I've been a Salt Point Camp Site native since I was marinating in my Momma's womb, literally. Since before I was born, my parents have been coming here once a year in August to camp. It's been a 30 year tradition of my family and family friends to come enjoy this beautiful camp site, go abalone diving and enjoy the dirty ol' tent livin' life. Those campgrounds hold many fond memories I couldn't imagine being without. I spent years growing in those woods, learning about nature, embracing the simplicity of childhood life and experiencing the environment in it's richest wholest form. I love this campground. Truly. Within miles down a windy seacliff road, you can travel down to the small enclosed beaches below. My Uncle and many family friends have gone abalone diving here for years, and although I may not be the one doin' the dirty work, at the end of the day I'll be eatin' em all up with a smile on my face. The campgrounds are clean and well kept, with a picnic table, benches, storage cabinets and a fire pit on each one. They each have 2 or more paved parking spaces depending on the size of the site and are all shaped and arranged differently. I'm not a fan of cookie-cutter-like campsites that are all the same. No fun. They are covered in huge beautiful trees, shrubbery and brush, easy enough to hide your tent away in a secluded nook. And the bathrooms are surprisingly clean. A bit of a walk, but your camping! What do you need a bathroom for anyways? Right? ....... (wrong) As I'll be the first to pack the toilet paper, I'll also be the first hiking up to an enclosed bathroom, so this is pretty important to me. Attention Ladies: Bathrooms do not have a mirror. Pack one. Great campsite for families, a group of friends, or two love birds tryin' to get away. Gaurantee you'll make some memories and continue to go back. read more

Salt Point is a beautiful campground. I'll not repeat everything said below, hiking was good for a beginner and our young dog. Dog access is somewhat limited but you'll find lots to do for about a day and a half. The weather is unpredictable for those used to the heat of the Bay Area or Central Valley. Like any camping trip--prepare for cold and/or wind. The campsites were somewhat well spaced out, much better than some other locations. Unfortunately, despite us relocating to a sunnier, quieter spot, Boy Scout Troop 666 arrived in the middle of the night next door. You've never heard such screaming, yelling and pointless banter...at 6AM!! The parents where entirely useless. Not one of the turds earned their "Quiet Nature Appreciation" or "Respect for Others" badges. I know this doesn't entirely relate to Salt Point, but I'm hoping one of the parents reads this and at least feels some remorse. Maybe I hope for too much. read more

Other campgrounds and state parks should bow down to Salt Point. This place is unreal. Where the land meets the sea and man becomes small. We camped for two nights at Woodside for more privacy and warmer climate. Can't really beat that now. We have claimed #48 as the perfect site, as it is surrounded by trees and nestled down from the road. Private, clean, and so so beautiful. Each site includes: -A Fire Pit with grill -A Picnic Table -A Semi-Durable Raccoon Cabinet *to put your goodies in so the coons can't get em* There is a nice Camp Host who sells fire wood at $6/bunch kindling $2 or $3. This place, this park, is simply gorgeous. We hiked for hours along the ocean and discovered the coves and beaches that are so quiet even on weekends. I will never forget my first time here! Do bring soap though, as there isn't any in the bathrooms. That's the only thing I had an issue with. read more

A decent spot for a Northern CA camping getaway on the coast. Salt Point SP fronts several miles of rugged coastline along Rte 1 in Sonoma County, about 30 miles north of Bodega Bay. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, fishing, visiting tide pools, or just hanging at the beach. We only did a little of the above, since most of our group was mainly there for one thing: abalone diving. And the secluded coves and beaches here are an abalone mecca. (oh yeah, and eating abalone every night while camping under the stars doesn't suck either). We stayed at the only group campsite in the park. It's on the beach side of Hwy 1, just above Gerstle Cove. I was originally unimpressed with this site, since flat spots for tents were scarce, but by the end I was pretty satisfied. The site has a capacity for 40 people, contains two lighted bathrooms with running water (but no showers), and offers maximum privacy from other park visitors. It provides several forested spots to camp out of the wind, but also features a large, open meadow area with decent views. Plus, it is only a 200 yard hike away from the beautiful grasslands and rocky promontories of Gerstle cove below (an excellent spot for kite flying BTW). Reservations for this group campsite must be made well in advance. Driving access from the south involves 30 miles of very slow, twisty driving on Rte 1, which was a problem for my oldest daughter, who got car sick both ways. In the future I might try Rte 116 via Sebastopol and Guerneville, which appears to cut the twisty driving portion by about 40% read more

