Sharon B.

The Dyrt Pro

Oakland , CA

Joined August 2020

Above average park campground

Camped here on thru hike of PCT. Everything you need & the cleanest vault toilets ever. The drive in sites seem well appointed but we stayed in the designated hiker sites. Bear vaults a plenty ease stress because bear activity at this campground is well documented.

Just above the campground is a hot spring. It is very hot, making a quick soak a welcome relief to tired muscles. My only complaint was other campers using soap/shampoo to wash at the spring & rinsing it straight into the creek below the spring, (I personally witnessed a dozen people do this).

There's a market & cafe which are pricey but do a booming business anyway. Showers & laundry are available for pay. Flushing toilets by the store are a welcome treat.

Backcountry with a picnic table

This campsite has picnic tables and bear lockers. It is located up the hill from the sign announcing it along the trail, look carefully if like me you've night hiked to get here. If you do not have a enough water for the morning you may want to consider getting some along the way as the nearest source is 3/4 mile downhill from the camp site.

Despite my own difficulties locating this camp in the dark I loved it. Nestled into the hillside there are still level tent sites. There are 4 picnic tables between what seem to be 3 sites each with a fire ring. 2 bear lockers are available for the whole site.

This is a very remote camp, peaceful and quiet. I imagine it is much less so during summer months when the bridges across Redwood Creek are open.

Heavily trafficked way point into the park

I camped here in late March 2021 during a 2 night, 3 day hike of the Redwood National & State Park. This campground is the first one you come upon while hiking in from the Orick Horse Trail Trailhead. There are picnic tables and two bear lockers, (there's another by the horse coral). I stopped for lunch at this site on my first day. I think this is the primary campground used by most hikers, (and the gravel bar near by).

If I were to plan another trip I would only use this campsite as a way point on the way to more secluded sites. This is a main thoroughfare, so people will pass by your site. It's also the only horse camp. There was a sign that directed hikers to camp on the gravel bar instead of Elam. I think this is more likely in summer because of traffic as I only saw one horse rider on day hike.

This is wilderness, so appropriate caution must be taken, Bear canister is required is you do not have access to a site with a bear locker.

Huckleberry drive-in 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.

A view of the Mesa

This KOA is just east of Cortez with a view of the Mesa 9 miles east. Tent sites are pea gravel with a few with grass (lucky me). The on site caretaker is a bird lover so feeders are set up around the office & his own site. I enjoyed watching the birds.

Bathrooms & showers are in the same building as the office, so it could be a walk. But thr whole KOA isn't so big that it's unreasonable.

I don't have a dog but I did notice a really nice dog area.

Smack dab in the middle

Pretty much the only choice in Monument Valley currently due to COVID. Amenities are very nice. This KOA is still pretty new, so the trees are small offering little to no shade. The owner really cares & will do what he can to see that you're satisfied. He lent me am extension cord so I could make coffee since all fires were restricted, (my camp stove is a wood burning SoloStove).

Be warned, lights in the showers are motion sensors, it doesn't quite go black, but it will get darker, just open the shower door to activate.

Closed due to COVID

But the trails are open.

What all KOAs aspire to

Super easy to access, very nice staff & good amenities. I pitched my tent four one night here. Tent sites are spacious & have a privacy fence between them. All wood burning fires are currently prohibited in Colorado, but there are fire pits for when they're not. I met a couple with an RV that make this camp a part of any trip this direction. They pointed out that even full this camp is still a gem.

Family friendly

I think this is probably a really nice family place. I, on the other hand, was looking for a place to pitch my tent en route to elsewhere. The meadow I was in was open, no shade. The firewood I bought was wet, so much so it simply smoldered & sweat.

Close to the highway

Primitive sites are spacious, well spaced & reasonably flat. All sites are sandy with a raised fire ring, (no ground fires allowed). Walkable facilities are outhouses, although all campers may use the facilities in the RV grounds. Even if you don't need the power, etc I'd sugest the RV sites as they are a bit quieter, the highway noise at the primitive site did not diminish all night.

Well appointed campsites

All sites are spacious with their own power and water. Sites 1-41 are available for first come if not previously reserved. The fee is $30/night plus $12 if you choose to reserve a site. I didn't do much exploring because I was caught by a pretty big storm (I was tent camping). It's nice that all sites are grass, although there are many sites with little shade. Be warned, the mosquitoes can be voracious.