Tent camping near San Jose, California offers access to diverse landscapes from coastal bluffs to mountain ridges, all within 60 miles of the city. The eastern Santa Cruz foothills camp areas typically sit at elevations between 1,200-2,500 feet, resulting in temperature drops of 10-15°F compared to San Jose proper. Sites commonly face morning fog that burns off by midday, with late afternoon winds picking up, especially at higher elevations.
What to do
Waterfall hiking from camp: Uvas Canyon County Park features multiple waterfall trails accessible directly from the campground. "Getting there: From San Jose it took me about 40 minutes. The road is windy, narrow, and not for the car sick. Be prepared to pay $6 for parking... Go see the waterfalls. With the current California drought all of the falls were at little more than a trickle but still something to see. To hike to each fall it's about 6ish miles with just a few hundred feet of total elevation gain" (Uvas Canyon County Park).
Night sky observation: Black Mountain Backpacking Camp offers clear night skies away from city light pollution. "The campground is small too, and not many people actually showed up to use their sites, so we had the place mostly to ourselves! The pit toilet and bear boxes on site take a lot of the stress out for beginner backpackers, and the view at sunset was gorgeous" (Black Mountain Backpacking Camp).
Ocean viewing: The coastal campgrounds provide Pacific Ocean vistas. From Manresa State Beach campsites, "Beautiful views of the ocean just steps from your tent. During the summer months, whales and dolphins can be seen cruising through the ocean around sunset."
What campers like
Natural separation between sites: Many campers appreciate the privacy at Butano State Park. "The campsite has car camping and walk-in sites. I had sites 5 and 6. The map for the campground is deceiving as they looked close together and connected but they were separate. If I were to come back and want two large sites to connect, I would choose either 6 and 8 or 10 and 13. If it's just two people, site 3 is pretty private as well as 14" (Ben Ries Campground).
Clean facilities: Uvas Canyon regularly receives praise for maintenance. "Super 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."
Temperature management: Coastal and forest campsites offer natural cooling. At Manresa State Beach, "It was pretty foggy in the morning but that burned off and gave way to a nice warm(ish) day (in June). Wind picks up in the afternoon- bring layers!"
What you should know
Cell service variability: Connectivity fluctuates dramatically based on camp location. At Uvas Canyon, "Good to be disconnected, but if needed, Verizon cell service worked at the campground." At Butano State Park, "There is no cell service."
Water availability concerns: Many campsites require water planning. At Castle Rock Trail Camp, "Although there is a communal water source at the campsite entrance, the water was deemed not safe to drink when I was there, and that had been the case for a while" (Castle Rock Trail Camp).
Parking and site access: Site access varies from short walks to longer hikes. At Manresa State Beach, "The loading zone was a short walk to our site. It was an easy 5-7 minute walk down to the beach."
Pest awareness: Wildlife encounters require preparation. "Second time at the campground. Love this campground still but im pretty sure there is a wasp next near 25. We were here about 2 weeks ago at a different site and didnt have any wasp issues."
Tips for camping with families
Easy first backpacking experience: Some sites work well for beginning backpackers. "This is such a little gem in the mountains! The hike in is only 1.5 miles, but there's plenty of trail options to tack on more mileage on either the hike in or out."
Low-crowd weekday options: For quieter family camping, timing matters. At Uvas Canyon, "As a fan of quiet camping, I would recommend this campground for a week day get away where you can enjoy more quiet surroundings and its nature sounds."
Park exploration with kids: Some parks offer more compact exploration options. "The Park: Really pretty, really small. I would say in 1 full day you can explore 100% of this park. No need to make an entire weekend out of this place when you can do all of the pretty stuff in just a few hours."
Tips from RVers
Site selection for vehicle camping: Some sites accommodate different setups better than others. "We camp in a roof top tent and wish we had been more selective on our site, as parking space and the incline at each site are different. We were on a bit of a slope and quite a ways away from the fire pit and picnic table at our spot" (Manresa State Beach Campground).
Level parking considerations: Vehicle campers should plan for uneven sites. "If you plan to sleep in your car, you may want to take leveling blocks as I found the car parking spot to be not leveled at all."
RV size limitations: Larger RVs face access challenges at most sites near San Jose. At Joseph D. Grant County Park, "Campsites are fairly spare, with some having shade" (Joseph D. Grant County Park), while Uvas Canyon notes, "Not sure if it can handle longer recreational vehicles and the road leading to the campground itself is quite narrow."
