My feedback about Manresa Uplands Campground. After visiting the day use area several times, my family and friends made it a tradition to camp there, and everything about our experience was perfect and relaxing. We especially appreciate the high quality of service and upkeep, including the informative attendant at the front gate, the well-maintained campground, and the helpful State Park day workers that we would run into occasionally. The restrooms and coin operated showers were maintained. A special note of thanks goes to the camp host, Andrew, and his black Labrador, Hoppy. Their effort, including driving around in the old golf cart to sell firewood bundles, was a perfect touch that enhanced our stay. We have returned multiple times and look forward to continuing this tradition. Thanks, Andy read more

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Zero stars if I could... Well, if you're looking to go clubbing outdoors - look no further. If you're looking for a quiet, beach adjacent CAMPING area, stay far far away. This was not my first awful experience here. There is zero respect for neighbors, it's loud, no rangers on duty to patrol, no camp host anywhere near the campsite. Quiets hours?!! Nope. Bass so loud it shook the ground from two sites over. Screaming and yelling over music, wild drinking, well after midnight, zero consideration - and no one adhering to the camp rules, let alone common courtesy. Bathrooms were a wreck, not maintained. I try places more than once, just to see if it was a one off experience... well it seems status quo here. Party spot - 10/10 Normal camper looking for peace in nature - 0/10 read more

Such an amazing place. I love nature. We got to see lots of wildlife near the campsite! The campsites are near each other by the way. You can hear the conversation of the people next to you lol don't know why that bothers other people, didn't really mind it. A little bothersome to have to unload everything quickly then set up but we got it done so not too much complaining. No personal parking!!!! Please do your research so you don't complain abt this later. I didn't do my research so I have no room to complain. We got a good workout in tho, running back and forth. The bathrooms were spacious but there were four bathrooms in total, early mornings there can be a line. Everything aside camping is abt not relying on easy access so I really enjoyed my visit. I thought it grounded me on Earth. read more

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Nice campground except they got some wannabe thug park rangers that wake people up in the middle of the night and make you prove you paid for your spot even though it's the computer and they know the spot is paid for! I asked to write down their names and only got one Holmes before they ran away. If this happens to you contact a lawyer. I'm looking at all options to make sure this never happens to anyone again. read more

Check it out if you can. Will not disappoint. Clean camp sites ,with running water,bathrooms close by and an outside shower at no cost or an inside shower for a small fee ,quarters required. The beach was free of trash and welcoming. Site 30 is the last before the trail to the beach so you can hear the ocean at night . Easy to be first on the beach in the morning and last to leave at night.I encountered only friendly,happy campers here. Was really fun to have dogs so welcomed and happy.We had a great experience here and will be back .There is a 132 stairs on the cliff if you want a stair workout with amazing views and fresh air off the coastline. Epic ! Shout out to the state park rangers at Manresa Uplands for holding it down . You all are doing a wonderful job and with so much kindness and respect for the space. Thank you for all you are doing to make this place so special . Just Go! read more

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Camped at Uplands for a few days and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this site. I've visited two other sites in this are, New Brighton and Sunset and I've really enjoyed all of the campsites so far. Like the other state beaches, all the campsites are elevated on the cliff. This requires a short walk but is well worth it. The beach also has three fire pits! The campsites are a mix of some really good sites and some really bad ones. Generally the ones farthest away seem to be the worst due to the fact they are on a hill. Be prepared to deal with an incline no matter where you set your tent. Some other sites are right on top of each other, so keep that in mind. All the campsites are walk-in campsites. You park at the lower parking site for loading and unloading and park at the upper lot. The upper lot has some really great views of the ocean as well as the camp host. Overall it's a good campsite with shopping options about 15 to 20 minutes away. There are much better sites for some privacy but this place has a good mix of being close to shopping and somewhat being private. Ultimately I prefer the sunset beach camping site but this is a good alternative. read more

