The Pacific Ocean provides a scenic backdrop for camping adventures along California's coastline. The many campsites located on the state's beaches provide a host of different activities including swimming, hiking, picnicking, tidepooling, surfing and fishing. Most of these campgrounds are open year-round and require reservations to secure a spot in advance.
Carpinteria State Beach
Carpinteria State Beach, located approximately 12 miles south of Santa Barbara, has camping sites for RV, trailers and tents. The beach has a mile's worth of coastline for campers to enjoy swimming, exploring tidepools and surfing. Depending on the season, seals, sea lions and whales can be observed in the area. Camping reservations are site specific and can be made for the Santa Cruz area, Santa Rosa Beach or San Miguel Beach area. For visitors that wish to tent camp, your reservation must be made for the Anacapa/Santa Cruz loop. The sites are open year-round.
Redwoods
Del Norte Coast Redwoods, located in Northern California, is a camping area that is a World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Preserve. Situated on eight miles of coastline, the campground is located inside the park which covers 6,400 acres of redwood forest. The area includes tanoak, madrone, red alder, big leaf maple and California bay varieties. The campground is located in an area that was logged in the 1920s. Vegetation is predominately red alder, which will eventually give way to fir and second growth redwood.
Morro Bay State Park
Located on the coast in Central California, Morro Bay State Park is situated along the bay just north of Morro Rock. Camping at both the Morro Bay State Park and at the Morro Strand State Beach Camping facility provides outdoor enthusiasts opportunities to enjoy hiking, sailing, fishing, swimming and surfing in the bay. The state park has 115 campsites. Fees for overnight stays allow each camp site one vehicle and one legally-towed vehicle or trailer. At the Morro Strand State Beach, there are no hook-ups. Both sites are popular during summer months, so make reservations early, especially for weekends and holidays.
Sunset State Beach
Sunset State Beach, located 16 miles south of Santa Cruz in Northern California, has beach camping year round. Some of the activities campers regularly take part in include beachcombing, fishing and hiking. The area has a varied terrain composed of sand dunes, pine trees and picturesque seaside picnic spots. Dogs are prohibited on the beach. While the group sites and South Camp areas are available for camping year-round, the Dunes Camp and Pine Hollow family sites are only open during the peak season of March 15 to Oct. 31.
Gaviota State Beach
Gaviota State Park, located 33 miles north of Santa Barbara off U.S. Route 101, has spectacular views of the Pacific and Gaviota Peak. The site has 39 camp sites, 37 of which are reservable in advance between the Friday of Memorial Day weekend and the Sunday of Labor Day weekend each year. Hiking, swimming, scuba diving, surfing and surf fishing are available for campers.
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