Are you planning a camping trip to San Juan Bautista with your dog? We've got you covered. Finding a place to camp in California with your dog is easier than ever. You're sure to find the perfect pet-friendly campsite for your California camping excursion.
Pinnacles Campground is located in the unique Pinnacles National Park, 32 miles south of Hollister, California. The park encompasses 26,000 acres of spectacular rock formations and remnants of an extinct 23 million-year old volcano. Hiking and rock climbing are very popular activities in Pinnacles, as is watching for the majestic California condor overhead. Pinnacles National Park is a nesting place for the endangered soaring bird, the largest in North America.
Pinnacles National Park has more than 30 miles of trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Many trails intersect, allowing for a short loop or a longer all-day hike. Popular destinations include Bear Gulch Reservoir, High Peaks and the Balconies area. The Bench Trail provides direct access to the park from the campground. Visitors enjoy exploring Balconies Cave and Bear Gulch Cave, which houses a large colony of Townsend's big-eared bats. Bring a flashlight! Rock climbers flock to Pinnacles for the variety of climbing routes that range from easy top-ropes to the multi-pitch climbs along Machete Ridge.
Pinnacles National Park has more than 30 miles of trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Many trails intersect, allowing for a short loop or a longer all-day hike. Popular destinations include Bear Gulch Reservoir, High Peaks and the Balconies area. The Bench Trail provides direct access to the park from the campground. Visitors enjoy exploring Balconies Cave and Bear Gulch Cave, which houses a large colony of Townsend's big-eared bats. Bring a flashlight! Rock climbers flock to Pinnacles for the variety of climbing routes that range from easy top-ropes to the multi-pitch climbs along Machete Ridge.
The campground is situated in a rolling landscape dotted with shady Valley Oak, Blue Oak and Coast Live Oak trees. A gentle, seasonal creek runs through the grounds. Springtime finds Pinnacles bursting with a wide variety of vivid wildflowers that line every trail and fill entire meadows with color. Deer and wild turkeys roam the area, and condors can be viewed from within the campground. The park ranges in elevation from 824 feet along South Chalone Creek to 3,304 feet atop North Chalone Peak.
$129 - $154 / night
Visitors may choose from 116 drive-in and walk-in reservable campsites spread throughout four campgrounds. Each site comes equipped with a barbecue pit, food locker, and picnic table. Showers are also available (no coins needed) for campers (camping fee required for use of showers), as well as 29 partial hook-up RV sites. Yurts are also available for reservation. These domed-tent like structures come in three different sizes - 16', 20' and 24' offering bunk beds with mattresses, fold out futons and a wrap-around deck.
Overnight camping is one of the most popular activities at Mt. Madonna. View here for more information about tent, yurt and RV camping. There is no longer first-come, first-serve camping sites.
New Brighton State Beach is one of the most popular beachfront campgrounds in California, offering over 100 developed campsites, including 11 RV hookup sites. With bluff top views of the the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, a visitor center museum, shade ramada for group picnics and special events, and campfire center with free summer programs, it’s no wonder New Brighton State Beach is such a favorite destination!
$35 - $185 / night
RVs and Tents. Sunset State Beach camping provides dozens of dune-protected family sites (without hookups) that hold recreational vehicles up to 31 feet in length. Pets must not be left unattended in campsites. Parking for one vehicle is included in camping fees. Additional funds may be collected on site for up to TWO additional vehicles at a nightly rate (this does not apply to tow-in cars or trailers).
$7 - $35 / night
Veteran's Memorial Park is a popular and beautiful 50 acre park in the forested hills of Monterey. Located only a mile from Downtown Monterey, this park is an affordable and fun way to stay overnight in the Monterey Peninsula. Besides campgrounds (open 365 days per year), the park includes hiking trails under towering Monterey Pine forest and bay views. You will also find BBQ picnic areas, play equipment, turf and lawn playfield and a basketball court.
FIRE RESTRICTIONS During fire season (June 1st - November 1st, weather pending) no fires allowed and cooking with fuel camp stoves only.
Campsites are first come, first served; no reservations. Camping is limited to three (3) consecutive days. Vehicles or trailers cannot be longer than 21 feet. Pets are allowed in the camp (leashed and attended only), but are not allowed in hiker/biker sites.