We booked our spot at Salt Point beginning of February and decided to go with Gerstle Cove campground. You can't pick which site you want when you make a reservation, but it's wise to book as early as possible to ensure you get a spot. The Woodside campground was much larger and on the other side of Hwy 1. Gerstle Cove was on the coast side of Hwy 1 and has a total of 30 sites, including a few handicap spots and one group spot that allows up to 40 people and 10 cars! I believe the group site is off on it's own, down a ways from the Gerstle Cove loop of sites. Check in time was 2pm and check out time is noon. We arrived around 3pm and were able to chose from a few sites that were left. It was nice to have the option to drive around and view the available sites so we could pick which one we wanted. We chose site #10 because it seemed like the most spacious of what was available. Site #7 was the one I wanted, and man-o-man, that's a sweet spot. If you can snag #7, take it! Site #4 and #11 were okay too, and site #9 looked nice and private, although there's a beach trail in between #9 and #10, so if you don't mind the occasional person or family walking past your site to get down to the beach, you'll be good. Of all the places I've camped, Salt Point takes the award for the best camping bathrooms ever. They have real toilets that flush, a nice sink with room to park your toiletries while you do your business, and plenty of toilet paper. They cleaned and restocked the bathrooms every day that we were there. There are no towels or mirrors, but that's to be expected. Please don't be the jackass that tries to shower in the bathroom while everyone is waiting outside to use the toilet. You'll quickly become "that guy" and no one will like you. Kidding...sort of. But in all seriousness, people were pretty respectful in keeping the bathrooms clean and taking their military type showers outside with the water spout. If you really need to shower, you can drive about 2 miles up Hwy 1 and visit Ocean Cove campsite where you can pay $2 for a 5 minute shower, plus $8 if you want to park your car inside the grounds while you shower. We parked in the Ocean Cove store parking lot and just walked in and found the showers, eventually. You can buy firewood for $6 per bundle and $2 for kindling from the site host. We went through way more wood than we thought we would, so bring plenty of cash. We were there for 4 nights and spent over $100 on wood. I was glad I brought that much cash because camping without a fire in the morning and evening is a bummer. The Ocean Cove market up the road had some fire wood for sale too. You have no cell reception up there so if you do need a phone, the Ocean Cove store will let you use theirs for a buck, and if you drive a bit further down the road, you'll find Stillwater Cove and they have a payphone you can use with a calling card or credit card...it didn't take my quarters. There were people charging their phones in the bathrooms at the campgrounds...but I would not recommend this. Just bring an external battery if you really need your tech devices while you camp. We brought a solar charger for our tablets so we could read, and it worked out well as there was plenty of sunshine. There were a few trails that led down to the beach. One was in between site #9 and #10 and the other was near #7. The one between #9/#10 was a bit more steep but still an easy, quick hike down to the coast. The other was a little more flat so it may be better for kids. Both were lovely trails although not super challenging. Definitely worth exploring the area though. We took a morning hike out to the coast and it was awesome. There are places you can drive and park in case you're not into walking/hiking. There's a marine reserve you can check out as well. Lots of stuff to do at Salt Point. Stump Beach is right up the road and worth checking out...same with Still Water Cove. The only bad part about our trip was the wind. I understand that camping on the coast you're bound to get some wind action, but this was unreal. The first two days were foggy yet warm, with no wind at all. The third day we were there the wind started up around 3pm in the afternoon and didn't let up. All our stuff was blowing all over the place and we had to tie everything down even more than we already had. Our site was pretty open, so I'm sure some other folks weren't feeling the wind like we were due to having some protection from the trees. I hear Woodside campground is much more protected from the coastal winds, so that may be where we stay next time we head to Salt Point. We ended up leaving our last night because we just couldn't take it anymore. We decided to pack up and go so we could get home and get a good nights sleep rather than fight our flailing tent all night because of the wind. We had a great time though, and I'd go camping again at Salt Point in a second. I loved our time there, and can't wait to book our next trip. read more

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Nothing bad to say. This place is amazingly beautiful and the water is crystal clear. Even caught a fish off the rocks!