If I could stay in any campsite at Manresa Uploands campground I would pick #13 because of the view of the ocean (not beach, mind you), decent privacy, and I like the feel of the Willow Camps section more than Lupine or Bay camps. Potential downsides are a lack of shade and it's fairly exposed, so I wonder how it would be if it was windy. Still, I think I would risk it. A few of the sites around it (mostly 14 and 15, I think) are similar but didn't appear to have as nice of a view. I didn't see sites 4-9 but their location seems promising and I would take a chance on them, especially 8 and 9. The rest of the sites in Willow are a little less private and/or a bit more closed in with brush, making them feel more like the sites in the other camps. I would also consider #34 in Bay Camps, but probably only if I had friends staying in 33 and/or 35 to give a greater sense of privacy since all of these sites share an open area under a grove of eucalyptus trees. Another site that seemed promising was #50 in Lupine because it appeared quite spacious and private. We stayed in #38 which was very private, but I wouldn't stay there again because it felt both closed in and yet at the same time didn't have any shade. There was also a lot of poison oak around the edges of the site, a potential issue that I noticed a number of sites had. Many of the sites have almost no privacy as they're out in the open, close to other sites and/or along a main path. For example, sites 30, 31, 36 and 40-45 or so are like this. That's fine if you're open to that environment but they didn't seem especially nice to me. #29 should be avoided, in my opinion, because it's so close to the bathrooms which are lit up like a sports stadium, while 32 is decrepit and should be decommissioned. Overall I thought the location of the campground was good (short walk to the beach!) but its overall feel is pretty mediocre and many of the specific campsites don't overcome that impression. read more

So we camped here because it was convenient to what we were doing in the Monterey area. The sites are definitely big and can handle several tents and it's generally pretty and smells good. However, be prepared for a lot of walking and hauling. When they say that there's a loading and unloading parking lot and then you have to move your car up the street it doesn't look that far on the map but in person I will tell you it is a trek up a hill to get to your car. I don't mind hike sites, but this was definitely work. It's also a decent walk down the hill, which will be uphill on your way back to get to the beach from the campground. Because the sites do accommodate larger groups I found the bathrooms to be extremely messy and that people weren't respectful of the camping space. in 15 years of camping, we have never had anything stolen from our campsite until our trip here. We had also never been woken up in the middle of the night from someone screaming, profanities either until this trip. Make sure you keep a close eye on all of your belongings. read more

Don't forget to bring a cart to haul the camping gear because it's a walk in camp site. Our camp site neighbors forgot theirs so we let them borrow ours. There is a 30 min parking lot to unload near our site. Anyway, depending where your camp site is, it could take any where from 5-15 mins to walk to the beach. The beach wasn't too crowded over the weekend and there's s life guard on duty too. Overall a nice camp ground. We will definitely be returning. read more

This campsite is hit or miss Mostly Bad then good so y'all just will have to go and check it out for yourself for example you have to park your vehicle and haul all your stuff into the campsite which is a Big pain in the U know WHAT!!! then drive your vehicle back up to the main parking lot and walk back down to your campsite approximately a 5 to 7mim walk Some campsites are private were you have a lot of trees and bushes blocking you from others & some wide open where your neighbor can see right into Your campsite The staff at the front gate is hit or miss they don't seem to start until 11 AM approximately close between 5 or 6pm if you get there after they close go ahead and go down to your campsite an then the next day come back up to check in also if someone is checking in it takes quite a bit of time the front gate person does not get out and write your license plate information down so you have to get out and look and tell them so each vehicle is taking approximately 10min or more to check-in and you have to wait and wait and wait Restrooms are only cleaned Once a day in the morning approximately between 7 AM and 9AM Only 2 Showers so expect a line so more waiting Take quarters $1.25 for five minutes 2 Quarters to start the shower Lots of chipmunks around so keep your food while you're gone away from your campsite locked up in the boxes they do provide for you don't keep any food inside your tent because they will CHEW through your tent to get to it There is lots of loud music way past 10 PM there is NO Security/Authority there whatsoever going through the campground to make sure all is well and that campers are being Safe/keeping the rules after hours The upside is once you're all settled in and you go down to the beach area which is only a few minute walk it's wonderful there!!! No Fires on the beach right now they will Not let you like you could before however you can still have campfires at your campsite make sure to bring some firewood because sometimes they have firewood for sale at the front gate and sometimes there Out I would recommend going into town to FoodMax they have a pretty good size box of firewood for $14 a case read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Campsite and box of firewood from FoodMax - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

