful scenery. I come here atleast once a month for some camping!
Scout
site #8 should NOT be a site. It is situated just feet from the holding tanks for the vault toilets. Somebody did not think through this site. Breathe in the fresh scent of raw sewage as you attempt to enjoy food being swarmed by all the flies in camp that had previously been sitting on said sewage. Drift off to dreamland as your tent is filled with and subsequently sharpens your awareness of the state of the bathrooms.
Seriously, this was bad. This is a review that came at the end of a 5 week camping trip where we stayed in 9 different campgrounds. We are lifelong campers. I have NEVER left a bad review of a campground. This was bad. Again, almost every site in this campground is great and has lots of privacy. Site #08 is a mistake and should be used for additional parking at most.
TravelerI was able to enjoy the view of lake and mountains inside the tent. Wild pigs appeared at night. It was our first camping trip and we had a great time! No internet and no electricity. Restroom was clean.
ScoutDrove up the road a bit, requires some careful driving and a decent clearance. I drive a Mazda CX-5 and it handled it great. Some pit bathrooms and small parking area, saw a couple other cars come by. There is a sign saying no camping but it’s unclear if it’s for past that point or for the little parking area. Either way we showed up around 8:30 pm and left by 9:30 am with no issues. It’s a popular mountain biking area so people will probably be there in the morning. I wouldn’t stay here long term but for a night it’s isolated enough you shouldn’t have any issues. If you look up A-1 Trailhead just follow google maps and drive a bit further up until you see the bathrooms.
Scout
Birds, trees, flowers, grass. Doesn’t have that jammed together RV park like some Thousand trails parks (ahem Cottonwood and Yuma AZ )
TravelerStayed here in March. Camp ground was mostly empty. Showers were locked. $35 a night. There’s an electronic kiosk to pay. Intermittent signal with ATT. 20 min drive into town with lots of amenities.
TravelerAlthough this is a dryer region the campground tends to be on the browner side, but I look forward to every trip.
Scoutthis KOA has everything you need. the streets are wide and the pull-ins are easy to access. the Wi-Fi here is good enough to check email but not for streaming or anything intensive. however you can get a good starlink connection and over 100 megabits per second. it is pet friendly and has a store filled with pretty much anything you would need. they also give cookies to guests and treats to dogs.
GuideSeriously love this place and wish we could go all the time! Too bad we live on the East Coast or id he here 24/7. We stayed in a cabin in January. Right near Pinnacles National Park! We had Condors above our cabin, deer around us, wild pigs crossing the roads. Its amazing!!!! My favorite part of our California trip was staying here!
TravelerOur family enjoyed this campsite. The only issue was the squirrels had chewed through the electrical at some of the better sites. All in all it was very relaxing. They had a tv, games and arts for the kids in the clubhouse. The pool was closed for the winter but I can't wait to visit again.
ScoutStayed here over the weekend on a last minute reservation. And it’s absolutely beautiful here, campground was very clean and quite. This was our first outing in our pop up and this place made it much better, walking trails and daily activities for the family. Had multiple deers wondering the grounds so be sure to put your food away. Nearest town is San Benito about 20 mins away. They have a small store on the grounds with limited items also. We stayed towards the back site 353 I believe abs had no others around us. Definitely will be booking another stay here!
ScoutBeautiful view of the preserve with wild pigs off in the brush and the call of turkeys in the a.m. a nice refresh from the city.
TravelerPlenty of sites if you have 30 amp. Plenty of full hook up sites. The 50 amp sites were all in one section. If you don’t need to run your A/C you can get by with 30 amp hook up. We loved most of the sites were pull thru. Had good picnic tables. Restrooms and showers were great. Like others have said this place needs a lot of care. A lot of sites were out of order. Nice trails there. Gilmore was a distance for us to restock on supplies. Pool was open but not heated. Hot tub was closed for the winter season. You are out in the sticks so no cell phone service. You could purchase WiFi and patch your phone thru WiFi calling.
TravelerIt was a nice campground to go to. Lots of wildlife and hiking. Dogs are allowed. The lake is closed to any and all water-craft because the water level is too low. It is very clean and well maintained for the most part. Cell phone service for Xfinity/Verizon is spotty at best. There is weak wifi.
However, here's where it loses a star:
I arrived on a Friday late afternoon. Set up my tent. People were fairly loud until about 11pm. Bathrooms were really nice and clean…at first. Saturday, in came the crowd. Loud, obnoxious, and inconsiderate way past midnight. There was no reinforcement of quiet hours past 10pm. The toilets were clogged by 9pm at both restrooms. Men's restrooms have ONLY ONE STALL. And they were clogged beyond belief. I cannot understand why people do not know how to flush a toilet in public. Do they do this crap at home? Anyway, Sunday morning past 9am, still clogged up. Lines waiting to use the compromised restrooms as well. Ridiculous. Unfortunately, that's what ruined my experience. People just being completely selfish in a public campground and staff not be able to keep up with their antics. Maybe there shouldn't be so many sites for so few facilities. Just a thought.
For SUV tents, check out campsite pics on other sites before booking. SUV tents are usually limited to one entrance/exit point on the tent. Usually the driver's side. Each campsite is different. The one I reserved had only one pic that basically showed me nothing. I only could back in to set up my tent on the grass. Both the picnic table and firepit were facing the passenger side way far from the parking spot (as you can see in the second pic) opposite the entrance to my tent. So something to consider.
