Best Glamping near Santa Cruz, CA

Nice lots on a cliff above the beach protected from the wind by some doug firs and eucalyptus. Beach is long and expansive with very few people on an average day. Nice place to take a stroll and relax. Not far from Santa Cruz, maybe 25-30 minutes depending on traffic. Sometimes there's a decent sandbar for surfing. Always had a good time at this campground.

So sad the devastation of last month's fires on the oldest state park in California, home to thr biggest redwoods south of San Francisco. We were lucky to have camped there this summer and when it reopens will return.

Our space was in the Huckleberry campsite. My only complaint was the proximity to the cabins & their noisy doors, lol. The site was otherwise quite comfortable.

If you like day hiking the Santa Cruz mountains are glorious. From giant trees to waterfalls to sandstone, the variety will keep you interested.

We camped here a few years ago. What can we say- we enjoyed our stay. The sites were spaced nicely and clean. We were there the first of January (off season) so some amenities were not offered but we had an enjoyable time. A short drive to Santa Cruz and Monterey. They have a heated pool, laundry facilities and on site store. There are however some large raccoons so use caution with your trash. Overall good experience camping there.

My husband and I have camped here since we first started dating and I camped here as a child while on family vacations. One of the most spectacular campgrounds I have been too. Hiking trails throughout the park, private camping, and a quick trip to Santa Cruz. The winter months are super cold and on numerous occasions we have been the only people camping. The sky is super clear at night and the stars are amazing.

This KOA is great for a family getaway. TONS of activities on site- huge bouncy pad, a climbing wall, ping pong tables, a swimming pool, pedal go karts, the list goes on and on. There are also Plenty of options on how to stay- RV sites, cabins, tent sites, you can even book one of the campgrounds Airstreams! There is also relatively quick access to Santa Cruz to the north and Monterey to the south.

My only criticism is that it is not that woodsy. But hey, this is a KOA! If you want to camp in the woods, go to a national park!

We stayed here Summer 2012. There were many nice amenities here like gravel/paved sites, restrooms, game room, the blob, train rides, swimming pool, general store, playground, etc. the staff was friendly and the grounds were very neat and tidy. We had a campfire and relaxed outside at night. The temperature was perfect. We didn’t have to run the A/C at all. Campground is not on the beach though :( We drove into Santa Cruz for and signed the older boys up for a 2 hour session at Richard Schmidt surf school. Later we went to the boardwalk amusement park that was over 100 years old right on the ocean. We ate seafood at the pier then let the kids get on some rides. The one thing that I thought was really special was the indoor merry go round which was on the National Historic Register. The horses were beautifully decorated and had real hair for the tails. This was definitely a cool place to go visit!

One of our favorites.  They keep a clean camp, including clean flush toilets and showers.  Super dog friendly.  10 minute drive to town, 15 to the beach, and 10 minutes to hike at Garland Ranch.

We are tent car campers.  They have sites with and without electricity for tents, and full hookup for RVs.  Recently they've added several glamping sheds/tents which look quite inviting.  Most but not all sites have SOME shade.  (Remember you're in the valley, not at the coast, so it can get hot during summer and early fall days).  

All sites have fire rings (bring Duraflame logs; no wood fires) and standing BBQs.  The whole campground is built on a fairly steep hill, so site sizes and privacy can vary.  Some sites have views.  They do try to keep multi-site groups together when they can, but you must pay extra to reserve specific sites.

The pool is well maintained, and the surrounding deck is generous and offers wifi.

A nice small campground nestled in the eastern side of Santa Cruz Mountains, west of Morgan Hill, easily accessible off of Highway 101. Short hikes along the Uvas Creek and Swanson creek are right next to the campground. Trails are narrow and steep at some places but mostly shaded. Small waterfalls are the highlights of the trail, but kids will enjoy playing in the water on hot days. The 25-site campground is relatively small, so camp sites are not big. That means this may not be for campers who like more privacy or quietness. Reservations are required. Very family friendly so expect it to be crowded on weekends and a level of noise and foot traffic by your site as well. Saw mostly tent campers and some pop-up trailers. Not sure if it can handle longer recreational vehicles and the road leading to the campground itself is quite narrow. 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. Well maintained/clean facilities. Restrooms and showers were clean, and some even have baby changing stations. Park ranger and County Maintenance's presence was there periodically to pick up trash and to clean facilities, etc. A little buggy in the afternoon and found some mosquitoes so take bug spray. Lots of birds. Good to be disconnected, but if needed, Verizon cell service worked at the campground. As of June 30th, camp fire is still allowed in the pits. 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.

We 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.

Mount 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.

There is no down side to this campground.  I stayed in Blooms Creek, site 122.

You may find a fussy thing here or there, but really, it's a delightful place to camp.

Camp site 122 is truly the best - I scouted for better ones, but this one was tops! Lots of space (I set up my 14 x 9 tent in a circle of redwood trees), lots of privacy (hey-yo!).  But really, every campsite is pretty great.  Tall redwoods all around, plenty of shade, potable water, a dish washing stations (!!!!), flush commodes, coin operated showers, hiking trails galore and a camp store with most anything you might have forgotten to bring along.  Also, lots of programming through the Park Headquarters (nature walks, kids activities, amphitheater fireside talks).

Things to know so you get your head around it now ...

1. NO CELL SERVICE.  There is free wifi at the camp store and it stays on all night (I know, I went after hours to check the *Cubs/Cards score - go Cubs!  *Cubs won 5-1).

