Best Cabin Camping near Pinnacles National Park

Cabin Reviews near Pinnacles National Park

343 Reviews of 25 Pinnacles National Park Campgrounds

• 

  Christina L.

  Guide

  Nov. 9, 2020

  Fernwood Campground & Resort

  Great time in Big Sur

  We stayed at site #66 in early November.

  Pros: Our site was large and had River access. It was equipped with a picnic table and fire ring with grate. Power and water were also at the site. Close to the bathrooms but not too close that it was loud. The bathrooms were big and had free showers. There was a laundry room and also an area to dishes near the restrooms. We had three cars and three tents and still have plenty plenty of space. The property had a motel, restaurant, general store and also small cabins for stay options. We appreciated the locations proximity to the sites of Big Sur. We also spent a lot of time at the site since it was so beautiful too. It rained each evening during our stay and was pretty cold but we had a great time still :)

  Cons: Site 66 was huge but was also right near the road used by many people at all hours of the day/night. The location is great but was very pricy. The site rate only pays for 2 people and 2 cars. So we had to pay $10 a person and $5 per car, per day above that 2people/2cars.

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• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  Mar. 7, 2021

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Crowded But Not Awful

  The park is amazing and there are so many great hikes, wildlife viewing and picturesque landscapes!

  The campground loop we were in was full and the sites are fairly close to your neighbor but it wasn't bad. The main reason being absolutely NO generators allowed so it was peaceful. The sites were semi private as the brush and trees have grown around most sites offering a little privacy. Other campers were friendly and considerate. Note that the RV side with the hook up does not offer any privacy and is near the main road. RVs are not confined to that area though.

  The spots are flat and include fire pit, picnic table and food locker. Raccoons apparently are a big problem here so keep your food locked up. There is a small general store/visitor center with a variety of food items, stove fuel, firewood, general camping supplies and souvenirs. WiFi also available for $10 for 7days per device. We paid, but our T-Mobile hotspot with Weboost won out in the end because the WiFi did not reach our spot. There is better reception for the WiFI in other spots. No cell reception with AT&T or Verizon.

  The hiking is great! and during the week pleasantly absent of tons of other hikers. Masks are required even on trails when 6 ft distance cannot be maintained, and people were very respectful of that on the trails. There is a lot of wildlife to see though sadly we did not see any condors on this trip. The caves are currently closed due to Covid. 

  Other amenities:

  Tent cabins

  RV only loop with 30amp hook up only (no sewer or water hook up)

  Showers

  Bathrooms

  Garbage and Recycling

  RV dump station (flush water only)

  Fresh water filler up (near RV camping area)

  Group camping

  Pool (currently closed)

  Pets allowed but NOT allowed on any trails

  Overall a great experience for a lesser known National Park, would come here again!

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• R

  Rosa L.

  Scout

  Jul. 5, 2019

  Saddle Mountain Ranch

  Glamping Approved

  This place is nestled in the Carmel Valley and decently secluded. We booked a luxury gazebo situation which came with a queen bed (heated mattress) a fire pit and your own propane grill. There are areas for tents and RV’s as well and priced accordingly. The restrooms and showers are super clean and the staff is great. There is a heated pool and various hiking trails to keep you occupied. The only downfall is you’re a little close to other campers. You don’t get much space/privacy but it’s not too bad. I would come back for sure.

• 

  Mark C.

  Guide

  Aug. 30, 2016

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Easy camping in central California

  If planning a trip longer than just a day hike to the beautiful Pinnacles National Park, and since backpacking in not allowed in Pinnacles, the Pinnacles campground on the east entrance is a nice quiet place to spend a night. This campground is also a nice option to get an early start to a long hike the following morning. The campground is situated only accessible from the east side (this is important if you are coming in off the 101 on the west side of the park - you will need to make sure you plan your route properly or will end up on the wrong side of the park with the closest option Bittersweet Rd. (G13) to cut across and get to the east entrance. The campground itself was very clean, and while we used a small tent site, also offers RV sites. Sites are primarily close together but also had many trees which offered a little shade and semi-privacy feeling. Standard campground with picnic tables and metal fire pits, water located in multiple areas throughout including showers. There was also a pool located on the grounds but we did not use it.

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• 

  Shawnna B.

  Traveler

  Jun. 13, 2019

  Mount Madonna County Park

  My favorite campground of the Monterey Bay

  Mount Madonna County Park has 4 campgrounds. I've been camping in this park since the late 70s. I've seen some changes over the years...ahem...decades. 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.

  There are several micro climates in this area and temps can vary, besides our weather varies from day to day.

  There are trails offering views of the Santa Clara Valley, and trails offering views of the Monterey Bay. The park is above the fog line (most of the year). We don't get rain in the summer here. The park is situated at the County lines of Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County and is part of the Santa Clara County Parks system.

  No stores or markets in the park, but you can easily run into town, either Watsonville or Gilroy. It's slightly closer to Watsonville where you will find a gas station/market on 152 (Currently a Valero), or go into Gilroy on 152 for Safeway and more.

  There's a small cabin (ranger's station) with a history exhibit and the white reindeer up from the kiosk. My favorite campground in the park is the Tan Oak campground at the top and through the day use area. There are plenty of Geocaches on the trails.

  The bathrooms are generally clean. I say generally because I prefer the off season when I have the campground to myself and the bathrooms are super clean, but when the campground is full, like any public bathroom they can need more attention. (Or maybe people just need to clean up after themselves) I've never used the showers, nor the tent cabins. I like the sites because overall they are separated by trees so you don't feel as crowded as more open campgrounds.

