137 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Campgrounds near Woodside, California spread across both coastal regions and mountain forests, offering tent sites, RV hookups, cabins, and yurts within a short drive of the San Francisco Peninsula. Half Moon Bay State Beach Campground provides oceanside camping with tent and RV sites approximately 14 miles west of Woodside, while San Mateo Memorial Park among redwoods offers a forested alternative just 8 miles southwest. Most campgrounds in the area feature both tent and RV sites, with several locations like Santa Cruz North-Costanoa KOA also providing cabins, yurts, and glamping accommodations for those seeking more comfort.
Advance reservations are essential for most developed campgrounds in the region, particularly during summer months and weekends. The climate varies significantly between coastal and inland sites—coastal campgrounds experience cool, foggy mornings year-round, while inland forest campgrounds like San Mateo Memorial Park offer more consistent temperatures but may have seasonal fire restrictions. Many campgrounds in the area maintain clean facilities with amenities like showers, flush toilets, and potable water, though hook-up availability varies considerably between locations. Cell service can be limited in canyon areas and certain forest campgrounds. "Beautiful place with clean renovated restrooms," noted one camper about San Mateo Memorial Park.
The redwood forests near Woodside provide distinctive camping environments that receive consistently high ratings from visitors. San Mateo Memorial Park stands out for its sequoia groves, with multiple visitors highlighting the experience of camping beneath towering redwoods as particularly special. Coastal options like Half Moon Bay offer different advantages with proximity to beaches and coastal trails. Campers frequently mention the cleanliness of facilities as a significant positive factor across many locations. Several visitors noted the family-friendly nature of area campgrounds, with easy access to short hiking trails suitable for children. Traffic noise affects some campgrounds near roads, though most become quiet after dark. "Beautiful giant red woods, clean camp sites, and plenty of amenities has impressed us. Flushing toilets and showers everywhere, water spigots were never too distant, and trails always felt safe and clean," reported one visitor to San Mateo Memorial Park.
"We rarely make reservations to camp in California Beach Parks, as they are usually filled up weeks or even months in advance."
"Beautiful beach walking distance from campground. Bike or walking trails to wonderful beaches and places to eat. Short drive to many other areas. small but good size sites for where it is."
from $35 - $165 / night
Check Availability"Just 40ish minutes up from the town of Woodside. Camp sites are spacious and well kept! Bathrooms are easily accessible but showers are a bit of a walk maybe 5 mins from your site."
"It's a great place to use as a basecamp for exploring the myriad of hiking trails that exist in the redwoods and nearby coastal hikes. "
from $35 - $50 / night
Check Availability"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."
"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."
from $35 / night
Check Availability"It is a smaller park than many of the other redwoods parks in Northern California, so it was very nice and peaceful. Butano is a bit off the beaten path to get to, but so worth it."
"Large, user-friendly campsites surrounded by redwood trees. Great ferny hiking trails for every level of camper/hiker. Very easy access to campsites and near Pescadero and Highway One."
from $35 / night
Check Availability"What they do have are scores of hookup sites for $60 / night and three tent / drive-in no hookup water-only sites for $45 / night."
"Since it's a new campground, the trees are young and don't supply much shade, but since it's close to the SF Bay, the bay breeze helps."
from $45 - $65 / night
Check Availability"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."
"Great walk-in campground so close to home in the South Bay Area (albeit walk is slightly uphill)."
from $33 / night
Check Availability"Clean, has some views from far border of the hills but the spots are tight and there is not much to do but hook-up."
"After-hours check-in was a breeze, as the checkin instructions were taped to the main door of the office at the park entrance."
"But for a quick weekend jaunt for RV campers, this location slightly more than an hour from the Bay Area is hard to beat."
"There is a nice playground next to an equally nice café called the pinecone. The weather here is cold just a heads up be prepared for wind and overcast weather."
from $100 - $200 / night
Check Availability"as usual some spots are better than others but most close to restrooms and/or water. lots of poison oak and star thistle right off trail. great deterrent for kids to stay out of tick areas but id worry"
"Midweek in June the park, which is fairly large, is still nearly empty."
from $25 - $200 / night
Check Availability"The site was a pull through as well as our friends who were able to face the opposite way to have a common camp side with us. Of course the utility sides were in great position for that."
"From booking until leaving, we had a positive experience. Our site was a little tight, that would be the only thing I wish was better."
TravelerI loved my stay here! I had a lot of tasks and couldn't have asked for a better place to accomplish them. I particularly appreciated the close coastal access, the birds and the clean, comfortable surroundings. Staff was welcoming and friendly throughout my stay. Highly recommend this gem!