$10 - $47 / night
$69 - $80 / night
Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground features 189 RV and tent sites are situated on or near the Big Sur River. There is a Campfire Center that offers evening programs on the weekends during peak season.
Each campsite includes a parking area for at least one car, a fire pit with half-grill and picnic table. No hookups are provided at any site. Fresh water, hot showers and toilets are a short walk.
All incoming campers must check in at the entrance kiosk. Camper vehicles must display vehicle tag (proof of reservation) in the windshield. Vehicle tags are also valid for day use entrance into other area state parks.
$50 - $75 / night
Soak up the bright sun and take in the crisp ocean air along the California Coast when you stay with us at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday. With our ideal location just minutes from Monterey Bay, you and your family will appreciate an oceanfront camping experience near Santa Cruz as you spend your days with your toes in the sand, relaxing on a beautiful beach. Book your stay with us at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday today!
**Why Stay at Our Family-Friendly Campground in Santa Cruz? **
Santa Cruz is home to an assortment of wonderful attractions and places the whole family will love! Of course, the area is full of beautiful beaches for you to visit — a whopping 28 in total! After getting your tan on, take a short drive and visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and its endless array of fun things to do. You'll be able to ride rollercoasters, play mini-golf and eat your fill of fresh cotton candy. The area also has many opportunities to kick back and relax. Bring your clubs and head to the Pebble Beach golf course for a round of golf on some of the most pristine greens anywhere. Take a drive north and explore Napa Valley or head south to discover the more than 60 wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Whether you want a relaxing getaway or one filled with adventure and thrills, the Santa Cruz area is the perfect place to be.
Ways to Stay With Us in Santa Cruz
Regardless of how you want to spend your time at our Santa Cruz beach campground, we offer a variety of ways to enjoy the camping experience. For something traditional, we provide individual Tent Sites equipped with water and electric hookups to give you everything you need to enjoy your nights beneath the stars. Our Camping Cabins also offer a rustic lodging experience with the benefits of a roof and a warm bed as you rejuvenate from a day filled with adventure in the outdoors. If you're looking for extreme comfort while beach camping in Santa Cruz, we offer Deluxe Cabins equipped with a kitchen, full bathroom, shower and beds for the whole family. We also provide unique Airstream and glamping cabin opportunities to provide you with a luxurious West Coast camping experience you'll never forget. Looking for a place to park your Airstream or RV? We offer Pull-Thru and Back-In RV Sites with the choice for full hookups. With connections for up to 50 amps and options with a KOA Patio™, you can choose the features you need to enjoy your vacation. Our RV Sites are excellent locations to rest and recuperate as you take in the beautiful surroundings of Santa Cruz!
Our Beach Camping Amenities and Activities
Our family-friendly campground in Santa Cruz offers various amenities and recreational activities to help you make memories that will last a lifetime. Spend your days splashing in the pool or participating in weekly events, including several weekends of Halloween fun or seeing the campground transform into a Winter Wonderland with twinkling lights every December.
Some of our other amenities include:
Reserve Your Site With Us Today
Are you ready to make memories along the California Coast? Take your family on a camping vacation with us near Santa Cruz and enjoy the adventure of a lifetime! Check the availability of our sites online and book your stay at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday today!
Traveler
Location is great. Easy access. Noise from the freeway. Heard sirens.
Scout
The coordinate given are Not valid. It is a residential area and not an RV nore an campsite! Reservation per phone with none refondable possibility. Be carefull! Dont book!
Traveler
Camped with family over Memorial Day weekend. Park was busy , but amazing. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. Our camp neighbors were awesome. Bathroom and showers clean. We camp here at least twice a year. Can’t wait to come back.
Scout
I hope you keep giving the community great material age of war
Traveler
My husband and I love to stay here because of the nice walk to the beach. Restrooms and shower are dated , but clean.