RangerCampsite 10/11 are great if connected, with the only view in the place. Other sites are secluded but cornered off with not much view.
Bugs! Lots and lots of flies, wasps and mosquitos here. Keep your trash and cooking in your car to be safe, wasps will swarm quickly.
Pit toilets are at the top of the campground, full of flies and paper was empty.
Wildlife! You’ll see plenty of deer and tiny foxes at night scrambling for snacks.
Lovely drive up, no cell service.
TravelerNice close to home
ScoutGreat backpacking park. Only go in the fall, winter and spring. Summer is way to hot and dry. There are so many sites you could go on a trip for a month and never stay at the same spot. Lots of wildlife, flowers, amazing views and stars. Be prepared for hills though. The saying goes, "you dont go to Henry Coe to train for the Sierras, you go to the Sierras to train for Henry Coe." I can personally say last trip we did over 1200ft of elevation in under 2 miles. But well worth it, just plan your trip carefully.
TravelerWe had a great weekend camping trip at Coe Ranch - thanks to being at one of the sites with a bit of shelter and shade. Beware that many of the sites have neither of these things, and can be really exposed.
I’d recommend sites 10-12, 13 looked ok - and sounds like other folk recommend the ones down the hill a bit.
GuideThis is a primitive campground, no showers only vault toilets and restroom near visitor center ( 2 min walk from campground) both decently clean. Water for washing dishes is available. Spots are not close to each other so there is privacy. It is small, quiet, surrounded with beautiful views. Good hiking trails and good opportunity for bird watching, wild flowers viewing and plenty of deer around. From main road it takes about 35 min drive up the hill through narrow road which is paved but I don't think it is appropriate for RVs. It is a bit of hassle getting here but worth it! If you are car camping I advice NOT to choose drive in spots as it is not leveled but the parking where you have to walk to your camp spot is okay.
TravelerWe were here in November while my house was fumigated. Nice open campsites with hook ups. Dump station was available although I did not see it listed on web site.
GuideYOU CANNOT CAMP HERE. However, this gorgeous state park has dozens of beautiful trails winding through cattle country and down along streams and ponds in the Dinosaur Point area.
NO WATER. Note that there is no safe potable water at the park, so if you're hiking, bring plenty to drink.
NOT DOG-FRIENDLY: Dogs are allowed on leash in the parking lot only. You cannot hike with your dog here.
VERY HORSE-FRIENDLY: The park is especially friendly to horses, because the lady that donated the land was an equestrienne. There is a corral at the main parking lot area and the park is fenced for livestock. They make a point of stating that although the water in the creeks and ponds is unsafe for humans, it is safe for livestock and horses. (The one exception to the no camping rule, actually, is when those on horseback are allowed to camp during special events.)
GuideGood spot to explore Pinnicales National Park. Typical TT resort park off the beaten path, far out but nice place, we enjoyed our stay. At the time we were there a lot of the riverfront sports were out of order. Park does have a lot of those devil spikes in the grass so beware of those with the dogs or bare feet. I did see someone bare foot walking and I was confused as how he was not stepping on them little spiked mines/ thorns then it happened and he went down having to crawl back to the road and get shoes. Pinnacles NP has lots of great hikes, bird watching is a thing out here and home to the California Condors. Near the town of Gilroy home of the garlic festival. A little out of the way but a nice scenic backroad alternate from I5 or 99 if traveling north/south.
TravelerPart of the KOA franchise, this is a very clean, well positioned RV and Cabin park for exploring the Monterey, Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Cruz area. There are limited recreation facilities due to the terrain and size of property. As of this writing, it is under certain restrictions due to the pandemic. Good idea to check first before making any reservations.
GuideBig campground because the coronavirus the facility has closed. I just use campground and showers is free hot water showers. Seems like fun on the summer I went on the winter and the place is very cold. One time visit. Staff is very cool.
TravelerWe were surprised when we made it to this campground- that it was built on the side of a hill. The walk-in sites may be different, but all of the pull in sites were extremely off-level (even with all our blocks we couldn’t get close) and the roads through the campground itself is so steep/narrow and windy that it would be extremely difficult to back in (we watched someone get stuck while trying). There wasn’t a flat tent spot at our campsite either. Finally, we arrived after dark (in November that was pretty early) and it was difficult to find your way into and out of the campground due to lack of signage. We were extremely disappointed with the quality of the sites here and would not recommend.
GuidePros: Lots of sites. Pretty area. Facilities well maintained. Cons: We stayed here several times because of its proximity to San Jose. Almost every time time, though, it was crowded and noisy. Also there are lots of wild pigs! In my opinion, it’s a last resort campground.
The first time here, we put a table cloth and some small items on the picnic table at our site, then left to run an errand. When we returned, someone else was camping in our spot. :0/ Luckily, there was another spot available so we moved and all was well. Still surprised that someone would do that, though.
Horse camping in California offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and enjoy nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Pacific Grove, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Pacific Grove, CA is Thousand Trails San Benito with a 4.3-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Pacific Grove, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 equestrian camping locations near Pacific Grove, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