Ditto to what hubby Dave W. said. I want to include that this was my first time ever camping. I was a bit scared, but was calmed by seeing how clean the area and restrooms are. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

I absolutely LOVE this campground. It is so convenient with the showers on site and being so close to the ocean. I would highly recommend this place to anyone! read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Campsite #20 - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

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"Day 1 Overnight for Gilroy Garlic Festival" This campground is a hidden gem and frequently ranked as the best beach camp in California. Who knew? I chose it because it fit my strategy for a Gilroy Garlic festival weekend. And I'm glad I did. After you part from Highway One, you must roll your windows down so that you can be absorbed by the colors and smells of the tall central coast trees. You're surrounded by old growth hardwoods, scented conifers, rich eucalyptus, nature's aromatherapy. And as you soak the pastoral views and deeply-set gated homes, you will notice that the chatter from people inside the car has quieted. Everyone is staring out the windows in silence and listening to the wind in the trees. But don't drift too far into la-la-land or you'll miss the park entrance sign that leads you down a tree-lined path. And in Robert Frost's own words, this truly looks like the path less traveled. When we arrived at the campgrounds, I was struck by the careful planning of the sage, chaparral, and native plants, all woven to provide as much privacy as possible for each camp site. I quickly ran through my mental checklist: - Campgrounds clean. Check! - The bathrooms removed enough to be private. Check! - The sites secluded enough to avoid uncomfortable stares and half-hearted waves from neighbors. Double Check! Ahhh. We were going to have some fun. But the best part of this campground isn't the campsite. The best part comes from taking a 5 minute walk towards the beach. As I passed through beautiful sand swept bluffs, I could feel that familiar off-shore breeze on my face as I listened to the low mumble of waves in the distance. I was hyptnotized by the beautiful, tall eucalyptus trees, and wondering what their aged eyes have seen...when I suddenly find myself alone, in a surreal peaceful sort of way. There I was, standing in a giant span of a beautiful sandy beach; a beach with notably few footprints. As I stood staring at the ocean, I spotted a lone local resident meandering with his dog, while a few random sea gulls floated overhead. A postcard perfect sample of central coast beach. All to myself, and all I could think was how I was going to squirrel away enough time to come back. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Smores a cookin' - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

Took my 4 kids ages 8, 6, 4 and 1 camping here and we had a blast. We ended up staying in the Willow Campground at site #3. It was a bit on the small side compared to the other sites we saw but it was fine for our family. I brought the kids bikes and a jogging stroller and we explored the campgrounds both on the Willow side and Bay/Lupine side. The Willow campgrounds have a lot less shade (some sites had a decent amount of shade) and not as much vegetation (read: poison oak). The Bay/Lupine campgrounds had more green and had more privacy but had more poison oak. Next time we go there we're aiming to stay again on the Willow side but will bring a pop-up tent for shade over the picnic table so we're not baking in the sun! It's a super easy 10 min walk down to the gorgeous beach. Tips for anyone new to this campground: 1. Bring a wagon or something to help haul your camping gear in.... there's a temporary lot but if you get a campsite far in, you'll be extremely thankful for a wagon. 2. There's water spigot at nearby each campsite on the Willow side - it might be the same on the Bay/Lupine side but I just didn't notice. 3. Dirt everything and everywhere. 4. No mosquitoes! At least not when we were there (mid-July). read more

Update 08/03/2016 Witnessed some individuals allowing their kids to play in shore breaks. This was parenting at its worse as one of the kids nearly was pulled out to sea by strong current and undertow. Fortunately for the kid, some surfers were in the water nearby and it ended without injury or worse. Parents, please mind your kids at this location. There are strong currents here that are very unforgiving. They have no business going in past waste deep if: 1. They can't even swim; 2. The parents can't swim; and 3. They have no experience with the ocean. Watch your kids people, be a parent! Beware limited lifeguard coverage here. I used to surf here when I was a kid. It is a shore break with some sand bars that make for a few nice rights and lefts. Great place to walk in the morning, especially if you like collecting sea shells, they are all over the place. This is Nature at its best. Love this place. They also have some camping sites as well. Have never used them, but might be fun in the Summer :) read more