Ranger
High priced. Nice people at desk. Damon who helped us park was very friendly. Almost entirely high-priced big rigs, some of whom seem settled here but it's clean, 'orderly,' very quiet. Rigid rules keep the order; nice that no political flags/signs allowed. 2 dog parks and lots of grassy areas to take for a walk. Showers in locker-room/bldg, bathrooms nice and clean. Green grass. Also has laundry with 2.50 wash and.25 dry for 8 min. Skunk wandered by site in the night. Cool train sounds from nearby tracks at night. Was probably the most convenient to San Jose, otherwise we likely would've been in mtns. and too far away from town for our needs at the time. Would not be a regular choice for us.
Scout
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Guide
Pretty basic place. Level, noisy highway. Very friendly staff clean. I enjoy more of the outdoors so not really my cup of tea. Very narrow spaces.
LegendThere are a ton of reviews for this place already so I will try to keep it short and only add info that I didn't see mentioned in previous reviews.
Showers are $0.25 per min ($0.50 min to start). You don't get to adjust water temp, but it was pleasantly hot. Showers are non-gendered and individual.
Dump station is no longer free; all California State Parks are charging $10 to dump now, even for campers. You pay at the dump site with a credit card. There are 4 dump holes and a potable water fill as well.
We love staying here as it's so convenient to Capitola. We were able to park our RV in Capitola and walk to the shops. We got last minute reservations (it's really hard to book a site here in the summer), but had to move sites in between days, and so we used that 2 hour block between noon checkout and 2pm checkin to drive the RV to Capitola. It seemed like it would have been too much of a hassle to try and get to move to the new spot before checkin, so this worked out fine.
We love all the state parks along the beach in California, and I'm sure we'll be back at some point.
TravelerCampground is quiet except those who run their generators all day and play the radio loud. It is spread out. (But still close, you do see your neighbors.) The camp ground is between fields and the ocean. Site 25 has amazing views but also can be breezy. Or windy. Old but clean bathrooms with coin showers. Water close to sites.
Legend
This place always comes through for us when we need a quiet place to stay when traveling in the area. It's $20/night, there seems to always be room, and it's always been nice and quiet when we stay here.
Sites are hit or miss, so drive around until you find one that suits you. One of these days we'll nab one of the sites to the right of the fork when you enter the campground, but they always seem to be taken.
Good cell reception, pit toilets, trash dumpster (no recycling).
Guide
Nice bathrooms no tokens needed, hot water, clean sink for dishes. Lotsa shaded oak spaces. Good trails.
ScoutThe pictures here are very deceiving. Driving in, the first 4 campsites are occupied by broken down trailers, an overturned couch and broken BBQ pits. We stayed in site #6 which was probably one of the best sites. Great shade and car was able to be parked nearby (you walk down non-maintained "stairs" with rotted tree branches as the steps).
Overall, I had high hopes based on the description here especially reading: "Our onsite staff will go around and enforce the rules." but this is clearly a non-maintained campground that was probably very nice 45 years ago. No hiking trails are maintained, the bathrooms are "rustic" which is fine--nice to have running water when you've got little ones to clean. But the floors were rotted and I was afraid we'd step through the floorboards.
If you are a true car camper who can lock your doors at night, this is probably the spot for you. Running water, showers and washing machine. If you are a tent camper with small kids like me, this is not where you want to stay. I'm disappointed I paid the price I did to stay here, I'd pay $25/night because this is essentially a parking space in a poorly maintained campground.
ScoutCold. Foggy. No amenities. Don’t go there.
-Coastside Local
ScoutLoud music playing at this hour clearly says quite time is at 10 pm and it’s so loud
TravelerI know we all rant here about how, “if you can go outside school holidays, you’re in for a real treat!” The most popular places, like Pfeiffer, can be nuts in the high season, although socially, that can be fun, too.
However, I have had the nicest times in the Winter here, truly. Christmas, Thanksgiving, special moments. The winter sun and sunsets are extraordinary. The Big Sur community, chill and awesome without all the tourist pressure.
Another fun fact… sometimes, when I have come back from a backpacking trip in the area, I will book a day or night, even if I don’t SPEND the whole night, because the showers are SO GOOD. And you know what’s it like to want a decent shower after you’ve been in the muck a few days.