Great place to get away while not getting away too far from your comfort zone. They provide parking spaces, paved paths between each campsite, a bathroom (toilet, sink, no mirror, toilet paper, garbage can, clean!) with 2 stalls. Each camp site has a food locker, table/benches, and a fire pit so plan on bringing your own wood! Quiet time 10pm-8am though so kind of a bummer for night owls like me and my crew. Plan on driving to hike/beach locations. I suggest going on the North Trail hike for the great reward at the end. ;) $35/day for a campsite. $8/car/day. BTW, beautiful drive on the way but windy as hell. Car sick people are advised against it! read more

Real Solid 4 stars. I really like the camping up here. Its near the water, so the ocean breeze keeps it cool even in the summer. The camp ground we stayed at had bigger then average sites, lots of room for the kids to roam without running in front of cars. Its not completely a roughing it place nor is it a overly developed camp factory. The sites are easily accessible - no hiking required. The bathrooms flushed rather then kerplopped. At the same time, you felt like you were being left to your space. It was quiet and nice. There is not a ton of production here, no events for the kids set up and while you are near the water its more of the Northern California stroll on the beach experience rather then swim. I see it as a relaxing place to go chill. (out of 5) Roughing it meter : 3 Beauty Factor : 4 Site Quality : 4 + Details: * Mobile phones were useless last time I was there. * The road up was real real slow, so plan on it taking longer then you think * Bring some warm clothes, that dew can settle in. * Above average hiking in the area * You are not far from Oyster territory, if its early or late summer plan on getting some. * There is a town with a store about 20 minutes up the road. read more

One of the sad realities of CA State budget cuts - camp sites are $35 per night now. The price is a litter high but you can't really put a price on a camping trip in this beautiful park. We stayed at the woodland side of the park which I believe is a better choice because the trees provide nice shading and some sites are very well secluded. Campsites are far enough apart you won't get wakened up by the kids next camp at 7am. We had a great time at the Salt Point trail checking out sand stones, seals and the magnificent view of the pacific coast. i had an awesome camping experience here at salt point but here's a few tips: - get there early so you have more choices for a site especially if you are going with more people because big sites are limited. - if you must shower, go to the near-by ocean cove private camp site. They have coin-operated hot showers. it's worth every quarter! - definitely keep your food out of sight. we had a little problem with a raccoon stealing a bag of chips right off our table. - go kayaking at the mouth of Russian River. rentals are available at Sonoma coast beach state park's visitor center at Jenner. That was the highlight of our trip! read more

This is the best camping site I've ever been to bar none. I went at the end of august and saw at Salt Point State Park: -The Forest -The Beach -Some bad-assed rock formations -Wild huckleberries (yummy!) -Deer (goes without saying) -Pygmy Forest (Trees dwarfed due to soil conditions) -Harbor Seals -A Family of River Otters -A family of Quail -Tide pools (Complete with anemones, sea stars, etc.) -An awesome prehistoric type view of a forest canyon -Sea Lions (Yeah, I know...we get them in SF) -A big fat abalone -Moon Jellies -Colossal Kelp -Some fascinating communities of rock/sand succulents and other vegetation ...and probably some stuff that I'm forgetting. This place is awesome. Sure...you get heavy mist/sprinkling from the ocean every night so your tent gets wet (read: use your rain fly) but who cares. Everyone who works there is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable...except maybe the lady who came down and yelled, "we can hear you all the way up at the rangers station and people are complaining!"...just because we were still drinking and talking/singing at midnight. ...but I'm sure she's normally a very nice lady. Oh yeah...and did I mention that they have real flush toilets?! read more