GuideVery nice for a one night stop. Very windy road to get to the park. Sites are well kept and have a solid amount of room. Super clean bathrooms and good free showers. Lots of wildlife to see and hear (coyotes). Didn’t get 5 starts cause it was quite busy with loud neighbors!
ScoutIt’s kinda more like a last choice in the area. I’m happy I had the opportunity to stay there (to compare the other campsites) and it is nicely set up with running water, picnic table, and pit toilets. Campsite 10 though is the worst of ‘em. Set directly in the middle with no privacy and no shade.
Whenever someone opened the pit toilet doors, the smell wafted gracefully like a hammer out of nowhere to abuse my olfactory senses! Just trying to be real and give the scoops.
The NPS does a great job with maintaining the campsite BUT I would definitely pick any of the other locations first. Eg Sky, Coast, or Wildcat. That being said, if there was nothing else available, I’d stay there again. Get in late and leave early.
TravelerReally wonderful spot to be. They have multiple camping options and day pass options. For RV setups your choices are parking, water only, and the works (water, electrical, waste dumping with fire pit and camping table).
Its a bit far from anything but if youre just looking to camp, charge, and relax then this is the spot for you. They have showes, bathrooms, and laundry on site.
Final notes, there are multiple hiking trails and wildlife to see, including a lovely group of Turkeys who don't mind you getting a little close for photo ops.
ScoutNice staff, hot clean showers, great location, good campsites
GuideCalled on 7/14/26, they said "we won't cancel any reservation due to arriving late or next day"
ScoutAll spots on the perimeter are full timers. VERY cluttered campsites all around you makes the park feel claustrophobic.
If that wasn’t enough the daily/weekly spots on the interior are right on top of each other. Expect your neighbor’s sewer connection to be right next to your stairs when you come out of your unit.
Never saw or interacted with any employees, the only interaction was an email with my spot number. Not a positive or negative, just a note. Daily/weekly campers seemed nice, however received dirty looks from pretty much every full timer just walking the dog or driving to/from my unit. I like to wave at folks as I go by, I guess they don’t like that.
Speaking of walking the dog, there’s a large grass area on the west side with big signs that say no pets. The only spot of grass I could find that wasn’t “forbidden for dogs” is a small patch between the entrance/exit lanes to the park, no fence and watch for vehicles coming and going.
Overall this place is probably fine to drop anchor for the night, we stayed a weekend to enjoy Gilroy Gardens and will definitely find somewhere else to go next time.
LegendGeneral: Many different options: pull-thru and back-in FHU sites, tent sites, bungalows, tent bungalows, cabins, and a lodge. Note that in early 2025, ownership changed and it is no longer a KOA.
Site Quality: As would be expected in an RV park, the sites are very close together with little to no foliage to separate them. 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. What is confusing is that the platforms and tables are not always directly behind the site. They are labeled with the site number, but again, they are close together, and if the campground is crowded, there is no privacy. Bath/Shower: There are two bathhouses for the RV sites. Each gender has one shower, three toilets, and two sinks with soap and paper towels. They were immaculate. I was lucky not to have to wait for a shower, but if full, I heard there are waits.
Activities/Amenities: There is a spa on site, but we did not check it out (not sure if you need to be a lodge guest to use). Other amenities include a restaurant (which was fantastic), general store, sauna, meeting space, playground, giant Jenga and chess board, and community fire pits. You can rent bikes, golf carts, and dune buggies. On weekends and in season, there are other activities and a bar cart that makes the rounds.
This is not our preferred type of camping, and it is expensive, but we enjoyed time here as we met family for a couple of days.
ScoutThis rv park is extremely clean and has a lot of wonderful amenities. The river is down a little path and has a lot of sweet little beaches. All of the campers were very respectful, polite and pleasant.
Camping sites near Woodside, California provide access to both secluded redwood forest experiences and coastal adventures within a 30-minute drive of the San Francisco Peninsula. The area sits at the intersection of diverse ecological zones, with campgrounds ranging from sea level to over 2,000 feet elevation, creating distinct microclimates within short distances. Winter camping often brings temperatures in the 40-50°F range with occasional rain, while summer nights remain cool with temperatures rarely exceeding 75°F during the day.
Hike the ridgeline trails: At Castle Rock Trail Camp, backpackers can access spectacular ridgeline views after a 2.5-mile hike to the campground. "Hike a short 2.5mi to get to the campsite. 20 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings (when allowed)... Very green and lots of great vistas along the ridgeline on the hike in," notes a visitor who enjoyed the hike-in experience.
