San Martin is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your San Martin camping trip.
"There's something for everyone here, RVers, tenters, and those who want to rent tent cabins. There are plenty of trails to hike, as well as equestrian trails. No bikes on trails though."
"This campsite offers a variety of amenities.With running water faucets and fire rings, you are sure to have a wonderful time away from civilization.Some events are held at this location,and ypu do have"
"Great culture here - friendly, lots of things to do (pool, basketball, volleyball, horse shoes, playground, billiards, karaoke, tennis)."
"We got a nice spot close to the dump station near front. Their pool is huge and very very well kept. The spot was 30amp and back in however they have 50amp/pull through also."
"The small cabins are nice and I quite like them. This is a good place for hiking, but unfortunately there is not a lot more to do. You can go to Monterey and do things there though."
"Lots of activities for kids, convenient location for area attractions, pet friendly. Local roads to the KOA were in pretty bad condition."
"It is an older park, it has seen better days but the RV sites are full-hookup and concrete.
I saw lower sites that looked like tent sites, it is perfect if you want less highway noise."
"All camping spots are adjacent to the 'boardwalk' beach path and the beach. Yes, your rig is within 20' of the beach at all campsites."
"They have nice facilities and a heated pool although a hot tub would be nice also. The sites are a little small but very mature trees and they keep it clean."
"The location is very secluded as bd far from stores but fairly close to the sea. Have visited a few time and enjoy the stay. Not many issues. I’m looking forward to the Upgrades!"
$44 - $164 / night
"The sites were semi private as the brush and trees have grown around most sites offering a little privacy. Other campers were friendly and considerate."
"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"
$35 / night
"We got one of the tent cabins, which are just adorable and so cozy. The sites are nice and distanced from each other, bathrooms were in great shape and it was pet friendly."
"We stayed in a tent cabin at the Huckleberry campground which was nicer than we thought it would be. It had just the right amount of space for my wife and I, our two daughters and all our gear."
"Park is rustic, but has a lot of amenities and is very close to Santa Cruz. We visit family and friends in the area often, but this was the first time we camped in the area."
"Entrance is a little nerve racking on your first visit, but once your at your site you can relax. Bathrooms are a little dated, no cell service but good WiFi if your close to the office."
"this KOA has everything you need. the streets are wide and the pull-ins are easy to access. the Wi-Fi here is good enough to check email but not for streaming or anything intensive. however you can get"
"Part of the KOA franchise, this is a very clean, well positioned RV and Cabin park for exploring the Monterey, Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Cruz area."
GuideWe stayed here with our 2 dogs last November as a nice winter getaway from L.A. We got one of the tent cabins, which are just adorable and so cozy. The sites are nice and distanced from each other, bathrooms were in great shape and it was pet friendly. We got a package with the tent cabin that came with bedding, cooking utensils and firewood, so were pretty much set once we got there. The beds are comfy and the wood burning stove (photo attached) is the only source of heat. It is neat but BE WARNED...it gets COLD on those winter nights so make sure you a) have enough wood; b) are good at keeping fires going throughout the night; and c) have lots of dry wood. The wood that was left for us as part of our package was really wet and wouldn't burn so we had a very chilly night even with loads of sleeping bags and blankets. Other than that, we had a great experience and got to take the dogs for a great walk on the paved trails in the State Park. Can't wait to go back!
ScoutWe visited the Big Basin Redwoods State Park late July this year with a large group of friends and their families and it was such an awesome experience. We stayed in a tent cabin at the Huckleberry campground which was nicer than we thought it would be. It had just the right amount of space for my wife and I, our two daughters and all our gear. The entire campground is loaded with trees so there was plenty of shade everywhere. There's also a few decent hiking trails close to the campground which is really cool and convenient. My daughters enjoyed every minute from the hiking, riding their bikes, campfires as well as all the other great things to do when camping. We also explored the Visitor Center to see some of the most magnificent dinosaur-like redwoods including what they call the 'Father of the Forest' and 'Mother of the Forest' trees. The guide was an encyclopedia of information on the massive trees which he shared with us along the tour. If you're at all interested, then you must go on the short tour. The only complaint I have is about the one night there were what seemed to be very loud college students, probably from UC Santa Cruz or another nearby college, who were in the cabin at the site next to ours and were partying way too hard. We had to tell them to keep it down since they had woken us up. I'm all for a little partying, but damn, they were loud and no one came around to tell them to keep it down besides us. Other than that, all in all, we had a great tent cabin campsite and did notice some even better in the campground, so we will definitely be going back again.
