T
Tamatha B.
Traveler
TravelerSanta Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
This is a great camp ground. Plenty of activities. Showers are clean, laundry room takes tap pay.
Cabin Camping near Scotts Valley, CA
3 campgrounds with availability this weekend
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Several cabin campgrounds operate within a 30-minute drive of Scotts Valley, California. Big Basin Redwoods State Park offers tent cabins equipped with double beds, wood-burning stoves, and tables. Mount Madonna County Park provides cabin accommodations with varying levels of amenities. Cotillion Gardens RV Park in Felton includes cabin rentals alongside their RV sites. Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday features furnished cabins with electricity and basic amenities. "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," noted one visitor.
Rustic and deluxe cabins are both available, depending on the location. Big Basin's tent cabins include heated mattresses and wood-burning stoves for cooler nights, while KOA cabins typically offer more modern amenities. Most locations require advance reservations, especially during summer months when cabins fill quickly. Pet policies vary by location—Cotillion Gardens and Santa Cruz KOA allow pets in cabins, while others may restrict animals or charge additional fees. A camper described their KOA experience: "We stayed in one of the airstreams they have for rent there. The family loved it—it was the perfect size for us and everything worked."
Most cabins include beds but require visitors to bring their own linens, towels, and toiletries unless specifically noted in package deals. Some locations offer "add-on packages" with bedding, cooking equipment, and other essentials. Big Basin provides optional packages that include "sheets and pillows for the beds, propane lanterns, and cooking items." Kitchen facilities vary widely—from simple fire pits with grill covers to fully equipped kitchenettes in deluxe cabins. Saddle Mountain Ranch cabins include "kitchenettes with all necessary utensils and dishes to cook for a couple nights," according to visitor feedback. Nearby towns like Boulder Creek, Felton, and Watsonville offer grocery stores for additional supplies.
Best Cabin Campgrounds near Scotts Valley (22)
1. Lower Blooms Creek — Big Basin Redwoods State Park — CAMPGROUND CLOSED
"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."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $35 / night
2. Cotillion Gardens RV Park
"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."
Check Availabilityfrom $60 - $100 / night
3. Mount Madonna County Park
"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."
"Location & Safety: Conveniently located between San Jose and Monterey - easy access off Highway 152. Felt completely safe throughout the stay."
4. Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
"General: So many options, including full hookup back-in or pull-thru sites, sites with just w/e, pet sites, nine different types of cabins, and tent sites."
"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."
5. Seacliff State Beach
"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."
6. Costanoa Coastal Lodge & Campground
"The sites in the Eucalyptus loop where we were had back-in sites, with a paved driveway, and are level. The sites have a picnic table, a fire ring, and wood-fenced platforms."
"Once we figured it out, the late check in paperwork was detailed on how to find our space."
Check Availabilityfrom $100 - $200 / night
7. Redwood Resort RV Park & Campground
"Was able to book the night before and get the last full hookup spot."
Check Availabilityfrom $55 - $75 / night
8. Beach RV Pleasure Point
"I came into Santa Cruz to visit family and needed a place to park my bus while there- this park was available and fit my needs perfectly."
"A very nice and well kept spot to park and enjoy Santa Cruz. You are close enough to walk to the beach and several restaurants. The sites are very close together."
4 Sites AvailableAvailable this weekend
from $95 - $180 / night
9. Thousand Trails Morgan Hill
"Great culture here - friendly, lots of things to do (pool, basketball, volleyball, horse shoes, playground, billiards, karaoke, tennis)."
"Dog park, nice showers, nice bathrooms, trails to walk your dog, nice people, quiet. I loved it here."
10. Marina Dunes RV Park
"The campsite is RV only with a few cottages and yurts. It's right by the dunes and with very quick access to the beach."
"Nice rv park by the beach. Bathrooms and showers are great. Downside is the store is closed on Sundays. Also, $190 a night plus $20 to choose your spot is wild."
Drive Time
- 4 min from Santa Cruz, CA
- 30 min from San Jose, CA
- 42 min from Salinas, CA
- 1 hr 5 min from San Francisco, CA
Recent Cabin Photos near Scotts Valley, CA
11 Photos of 22 Scotts Valley Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Cabin Reviews near Scotts Valley, CA
247 Reviews of 22 Scotts Valley Campgrounds
- TTamatha B.Traveler
Treasure Island MH and RV Park
Henry in the office is amazing. Bathrooms are clean. laundry room very large and has many washers and dryers. Subway close walk, MUNI is at the park entrance. A gas station and Grocery store are both across the street.
- DDoug O.Traveler
Marina Dunes RV Park
Our favorite place. We have stayed here 14 times. Always clean.
