Northern California has some of the most diverse beaches in the state and many are state beaches that allow camping. State beach camping varies by site with some offering a host of amenities and others with the bare minimum. The best time to visit most of the campsites is late summer and early fall and, as of September 2010, prices range from $10 to $35.
Preparation
Prepare for the sometimes-unpredictable weather of Northern California by packing warm clothes for the evenings and rain fly for tents. Northern California gets between 20 and 50 inches of rain a year and the average daytime temperatures in the summer months range from the low 70s to the low 90s. Evenings often bring fog along the coast and temperatures dip into the high 30s to low 60s. All the camping sites have fire pits, but many do not allow firewood to be cut down in the area. Purchase wood before arriving and keep it dry. It is a good idea to pack a camp box that can be easily moved.
Recreation
Campers at Northern California state beaches have many choices for recreation. The fishing is abundant off the pier at Seacliff State Beach in the San Francisco Bay area. This beach is also good for swimming. The Sonoma Coast State Beach is just minutes away from deep-sea fishing spots on the Pacific Coast and both Manresa Uplands and New Brighton State Beaches are popular spots for surf fishing, swimming, hiking and beachcombing.
Remote
For campers looking for a more remote camping experience, Westport-Union Landing, Sunset and Manresa State Beaches are the good choices. Wesport-Union is near Fort Briggs on 3 miles of rugged coastline. This camping spot is less frequented than the other beach camping. It is also one of the most inexpensive, with prices of $10 to $15 per tent campsite in September 2010. Sunset has no ocean views, but campsites are hidden behind stands of pine trees and against sand dunes and are a short walk to the beach. This beach gets a lot of campers, but sites feel private. Manresa is on the uplands overlooking the ocean and has only walk-in tent sites. Parking is 1,000 yards off so sites are quiet and private.
Ocean View
The most popular beach camping is at Sonoma Coast State Beach on Bodega Bay. This site is very busy because the campsites are directly on the beach. The beach stretches 17 miles from Bodega Head to Vista Trail and camping is on the north end. Swimming is not allowed here because of the heavy surf and strong rip currents. Make reservations in advance. The average prices, as of September 2010, were between $25 and $35. Overlooking the bluffs of Monterey Bay is New Brighton State Beach. Located just south of Santa Cruz in Capitola, California, this camping spot has everything from beach combing to surfing. Manresa-Uplands also has some walk-in tent spots with ocean views, but space is limited.
Amenities
While some of the Northern California state beach camping is primitive, many of the sites have extra amenities for visitors. Most of the sites have flushing toilets and many have coin-operated showers. All of the state beach tent camping sites have food lockers. These keep food away from wildlife and wildlife away from campers. New Brighton is less than an hour from Monterey Bay Aquarium and the city's upscale shopping district. For campers who can't live without the Internet, Sunset offers Wi-Fi. For those who think tent camping is overrated, Seacliff State Beach agrees, offering only RV camping to visitors. Go a little more upscale and visit Crystal Cove State Beach to rent an individual or dorm-style cabin directly on the beach.
References
- California State Parks: Find a Park
- "Moon Northern California Camping: The Complete Guide to Tent and RV Camping"; Tom Stienstra; 2009
- Crystal Cove: Beach Cottages
- "Camping Northern California"; Richard McMahon; 2001
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