LegendThe park is amazing and there are so many great hikes, wildlife viewing and picturesque landscapes!
The campground loop we were in was full and the sites are fairly close to your neighbor but it wasn't bad. The main reason being absolutely NO generators allowed so it was peaceful. The sites were semi private as the brush and trees have grown around most sites offering a little privacy. Other campers were friendly and considerate. Note that the RV side with the hook up does not offer any privacy and is near the main road. RVs are not confined to that area though.
The spots are flat and include fire pit, picnic table and food locker. Raccoons apparently are a big problem here so keep your food locked up. There is a small general store/visitor center with a variety of food items, stove fuel, firewood, general camping supplies and souvenirs. WiFi also available for $10 for 7days per device. We paid, but our T-Mobile hotspot with Weboost won out in the end because the WiFi did not reach our spot. There is better reception for the WiFI in other spots. No cell reception with AT&T or Verizon.
The hiking is great! and during the week pleasantly absent of tons of other hikers. Masks are required even on trails when 6 ft distance cannot be maintained, and people were very respectful of that on the trails. There is a lot of wildlife to see though sadly we did not see any condors on this trip. The caves are currently closed due to Covid.
Other amenities:
Tent cabins
RV only loop with 30amp hook up only (no sewer or water hook up)
Showers
Bathrooms
Garbage and Recycling
RV dump station (flush water only)
Fresh water filler up (near RV camping area)
Group camping
Pool (currently closed)
Pets allowed but NOT allowed on any trails
Overall a great experience for a lesser known National Park, would come here again!
ScoutThis place is nestled in the Carmel Valley and decently secluded. We booked a luxury gazebo situation which came with a queen bed (heated mattress) a fire pit and your own propane grill. There are areas for tents and RV’s as well and priced accordingly. The restrooms and showers are super clean and the staff is great. There is a heated pool and various hiking trails to keep you occupied. The only downfall is you’re a little close to other campers. You don’t get much space/privacy but it’s not too bad. I would come back for sure.
ScoutWe stayed in a cabin in the huckleberry campground. The cabins were nice, and each cabin has 2 double beds, a table, and a wood stove. It can get cold at night in the redwoods so the wood stove was great at night. Each campsite has a fire pit with a grill cover which made it easy to cook dinner. The sites are a decent size with lots of trees to climb on, hide in, and play on. You can get ‘add on’ packages with the cabins, which include things like sheets and pillows for the beds, propane lanterns, and cooking items.
TravelerMount Madonna County Park has 4 campgrounds. I've been camping in this park since the late 70s. I've seen some changes over the years...ahem...decades. There's something for everyone here, RVers, tenters, and those who want to rent tent cabins. There are plenty of trails to hike, as well as equestrian trails. No bikes on trails though.
There are several micro climates in this area and temps can vary, besides our weather varies from day to day.
There are trails offering views of the Santa Clara Valley, and trails offering views of the Monterey Bay. The park is above the fog line (most of the year). We don't get rain in the summer here. The park is situated at the County lines of Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County and is part of the Santa Clara County Parks system.
No stores or markets in the park, but you can easily run into town, either Watsonville or Gilroy. It's slightly closer to Watsonville where you will find a gas station/market on 152 (Currently a Valero), or go into Gilroy on 152 for Safeway and more.
There's a small cabin (ranger's station) with a history exhibit and the white reindeer up from the kiosk. My favorite campground in the park is the Tan Oak campground at the top and through the day use area. There are plenty of Geocaches on the trails.