- TTwindaddy
GuideDel Valle Campground — East Bay Regional Park District
East Bay Parks - IYKYK
Like most/all east bay parks, this is well appointed for the masses. It’s also surrounded by rolling hills and close to suburbia. For many, these are positives. As an east bay resident they are for me as well. Del Valle is a bit more removed than many east bay parks. From my location in Fremont, it’s a one hour drive. A pleasant drive for the most part. I camp to get away for a bit and almost always to mountain bike. As such, I seek parks that have trails. Del Valle has a map of many trails. They also appear on many of the mapping services used by mountain bikers. Review those and digest them if this is also your intention - these are east bay parka style trails. In other words, mostly steep and loose fire roads, with many “social trails” sprinkled between. If you are compelled to stay legit/legal trails, bring an ebike. Now on to the camping. I picked a spot as far removed from any booked spot on the map. I triple checked this up until the day before I arrived. I want solitude! When I arrived Thursday afternoon, I was surprised to see the sites just 3 spaces away, on both sides, occupied. This is a fairly compact area. And while I’m sure they’re lovely folks, this isn’t what I expected on a Thursday. Saturday? Sure. Anyway… be aware that these reservation services aren’t completely reliable in that regard. The bathrooms and showers are amazing! Clean, smell good, cared for. Noteworthy is the hot showers in the camp grounds are free and your one push of the button provides water for two minutes I'd guess. Very nice! The space, 135 for me, is okay. A couple trees for shade, a nice table and fire pit. It’s now dark and the noise is minimal - mostly from the group campsite just down the hill. I’ll update this with more details in the coming days since it’s a 4 day visit.
Update 1: it’s my first morning here. Using starlink as there is no cell signal to be found. What I noticed last night was that this park is directly below the flight path to the local airports. Every couple minutes last night, a plane would fly overhead. According to flight aware, they’re at about 10,000 feet. If this will ruin your getaway, you’ve been warned.
Update 2: On Friday night, the majority of the spots were filled. Many large groups of people with varying degrees of consideration, but to their credit almost all (except the barking German Shepard) were quiet by 10PM. It was a bit more crowded come Saturday morning. Some friends came to visit for a mountain bike ride, and we set off at about noon. I had been complimentary of the facilities and bragged that I'd be taking a nice shower after our ride. Unfortunately, upon our return, there was no hot water and no lighting in the showers. And, sadly, someone decided to remove the tags and hangers from their TJ Maxx haul and leave them all over the floor of two of the showers.
Verdict: I'd only come back here in the springtime when it's likely to be green and have some water in the arroyo and only during the week. The density and composition of the people here was akin to being at Costco on a Saturday, and I only did that once.
- CColeen B.Guide
Monterey Pines RV Park - Military
Nice small military RV park
RVs only. No tent camping. Some sites have partial hookups and some have full hookups. This is at the edge of the Monterey Pines Golf Course. In fact you check in at the golf course office. Sites 1-14 have a view of the course. Mature shade trees, picnic tables and bbq’s in each site. No fire rings.
The bathrooms are nice and clean and have heaters! Laundry is free! Four washers and eight dryers.
As of Sept 2026 they’re actively building a new dog park.
It’s right next to a private airport and there are 2-3 planes (jets and smaller planes) taking off each hour. It stopped at 10pm and started up again at 5am. Suggest earplugs at nighttime.
Verizon service is pretty poor. They have free Wi-Fi but it didn’t reach to site 1.
- JasonGuide
Monterey Pines RV Park - Military
Amenities are great, Navy wives not so much.
Great park. Monthly rates are the most expensive in the country, for a military camp, but still about 2/3 of what it is off base. Watch out for golf balls, stay in spots 7-10. Whatever you do, do not let the door open and let your dog run out by accident...the Navy Knives, err Wives club is always watching. Anyway, close to all Monterey, Big Sur, Salinas, Carmel Valley. Really nice, clean Park. Bathhouses are very clean. Laundry requires quarters, but they work well. Shaded spots, so if you need Starlink stay on the east side row to point north.
David W.GuideBeach RV Pleasure Point
Convenient spot in Santa Cruz
I came into Santa Cruz to visit family and needed a place to park my bus while there- this park was available and fit my needs perfectly. It’s a simple gravel parking lot set up - clean bathrooms / showers, full hookups. Not what I would call camping but a great place to stay with proximity to the things that matter.
Tim P.TravelerThousand Trails Morgan Hill
Great Campground
I liked this Thousand Trails resort because it’s more like camping. The staff is amazing. The facilities are great amazing big pool. The only problem I had is they didn’t have any sewage hook up, but I have a tote so it wasn’t that big of a deal.
- TTom H.Guide
Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
Great place for kids, lots to do.
Koa’s in this area are typically expensive and this is no exception. But, for families it may be worth it. Playground, jumping, bouncing area, dog yard. Lots to do. It has good shower facilities, bathrooms are clean. For retirees and older folks, it may not be worth it. Not much room between sites and lots of kids for the nervous folks. My site (35) was electric and water only with a dry creek behind us. My only beef (and it was not only with the campground, but with irresponsible dog owners) was the piles of poop I had to pick up before I could safely walk around. Come on people! If you own a dog, please take care of them and pick up after them. Otherwise, the location was convenient, the place was clean (exception noted) and I will likely return.
