Best Tent Camping near Pinnacles National Park

Campsite Review:

Ventana Campground

Ventana Campground is a tent only campground, which I love as I feel like it’s harder and harder to find now a days. They can’t accommodate RV’s, motor homes, travel trailers or pop-up tent trailers. Although we did see a few of the rental company camper vans and trucks with roof tents or small campers on top. This campground isn’t cheap… But for the Big Sur area, I guess it’s “reasonable” as this campground is right in the middle of Pfieffer Big Sur and Julia Pfieffer Burns State Parks. It really is in a great location to explore the coast That being said, I did find it a little disappointing just how close the campsites are to each other here, meaning you’re not going to get anything close to a secluded camping experience. These (like almost all campground now a days) come with a fire ring and picnic table. We were lucky enough to get randomly placed in a spot right next to a wonderful little 2-foot waterfall on the creek that runs through the campground. We lucked out as there was never anyone at the front gate and there was just a list of everyone’s per-assigned campsite. There were some other campsites which were right on top of each other and you had to basically walk through someone else’s area to get to “your” table and fire ring.

It was nice that there was both recycling/trash and potable water stations scattered throughout and the bath facilities were decently maintained, and as they say “modern” (i.e. flush toilets). However, I was blown away that they only have coin-operated showers available (2 minutes per quarter). This and they really did pack in the 60+ sites plus a “glamping” area in the back for $425-695 (average ~$600) a night…

The tent site campground is reservable by phone at 1-855-391-8683 or online ($85 for Sunday-Thursday, $105 for Friday & Saturday)

While we don’t have one, I know people like to know that dogs are allowed at the campsite on leash (2 per campground).

For me personally the campground only gets 3/5 stars :

Overall, remember that while you have great access to the beauty that Big Sur Coast has to offer and the campground is pet friendly you’re definitely, not really going to get a remote camping experience and there’s a lot lacking for how much you’re paying. The facilities don’t have dish washing areas and while they are nicely cleaned and maintained things like a shower shouldn’t have cost extra…

These rules are copied from their pamphlet.

•        Respect the peacefulness and quiet of the redwoods.

•        QUIET HOURS 10 PM TO 7 AM.

•        No loud noise or loud music at anytime.

•        NO RVS. NO HOOK UPS. NO GENERATORS.

•        All fires must be in fire rings, under control at all times and extinguished before departure.

•        PLEASE DO NOT DEFACE TREES OR STUMPS.

•        Please purchase your firewood in Big Sur. Collecting groundwood is forbidden.

•        No fireworks or fire arms permitted on property.

•        LEAVE NO TRACE on campsites or facilities.

•        Conserve water. Firmly close water taps when not using.

•        Dogs must be quiet, on leash at all times and stay in campsites or roads. Please clean up after your dog. No dogs left unattended.

•        Recycle bins are available for plastic bottles, cans and glass. Please recycle.

•       Maximum five people, one vehicle, two dogs.

Gear Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get the opportunity to test out products and what I got to use during this trip for protecting our food from the wildlife and the elements was RovR’s RollR 60 cooler. While listed as “a 60-quart carrying, all-terrain attacking, patented design that can go anywhere you can. Engineered with the world's best cooling and organization design on the inside and built to carry your campsite, tailgate or party on the out.” It really turned out to be all this plus so much more. We had a really easy time wheeling it around and to our site and it was so much nicer than having to carry a cooler like I’ve done with my other rotomolded brands. Ugh… they get heavy with food and ice in them.

This cooler comes with a lot of really unique features that no other cooler has! Plus many other customization and add-on possibilities. Their coolers come with a folding tote container which is attached to the top with velcro straps so that while wheeling it around it won’t just slide right off. Good thinking there! When not in use this tote folds flat, and fits into an indention on the top thus serving possibly as a slight cushion for sitting.

When in use, the tote is unfolded and becomes an additional dry container for holding extra gear like a stove, pots and pans, paper towels, etc. You can also remove it entirely from the top and placed to the side or move it to a picnic table with all that dry gear you have for cooking or whats not. This “feature” is awesome - it is like having two carrying containers in one.

