Pinnacles Campground offers a centrally located home base for pet owners exploring Pinnacles National Park, with designated tent and RV loops where dogs are welcome. The campground provides pet-friendly sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and bear boxes for secure food storage. Electric hookups are available in the RV section, while tent campsites offer more shade and privacy among oak trees. Pets must remain leashed throughout the campground, and owners should be vigilant about wildlife interactions as raccoons are particularly bold in the area. The campground store stocks basic pet supplies, and potable water stations are conveniently positioned throughout the camping areas. Aggressive wildlife may approach campsites during evening hours, making secure food storage essential for pet safety.
Dogs are permitted on select trails within Pinnacles National Park, though regulations restrict them from entering cave areas and certain protected habitats. Most pet owners find the Bench Trail directly accessible from the campground ideal for dog walking, providing a moderate 2.3-mile loop with minimal elevation change. For extended pet exercise, nearby San Benito RV and Camping Resort welcomes pets throughout their facility, including cabin accommodations that accept dogs with additional cleaning fees. The summer heat at Pinnacles can be challenging for pets, with temperatures regularly exceeding 95°F, requiring early morning or evening walks to prevent paw pad burns and heat exhaustion. Visitors should carry extra water for pets and be aware that wildlife including deer, rabbits, and quail frequently roam through the campground areas, presenting potential distraction for dogs.
$48 - $174 / night
"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"
"This is a large campground (and the ONLY campground) in Pinnacles National Park. It is on the East side of the park, and you can only access it from the East side."
"Clean everything, perfect level cement pad, large very nice dog park with room for the pups to run and play and a friendly helpful staff."
"This resort has two beautiful dog parks and a dog washing station! Not to mention, The beautiful and clean bathrooms for the humans!! The park overall is clean, spacious, and quiet!"
"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!"
"This location is a fairly convenient distance to Pinnacles National Park if you prefer not to stay at the national park campground."
"It is difficult to find BLM camping in California and this is a gem! The road is in prone to mudslides and looked like is was recently cleared of mud in multiple spots."
"It's a long drive down a dirt road to get to Sweetwater Campground where we stay. They seem to keep up with the holes in the road though. There are plenty of places to hike and bike."
"We wanted to stay in Pinnacles National Park, but the campground was full. We ended up staying there the next day, but ironically, I liked Sweetwater much more."
"Fresh Air (despite being surrounded by bad air on all sides) + Nature (deer, quails, turkeys, coyotes in one night) + Dark New Moon Skies means Bright Stars with Clear View of the Milky Way + Safe (Popular"
$50 / night
"A nice walking path, circles the campground and is well used in the mornings and evenings by locals running or walking dogs and babies."
"Bike/walking trail. Nice trees. Level spots with water and electric. Just off 101 but no highway noise."
$50 - $75 / night
"No other sites behind us. It felt secluded and private. Close to the bathrooms. And the bathrooms were clean. We didn’t have a river site but the river was right across from us."
"On my way out I asked if they take walk ins and they do at $ 35. If we wanted to we would have been able to stay a second night, but we ended up driving North."
$35 - $154 / night
"We stayed at this campsite mid February and the weather was beautiful - warm and sunny during the day, cold at night - around mid 40's."
"Campground was nice and views were pretty good, very hilly part of California."
$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."
$45 - $49 / night
"While we used to just head up & find a site- its become nearly impossible to "walk-in" during high season."
"We happened to drive in at the right time, had one walk- in site available. Campsites, large, away from other campers and clean."
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!
GuideVery unfortunate, a nice clean campground close to Pinnacles National Park but a lack of respect from the office. No one is wearing masks, enter at your own risk.
TravelerThis 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.
TravelerWe wanted to stay in Pinnacles National Park, but the campground was full. We ended up staying there the next day, but ironically, I liked Sweetwater much more. It's a somewhat long drive, but you're rewarded with decent solitude. There are only a few sites, so we got lucky. I was surprised how nice the campground was, especially since it was free. Be aware there is no water available. It's definitely not as convenient as staying in Pinnacles, but I would choose Sweetwater over camping in the park.
GuideIf 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.
TravelerThis park has mostly long-term residents. It was super quiet, though there was a somewhat noisy road next to us. We were on the first site next to the road, so I suspect it would be a non issue for most of the sites.