2. Firewood sold at the camp store or camp host (as of June 2019) is $13.00 a bundle.  Yes, that's twice what you might normally pay.  In town (Boulder Creek) is not much better.  Side note, there is a CUTE coffee shop in Boulder Creek called Tree House Cafe - GREAT coffee and nice staff.  Plus there are two Redwoods in the middle of the cafe.  I mean... come on!!!

3. This campground is very close to UC Santa Cruz.  I camped Sun-Tues right after school let out for the summer so there was definitely the 'let's camp and get wasted' kinda thing.  They were actually kinda of adorable and nothing too unruly, but maybe time your stay with that in mind if you are not in the mood for that sort of camping neighbor.  

4. No Bigfoot sightings.  I looked.

5. The bathrooms (while decent) did NOT have hand soap.  Bring your own.  And remember, sharing is caring (read: leave it in the bathroom cause most people were not aware of this).  

6. Midweek in summer is still crowded.  This place is RAD and people know it... get your reservations EARLY.

7. Mosquitoes are for realz here.  I left with over 30 bites (16 on my knees alone).  Citronella candle did NOTHING.  I had DEET spray... NOTHING.  I heard Bounce Dryer Sheets brings the magic (yes, take the sheet and get carried away on your arms, legs etc as if you are toweling off).  I'm trying this cause it's better than ya know... West Nile/Zika (which I probably now have).

I definitely returned better than when I arrived... this place is pretty.  I truly hope you have an outstanding time here.  

Cheers!

We are new popup campers and this KOA facility was just our 2nd time taking our popup camping. We arrived the day before Thanksgiving and our experience was fun. We plugged into the shore electricity and tried out our fridge, heater and other neat things about our popup that we were just starting to enjoy. Then Thanksgiving day came and with it, 100s of RVs. They parked and plugged into power. The whole place was full, not one space was left. Later in the evening, as we were getting ready for bed, we had a surge of electricity in our popup. The lights would get bright and then dim. We surmised it was because a lot of power was being used, as the lot was full and we didn't have problems the first night. When everyone was in bed, I saw a spark shoot up in the air with a'pop' sound and a burning smell. I quickly ran outside and unplugged from the power. Across our space, I observed several staff members working on an electrical box. They were apparently having another electrical issue. I advised, what appeared to be a lead worker of my incident, and he said once they finish with their work, he would come over and check. He never did. At 8:57 PM, we received a text from 831-220-3855 from KOA stating the following:"Hello Santa Cruz guests- We have a section of the park that has lost power. Our team is troubleshooting but we have not yet identified the problem. Unfortunately, we are not likely to have power restored tonight....." Then on the next day we attempted to try the power and our toaster surged and would only burn toast, my in law's electric blanket was non functional, we finally gave up and unplugged from the pedestal.(Friday) at 9:58 AM we received the following message:"We appreciate your patience as we work through these electrical issues that came up overnight. We ask that you unplug your RVs from the pedestals at this time....." The offer to refund part of the stay. We also found that our closest bathroom showers were also down. After we returned back from our trip, I brought the camper to our garage, and we tested the power. Nothing works, at all. After we found this out, I contacted management at KOA, and they heard what happened and advised that they would put me in touch with their claims service(insurance). Once they provided me the claims service, the said"once we submit, they will handle any communications." I had attempted a follow-up and left a message with their claims provided, Gallagher Bassett located out of Pittsburgh PA. So after I had left a voicemail(no call was every returned to me) I received a letter from the aforementioned claims provider which stated in part:"This letter is to advise you that we have completed our investigation into your claim against our client[KOA]. After careful consideration and review of the facts, we must respectfully decline payment for this matter for the following reason(s):"-"The power outage was beyond our client's control and subsequently, they are not liable for any damages incurred to your camper. They have taken all necessary precautions to ensure the smooth functioning of their facilities." I am very disappointed in KOA's lack of accountability for this incident. It's a shame, because the place makes great effort in all aspects for making it a welcoming place. But since KOA is unable and unwilling to take responsibility for ruining my camper, I decided to post this review. I would HIGHLY suggest you not visit any KOA sites as I don't believe they have the capacity for running their electric system, and you would run the same risk to your RV/campers as we did. If you do decide to visit a KOA site, I would recommend that you do NOT plug into their power system. I plan to advise KOA corporate and post this experience across all my platforms so families know the risks involved with KOA. It's a shame that KOA doesn't take accountability for their mistakes. Update: I spoke with corporate KOA and was advised there is nothing they can do either.

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.

We first visited in Feb at site 126. It has some privacy, we liked that it was in between two yurts away from others. The trail does go right behind the site but it wasn’t super busy. In April we got site 405 and it was absolutely beautiful and isolated in a ring of redwood trees with lots of other trees to use for hammocks, etc. I will warn, it gets very cold at night always better safe then sorry when it comes to layers.

Great place to hike and "get lost" in the woods. No dogs on trails though. California state park rule....

Big Basin has been part of my life growing up. Not far from the hustle and bustle of the Bay Area in California. When you arrive it's like stepping in to a whole other world. Huge redwoods blanket the mountain and line every site. Great hiking trails, creaks and fallen giant redwoods make for unlimited exploration. Many sites but they book out fast. Bathrooms, showers, general store are all well kept and stocked. Big Basin will always be one of my favorite places on earth....