Best RV Parks & Resorts near San Lorenzo, CA

This campground is beautiful and at 50% of normal capacity even better! The campground is set among a grove of eucalyptus trees that offer shade, which would be really nice during summer, and a calming aroma. 

There are dry and full hook up sites. 

$35 for dry

$45 for hook ups

$8 reservation fee

$2 fee per day for each dog which is not stated when making reservations, you  are expected to pay when you arrive.

We have 3 dogs and the ranger came by and mentioned the fee though he never made us pay it. Also they do not allow visitors at this time due to Covid, campers only. There was some type of maintenance going on which had trucks frequently driving up and down the road but overall quiet. Strict rule of no check in prior to 2pm, but there is a day use area nearby to park in and hike around if you arrive early. The road up to the campground is winding with a lot of cyclists. Cell service was spotty on the way up and weak at campground but usable with our WeBoost. The road in the campground is narrow with tight turns into the sites so if you have a big rig be aware.

Other amenities:

Recycling and garbage

Bathrooms and showers

Tons of hiking and biking trails

Water and dump station available for dry campers

Fire pit, firewood for sale at kiosk for $10/bundle

Picnic tables

30 amp only

Paved parking pad, mostly level

Overall would definitely come again!

We (party of 4) were there primarily because we rented a boat from their Marina. That went well! This is an RV campground & full-complement resort on Bethel Island, San Joaquin River Delta. Many RVers appear to be long-term or full-time residents.

The tent-area was a clearing, fully backed up to the levee, with some shade and a water spigot. Appears to be only 4 “sites,” which are defined by picnic tables, GENEROUSLY spaced, no fire rings AND the Delta is h.o.t.! It’s also on the far edge of the property, so car traffic was MINIMUM — and NO generators were heard, even though the RV section is huge!!!

The rest rooms were in the Marina building, a short walk. We would DEFINITELY return for boating and tenting!!!

We stayed at Smithwoods October 18-20. We were in site J, on the point. It was nice and big. Full hook ups. We had a great view of the San Lorenzo River and Henry Cowell State Park. The staff is great and helpful. We had a small issue with our cable tv(no fault of theirs) and they came right over and fixed our issue. The place is dog friendly. We had our two dogs. Be ready for no cell or WiFi. We occasionally got 1 bar of cell service in our site if we stood in a certain spot. (AT&T)There was WiFi up at the office but it was inconsistent. Our son did his online school and he kept dropping off. But we worked through it. It was a short nice hike to the state park and the train through the red woods. Fun experience on a real steam locomotive. We would stay there again next time we are in the Santa Cruz area.

You are probably thinking "Parking lot? Why did you give it 4 stars?" Because of the location! We stayed here for three nights in our 34 foot travel trailer. We barely fit into the back in site, and had to park our truck in visitor parking a short walk away. Other, smaller trailers had enough room for their vehicle to fit in alongside. The facility has full-hookups and they functioned fine. The harbor itself has trails but no other facilities for campers. No wifi but Verizon had good signal. The weather is perfect and we loved walking to the beach, to get coffee in Seabright, and driving into downtown and the boardwalk.  It's fairly quiet at night, but you do have to watch your stuff. The first night we stayed here we got woken up at 5:30 in the morning by a rattling noise. Open the door and someone is walking away from our trailer. A look at our bike rack revealed that our ties had been cut. I guess the would-be thief didn't notice that the bikes were locked to the rack. Either way, you have to be careful, because this is Santa Cruz and there are a lot of weird folks about. So yes, there are some downsides. But we love Santa Cruz and it was great to be in such a central location.

We rarely make reservations to camp in California Beach Parks, as they are usually filled up weeks or even months in advance. While meeting up with some friends in Half Moon Bay we happened along the campsite and simply enquired if they had an open site for the night. They did, and we ended up staying for 2 nights due to a cancellation.  It never hurts to ask!  

The campsite is a nice quiet stretch of grass, live oak trees, and beach shrubs about 30 vertical feet above the Pacific beach shoreline.  While you get away from the blowing sand, you get to hear the pounding ocean at night. I can’t imagine a more gentle lullaby, frankly. The sites themselves are a little close quarters, but all provide just about enough space for a long camper and a tow/towed vehicle as well.  For a small camper like us, there’s even enough room to have a friend visit. 

The sites offer electrical and water hookups, additionally there is a dump station just as you exit the camping area. Showers and flush toilets are available, but also used by all the beach goers in the area, so you know what they look like....never clean.

The town of Half Moon Bay offers pretty much everything you need in terms of restaurants or grocery stores. Riding your bike, or walking along the path toward town for a well-earned brunch should definitely reach the top of your to-do list while you’re there.  We had brunch at Mavericks Creparie and dinner at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.  Both are absolutely fantastic!

Beachcombing, sunbathing, swimming, horseback riding, and skim boarding during the warmer months also are great ways to fill up the day. The beach path goes for miles in either direction so you can get some exercise off of the main roads.

Camped 4 nights at site 32 during the week.  A nice shaded site with river view, but not very level.  All sites are pull throughs with electric, water, a stationary picnic table and fire ring.  Online reservations are required and must be made a minimum of 2-weeks in advance.  Campground was nearly empty and had big grassy areas between sites.  Senior rate of $20.  Flush toilets and showers were spartan but cleaned daily.  Campground is adjacent to public beach, boat ramp/dock, and picnic area.  As expected it was very windy most of the time so you need to stake everything down.  Wind was strong enough to knock over our wine glass, twice!  We could hear humming from wind turbines that were just over the hill from the campground, but otherwise quiet.