The dog park is extremely well-maintained. Beautiful grass, very nice fence, a bench to sit on, water for your pets and plenty of space to run.
There a really nice stream to hike along. And underneath a bridge there are bat houses. We went under there at sundown and watched the bats come out. Strongly recommended!
The lady who runs the place was extremely nice and helpful.
Full hook-ups and relatively large, gravel sites with some shade. However, I needed to raise one wheel about 5 inches and another 2 to get level.
Short drive to downtown Morgan hill or Gilroy. And there’s a Camping World as well.
LegendThis is a large campground (and the ONLY campground) in Pinnacles National Park. It is on the East side of the park, and you can only access it from the East side. There is no road going across the park from west to east, so expect to drive south or north in order to get to the campground if you are coming from the coast (as I was). Here’s what I like about the campground: it’s kind of spread out and it seemed that each site had a little privacy, every site has its own bear box, and some sites have trees for hammocks. Here’s what I didn’t like: the entire campground’s septic system was on the fritz and not expected to be fixed anytime soon, so all modern bathrooms were closed and porta potties were in place everywhere (and they needed tI be serviced). I also didn’t like that there was only one shower house with two showers (for women, I am am assuming 2 for men) for so many campers. I also didn’t like that the host sites were tucked back behind the pool and shower house on a spur road, making it difficult to spot (I finally found them late the second day; none too helpful either). All that said, the ranger station is right at the front of the campground, and there are great trails you can hike to or take a quick drive to from the campground. The CAVES!!!! So cool! And you have to hike the Balconies. Take at least two sources of light (cell phones do not count) and plenty of water as it gets hot in the afternoon. The coolest part was seeing 5 of the 30 or so California Condors soaring on the thermals over me on the Bear Gulch Loop.
Legend[ PROS ]
[ CONS ]
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
Instructions
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!
GuideThis location is a fairly convenient distance to Pinnacles National Park if you prefer not to stay at the national park campground. A little more expensive since we are not Thousand Trail members but has a laundromat, small store, pool, showers – though some were out of order. It looked the place needed a tune up, not bad, just a little run down and things needed to be fixed. I would stay here again. Compared to the campground at Pinnacles where we were going, we feel this is the better option. Pinnacles is mostly day hikes so this campground is perfect.
The staff were friendly and helpful. We had quiet, wildlife (saw a bobcat and heard owls at night), and a pretty flat and roomy tent site. Our site was shady enough, though not all sites appeared so lucky. It seemed like there were lots of activities for the kids. We were only there one night and did not check out anything else the campground has to offer so can't comment.
It is a big campground, and I can't recall the site number we had. It was a little confusing as to what we could take or not. There seemed to be quite a few long term campers in the Rv area.
Camping sites around Pinnacles National Park sit at elevations between 1,200 and 2,800 feet with distinct temperature fluctuations between day and night. During summer months, high temperatures regularly exceed 100°F while winter nights can drop below freezing. The campgrounds surrounding the park range from basic BLM sites with vault toilets to full-service RV parks with hookups, giving visitors options based on their comfort needs and desired proximity to park entrances.
Hiking trails from campsites: Campgrounds near Pinnacles offer direct access to hiking opportunities. At Laguna Mountain Campground, "Laguna mountain road trail is very strenuous. The last leg of the trail (primitive trail) is not easy to follow. Someone has marked the trail with stacked rocks. To the summit is about 4.5 miles from the campground." Several hikers recommend tackling these trails in early morning during summer months when temperatures rise quickly.
Wildlife watching opportunities: The region supports diverse wildlife viewing directly from campsites. At San Benito RV and Camping Resort, campers regularly spot "Condors above our cabin, deer around us, wild pigs crossing the roads." Evening hours often bring increased animal activity, with one visitor noting they "had multiple deers wondering the grounds so be sure to put your food away."
Water activities during hot months: When temperatures climb, seek relief at nearby water sources. At Arroyo Seco, "River is a big plus, we were able to cool down and have fun there." The river provides "good 3-4 hours" of exploration with "a lot of people [bringing] their grill and were hanging out on the banks of the river." This makes for a welcome break from the park's typically dry terrain.