Have you ever driven along the Pacific Coast Highway and dreamt of owning the expansive ocean view from one of the million dollar homes perched on the coastal cliffs? If so, and you're discouraged because the dream seems out of reach, then take heart - you can enjoy that view from a campsite in Manresa Uplands State Beach nestled between aforementioned mansions which are pleasantly out of sight and out of mind. All for only $35 per night. The campground is in a clearing on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The clearing is bordered by tall windswept trees that allow you to pretend your more isolated in the wilderness than adjacent to developed land. I tell you this fact about the clearing because I had imagined the sites were beneath a redwood tree canopy and they are not. The benefit is you have a panaromic view of the ocean. Bushes as tall as a man separated the campsites and afford privacy. The campsites are walk-in. We fairly easily toted in all of our standard car camping equipment sans car. OMG! Do families like the campsite. As a group of three couples we were in the minority of campers. I had assumed that the walk-in campsite wouldn't seem kid-friendly, but that's because I forgot how much energy children have. There are two routes down to the sandy beach. You can either follow a switch back, paved trail or take 100 stairs down. This campground is listed in the Moon California Campground guidebook as one of the Top 10 most scenic campgrounds in the state. It earns this designation as a premier, panoramic view of the Pacific with about 2 dozen campsites. In addition to the fire rings at our campsite, there are fire rings on the beach. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Breakfast over the breakers - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

At first I was a little worried, I had grown up camping at New Brighton, up the road about 5 minutes, and had awesome memories. How could Manresa compete with childhood memories? Well it may not have competed with them, but it allowed me to have newer memories with my family. We (2 other families and my family) decided to go camping and when booking our stay, NB was sold out so we chose the next best thing. We were not disappointed. Manresa is a decent sized campsite area but has the smaller feel to it since it has several sections. The bathrooms were clean, private, and not a far walk from any site. The showers were 25 cents for 2 minutes and from what I heard since I chose the dirty route, the water went from cold to hot instantly so you didn't waste money waiting for it to warm up. The downside is that, as stated before, you can't park at your site, you must unload at a small lot and then move your car to the overnight lot. However, with this, you don't hear car doors opening and closing as people get and put stuff back in the cars. There were 2 Costco style flat bed carts available for lugging stuff to the site. Or, plan ahead and bring a big toy wagon like we did. :) Almost every site was inhabited by a family (or multiple families) so be warned that there may be kids nearby having a good time and being loud. Since we were one of those sites, it didn't bother us. This may become a yearly site to visit. The beach is a 5 minute walk with a good amount of fire pits. It wasn't crowded when we where there. Extra notes: Do not plan on using the fire pits to make dinner, they only have a small grate on them. If you want to use them for food, bring another grate. If you can book site 13. Trust me, you'll like it. Don't book site 11, it's next to the bathrooms. sites 17 and 18 are pretty big and a great place to book if you have a large group. You can only have 2 cars per campsite. The first one is included in the fee, the second one is $8 . If you have more cars, plan on getting another site, asking your neighbors if they have only 1 car, or parking and walking from a distance. Plan ahead. Since this place gets busy and doesn't necessarily care about the number of people to site rule, spots get taken quickly. read more

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Camped here Fathers' Day Weekend. The campgrounds were full and the weather was beautiful, but the beach was still not crowded. It's a standard California State Park Campground... 8 people and 2 cars per site. They are walk in, not drive in, so be prepared to carry your gear a few hundred yards. The beach is a little bit of a walk, but beautiful when you get there. The shoreline has been covered with sand dollars at morning low tide both times I have been there. We were able to watch dolphin and whales breaching from the campsite while making dinner. 20 minutes south of Santa Cruz. Don't get it confused with Manresa State Beach. It's a different part of the same stretch of sand, but about a mile south... and with camping. You can book 6-7 months in advance. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Sunset from the beach. - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