The bathrooms are generally clean. I say generally because I prefer the off season when I have the campground to myself and the bathrooms are super clean, but when the campground is full, like any public bathroom they can need more attention. (Or maybe people just need to clean up after themselves) I've never used the showers, nor the tent cabins. I like the sites because overall they are separated by trees so you don't feel as crowded as more open campgrounds.
Despite signage warning of mountain lions, I have never encountered a single one in all the years of camping here. I've had raccoons and skunks (so lock up your food and belongings), turkeys and deer.
Weekends, especially a holiday weekend such as Memorial Day weekend, can be full. (Not my favorite) I have also stayed for the 4th of July when it fell midweek and had the campground (Tan Oak) literally to myself.
Leashed pets are allowed (2 per site) and 2 cars and 8 people per site.
GuideGreat location with nice views of the valley. Easy drive in with parking spots next to most sites.
Camp sites and cabins are a little close together but nice, clean grounds make it comfortable. Good playground for kids. Foosball, ping pong, corn hole, horseshoes, and other games available. 3 gas fire pits near the office with nice space for socializing or sharing an outdoor dinner.
Cabins are tight but nice and clean. Our kitchen had all the necessary utensils and dishes to cook for a couple nights.
Staff is nice, communicated well ahead of the trip, and made late check in easy.
Huge pool is heated May to October. Small sauna next to pool currently closed but looks fairly new.
GuideThis R.V. Park is rustic, but has a lot of amenities and is very close to Santa Cruz. We visit family and friends in the area often, but this was the first time we camped in the area. It is $50 base price per night, which I think is very exorbitant for a tent site. There is an additional $3 charge per night for any more than two campers per tent or R.V. site. Because there was me and my two daughters it was $53 per night. I gave it 4 stars because the price is so high.
There are just four tent sites here. We were in T2 which was just over a small footbridge over a creek from our parking spot. The spot was small, but had a picnic table, fire pit, and elevated wooden deck. I’m not sure if the deck is for setting up your ten on or lounging on, but we opted to set up our tent on the ground.
We spent most of our time with relatives, so we didn’t have a lot of time to use the amenities, but there were lots of kids around using the playground, bicycling, playing basketball, and swimming in the pool. There was also a large clubhouse with foosball, ping pong and arcade games which is open from 9am - 9pm. My daughters used the clubhouse while I set up camp and after waking up while I stayed in bed for a little while.
There was no AT&T sevice for me, but free WiFi was available so it was fine. The check in process was slow, but okay. Our campsite neighbors seemed very squeamish about camping and left out food that a raccoon family got into in the early morning waking them and us up. I think they were just inexperienced campers.
Overall I’d stay here again, but I might hesitate at the price. I think this would be a nice place for a family to hang out at. There are lots of things for the kids to do and lots of friends to play with.
LegendTwo campgrounds: tent sites with no hookups and an RV Loop with electric. We chose the latter since we are having problems with our solar. Several sites are not open due to damage (storms, vandalism, not sure why) and the ones that are open could still use a little sprucing up. We were in site 112 which had the advantage of shade from a huge oak tree. Since the three sites to our left were closed and the one to our right was not occupied, it felt private but if all sites were open and occupied, there would not be much privacy between sites. 116 looked to be the best site in this Loop. Wooden picnic table was a little warped and there was a huge hole at one corner that I tripped in more than once. We tried to re-position the table but there was no way it would budge. No bathrooms in the RV Loop but it was not that far of a walk to the flush toilets in the tent Loop. The road on the RV Loop was part paved and in fine condition but part dirt with deep ruts that were impossible to navigate around. This campground gets extra points for recycling, especially of propane canisters. The campground is located at the East entrance to the park by the Visitor center; there are no campgrounds by the west entrance and you cannot drive between the two (you can hike). Lots of hiking, Condor sightings and, in the spring, many wildflowers.
Experience the charm of cabin camping near San Martin, California, where you can immerse yourself in nature while enjoying modern comforts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near San Martin, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near San Martin, CA is Mount Madonna County Park with a 4.5-star rating from 32 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near San Martin, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 24 cabin camping locations near San Martin, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
