Paicines, CA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Paicines. Find the best campgrounds near Paicines, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
$43 - $164 / night
"Per my rating system, this is very close to being 5 stars, meaning it's worth planning a trip from out of state just to visit this park and surrounding national/state forest for 3 days or more The only"
"It’s a beautiful park and has the largest population of California Condors in the world.
The campground is situated about 2.3 miles from the main trailheads. There's tent and RV campsites."
"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."
"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!"
$10 / night
"You pay your fee at the kiosk at the entrance, and once you enter you have your choice of several camp areas. You are free to drive around and choose a spot in any of the campgrounds."
"For an organized trail run I would give it a 5 star as it was very respectful and actually not loud at all including day light hours."
$25 / night
"The peak is where the first American flag was raised in the state of California. There are few trails that take you through mixed madrone/ pine chapparal but the real attraction here is the view."
"Fun twisty drive up the mountain. There were about 12 sites with vault toilets and non potable water and trash cans available everywhere. Saw quite a few turkeys."
$25 / night
"Pretty & windy drive. No visitor center but rangers drove by once. It very lightly rained but mostly the air was misty, & the fog got more dense as the night went on."
"It was not clear from reading other reviews or the park website, but this campground has plenty of potable water spigots around all the sites. We found the vault toilets clean and well maintained. "
"We were happy to have the electric hook up since the redwood and oak tress surrounding all the sites are huge and block out the sun."
"It has some privacy, we liked that it was in between two yurts away from others. The trail does go right behind the site but it wasn’t super busy."
"we stayed here for two days while camping in california- it was sweet! we had the whole tent/dry camping campground to ourselves this time of year."
"Which had beautiful views, and got our Camper situated. The spots could be a bit updated in my opinion. The gravel was coming apart and the table and fir ring could use a bit of cleaning."
"Close to the highway with a fairly easy on and off the although it's a little confusing at first. All day/night highway noise but it starts to become white noise after a while."
"The location is very secluded as bd far from stores but fairly close to the sea. Have visited a few time and enjoy the stay. Not many issues. I’m looking forward to the Upgrades!"
$69 - $80 / night
"Park is well maintained easy access to sites several cool places to eat close by"
"Situated off highway 1 and surrounded by the marina is very appealing for us. Reservations were made over the phone with Liz. She did a nice job of getting us in for the following day."
$10 - $47 / night
"It’s adjacent to a day use area with a big playground and some little hiking trails. You can walk to downtown Monterey’s restaurants and shops from here, about 1-2 miles away."
"Pros: Secluded yet within walking distance of popular tourist areas. Can hear taps played at nearby Fort Ord at 10 pm. It’s magical! Pretty nice sites. Showers available."
ScoutSuper clean and maintained. Especially the bathrooms and showers. The sites are spaced out nicely and there is a water faucet and trash bins plus recycle every couple of sites. On the trails theres quite a bit of poison oak so keep dogs close. Not every site is able to car camp due to rocks blocking off the parking area but every campsite is pretty nice.
TravelerI stayed in site 5 and the walk from my car was not far. I enjoyed this campground!
ScoutBeware coming here with anything other than a tent! All sites have a nice level tent pad area.
We camped two nights at Fremont Peak State Park with our pop-up tent trailer. We stayed in Valley View site #2 and were lucky that the paved driveway levelled out at the top (mostly). Some people came to site #3 with a camper van and ended up leaving because they were at such a sharp angle.
It was not clear from reading other reviews or the park website, but this campground has plenty of potable water spigots around all the sites. We found the vault toilets clean and well maintained. Although dogs are not allowed on the trails, there is a service road up to the communication tower that you can hike part way on.
We observed the carpet of valley fog below us in the mornings and evenings, while mid-day you can see out to Moss Landing. We also got to enjoy one of the Fremont Peak Observatory Association (https://fpoa.net/) programs which was amazing! The views of the stars and the Milky Way are unbelievable and the volunteers were awesome.
ScoutLots of activities for younger kids. Convenient location, lots of amenities.
Cabin was super nice to stay in after a week of car camping! Kitchenette, bathroom, hot water. Perfect.
ScoutThe campsites specifically are nice, but the campground was very disappointing. Lots of freeway noise, amenities were disappointing (fitness center was only open until 9-5?), dog park was closed, beach requires a brutal walk through soft sand. It’ll work as a landing point for a couple nights, but don’t plan on this being a nice campground to enjoy your vacation at.
ScoutThe campground overall was pretty nice—it’s huge and even has a pool (though by around 1:30, it gets completely taken over by a swarm of kids). What really threw me off was the bathroom situation. I expected flush toilets, as advertised, but our loop only had Port-a-Potties. To make matters worse, it’s a quite a walk to get to the restroom in our loop—and that’s not ideal in the heat. Every other loop seemed to have proper bathrooms, so it felt like we got the short end of the stick without any heads-up. Between the long walks, the heat, and the surprisingly bold raccoons and birds, I’d recommend this spot only for a one-night stay—especially if you’re planning to hike during the day.
ScoutWe have stayed here in the past and the experience was great, but this visit was a disappointment. There was a group campsite that violated the noise curfew until 1:00am!!! We did not get any sleep and decided to cut our short trip, forfeit a paid campsite, and leave the next morning knowing that the same group was there another night. Multiple campers reported the noise throughout the night, but the campers would not keep quiet. We did report our dissatisfaction the next morning and asked for the staff to visit the site. Hoping it was resolved and wishing the other campers a better night.
TravelerClose to Hwy 1, just south of Santa Cruz. If you travel with fishing gear, you'll like it, otherwise not much else here.
TravelerWe hiked into the campsite with a scenic 3 mile journey. Very shady, very simple site. Pit toilets, fire pits, and some tables… what more could you need? Loved hiking down to the river and taking a swim on a hot day.
Camping near Paicines, California, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and unique experiences. Whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or a family-friendly adventure, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping near Paicines, California, has something for everyone, from breathtaking views to family-friendly activities. Just be prepared for the heat and plan ahead to secure your spot!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Paicines, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 111 campgrounds and RV parks near Paicines, CA and 4 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Paicines, CA is Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park with a 4-star rating from 89 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 4 free dispersed camping spots near Paicines, CA.
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