Year-round accessibility: Unlike some national park regions, most campgrounds near Pinnacles remain open throughout the year. Upper Sweetwater Recreation Area offers free camping with vault toilets and fire rings. As one camper notes, "Clean and well kept. Level ground all be it hard and difficult to get stakes in." Winter visitors should prepare for possible snow, especially at higher elevations.
Stargazing conditions: The area's limited light pollution creates exceptional night sky viewing. One camper at Kirk Creek described "drifting off the sleep on the edge of the earth while gazing up at the milky-way, cut off from the rest of the world." Another mentioned how "you'll wake to the sounds of the ocean and watch as the fog rolls in, lifting away from the ocean & surrounding hillsides until it seems heaven is kissing the earth."
Well-maintained pet areas: Dog friendly campgrounds near Pinnacles National Park include Yanks RV Resort which features "two beautiful dog parks and a dog washing station!" Another reviewer praised the "large very nice dog park with room for the pups to run and play." Several pet-welcoming campgrounds provide dedicated spaces for dog exercise beyond what's available within park boundaries.
Limited cell service: Connectivity disappears quickly as you approach the park. At most campgrounds, "you will be quite literally cut off from the world here. You won't find any cell service so turn that phone off when u hit the main road." One visitor to Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area found a workaround, noting "There is zero cell signal in the park but there is surprisingly fast free wifi available at Bee, Madrone, and Lodge campgrounds."
Water availability varies: Many campgrounds operate with limited or no water facilities. Bring ample supplies, as some campers recommend "a 50 gallon container & find its perfect for a 8-9 day trip with 2 solar showers, lots of hand & dish washing, and dog water refills." At some locations, water purchases cost "$5 a gallon, so be sure to come with plenty of your own water!"
Reservation challenges: Popular sites fill quickly, especially during peak season. For Pinnacles Campground, "the sites are nice, and most of them could easily fit two tents. It was fairly busy when we were here, with a lot of people and noise." During holiday periods, expect full facilities with one visitor warning "Busy but worth it. Pulled up to this campground at like 5:00PM over memorial day weekend and it was full to the brim."
Seasonal planning matters: The region's extreme temperatures dictate ideal family camping times. At Pinnacles Campground, visitors noted "Summer is not the best time to go. It gets hot and you can't have fires. I went in late June and it was bearable to do an early hike, but bat caves may be closed in summer." Spring and fall provide more moderate conditions for children's activities.
Wildlife education opportunities: Local campgrounds offer unique chances to teach children about diverse animal species. Families regularly report seeing "deer wandered through camp at all times of the day. You can see wild boar passing along the hillsides. We also saw a couple of foxes one evening on the perimeter." Prepare children for raccoon encounters, which multiple reviewers mention are "very active here so be sure to lock all of your food away."
Pet-friendly family options: Several dog-friendly facilities near Pinnacles accommodate both children and pets. Many campgrounds permit pets throughout most areas, with one visitor noting their campground was "good for tenors too" and had "a pool, but it looks like it's been closed down for years." For families with both children and pets, select locations with adequate shade and water access during warmer months.
Hookup availability: For those needing electricity, water or sewer, options exist but require planning. San Lorenzo Park offers "nice green park with lots of partial (water + electric) $50 and full (water + electric + sewer) $55 sites." Another visitor found "lots of partial and full hookup sites" with prices ranging from $50-80 depending on season and amenities.
Size limitations matter: Many campgrounds have restrictions on larger rigs. One visitor noted "the roads are winding and trees can obstruct with larger and smaller sites. Hwy 1 can be challenging but big rigs take it every day, the route to the South has very tight turns." Another RVer found "large level spots FHU some shade. Helpful staff clean and well kept."
Dump station access: Limited dump facilities exist in the area, requiring advance planning. Some RVers recommend "a dump station on the way out" and note that "Only downside for us is that all sites were hookups and that there are no primitive sites for RVs." For those staying multiple nights, confirm dump availability before booking extended stays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Pinnacles National Park?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Pinnacles National Park is Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park with a 4.1-star rating from 99 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Pinnacles National Park?
TheDyrt.com has all 77 dog-friendly camping locations near Pinnacles National Park, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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