Best Dispersed Camping near Piercy, CA
Dispersed camping around Piercy, California concentrates primarily at Usal Beach and its overlook area along the northern California coastline. These sites offer primitive camping with minimal facilities on public lands. Usal Beach Campground provides beach and wooded camping options while the nearby Usal Beach Overlook features more exposed sites with views. The more remote Grizzly Flat Dispersed Campground requires hiking access and lies inland near Covelo. Boardman Ridge Campground represents another primitive option in the region, though with limited documented visitor information.
Access to these dispersed sites typically requires navigating challenging roads. The route to Usal Beach involves a rough, unpaved mountain road with steep grades, ruts, and narrow sections that takes approximately 30-45 minutes to traverse from Highway 1. High-clearance vehicles are strongly recommended, particularly during wet conditions when roads may become impassable. According to one visitor, "You will need at least a quarter of a foot of clearance to make it up the road, it is IMPASSABLE if the road is wet." While AWD or 4WD vehicles are preferable, some campers report reaching the sites in standard vehicles with careful driving, though this isn't advised during rainy periods.
The camping experience combines coastal and forest environments with notable privacy despite occasional crowds. Campers at Usal Beach can choose between beachfront sites or more sheltered forest locations, both offering Pacific Ocean views. A visitor noted that "even with the number of other parties near us, we were still able to find a fairly secluded spot." The area features minimal facilities—Usal Beach Campground has a single pit toilet, while other sites lack amenities entirely. Cell service is generally unavailable, requiring visitors to be self-sufficient. Wildlife sightings are common, with reports of coyotes and bear tracks. Campfires are permitted at some locations, though the beach areas often have limited natural firewood. All sites follow true dispersed camping principles requiring visitors to pack out all waste.