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Manresa was the perfect camp spot for a girl's week-end away from home. We had a great site...thanks to Erin S... and only had to drag our things a short distance from the 20 minute loading zone. It was also secluded and felt like we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We got to watch a drift of Quail pass through our camp a couple times and a friendly bunny frolicked in our camp for a few hours. The beach access is a short stroll down a path. There are fire rings available on the beach but I believe quiet hours apply there as well so it is best to start your campfires early. No alcohol is allowed so bottoms up my friends before you head to the beach or, as the most interesting man in the world would say, 'Stay Thirsty'. The only bad part about Manresa is you must unload your car and then park it pretty far away. I don't mind walking but it is uphill and at night it is difficult to find your way back down into the campgrounds as your options are the road or the unlit paths. Bring some form of light as the paths are steep and slippery from the overnight parking area. The bathrooms are cleaner than most so it is nice to see this SB not taking a hit from California's money woes. The rangers do seem to be a little zealous in enforcing quiet hours. My friends and I were sitting around enjoying our fire and having pleasant conversation. As usual, I was napping as close to the fire ring as possible. This was about 9:30pmish. A ranger stopped and came over to tell us that quiet hours were at 10:00 and they 'do cite' for noise. Hmmmm...well that woke us all up and quite a lively discussion began. Had she not said anything we probably would have been in bed within about five minutes. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Manresa State Beach Sunset - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

POISON OAK at #37. Be careful. We camped at #37. It was a good size site. It can fit about three tents or so, however there were many POISON OAKS at the back of the site about 10 feet from the bench and fire ring. I already notified the ranger, and I hope they get rid of it. I suggest to search for this poisonous plant on the internet and learn to identify before camping here. I am sure there are many more. It seems people are setting up their tents inches from the plant just by looking at the ground clearing. This is also one of the reasons that you should never pick up twigs, dry leaves to start your fire, unless you can identify clearly. It could be POISON OAK. I'm still giving this campground 5 stars. Very dog friendly, nice beach, good exercise to haul your stuff in. Walk-ins are much better than drive-ins. No gas fumes, lights, noise, etc. We had fun, just avoid that said plant. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Poison Oak at campsite #37 - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

This is the second campsite in Santa Cruz that I have stayed at, and I must say, that this one is my favorite. Not only is it dog friendly, the beach is also dog friendly! The campsite's definitely vary by the lots. We got lot #63 and I must say, it was probably one of the better ones. The lot was huge! and closer to the unloading area. The only thing that I did not like about this lot was that since it was so huge, everyone would cut through our campsite to get to the parking area. Also, it is situated close to the bathroom, so at night, you might be awaken by people. But, if I were to stay here again, I would probably try to book the same lot. The beach was awesome! It was probably a short 5-10 minute walk from the campgrounds, and an incredibly easy walk. There were no cliffs, steps or sandy areas that were slippery. Also, when we went, the beach wasn't packed. Overall, I would totally stay here again. In fact, I tried to book another 3 days at this site after just leaving it 2 days ago. read more

My family and I had a great camping trip. Just bring your own BBQ. The one provided is more of a fire pit. We are definitely going back. read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

We have been coming here for a few years now and it's always a treat. Nothing is better than camping near the ocean. I like that you are not allowed to park your car at the camp site. This makes for an even more peaceful experience out in nature. It's always so clean and the camp hosts are great. Can't wait to visit next year! read more

The campground was overrun with people. The sites had 2-3 times as many people as allowed which led to long lines for the bathrooms and showers during the day. Walking to the bathrooms at night there would be drunk lost people stumbling around. Lots of loud music from portable speakers playing long into the night. Something needs to be done limit the number of people and make this into a campground where people come to relax with their families as opposed to get blackout drunk and party until 1 am. read more

