Ocean Cove is an amazing place to make the drive to and camp for a weekend, a week, or even a…read moreholiday. Yes, the campground gets packed during holiday weekends--but leaving a 1-star review because a popular campground is full makes absolutely no sense . During busy weekends, the campground fills up quickly with campers enjoying their trips with family and friends. If you show up late to a popular campground during a holiday expecting an empty spot to magically be waiting for you, that might be a planning problem--not an Ocean Cove problem . The campground itself is absolutely beautiful. You get insane, million-dollar ocean views, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and a great forest trail to walk through. Eventually, you'll find another incredible ocean-view spot known by many as "Service Rock" --usually where people end up trying to catch some service when there isn't much around the campground. One of my favorite things about Ocean Cove is the people. You meet so many friendly people, randomly start conversations, and easily make new friends. It has a real camping atmosphere that keeps people coming back. Now, some of these 1-star reviews are honestly wild . Someone said the cliffs are dangerous and Ocean Cove needs to fence off the entire campground. Absolutely not. This is a natural coastal campground with cliffs. Parents are responsible for watching their children, and adults are responsible for paying attention to their surroundings. We don't need to fence off one of the most beautiful parts of the campground because somebody forgot that cliffs are, in fact, dangerous . Then there are complaints about the honey buckets. During busy weekends, there are a LOT of people using them. The staff can maintain them, but they can't clean them every 10 seconds . Have realistic expectations. Complaining that Ocean Cove is too expensive is also crazy. Maintaining a campground, paying employees, and keeping a business running costs money. What do people expect--an incredible campground on the California coast with insane ocean views for $10 a night forever? Ocean Cove is worth the money. And the complaints about it being "overly crowded"... seriously? What do you expect during a busy weekend--an empty campground? If the place is packed, that should tell you something: people love coming here. The people working here also deserve recognition. Matt in the store is an awesome guy--friendly, easy to talk to, and always cool. 10/10. Joe is also a great and helpful guy. And Joe and Louise around the campground are both incredibly kind and friendly with a great sense of humor. Just understand: if you give them shit, you're probably going to get shit right back . And lastly: OYSTER DIVE! I don't care what anybody says--those oysters are BOMB. Fresh, cleaned on the spot, freshly grilled, and the sauces are absolutely fire. 11/10. Broke the scale. They never get old, and buying a dozen--or several--is always worth it . Overall, Ocean Cove is a phenomenal place to camp. Incredible ocean views, sunsets, forest trails, great people, amazing employees, and some seriously good food. To the people leaving 1-star reviews because the campground was busy during a holiday, because they expected every cliff to be fenced off, or because a busy employee didn't stare directly into their soul when they walked into the store: respectfully, maybe Ocean Cove just isn't for you . For everyone else who enjoys nature, camping, incredible views, good people, and having a great time--Ocean Cove is absolutely worth the drive and worth every dollar. Ocean Cove NEEDS to stay in business FOREVER and continue being passed down through generations! 10/10. Every. Single. Time.

I've been camping at Ocean Cove Campground for years, and it remains one of my absolute favorite…read morecoastal escapes in Northern California. If you want front-row seats to the Pacific, this is the spot. The campsite sits right up on the bluffs, offering raw, panoramic views of the ocean, dramatic cliffs, and incredible sunsets. There's nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves and waking up with a cup of hot coffee while looking out for sea life down in the coves. First-Come, First-Served: So if you're aiming for a prime oceanfront spot on the bluff edge, plan to arrive early in the day--especially on weekends. Rustic Vibe - It's dry camping (port-a-potties, no hookups), but the stunning location and open layout make it worth every bit. The family-run general store makes stocking up super easy if you run low on firewood, ice, or snacks. It's laid-back, beautiful, and keeps me coming back season after season. Highly recommended if you're looking for proper cliffside coastal camping.

O the beauty and how wonderful it is to walk along the coast of California. A beautiful place for…read morereal Gorgeous rock formations such as tafoni sandstone, honeycomb shapes and holes in the rocks. Long time in the making, these geological wonders. Stop to observe and take some pics Really serene walking on the trail and seeing the gentle sway of the wildflowers and feeling the cool breeze

Salt Point is an unsung gem of the Northern California coast - incredible to believe that this…read moreplace wasn't completely teeming with people during our mid-July trip, but we probably encountered fewer an 20 people on the Salt Point Trail. We were staying in Woodside Campground, but had free entrance into Gerstle Cove Campground and access to the coastline. This is where Salt Point Trail begins. Prepare for the deteriorating visitor center and closed bathrooms by arriving ready to go with map in hand. We disembarked around noon and spent about 3.5 hours meandering through the bluffs and tidepools to Stump Beach and back. This is with someone averaging about a mile an hour & using a hiking pole. Everyone had a great time and gratefully no injuries or nuisances occurred! After a late lunch break, I went back to Stump Beach and continued the hike to Fisk Mill Cove - this area is currently closed, but the Bluff Trail from Stump Beach is accessible with some light bushwhacking. I wore jeans and hiking shoes to avoid the poison oak; always remember to check for ticks. The views are entirely worth some lite prep and effort. Enjoy!

