Santa Cruz, CA is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Santa Cruz. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Santa Cruz, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
$7 - $35 / night
"An inexpensive way to stay & vacation in Santa Cruz."
"Near downtown Santa Cruz and Felton."
$35 - $185 / night
"You can walk a short ways to see the ocean and there are several trails down, but the one with real stairs is closed so you better be sure-footed if you're taking the other trail."
"Great campground and location. You can easily walk to the beach. Close to Capitola Village, Santa Cruz, and Kayaking at Moss Landing."
"Close to 6 Santa Cruz county state parks and Santa Cruz beaches and town. We will stay here again! Side note. Don’t use hwy 9 south from Santa Cruz towing. The road is too winding and narrow."
"Do not take highway 9 from Santa Cruz as the RV park will tell you. Our car navigation changed our route even after we were approaching 17 north. Keep your eyes out for the highway signs."
"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."
"You can walk down to the beach, take a trip to the henry cowel redwoods, go ride bikes in santa cruz. We have so much fun. Things we learned.. don't let your kids pick flowers."
$35 / night
"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."
"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."
"Friendly staff and a quick drive into the Santa Cruz beach communities."
"The place is old, but it has a great location. There are great hiking trails assessable from the campground."
"We had a campfire and relaxed outside at night. The temperature was perfect. We didn’t have to run the A/C at all."
"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."
"There are plenty of trails to hike, as well as equestrian trails. No bikes on trails though."
"There was really no road noise at our site, though a few sites further around the loop did have noise. This particular site has a trail leading directly to the vast network of hiking trails."
"This is our favorite place to camp, Redwoods everywhere, 9 miles from Santa Cruz, kids love this place we have camped in the group area with 8 trailers and other spots on site great weather"
"I’m so glad we did because we were surrounded by these beautiful red wood trees and we could hear the train whistle in the daytime coming from Roaring Camp Railroad."
$33 / night
"This is a nice camping away from the car experience. It's a short walk up a paved path from the parking to the campsites."
"First of all, I did not realize before arriving that the tent sites are walk-in (my fault). That made it difficult to find, but probably not if you know that before."
GuideOnly about 8 minutes from Santa Cruz beach/boardwalk. Off a quiet street. Reasonable price for the location.
TravelerThis is our favorite place to camp, Redwoods everywhere, 9 miles from Santa Cruz, kids love this place we have camped in the group area with 8 trailers and other spots on site great weather
ScoutThis campground is very nice! Nothing fancy. An older campground but we’ll maintained. We had to change our dates, and it was an east phone call to do that. They also let you checkin and pay online which was seamless also. Close to 6 Santa Cruz county state parks and Santa Cruz beaches and town. We will stay here again! Side note. Don’t use hwy 9 south from Santa Cruz towing. The road is too winding and narrow. Use hwy 17 to Mount Herman road
GuideNice 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.
LegendGetting there takes some attention. Do not take highway 9 from Santa Cruz as the RV park will tell you. Our car navigation changed our route even after we were approaching 17 north. Keep your eyes out for the highway signs. Once there, it was a pleasant check in. Roads to the sites are narrow, so again, keep your eyes pealed. Site was nice, partially under a redwood. River runs behind the park. We took a few hikes in the area that were very nice. Gas, propane and food are all located down the street. I had to use a 6 foot extension on the sewer hose. Shore chord was fine as was the water spigot.
GuideMy husband and I absolutely loved this campground! We drove up for my Aunts 60th to camp instead of getting a hotel. I’m so glad we did because we were surrounded by these beautiful red wood trees and we could hear the train whistle in the daytime coming from Roaring Camp Railroad. This location isn’t to far from Santa Cruz and Felton if you want to go into town and do activities etc.. about 8-15min. and the drive is beautiful on the way in and out through the trees. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 was because the wifi was only there if you were at the front office using it. We didn’t get service if our family members needed to contact us since they were staying in town. They need to put access points around for a better wifi connection. Other then that, we would definitely stay again!
GuideWe just got back from New Brighton, stayed in site 108. Love this State Beach! Our site was large enough for our big truck and 26 ft trailer, plus a 2nd small SUV. There was plenty of flat area for my sons tent as well. Not a ton of trees, so this particular spot didnt get a lot of natural shade, bring pop ups! The site next door, 110, had many more trees and shade. The sites are far enough apart to feel secluded. At night you can still hear the ocean even though we werent in a premium spot. You can walk a short ways to see the ocean and there are several trails down, but the one with real stairs is closed so you better be sure-footed if you're taking the other trail. We opted for the short drive to the beach lot. There are bathrooms with flush toilets and showers close by and a dump station on the way out. Plus New Brighton is just a few mins from downtown Capitola, and not much further from Santa Cruz so there are SO many things to explore when you're there. Definitely a new favorite place!
TravelerAn inexpensive way to stay & vacation in Santa Cruz.
Many ways to explore nature (Hiking, Biking, Train Ride through redwoods down to the ocean & beach, camping, leisure easy walk through old growth redwood trees, zip line through the redwoods - just down the road, etc)
Short beautiful drives & motorcycle rides, in the Santa Cruz Mountains & to San Francisco & Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur - only a few hours away in either direction
Dog friendly
Kid friendly
Great Surfing Areas nearby (learn to surf at Cowell’s Beach - a great long board & beginners spot)
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (free concerts on Main Beach in the summer months)
Santa Cruz has a huge selection of super awesome food & restaurant choices!!! Brekkie, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Ice Cream, Candy. Unbelievable food!
If I missed something, just ask. Although, I don’t live there now. I grew up there & lived there for 30 years. When I go back to visit, I camp at Henry Cowell.
TravelerGreat location between Santa Cruz and Monterey. Very good facilities in small park. Walking distance to wonderful beaches and several restaurants. 30 min drive to SC north or south to Monterey.
Discover the best spots for pets-allowed camping near Santa Cruz, California, where you and your furry friends can enjoy the great outdoors together.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Santa Cruz, CA is Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 42 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 84 dog-friendly camping locations near Santa Cruz, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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