Salt Point State Park is great. We stayed in Woodside. Now, there is no site specific reservation, which is my only complaint. The pickings can get slim, but for the most part the sites are large, a few are huge, and very few had no pitch at all. The rangers are there later than I expected them, so checking in was a breeze. We found a good site, circled back to check in then began pitching camp. We heard some folks singing in the distance and we had some chronic laughter from the next site, but all in all, it wasn't any worse than other campgrounds. One awesome thing: the campsites all have lots of trees and still have grass. The ground hasn't been trampled to fine silt! While there are no showers, it's no big deal. You can rinse after diving by the water... Bathrooms can get busy and lines will form. Especially, if TP runs out in one of the bathrooms. We came to try the dive park at Gerstle Cove and to dive for abalone south of there. The ranger station had high and low tide on a white board. That was excellent. There is parking pretty close to the water, which made getting in easy. We were not the only divers, I'd say over half the folks there were diving for abalone. I say this again because just before dark, when everyone is cleaning their abalone, it sounds as if someone is having a barn building, as everyone is hammering the hell out of their abalone. After it dawned on me what it was, I was fine. Up til that moment, however, I was puzzled. There are a couple shops not terribly far away. You could food/beer/wine and some fishing gear. There was a bar/restaurant near by that was fairly nice, family friendly, but most importantly the food was good. It shares space with a hotel/motel. Also, hiking was nice, tidepools were lovely, and the drive to and from was great. Everyone was super crazy nice and fun. My favorite Rangers yet. read more

Gerstle Cove Campground The campground its self is ok.. been to better kept state campgrounds. Their quiet time is a bit reversed than most state parks. 10am-8pm, most places is reverse 8am-10pm. The campgrounds were INFESTED WITH TICKS AND FLEAS! The kind of ticks that carry LIMES DISEASE! Seems they could do something? Like mow down the LONG grass and spray something that is environmentally safe.. Beware with your children and pets! read more

I went here for July 4th weekend and as a noobie camper, this was my first real outdoor camping experience. First thing to note: The weather for Jenner, CA is NOT the same as the weather for Salt Point. I went super unprepared and brought only shorts and tanks for 55 degree weather. If you plan on going during this time, bring a warm jacket and lots of layers so you don't freeze! Also, the campground is around a lot of trees so it's super shady, hence you won't get much sunshine either. Campground: We arrived earlier than our check in time but the park rangers were nice enough to let us roam the area for an empty campsite. Although the organization of the assigning campgrounds can be better handled, we were able to find a much bigger spot than we had originally reserved which was a plus. Amenities: We were provided with a fire pit, wooden locker, and a picnic table. They provided the firewood for a cost (CASH ONLY). There are no showers but two bathroom stalls that were really well kept but no soap or towels. Salt Point Trail: The trail was surprisingly short (only 3 miles total) but I believe there might be another entrance to the trail that makes it a longer hike. The weather was warm despite it being near the water, making it the perfect place to have a picnic. It wasn't as scenic as I imagined it but its main attraction is the honeycomb rocks. The ocean was a nice view though. Wildlife: I didn't come across any wild animals since we kept our food locked away pretty well and putting the food in the car helped deter any smells that would attract raccoons. HOWEVER, I did get a couple of bug bites which might've been either from a tick or a spider. I was not aware of it until I got back home and had a pretty bad allergic reaction to the bite. Word of caution: wear long socks, long pants, and long sleeves shirt, along with using as much OFF spray as possible. You do not want any of the bugs touching you unless you want your foot to be the size of a grapefruit. read more

close to the bay area, but feels remote and miles away. After looking at all 3 campgrounds, Gerstle seemed too open, and the lower campground had more privacy than the upper campground. We arrived on a Sunday, so most spots were available and not many campers around. We chose campsite # 57, but many good spots with privacy. #57 had the faucet on site and restrooms nearby. Many of the food lockers have been repaired, but some are still in bad shape (holes, falling apart, etc). As others mentioned, the fog and condensation can make it real wet, so be prepared. On one morning, it felt wet until around 11am. When sleeping, the waterdrops falling from the tree above our tent sounded like slow but constant rainfall. Didn't bother me but it bothered my wife. Campsite has good privacy due to the thick forest, and felt really "green". We hiked the trail down to Gerstle cove, and had a picnic lunch overlooking the cove- awesome! My family really enjoyed the various tidepools along the Salt Point Trail, getting our feet wet and seeing all kinds of sea life. Too many fantastic views to take a panorama or family photo. The second night was the wife's birthday, so we drove 5 minutes to the Ocean Cove Grill for dinner and ate gritting di mare while enjoying the Ocean view. Woodpeckers, blue jays and other birds are a nice company, and really enjoyed our time there. The ranger and campsite hosts are awesome. And while there are no showers, Ocean Cove campsite showers are only 5 minutes away... Unless your beliefs don't allow u to shower while camping. read more