First time camping here Aug 2012 and loved it for beach camping. You do need to haul stuff to your campsite with only a 20 min drop off point and a little hike to park your car overnight. Advantage, no cars/lights driving by the sites all night long. This lends itself to really hear the ocean/waves at night. Disadvantage - getting all the stuff to and from your campsite. We saw a lot of "little red wagons" hauling a lot of stuff (also nice to bring stuff down to the beach). We tried a hand truck, but the wheels on it were just not big enough to handle the trails without dumping everything off of it or wheels getting stuck on rocks. So be aware when choosing a site that is farther away from the drop off point. Most sites are not too far, but if you have mobility issues you might want to think twice about camping here. We were thinking that the camp hosts or rangers should charge for golf cart rides with heavy stuff to make some money for the campgrounds! :) The camp hosts did drive the golf cart around several times a night so you could buy wood right at your site. They charge $10 a bundle. Oh yeah, skunks abound....so we had to be ever watchful of the dogs....that would have ended out campout pronto! So here is my take on the different camp areas. Willow Camps In general seems a little more spread out and feels a little less crowded. For the most part, unless noted, all of these sites are pretty open to other nearby campsite and to the sky (no tree cover). Sites 10-16 are more likely to have ocean view. #1: seemed like a pretty nice site, some privacy #2 & 3: close, good for a share #7: nice site, some decent privacy and size #8: seemed very private, small size #9: up a small hill, away from other sites, pretty large, gorgeous view of ocean (really open) #10: great view of ocean #13: huge site, good for multiple tents #14: small site that is separated from other sites by brush #17-18 -completely open, but huge sites, can accommodate multiple tents (great for sharing) #21, 24 & 25 - completely open to trails & sky, no privacy #22 & 23: are a bit tucked away from the trail and from other sites, but slightly smaller (good for 1 tent) Bay Camps Seemed like the sites in general were a little closer together, a little more cramped for space. That might have been since it seemed like all the sites where really sold out. #28 & 29: handicap sites are well shaded and seem pretty nice #32-35: nice in the trees, but no privacy, good for sharing. #38: very private, farther off the trail, no real good shade. * see picture as example #46: very open, no privacy. *see picture as example #47: a little more private and farther off trail, but no real shade #48: very private, tucked away from the trail Lupine Camps #51: another fairly private, a little off trail *see picture #56 & 57: fairly private, nice trees/shading #58: really private but no shade #59 & 60: good for a share, very close and open to each other #64: huge and very open read more

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Just came back from camping here this weekend and here are my tips: This is a "walk-in" campground, meaning you cannot drive to your site, even to just unload, so pack very lightly or if you are bringing alot of stuff, bring something on wheels to lug it all from the 20 minute unloading area that can be pretty far, depending on where your site is. There was a cart that everyone was using, but you are lucky to get a hold of it. Two "licensed vehicles" are allowed per site, so if you have a car and trailer, those are your two vehicles. We had to park another car in a residential area (per the rangers' advice) and that worked out okay. Many other campers were doing the same thing. The overnight parking is up a hill, so don't expect to go back and forth to your car without a nice workout. Bring quarters if you want to take a shower, it is 25 cents for every two minutes. We had to stand in line around dinnertime, try late evening (after 8pm) or early morning. Every site has a picnic table with a food locker at the end of it. Use it. Not only for rummaging wild animals, but for thieves too. A fellow camper got their ice coolers stolen overnight, or pack your stuff in your tent at nite. Don't take any serious valuables with you to camp, they seem bold enough to go through your tent while your gone at the beach. Sites 39, 40, and 41 are really close together (we were at 40), perfect for a group. We saw skunks many times at night, the ants gathered quickly when food was left out (duh) and although there were yellow jacket traps hanging from the tree, we did not see any buzzing around. Firewood is sold there for $8 a bundle and a guy comes around in a golf cart (one time around 5-7 pm) selling it. The way he robotically calls out "Fire-Wood" is hilarious. Firewood is also sold near the overnight parking where the "campground host" is located. We tried going to the beach itself (the path is nice, slightly uphill on your way back, but no stairs) around midnite and were turned back by rangers. The beach closes at 10pm, even for campers, so if you lite a bonfire at sunset (around 830-9pm lately), it will be shortlived. Alcohol is permitted at the camp, but not on the beach. Not sure about dogs at camp, but they are allowed on the beach for sure with a leash. The porto potties at the beach are disgusting.... Also, I did not explore the camp fully, but from going back and forth to the unloading zone and going to the beach, I saw that tall shrubs separated the camps, not many trees at all. If I had to come back here again, it would be for an overnite stay only with few belongings to haul so I could spend the day at the beach and enjoy a campfire at night..... read more

Site 36 was pretty private, surrounded on all but one side. Site 34 had the best ocean view. I do not recommend this place for young children or dogs. All over the campsite were these micro prickly weeds, that HURT! We had to switch out of our sandles because the pricklers keep stabbing our heals, toes, etc. Our poor dog was limping frequently and we had to constantly clean his paws. I'm not sure if we'll ever get the pricklers out of the soles of our sandles. We took a risk and did not use the food locker because it appeared to be infested with termites. We left after 1 night. We will not be back. Firewood bundles are $10. Staffers are friendly and lenient with early check in and the amount of time you can take to unload. Handicapped vehicles can stay parked in the unloading area. There are large basins for laundry, by the showers and bathrooms. It was lovely to wake up to the sound of the ocean and song birds. read more

Very very long wait to get checked in and to speak to someone In kiosk to ask questions. Not much shade around.