  Despite signage warning of mountain lions, I have never encountered a single one in all the years of camping here. I've had raccoons and skunks (so lock up your food and belongings), turkeys and deer.

  Weekends, especially a holiday weekend such as Memorial Day weekend, can be full. (Not my favorite) I have also stayed for the 4th of July when it fell midweek and had the campground (Tan Oak) literally to myself.

  Leashed pets are allowed (2 per site) and 2 cars and 8 people per site.

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• 

  Chanel C.

  Legend

  Nov. 12, 2018

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Ranger Review: Mountain House Beef Stew at Pinnacles Campground

  [ PROS ]

  • Camping in a National Park! This is the only campground in Pinnacles National Park so you’re options are limited, but this campground is centrally located.
  • Wonderful Camp Store with gear, supplies, and anything you might need for camping. They even have snacks, ice cream, and candy.
  • Visitor Center where you can get lots of helpful information about the park and souvenirs to take home.
  • Each sites comes with a picnic table, fire ring + grill, 2 parking spots, and bear box.
  • Clean restrooms but it is shared with a lot of campers. I wish they had a few more.
  • So close to wildlife! We saw 6-8 deers both days just grazing inside the campground. Site #20 is where they hung out the entire weekend. Also, lots of rabbits, owls, magpies, quail, and turkey vultures.
  • Great night sky with lots of stars!
  • Lot’s of hiking trails at Pinnacles National Park. We started on the East Entrance and took the Bear Gulch Cave Trail to Moses Spring Trail, to the High Peaks Trail. It was spectacular and pure magic! One of my favorite day hikes that I’ve done. The caves were so cool to see and the Bear Gulch Reservoir is gorgeous.
  • Really clean and well maintained park. I normally carry a bag to pick up trash on hikes, but this time I barely saw litter.

  [ CONS ]

  • The only showers are by the Visitor Center which is a long walk or drive from the main camping area.
  • Sites are super close together and very small. Some sites barely looked like you could put 2 small tents. Be prepared to be close to neighbors.
  • Very touristy and crowded, it is a National Park afterall so that is to be expected.
  • No fires were allowed when I was there.

  Note: Site #45 where we stayed was great! It had a water spigot right next to us which was really convenient, and it was a perfect distance from the restroom. Not directly next to it, but one site away.

  Product Review

  As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. This weekend I had the opportunity to test out Beef Stew by Mountain House on a camping trip to Pinnacles Campground. As far as the product goes, I can eat this ALL DAY. It’s so good, filling, and hearty just as it is. This is as good as it gets for a quick, hot meal at the drop of a dime. It tastes just as good as a home cooked meal. Overall, just perfect comfort food -- chunky pieces of potato, peas, and carrots, the beef has great texture and generous portions, and the sauce is savory, flavorful and thick. I decided to elevate this meal and make Mountain House Campfire Beef Hand Pies! All you need is ready-to-bake biscuits and a Mountain House #10 Beef Stew Can and you have the best campfire hand pies ever! One package of Mountain House can make 16-20 hand pies. That’s 2.5 cans of ready-to-bake biscuits.

  Ingredients

  • 1 package of ready-to-bake biscuits
  • 1 Mountain House #10 Beef Stew Can
  • Also needed: cast iron pan vegetable oil and paper towels

  Instructions

  1. Follow instructions for making Mountain House #10 Beef Stew and set aside.
  2. Open the can of ready-to-bake biscuits and roll out each biscuit until they are about 4 inches in width. Make sure to work fast with the dough so that it still stays cool.
  3. Place 1 tbsp of Mountain House Beef Stew  into the center of each circle, fold them over (like a taco) and seal the edges by using the tines of a fork, press the edges together all the way around. Try to avoid getting any of the stew sauce around the edges or else it will be more difficult to seal.
  4. Place 1-2 inches of oil in a cast iron pan and place on the fire over coals (or camp stove), not direct flames. Test to see if the oil is ready by dropping a couple droplets of water into the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready to go!
  5. Cook the pies until the first side is well browned then flip over and repeat.
  6. Let the pies set on paper towels for 1 minute to drain out any excess oil.

  Optional: Enjoy with salsa, sour cream, and cilantros

  Considerations: If you want to prevent leaks in your hand pie, take an additional step when sealing your pies by flipping the pie over to the other side, and sealing it again with your fork. It’s a little more work, but the payoff is worth it!

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• 

  Crystal B.

  Legend

  Nov. 9, 2025

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Camping at Pinnacles

  This is the best (and only) option for camping near the national park. Beware, there is very limited cell/wifi service here. Reserve before coming or it’s a long slow drive out to services. The park is really great, so I recommend staying here a night or 2 to fully explore the small national park. Lots of sites and lots of options. Some are more secluded and some are more traditional. Tents/cabins available. A store and pool are available also.

• 

  Samantha N.

  Guide

  Aug. 20, 2022

  Thousand Trails San Benito

  Wildlife EVERYWHERE

  Seriously 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!

• 

  J.Lynn J.

  Traveler

  Aug. 1, 2017

  Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park

  Book In Advance!

  This campground can only be accessed from the East entrance to Pinnacles National Park, and fills up fast on weekends. Amenities aren't the newest, the stinky bathrooms had a line for the coin-op showers, and the camp store/registration counter/visitor center is only open from 9:30am-5pm. A lot of tent campers paid extra for RV sites, as they were the only ones available. Shade is hit-and-miss.