Best Campgrounds near San Simeon, CA

Sites on the outsider best for big rigs. Sites that are inside loops are best for tents. Cell coverage is spotty. Watch out for ticks.

We love this campground and stay here whenever we're going through the area. It's got a mellow, chill vibe, and other campers we meet here have all been nice and friendly.

Dump station is no longer free for campers, it's now $10, which is the case for all California State Parks now.

Att and Verizon have weak but usable service, and the WeBoost does help here.

It's a nice walk to the beach, though dogs are not allowed. There are coin op showers here, but last time we were here we tried to use them and the water was freezing cold.

Still $20/night plus $8 online reservation fee.

Came here on a recommendation from a friend. Beautiful beach in this area. The beach area is very popular. But I was able to get a campsite no problem on a beautiful week in March. 

There's plenty to do here--visit the beach, walk on the cliffs, see the wildflowers. I'll definitely be back.

Stayed here many times. Love it

This was a beautiful campground with level, paved sites, lots of trees, great showers, and access to the beach within walking distance.

This campground is quiet and spaces aren't too close together. East walk to trails and the beach at the cove.

Oceano CA. Wooded nice spaces with 20 amp electric and water. We tried to reserve online but site said they were full and sign at entrance said they were full. We waited at check in gate at 2pm (check in time) for about 10 minutes. Staff came by in a car and registered us from their car! Strange but we were grateful. Many available spaces! Go figure.

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.

This place is 10/10. Clean bathrooms, quiet and quaint. Close to one of the most beautiful beaches. The campsites in the way back are the best..much quieter.

We stayed in the upper San Simeon creek campground area - site C25. It had the best view of the ocean but was surrounded by power lines and looked down on camp hosts site/buildings. I felt like it was a little bit of a fishbowl with no privacy and we stared at the RVs in front of us. Which all RV/trailer sites are mostly parallel parking. We drove through the bottom site and it provided much more privacy due to trees and seemed to be more level as well. No view, but you get that “true camping” in the Forrest feeling. The walking trails were fun and the beach was close enough. There are camp kitties that will visit you if you are lucky enough (I think they belong to the host).

Primitive campground ocean beach 1/2 mile walk, wave sounds all day, scenic view, sites spaced out OK, some trees but bright and airy. Nice go to site for chilling but weekends and summers can be busy. Water spickets in campground, dump station below on another campground.

Lots of space for campers and tents. Nice, CLEAN, showers and restrooms. Staying here gives free access to driving onto the beach.

Lots of families and dogs. Noise wasn't a problem other than generators constantly running.

This was my first time camping independently, so didn't know what to expect. Everyone was really nice, camp host, camp ranger, etc. A lot of good amenities and very close to the beach. Loved my site specifically as well, especially since walking down noticing others didn't have as much space, shade, etc. Will say this is a really good rv place, did not see a lot of tent campers. They also sell fire wood for $10 so be ready with cash!