Overrun by preteens and teens that scream all throughout the night, compete to plug up the toilets with tp and showed no respect for adult authority. We were there only one day/night (Friday Sept 28th) and didn't get to sleep till well after 1 am. Sometime after that, I believe, it was a pack of their parents that came up from the beach (making noise as well --aaarrggghh) before it became quiet enough in camp to sleep. It was a nightmare, we packed up and left at 6:30am. I will never recommend this place like it was to us as "quieter" than Sunset State Beach...lies!! read more

After reading the variety of reviews I have to add my two cents. I grew up camping and backpacking my husband did not. After some cajoling and the promise of hot showers I convinced him to try Manresa. We have not been disappointed. We always stay at various sites on the bluff overlooking the ocean. I read a couple of reviews mentioning theft, am disappointed to read that happened. The park rangers and cleaning crew made visits 2-3x per day. We have not experienced theft but do not take valuables with us. I personally enjoy that these are tent only sites. We purchased a beach cart to load things in and out and have not been bothered by the process. A couple of notes: hot showers are .25 for two minutes, there are free cold showers to clean off the sand and saltwater. The sinks are for washing hands not dishes as there are numerous water spigots located at the sites. When the camp is crowded, bathrooms tend to get gross. Can be noisy at night until everyone settles down for bed. Walk back from the beach is a little steep, be prepared. Trails around campground nice, beach is beautiful, many varieties of birds and sand dollars during certain times of the year. All and all it is a great, affordable get away. Close enough to Capitola if you forget something. We will continue to return. read more

This place was GREAT! Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the area we stayed in but it was all really nice. Our campsite was situated on a raised level so we could see the beach perfectly from our tent. It was soooo nice to wake up in the morning and just look out on the water! The bathrooms were very clean and they even had hot water sinks to wash your dishes. pretty cool. On the DOWN SIDE and the reason why I didn't give it 5 stars, is that it was PRETTY EXPENSIVE! I can't believe it was $25! Also, even though the area was nice, I wish that there was more foliage. It was basically just a cleared area with some bushes here and there. However, I will definitely go back!!! I am so excited to find a nice place very nearby for some great camping. read more

We had a great camping experience here. The campsites are large and many have privacy created from vegetation. It takes a little effort and coordination to set up camp. You can park temporarily in the netby lot to walk your gear over to your campsite. Then you have to move your car to overnight parking up the hill. All in all a relaxing time at this site though. read more

Had to make reservations here months in advance, but I wouldn't say it was worth it. Big drawbacks: 1) Camp sites had NO privacy at all. Very close together, barely any trees to shelter or carve out some space, etc. Had it been sunny at all, we would have roasted under the sun. 2) You have to haul all your stuff from a drop-off parking lot. Depending on where your site is, this is potentially a pretty long and uncomfortable haul. Since I wasn't really aware of this, I didn't bring anything to carry my gear. Most folks seemed to have wagons, etc. 3) It was overcast and foggy the entire time! 4) The beach was nice enough, but wasn't so spectacular that it was worth all the work to camp there. 5) Facilities at the campground were okay; water, bathrooms, etc. 6) Bring your own firewood! They sell firewood there for $10 a bag, and there was no kindling! 7) Overall, the campground just kind of felt like a bunch of dirt perched on a cliff. I will not camp here again. read more

I went camping here twice this year and I really love this place. It is such a lovely place to visit for a good time. Staying at the beach is just as if you are at Hawaii(of course it's colder than Hawaii =)) Restrooms are clean and there isn't really anything bad here. There is some walking required to load and unload your stuff due to no car access to your site but, if is fine if you think of it as a little exercise. If you really prefer not to walk to much with your stuff, look at the map and choose the space near parking circle. As other yelpers mentioned, there is an old man driving around saying "firewood" in a very funny sound. I will definitely will be back next year! read more