My family used to camp here over 25 years ago so it was really nice to return with my grown…read morechildren & grandchildren. Just as beautiful as I remember. A few things to take into consideration before you go: there is no water, garbage cans (you pack out your own trash), you leave your car in parking lot and carry your gear in (wagons are super helpful), and no cell service. That being said it's pretty nice being off the grid for a few days. And really great for the kids to play in nature without electronics. All the sites are beautiful- some up a hill or across a creek bridge. I prefer not to carry my gear up a hill and have my tent on a flat space. You cannot reserve spots in advance- day of only. The campground also has the Pomo Canyon trail which leads to Shell Beach (maybe 5 miles of hiking). The grandkids were quite happy exploring the campground trails and creek. Campsites come with a picnic table & fire ring. There are a couple pit toilets in the campground (stinky of course). Yet this is a beautiful place- I'd say it's very peaceful & zen.

How long after we (humans, on Earth) are all gone will it be until Nature reclaims all we have…read moretaken? That was my thought when the girlfriend & I visited the Pomo Canyon Environmental Campground on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Nestled into the edge of a redwood grove, it's hard not to wonder because of how this place looks now that the campground is closed. It's been closed for a year now. Already the paths & the clearings for the camp sites are covered in a thick layer of detritus from the trees above. It's eerily silent. Like a ghost town without the town, only picnic tables, fire pits & a few outhouses. It felt like a glimpse into our post-Apocalyptic future. Who knows? Maybe the Mayans were right. Eh, probably my imagination getting the best of me. Anyway, even with the campground closed, there are still some nice, fern-lined trails that meander through the beautiful redwoods. Because the campground is closed, the gravel road leading to it is also closed. There's very limited parking back at the road & it's a short hike in. We explored the area a while in complete solitude & headed back for the car before it got dark. For a walk in the woods with absolutely no one else around, this is it. The Pomo Canyon Environmental Campground may be closed but it is, nonetheless, a good starting point for nice hikes in redwoods. It's also a place that may make you wonder what the world will be like without us.

Must book 6 months in advanced. We managed to only book 1 night in August at campsite #4. Each site…read morecan have up to 8 campers and includes 1 car with reservation. Additional car is $8. This site was small but we made it work. We had a van and a sedan and 3 tents. We were pretty close to other campers and it was quiet by 9pm. We were just steps away from the beach which is wide and mostly free from debris. We even saw whales! The location is great for watching sunsets. Bathroom is clean. Bring your own hand soap. No showers. Water spigot close by. You can get firewood on site. Closest grocery is Pelican about 15 minutes away. There's raccoons. They got into our cooler and ate our grapes and took off with our butter that was in a ziplock bag. Don't under estimate them. Use the wooden food cabinet or lock your coolers. Note: No cellular reception.

November 10-13, 2025 - Sonoma Coast…read more Updating my review to report that Yelp fixed the location on their site. Yay!!!

Good reliable information Would come here again. I highly…read morerecommend this website. It's reliable and factual

Spectacular views! My favorite spot in Bodega Bay is Bodega Head to see majestic ocean views and…read morehike along the bluffs. If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of migrating whales! We enjoy getting chowder and sipping it while watching the waves. It is such a tranquil sight away from the hustle and bustle of life. Today was a beautiful sunny day at Bodega Head but even if it's raining, I love coming here to enjoy the views. Come prepared for some windy conditions just in case. The parking lot will get full on the weekends, especially during spring when you have a better chance of seeing whales. Several picnic tables available with friendly seabirds checking out what you're eating. Restrooms are next to the parking lot.

The owners are amazing! Kelly is the sweetest and goes above and beyond to ensure the perfect stay…read more The grounds are beautiful and conveniently located. I walked a few times over the Russian River via the pedestrian bridge into downtown Guerneville where there's the most amazing restaurants, boutique shops, wine and more! I will be back for sure!

Great family campground. They have a large field for games. Water access can be a climb down a…read morehill or you just load up and grab a spot at Johnsons beach across the river. Also close enough to walk into town for coffee or whatever. Owners are super nice, already booked again for next year.

Wow! Love this place so much. Went with my partner and our friends who were pretty familiar with…read morethe campsite and the area. Stayed for 3 nights at the campsite and it was great! Stayed at 22 and 23 and it felt like we were away from people enough. Campsite was clean and well kept up and the camp hosts were so nice and helpful! A bonus with this campsite were the showers and they were hot! Good bathrooms too with flushable toilets. Just remember to bring enough quarters for the showers. The best small hikes next to the campsite and one of them even went down to a beach area! I would say this was one of my favorite campsites to stay at and we will definitely be coming back to explore some more!