There are additional fixtures on the cooler which are designed to attached auxiliary items like a cutting board, umbrella or drink holders. There’s even a fixture for attaching an extension that can be attached to a bicycle. Thus, one can pull the cooler behind a bicycle like a trailer. Innovative game changer for those bike campers!

My favorite feature was Inside the cooler there is a special bin that can hold items that may not need to be chilled like bread, towels or utensils. This feature is so important to keep items separate and dry when moisture develops, or the ice starts to melt. The bin itself has an internal divider which further aids with organization. Sometimes you want things right on the ice, but other stuff isn’t going to do as well if you freeze it!! This was an awesome idea.

Overall, I give the cooler 5/5 stars. I really love the company’s innovation to the rotomolded cooler and even our cats approved! Go get ourselves one of these instead of some of those other rotomolded coolers at RovRproducts.com

Cooler’s Features:

•        Certified grizzly bear resistant rotationally molded body and lid with anchor pins for attaching prep station and accessories!!! Yes, please. Especially with all the bear cu

•        Up to 10 days of ice retention depending on use. Umm....need to test this out fully, but it lasted the 4 days i needed it with opening the cooler a few times per day.

•        Capacity: Without Deepfreeze dry bin installed: 60 cans and 20lbs. of ice. With Deepfreeze dry bin installed: 40 cans and 10 pounds of ice in main compartment and 4-6 bottles of spirits upright with meats, breads, fruits and vegies in dry compartments. 

•        High performance wheel assembly: 9-inch all-terrain rubber tires with interchangeable tube, aluminum hubs with 2 sealed bearings 

•        Aluminum pull handle with dual motocross style grips. This is great for pulling the heavy cooler around. Have you tried carrying one of the other brands without wheels?!?! It sucks!! They get really heavy, really fast.

We camped here February 24-26, 2025. The forest service website indicated the campground is open all year, but when we arrived on the site one through four were available. Beyond site number five was a locked gate. Site five was closed due to “hazardous tree“. The stream was running plentifully and gave a lovely background noise. Sites 1 & 2 share a parking pad which is almost level. Site 1 is completely exposed and quite spacious and full of ground squirrel disruption. Site 2 is very convenient to the parked car, and it was our choice because we sleep in our van. Most of the water taps were not operable but the one by the toilet near the entrance did work and was labeled “non-potable, not for drinking or cooking”. The tap in site number 2 had no handle and was dripping at a rapid pace so we hung a bucket on that tap and use the collected water for handwashing. There were trash cans conveniently located to all of the sites, and there was a good supply of toilet paper, but even though the weather was cool, the toilet closest to the entrance was a bit smelly. It is a pit stop for people driving over or back on Naciemiento-Ferguson Road. I noted that reviewers indicated that they were plagued by flies and yellow jackets in the mid summer, but we had only a couple of flies, no yellow jackets. The weather was predicted to be sunny and pleasant with highs of 70° based on checking the weather reports for Jolon, California. It was almost a new moon and the stars at night we’re gorgeous. There was heavy dew which turned into frost in the early morning. We saw the occasional lizard and a couple of slow moving salamanders. We saw no raccoons, and considering that they have switched from having dumpsters to having trash cans I suspect that raccoons are not a problem. There was a posted memo dated February 2 reported that for the Monterey Ranger district, campfire restrictions were lifted until March 25, due to sufficient rain having been received. We walked the loop of the other campsites; some of them have the picnic table and fire ring located some distance from the parking spot, a few are possibly suitable for RV camping but most of those would require at least some leveling. I don’t know when they plan to open the rest of the sites, but probably March would be a good time to come and enjoy this campground. Bring your own drinking water. The fee is expensive for a no-water campground, but I was willing to pay the discounted price with my lifetime senior pass.