Traveler
I didn’t enjoy this campground for years — I’d always drive home, to my cooler coastal home. It is WICKED hot in the summer. But one time, I joined my daughter, who did have a summer reservation, and I changed my mind! They have a pool! The kids are thrilled! There are beautiful tucked away campsites in the shade, by a creek. Really enjoyed cooking in the evenings outside and settling in. By day, of course, the trails are wild, like a moonscape. In spring, it’s a wildflower fantasia.
I was selfishly a little sad when Pinnacles became a national monument, instead of a regional secret. But I’m so glad they got the money, they deserve it! Note: I discovered it because my kids were in rock climbing classes in town, and “this” was the field trip. So exciting to see their first climbing and bouldering outside.
Scout
Long story short the staff were unhelpful and lied about there being multiple spots open. When we arrived the people in the spot next to us had completely blocked our spot with one of their cars and were using our table. Had to asked a second time to be moved spots and only found out there were available spots when someone without a reservation showed up to registration when I was up there complaining.
Guide
We had a quick three-day trip here to visit family. The pool is small, yet well-kept and we had it to ourselves every time we went each day. The park was perfect for the kids biking around through the short- and long-term areas.
Guide
No crowds late August. Great staff and price. Views, trees and TRACK. Some air traffic. Quiet.
Scout
Park is closed for few months according to security officer at the entrance/toll booth.
ScoutAfter weeks on the road, we were so grateful to find a last minute spot a short, beautiful, and whimsical walk away from the beach!!! The campground itself is simple but full of good vibes with FREE showers and ice cream two minute stroll away!
Guide
Nothing fancy but very nice park for tent camping, RVs. Electric and water included in price. The park gates are locked at sundown but they give you the combination (the combo changed routinely). Free open WiFi is provided but recommend a security app just to be safe. The Mountain Winery is 2 miles from the park, fantastic views and they host concerts all the time.
Traveler
So, if you’re looking to be in nature and have a proper camping experience, this ain’t it. If you want a resort style vacation, this isn’t it either… yet somehow it’s a little of both. I wouldn’t recommend tent camping because you’re literally right next to your neighbor camping and isn’t really in the “woods”. Suggest you get a delux tent which includes a bed, fire pit and bbq. That’s why I’ve rated it high because it’s what I needed for one night. Plus the pull and games (corn hill, ping pong) are nice additions. Just know what you’re in for.
Legend
This is a gorgeous campground! It's big and it's busy, but the sites are mostly very private and lush and green. Each site has a different configuration, but this place books up fast, so you have to look at photos online and the dimensions of the site and hope it works out.
We were a little worried when we arrived in our 26ft class c, we worried that we wouldn't make it through the narrow roads and overhanging trees, but we were ok. Not sure that this place would be good for giant rigs though. Getting into our spot was a bit tricky, and when coming out a ranger truck was blocking our road (he was cleaning the bathrooms, I believe), which made leaving very tricky as well.
There are beautiful hiking trails all over this campground, but there is so much poison oak - everywhere. All over the camp sites, trails to the bathroom, hiking trails, etc, it was everywhere.
Showers and toilets looked clean, showers are coin operated, $0.50 for 2 min.
If you arrive before checkin they will have you wait at the day use area several miles away - heads up.
GuideDespite the website showing every site booked, we drove in about 4 pm to a decent number of sites. Entry ranger was available pretty late. Site was $35 I believe, and has paid showers and restrooms. Site had a fire pit, paved parking for a larger vehicle, table and decent amount of shade. Lots of families and lots of kids. Cool weather along the beach, can't ask for much more.
GuideI have family in Monterey, but can't see paying the higher prices for a hotel or home rental when I visit. This location gives you complete access to the beautiful surrounding area at a price that doesn't hurt. Showers, restrooms, tables and fire rings make it really sweet for the family on a light camping adventure. I dry camp a lot, and having the amenities is worth the fees they're asking. Your best bet to get a site is to show up a day or two early, if you can, due to a first come first serve policy for sites. The early bird gets the worm. No reservations can be made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near San Juan Bautista, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near San Juan Bautista, CA is Pinnacles Campground — Pinnacles National Park with a 4-star rating from 84 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near San Juan Bautista, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 92 dog-friendly camping locations near San Juan Bautista, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