Guide to Scotts Valley
Cabin camping options near Scotts Valley, California provide a wilderness experience in the coastal redwood forests without sacrificing comfort. Located at elevations between 600-2,000 feet, the region experiences fog-influenced climate with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F and winter temperatures dropping to 40-55°F. Many cabins require reservations 3-6 months in advance during peak summer season.
What to do
Hiking trails in redwoods: At Big Basin Redwoods State Park, trails lead to impressive waterfalls and ancient trees. "Best thing about this campground is proximity to the Berry Creek Falls... a huge series of water falls on a super long and strenuous hike," notes a visitor. Trails range from easy 1-mile loops to challenging 10-mile routes.
Beach access: Campers at Marina Dunes RV Park enjoy nearby beach activities. "About a 5 min trek through sand and dunes and you'll find yourself at a beach not many people frequent. On Friday we were the only ones for as far as I could see," reports a camper. The beach access point is approximately 0.25 miles from the cabin area.
Archery course: Mount Madonna County Park offers a unique 28-target archery trail through the forest. "We were there 3 days in a row and did 20 of the 28. It's really pretty and a cool challenge," shares a visitor. The course is accessible year-round and provides targets at varying skill levels.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Select cabins at Mount Madonna County Park offer secluded settings. "Sites 416 and 417 are also big with hidden spots back off the road for pitching your tent," reports one camper. The Tan Oak campground area generally has more spacious sites than other areas.
Seasonal wildlife viewing: The changing seasons bring different wildlife viewing opportunities. "We had a great trip. It was a nice park with a lot of old redwood trees. Fun creek behind campground for pups to splash around," recalls a visitor to Big Basin. Morning hours (6-8am) offer the best wildlife viewing times.
On-site recreation: Cotillion Gardens RV Park provides multiple recreation options. A visitor notes, "Lots of hiking and exploring right from the campsite. Kids liked the pool and clubhouse." The recreation areas are open from 9am to 9pm daily and include basketball courts and playground equipment.
What you should know
Temperature variations: The redwood forest creates significant temperature differentials. "Prepare for it to be 40deg colder than Gilroy or San Jose. We weren't prepared and had to drive into town and buy more clothes," advises a Mount Madonna camper. Night temperatures can drop below 50°F even in summer.
Booking lead time: Cabins fill quickly during peak seasons. For Santa Cruz North-Costanoa KOA, one visitor recommends: "I do recommend paying a bit more for the more spacious sites. Next time I'm going for the ones with the patio, those people looked quite happy." Reservations should be made 4-6 months in advance for summer weekends.
Noise factors: Some cabin locations experience traffic noise. At Marina Dunes RV Park, "It is very loud here with the freeway right behind you. It didn't bother us in the day. At night I had a sound machine so it didn't bother us." Request cabins furthest from highways when possible.
Tips for camping with families
Kid-friendly activities: Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday offers numerous family options. "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," explains a visitor. Most activities are included with stay, though some may have additional fees.
Weather preparedness: Coastal fog can create unexpected conditions. A Big Basin camper advises, "Bring the spray. We drove 9 miles to Boulder Creek and found an epic swimming hole by Cafe to help cool us in the 95 degree heat." Temperature swings of 30+ degrees within a day are common.
Cabin selection for families: Choose cabins with appropriate space for children. A visitor to Santa Cruz KOA notes, "We have a two and a half year old and it's perfect for us in a 28' fifth wheel. Paved roads for bikes, huge playground, nice store, warm pool. It's perfect for families." Cabins with outdoor space provide play areas for children.
Tips from RVers
Site selection considerations: When booking cabins or RV sites with cabins, site location matters. "While the sites are a little close to each other, those on the outside of the loop had a great deal of privacy. Inner loop sites have none, but would be great if you were camping with friends," notes a visitor to Mount Madonna County Park.
Utility placements: Pay attention to hookup locations when booking. At Marina Dunes RV Park, a visitor points out, "The location of the electrical/water is awkward." Request detailed site maps before booking to ensure compatibility.
Seasonal considerations: Winter cabin camping requires additional preparation. Redwood forests create their own microclimates, with one camper noting, "In the morning it's raining under the redwood trees but not under the madrone or tan oak trees, which is wild." Bring waterproof gear even during dry seasons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin
campsite near Scotts Valley, CA?
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Scotts Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Scotts Valley, CA is Lower Blooms Creek — Big Basin Redwoods State Park — CAMPGROUND CLOSED with a 4.7-star rating from 34 reviews.
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cabin camping near
Scotts Valley, CA?
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Scotts Valley, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 22 cabin camping locations near Scotts Valley, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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