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Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday

CAMPER SUMMARY PRESENTED BYFord

Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday, near Watsonville, California, is a vibrant campground that caters to families and those looking for a fun-filled outdoor experience. With a range of accommodations from tents to RVs and even cabins, it’s designed to make your stay comfortable and enjoyable.

This campground is packed with amenities that keep both kids and adults entertained. Visitors rave about the clean bathrooms, hot showers, and the heated pool, which is perfect for a refreshing dip after a day of exploring. As one reviewer noted, “This place was awesome for kids,” highlighting the outdoor games and activities available, including bike rentals and a hot tub for some relaxation.

Located close to attractions like the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and Monterey Bay Aquarium, it’s an ideal launching point for day trips. The campground also allows pets, making it easy to bring the whole family along for the adventure. Just be mindful that it can get a bit busy, especially during peak times, but that lively atmosphere adds to the fun. Whether you’re roasting marshmallows by the fire or enjoying a pizza delivered right to your campsite, Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday offers a memorable camping experience for everyone.

Fee Info

Adults 18+, Kids 4-17, Free 0-3

Location

Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

From jct Hwy 1 & San Andreas Rd: Go, then 3-1/2 mi SW on San Andreas Rd, then 500 feet E on Spring Valley Rd.

Address

1186 San Andreas Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076

Coordinates

36.9257267017795 N
121.84241216667243 W

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Detours Nearby

LOCAL FAVORITES PRESENTED BYToyota Trucks
Sunol

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1 hr 10 min away

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2 hrs 2 min away

Drive Time

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Connectivity

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  • signal strength bars
    T-Mobile5G
    Good Coverage
  • signal strength bars
    VerizonLTE
    Some Coverage
    Verified by 4 users
    Last on 6/26/25
  • signal strength bars
    AT&T5G
    Excellent Coverage
    Verified by 1 user

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Cabins
  • Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

  • Market
  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • WiFi
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • 30 Amp Hookups
  • 50 Amp Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

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Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

16 Reviews

Reviewed Dec. 29, 2024

Great KOA location

Very close to the beach, quiet, excellent friendly staff always happy to help. Had some helpful neighbors for my first time in the travel trailer. They have activities daily and things to do which are sent out daily in a text. The store has many items that may be needed and some souvenirs. It was a great visit!

Site41
Month of VisitDecember
  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Brian C., December 29, 2024
Reviewed Dec. 23, 2023

KOA electric destroyed my poo up

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.

Site#23
Month of VisitNovember
Reviewed Jul. 24, 2023

Expensive but tons of amenities

This place was awesome for kids. A little loud and busy but still had clean bathrooms, hot showers, pool, hot tub, outdoor games, bike rentals… they were even delivering pizzas to campsites when we stayed that smelled amazing. Compared to other KOAs we have stayed at, this one was extremely expensive. However, given the location and all of the included amenities I can understand why. We had a great time and used this a launching off point to visit Big Sur.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jul. 5, 2023

Great for kids

Had a nature preserve site for two nights. Overall everyone was friendly and great activities for kids. A little busy and can be loud but still a fun time

Site43
Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Apr. 20, 2023

Great spot

Very friendly and helpful. We only staid one night as a stop over. But would definitely stay again.

Site66
Month of VisitApril
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2022

Great for Families

We have been here a few times and can’t wait to go back, any time of the year! 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. I wouldn’t recommend this for campers who like solitude, of course, or someone looking for a romantic trip. I would recommend booking away from the jump pillow or playground, unless easy playground access is important, because the spots are pretty noisy. Otherwise, it’s a perfect spot for families, close to the boardwalk and the aquarium.

Reviewed Sep. 25, 2021

Great place

Lots of activities for kids, convenient location for area attractions, pet friendly. Local roads to the KOA were in pretty bad condition.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Mar. 15, 2021

Airstream camping

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 and the outdoor patio had heavy duty tables and chairs along with fire pit and even a Weber grill. Kids loved the jump pillow/the blub and the playground and the pool.

  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by jay , March 15, 2021
Reviewed Sep. 15, 2020

Near the beach

Great for familyfamily time and outdoors. I recommend taking camping essentials even if you camp on a cabin. They stay is almost always quiet and peaceful and nice.

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2020

Very Clean KOA

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.

Reviewed Jul. 31, 2020

Good place, limited activities

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. If you have kids, they also have a pool and a giant trampoline made out of beach ball material. Will definitely visit again.

Reviewed Jul. 29, 2020

Huge Kid Friendly Campground close to everything

We stay at this KOA 3-4 times a year. We especially enjoy the Halloween and other theme weekends they have. They have made tons of improvements over the last 10 years we have been going. Sites range from tent sites, RV sites, to full size cabins. They even rent out Airstream trailers. The staff is wonderful. Fun place. A little expensive but what you would expect for all the amenities offered. Beautiful pool but the kids kind of take it over. All the rest of the stuff KOA offers plus super clean bathrooms and sites.

Site31
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Carina B., July 29, 2020
  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Carina B., July 29, 2020
  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Carina B., July 29, 2020
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Jul. 23, 2020

Great Family “Camping” Experience

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!

Reviewed Jun. 27, 2018

Quiet, friendly, clean!

Security guy was awesome, kind, friendly, helpful! We arrived at 11:30 pm - exhausted, with no reservation, asking for a tent site. No problem! He quickly got us registered and put us in a site with empty sites on each side of ours. In no time we had our tent set up, and we were comfortable and fast asleep. Felt VERY safe!

Month of VisitJune
Reviewed Jun. 30, 2016

A lot to do here

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!

  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Christy C., June 30, 2016
  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Christy C., June 30, 2016
  • Review photo of Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday by Christy C., June 30, 2016
  • (4) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday have RV hookups?

According to TheDyrt.com, Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday has 30 amp and 50 amp electric hookups, water hookups and sewer hookups.

What is the max vehicle length at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday?

Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday allows vehicles up to 70 feet.

Are fires allowed at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

Does Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday have wifi?

Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday does have wifi.

Is there cell phone reception at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday?

According to campers on TheDyrt.com, there is excellent coverage for AT&T, good coverage for T-Mobile, and some coverage for Verizon.