IF I COULD RATE 0 STARS I WOULD THE WORST PLACE EVER This was the worst places to camp especially if handicap pr have disabilities THE campsite was full of gopher holes no flat spots for tents to lay on even bathrooms were a joke no access for handicap and they charge for everything to camp to park and to shower, my kids had hard time sleeping with all the partying going on around us since sites are too close to each other, we had to park and carry our stuff from top of hill to site even at a handicap site no car access for diabled people Could not even have service dogs near us had to tie to a tree far away from my son who has as a service dog Tables are gross and full of splinters and ant infested, fire pit were full to top with ashes so couldnt even start a fire very poorly maintained and gross when i asked maintenance man if he could clear up pit to use he pretended not to speak english and walked away til i told him i spanish and still did nothing said not his job to clean it DO NOT CAMP HERE VERY GROSS EXPENSIVE AND MADE MY FAMILY REGRET STAYING THERE. NOT WORTH TIME N MONEY SPENT THERE. we left next day after we had a week reservation no way did we stay Highly recommend Mt madonna the best stay ever and very clean neat n organized the rangers woild cruise by every hr to check on campers to make sure all was good read more

Since we've already camped at Sunset, we figured we'd give Manresa a shot. Our campsite was in the perfect location. It was close to the drop-off zone (Yes, lazy people, you have to walk your stuff in. God forbid!), bathrooms/showers, and next to the paved pathway that leads to the beach. My only criticism about our campsite is there was no shade. However, that could be easily be fixed with a pop-up shade. Plus, it was overcast the entire time so that was not a big deal. The crappy weather did not bother me. It was not hoped for but it was expected. The overall campground itself is pretty nice. Rangers, the camp host, and service workers are consistently around so no one seems to get too rowdy and things are clean. The camp host goes around at least once or twice a day selling huge bundles of firewood which is convenient. The bathrooms and the showers seem to get cleaned daily. They have warm running water and people leave soap for others to use. The showers are 2 minutes per quarter so be sure to stock up. As for the beach, it is way better than Sunset. It's an easy walk from camp, just a few minutes. There are portable restrooms nearby and there are bonfire pits along the beach. The beach is vast enough for a decent run. If you're lucky, you'll see dolphins jumping (I saw three, at once!) and seals swimming around. There are also various colored sand dollars and pretty little crabs. If you are daring enough, the water temperature is not bad either but that could have been because I was just running. All in all though, a pleasant beach. The reason I am giving them a 4 instead of 5 is because they will not allow you to have more than 2 vehicles, even if you are willing to pay. I would understand this rule if they were busy but it was during the week and the parking lot had more than enough space. My boyfriend who was just staying for one night had to park a nearby neighborhood and I had to pick him up. Besides that, I am quite taken with this place. My boyfriend and I found some cute little spots for when we come back with just the two of us (; read more

Manresa Uplands Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Watsonville, California

We were in sites 57-60 which were great! Not too close or too far from the bathrooms- large sites ...we had about 6 tents on one site that's how big they were. Bathrooms are cleaned each morning and restocked with tissue- easy walk to the beach...nice warm days and evenings that were not too cold for a summer August night. You can hear the ocean at night and birds singing in the morning- Best part was the close drive back home to the South Bay... read more

This campground was beautiful. The sites were simple but had everything we needed. They had a picnic table, a cabinet, a fire pit, water faucet nearby, and plenty of space for a tent. The bathrooms were close by and clean. The path to the beach is paved and scenic, and the beach also has fire pits; great for bonfires. The downside: packing and unpacking can be a challenge because there is no parking near the campsites, but the trails are easy to walk. Overall, this campground provided a great experience for my family. read more

Disappointed, no ocean views from Campsite and very noisy to hear the waves. Campsites are little away from the 10 min parking available for loading/unloading and then had to drive the vehicle elsewhere for the overnight parking. We walked to the beach at night and there were rows of houses!! read more

Fantastic campground.. most of the spaces are quite spacious, and the ocean is just a quick walk away. There is a small walk from the parking area.. but umm you're camping.. so shouldn't walking be part of it?? read more