Nice smallish campground, very mellow vibe, super friendly Park Ranger at the welcome hut. We had an ocean view site near the bathrooms. The bathrooms could be cleaned more frequently and next time I go I'm bringing a spare bottle of soap to leave, but otherwise everything was great. You can walk to the beach from two access points but the one we took only allowed us cliff access to Gerstle Cove (which was stunning)...Btw, if you hear a raccoon in the recycling bins let the poor guy out- he was trapped in there for a few days b/c the bucket is really deep. Yes, there are raccoons but we didn't have a problem since we put our food in our car. You can hear the ocean at night and if it's clear the sky is filled with stars. We had a great time with our kids at Stump Beach, which is closed but you can still park outside the gates and walk down- very cool beach filled with kelp and driftwood. I recommend! read more

Highlight of our trip! Definitely recommend this place. We went on a weekday, so I can't speak to the weekend traffic situation. Beautiful walk with ocean views. read more

Great area. Beautiful. Nice areas to walk and found some cool tide pools at the beach.

We just spent a nice relaxing weekend at Salt Point. We saw only short bursts of sun, but the weather warmed during the day, with clear skies on night one and fog on night two. There are two campgrounds: Gerstle Cove which is closest to the beach (0.3 mile hike), and Woodlands which is across the road and more wooded (0.8 mile hike to the beach). We stayed at Gerstle. The sites are a little more open but you still have privacy. There are two bathrooms here, plenty of water. Two dumpster in the loop. Firewood is also only $6 and its a big bundle of dry wood that burns for hours. Probably the best firewood we have had in years (much better than that crap from Safeway). The weather here is probably a little cooler than Woodside. While we were hiking near Woodside, the sun came out. There are probably 10 miles of trails here at max, but still a nice time. Trails in some area could use a little work, but not surprising considering the big budget cuts. :( Plenty of places to sit by the ocean and relax or have lunch. Lots of divers in the area too. Bathrooms are always really clean, never had to wait. Would definitely go back. Had a great time. read more

A simple review from a simple guy. Pros: Beautiful scenery, and beaches, everyone seems to be friendly ( that we came across) walking distance to the beach. Super friendly park rangers. We haddnt got a chance to check in yet, and he came down to us and took our reservations and drove us back out parking ticket. Cons: Unless u dabble in rock climbing many of the beaches are un reachable ( drive a little farther north there will b a beautiful beach called Stump Beach, and its easy to walk down to). The raccoons aren't playing when they are hungry, they scratched at my tent while i was sleeping!!! Worst part is the bathrooms. there is only one restroom building equiped with two restrooms, and one was out of order for 2 days. -YELP ON read more

Camping here is just awesome. I reserved a random Thursday night for my cousin since it was her birthday (and that every weekend date had been filled for months), and it was really fantastic. Driving here through Jenner may be a little rough for some novice/phobic drivers, but the views of the coast are just breathtaking (as they usually are). Finding the campground and getting everything setup was easy, and plus the campground host's area has WIFI that you can freely connect to! With the flush toilets and all the modern conveniences, you can definitely drag a few more people to come along (for those who need working plumbing). The whole environment here is just so peaceful, and was exactly what we were hoping for when we reserved this spot. Extremely satisfied, and am anxious to camp here again in the near future. read more