Awesome campsites gorgeous views nice trails. Clean bathroom and nice camp attendant. The campsites…read moreare nicely spaced. The attendant gave us some wood. There is a small store with everything you need a small ride down the way.

I go camping as an intentional exercise in self-sufficiency and humility, and for that reason don't…read moreshow up with any entitlements or expectations. If my reserved campsite is available when I arrive, I'm good to go. Woodside did not fail me in any way, shape or form during my 2-night stay this summer. I made my reservations ahead of time on ReserveCalifornia.com, but if you show up out of the blue the rangers put in the meticulous effort every day of marking which sites have no-shows or cancellations, allowing you to essentially walk right into a premium summer camping location. My site had a placard with my name and date range on it, a little detail of service I completely love. Showing up after 5 pm was nbd, because our place was saved. $80 very well spent. At site 41, we were a short walk to the restroom, but had a water spigot and small, clean trash cans right next to the site. For convenience, we often used the restroom while we were coming and going to Stewarts Point Store for breakfast or the beach for hiking. No problemo. No showers at Woodside, yay to a washcloth and soap to clean up after a long day of hiking. In the campground we saw bats, chipmunks, baby deer (with white spots still on their fur), woodpeckers, jays, and all sorts of other birds. Gratefully, no mosquitoes in mid-July. We loved sliding into nighttime with a campfire. If you haven't camped in Salt Point, you're in for a treat. The area has an interesting history and the bluff trails have to be experienced firsthand. Your reservation includes Day Use fees for all areas of the park, including Gerstle Cove and the Salt Point Bluff trails. Make a reservation and get out there!

Our original campsite was for Gerstle Cove, but due to a water pipe leak and tree maintenance, we…read morewere notified we'd be relocated to Woodside one week before our trip. I get it. $hit happens. No one told us for sure, but we guessed the water was not drinkable due to the water leak? Some advance notice of this would have been appreciated. The site and facilities were not in the best shape. We stayed at site 46. My bf found empty canned food tins in the brush, and the unisex bathrooms were gross. Thankfully, I was only in there to wash my hands because we ran out of water in the camper. Also to note: No hookups, no shower facilities or dump station. For $35/night plus a $7.99 reservation fee, this was just sad.

Very popular campground. We booked site 62 which I do not recommend; other campers rudely walked…read morethrough our site all day and night since there's a shortcut to the bathroom at the back of that particular site and I guess it's worth saving a 5 minute walk on the road. Woke up because some guy was walking right by my tent playing a video out loud. that particular site might be only be good for extroverted heavy sleepers with IBS or something. otherwise, the campground itself is in a nice location. pretty easy to get to, beach was gorgeous and weather perfect (june). had cell service and clean bathrooms. not far from civilization if you forget something. no bug/wildlife issues besides the humans.

Love camping here and the day use beach here. Decent waves, smooth sand beaches, and not at all…read morecrowded. Make sure to make reservations for camping well in advance. Also note, no dogs on the beach. Will definitely be back!

This is the best place to visit the redwoods in my opinion. Less packed compared to redwood…read morenational park and a lot closer to San Francisco and Santa Rosa if you happen to be staying in that area. About 40 mins from Santa Rosa. We enjoyed this park. We got there early and it was like having a private tour. I suggest getting there early to avoid the crowds. It was so peaceful on our private tour. We enjoyed it. It was very nice. The waterfall was magnificent! We spent a solid two hours there and enjoyed every minute. Get there early and enjoy! Easy five star review. Also parking is free just outside the park.

SCW and I visited Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Park one day while staying nearby. I'd use…read morecaution when using a driving app to get here as we were led along a very narrow road through a local residential area with no room and switchbacks galore. Suffice it to say we saw a few locals along the way that seemed perplexed why we were driving very slowly through their neighborhood. I think that had to do with a bridge closure. Anyways... The return was not the same route thankfully. The park has for pay parking areas and what seemed to be free parking along the road to the park at your own risk. We found a spot in the paid lot ($10). Get a receipt, put it on your car's dashboard and off you go. There's a small welcome center and info at the entrance as well. The Redwoods are incredible here, some alive for 1400 plus years. You simply can't see the tops of the Redwoods from the ground. Truly incredible. The trails are well marked and it's highly discouraged to get off the trails as the environment is very ecologically sensitive. Unfortunately we saw some disregard for that. Stay on the trails people! You'll find placards noting interesting names and places along the way in addition to information about the flora and fauna. The history of the park and previous residents from indigenous peoples to the parks name sake are along the trail. It's an incredible park to visit and appreciate nature. The redwoods are incredible and certainly worth a visit.