Explore tidal pools and coastal trails: Multiple beaches within 20 minutes of Woodside offer excellent tide pooling opportunities when camping along the coast. "The beach is right off where the 92 and PCH meet up and is super easy to find... If you want a dog friendly beach go just a little south to Poplar Beach where the pups can roam free off leash and have a blast," explains a camper at Half Moon Bay State Beach Campground.
Visit local farms and artisanal food producers: Many campgrounds provide convenient access to local agricultural experiences. "The campground is very close to PCH/Highway 1 and the beaches are lovely. PCH is also dotted with farms and fruit stands, artisan pies, etc. The closest town is Pescadaro, and has a tiny main street with an excellent coffee shop, and grocery store with fresh baked pies, breads, jams, sauces, and a deli counter," writes a camper who enjoyed exploring the area around Butano State Park.
Convenience to urban areas: Many campgrounds near Woodside provide a quick escape from city life while maintaining basic amenities. "This is a great natural area that is so conveniently located in the Bay Area. There is an extensive network of trails accessible from the campground," notes one visitor about Anthony Chabot Regional Park, highlighting the ability to quickly escape urban environments.
Family-friendly activities: Organized programs are available at several campgrounds during peak season. A visitor to Santa Cruz North-Costanoa KOA mentioned, "The resort also has great activities for kids that they occasionally bring on site, such as a climbing wall and nature talks with live animals," making it ideal for families seeking structured recreation.
Diverse camping environments within short distances: The region offers remarkable environmental diversity. "We stayed here for a few nights and thought it was clean and spacious. Close to the visitor center. We did some hiking as well, a popular and short hike is to Sempervirens Falls," writes a visitor about the redwood environment at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, contrasting with coastal options just miles away.
Fire restrictions vary significantly by season and location: Fire policies differ dramatically between coastal and forest campgrounds. "Fires are increasingly banned in the dry months (i.e., most of the year) in California now," notes one camper at Castle Rock Trail Camp, while many coastal campgrounds maintain year-round fire access due to higher humidity levels.
Water availability challenges: Some campgrounds have unreliable water supplies, especially during drought periods. "Although there is a communal water source at the campsite entrance, the water was deemed not safe to drink when I was there, and that had been the case for a while," writes a backpacker at Castle Rock, emphasizing the importance of checking water status before arrival.
Weekday vs. weekend experience differs dramatically: The proximity to urban areas means weekday camping offers a completely different experience. A camper at San Mateo Memorial Park observes, "It can get very noisy at times, caterwauling drunks, people scream talking late at night etc. Usually its dies down around 11pm."
Cell service limitations: Network coverage varies significantly across the region. At Ben Ries Campground in Butano State Park, a camper noted "There is no cell service" despite the relatively close proximity to urban areas, highlighting the need to plan communications accordingly.
Creek exploration opportunities: Several campgrounds feature creeks that provide safe, shallow water play areas for children. "There is a little creek that's only about a quarter mile hike down a trail. The campground is only a 10 minute drive down to Pescadero State Beach so we went there after we broke camp. The kids all loved it," explains a family that enjoyed San Mateo Memorial Park.
Easy hiking trails with educational features: Many campgrounds offer specifically designed family-friendly trails. "This campground has great hikes, thick with Redwoods, immediately you feel like you are in Ewok territory. Lots of varying levels as well," writes a visitor to Butano State Park, noting the accessibility for different abilities.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: The diverse ecosystems support abundant wildlife viewing chances for children. "We love Anthony Chabot! The eucalyptus groves make the air smell wonderful, and there is so much wildlife to see (deer, turkeys, owls, etc.)," shares an enthusiast of family camping experiences at the park.
Limited RV access to some popular destinations: Many campgrounds near Woodside have restrictive RV policies. "The RV sites have electric hook-ups and there are shared water spigots (not hook-ups)," mentions a camper at Half Moon Bay State Beach, noting the distinction between full hookups and more limited services.
Tight maneuverability at forest campgrounds: Forest campgrounds often have challenging access roads. "The loops are confusing and very tight, but once you get in it's really sweet," explains a reviewer about the road conditions at San Mateo Memorial Park, highlighting the navigation challenges for larger vehicles.
Full-service alternative at Dumbarton Quarry Campground: For those seeking more amenities, newer facilities exist within driving distance. "This campground opened in August 2021, so the facilities are still brand-spanking new... scores of hookup sites for $60/night and three tent/drive-in no hookup water-only sites for $45/night," describes an RVer, noting the excellent cellular reception and proximity to urban conveniences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Woodside, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Woodside, CA is Half Moon Bay State Beach Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 26 reviews.
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