Full disclosure, I did not camp here (all the sites were full). However, I was passing through and wanted to take a look. All of the sites have great views of the Pacific Ocean which is about 100 feet below. There is very little tree cover, which means very little shade and it seemed like there was a slope going on (might be hard to get a level site). I talked with the ranger/camp host in charge (mostly because he had an amazing, huge, beautiful bloodhound dog) and he said that even though there is no water available in this campground it is very popular and usually full from May until October. You can buy water for $5 a gallon,so be sure to come with plenty of your own water! In the winter months you apparently can watch whales migrating just off the coast. The vault toilet was very clean and well maintained, and each site had a picnic table and fire ring with grill. You are allowed to forage for firewood, but you really won’t find any in or around the campground, so be prepared to pay out the nose for firewood ($12 a bundle!!). You will have better luck heading into the Los Padres National Forest (inland) to gather firewood. It’s only a couple of miles. Just up the road are Sand Dollar Beach and McWay Falls, and there are hiking trails all over the hills (including one trailhead directly across the street from the campground).

If you can’t secure a spot on the coast in Big Sur, this might be a nice option for you. Tucked in the forest along the Nacimiento River is this nice little campground with just a few campsites (9 or 10 sites total). There really isn’t room for RV’s or campers (I think the limit is 25 feet), so most of your neighbors will be tents. Sites are set right next to the river which drowns out any road noise. Sites are also fairly close to each other, tho there is some underbrush and there is great tree cover for shade. Most sites have good hammocking trees. The vault toilet is fairly clean and each site has a picnic table and fire pit with grill. These sites are not reservable, so first come first serve. It’s only about 10 or so miles to the coast and there are lots of hiking trails nearby both in the forest and on the coast.

• A primitive campground that has about 8 campsites. Some campsites are pretty big and have privacy. Some are closer together than others. We stayed at site 8 and it was really nice. Tucked in the back with lots of privacy and space.
• First-come, first-serve walk-in campground ($20/day) but I was able to make reservations online as well.
• No running water, but there is are vault toilets (long drop) near the entrance of the campground
• Lots of fantastic hiking nearby including Junipero Serro Peak. Trails are a little difficult to see because there are so many going in different directions, so a map can help. You can also see LOTS of animal scat so there are animals using hiking paths as game trail. Stay alert and be careful. Otherwise, it's so beautiful here and you can get AMAZING VIEWS!
• This campground is in the valley of a few peaks so it was freezing at night (especially without a campfire)
• Each campsite has a picnic table, firepit, and trashcans (with lids). The campground floors were covered with leaves but for the most part very flat and easy to find good spots for pitching a tent.
• There was a fire ban during the time we stayed so no fires were allowed
• Lots of wildlife and animal activity nearby. Loved camping underneath the canopies of Live Oak trees and listening to Acorn Woodpeckers in the morning. They are loud but still pleasant
• The 18-mile drive getting here off the main highway was also beautiful and windy. We saw lots of deer and rabbits. This campground is far from shops or stores so make sure you come with plenty of supplies and water.
• Very secluded and rustic campground. We only saw one other group in the evening, and they ended up leaving. During the day time there were more people coming for day hikes and parked at the visitor parking lot.
• No cell reception AT ALL so you feel like you're off the grid (AT&T)

[ 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!

This is a gem of place to camp with only one black mark against it (I’ll get to that in a minute). This site is run by the US Forest service and sits alongside the really pretty Nacimiento River. If you don’t mind the noise from the road, the best two sites with the river running next to them are right in front across from the pay station and host site. The river is great for wading and supposedly for fishing. There are some swimming holes further up the river (but still in the campground area) as well. There are no hookups for RV’s and the road is very narrow; probably not the ideal place to bring your rig, which makes it perfect for tent camping. Some sites are really private and spread out, and others are on top of each other. They all have picnic tables and fire rings with grills, and there was water available.  Alright, now for the bad part. The vault toilets were terrible! They definitely needed to be pumped out, and were in desperate need of a good cleaning. The flies and smell was overwhelming. They had obviously been “maintained” as they were stocked with toilet paper, but that was the extent of that. There are lots of nearby hiking trails to pick from and you are not too far from the coast.

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.

It 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.