When the movies portray the California coast, they almost always show southern California. It's frustrating because when you try to explain the beauty of anything north of Santa Barbara, let alone the Sonoma Coast, it is very difficult for people to conjure up an accurate mental picture. We were smart and booked our campsites early this year. We secured very enviable bookings at Big Basin, Sequoia, and Lassen. We added Salt Point for our August camping trip. We're very fond of Sonoma County and the ocean. Salt Point State Park is not too far from San Francisco, but feels like light years away. We arrived on Friday night about an hour until sunset. At the advice of the person checking campers in, we drove around looking for available sites. She didn't give us a map, nor did she tell us what sites were available. So we were scouting as the sun was fading rapidly. We head reserved at the Woodside campground because my book, "The Best in Tent Camping Northern California" had hailed it as fantastic. There were only a few sites left. One across from the bathroom and a couple more near noisy people or big dogs. We opted for the one across from the bathroom. We tried to change the next day but that didn't work out so well. It's nice to be able to look around for a site, but it'd be really helpful to know what's actually available -- and not have to guess. The bathrooms had flash toilets and sinks. Someone was nice and left soap. The trashcans were in the walls, which were really hard to locate for many. At least, that's what I concluded because there was so much paper on the floor. No showers. WHY? The location is beautiful. The woods are wonderful. We loved the proximity to the ocean and Highway 1. People did seem to respect quiet hours, and that made it pleasant. We might come back here, but it's not ever going to be first on the list. Sonoma County offers some spectacular ocean hiking that we're sure to enjoy again soon. read more

LOVE LOVE LOVE IT HERE!!! It was so beautiful, trails to the beach were great! Only negative was that the toilets got backed up and the trash never seemed to be taken out, it was overflowing, looked/smelt gross, and the raccoons had a field day. We will be back! read more

Gerstle Cove provided one of the more scenic car camping experiences. Within a short mile walk, you find cliffs over looking the ocean and glistening kelp. We found a small space protected from the wind and enjoyed the view for a few hours. We then took a nice walk/hike and met a fisherman that gave us sashimi and visited the visitor center. There were a few downfalls to the park, and despite these downfalls, the amazing view and friendly park rangers help it earn 4 stars. We were not prepared for the wind. The campers next to us packed up and left. Normally, you can't review weather, but in speaking with the lady at the little store, she said that it was always like that. There camp spots aren't particularly covered and you can easily see your neighbors. The third downfall is that there aren't showers. Normally, I can go a weekend without showering, but I needed to be somewhere at home b a certain time and didn't make it home in time to show and get on my way. It would have saved time. We left San Francisco on Saturday morning and it took only 2 1/2 hours, our friends however, left on Friday afternoon and it took over 3 hours. read more

Gorgeous. Ridiculously so. Review is only for the area - just rode through - didn't camp there. Super nice Ranger at the gate - even offered to point my motorcycle buddy and I towards some great twisty roads in the area to ride on. read more

This place is unbelievable. It is hard to believe it was not turned in to a national park. We love to hit a 7.4 mile turnaround trail. We've shot hundreds of pictures here. The only drawbacks are the poorly maintained trail (in spots) and the fact that it costs $8 a day (even though many dishonest people don't pay the self-registration). read more

My wife and I drove over from San Francisco to stay at the Cove House for a week long getaway. Today we explored Salt Point, and surrounding areas. Stump Beach was just beautiful and one of few beaches along this area. There is a creek running into the ocean with marked trails and steps to the beach from a paved parking lot with bathrooms. The beach had lots of round rock and gravel, yet plenty of sand to walk back and forth on looking st washed up mussel shells and occasional little dead crabs. I even found a semi cave! read more

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Went camping here with a group of friends and had a blast! The hiking trails (to Pygmy Forest) are really fun to go on and you pass a beautiful prairie on the way. We were also quite loud at night and never got warnings for noise, which I was so surprised of (and grateful of). Their bathrooms are also refilled with toilet paper a couple times a day, which I was unbelievably thankful for, since it was my first time camping and I freaked out when my friends told me we were supposed to bring our own toilet paper. The only downside is that there were very few bathrooms by the campsites - good thing ours (51) was really close to a bathroom! I couldn't give it 5 stars because the whole park had no where to shower...we had to drive to another nearby park and pay $2 to shower for 5 minutes. read more

While I can't speak intelligently to the camping, I can say the diving here, in this preserve, when the weather is cooperative, is pretty darn nice. It's kind of amusing to see the amount of underwater life that hides out in the protected area while there's little more then barren rocks on the other side of the boundary line. It's almost as if the fish know.... read more

I love Salt Point. It's just a gorgeous mellow place less than a half hour south of Gualala - so we can camp at Woodside, get our fill of gorgeous Sonoma Coast scenery, fantasize abnout sea kayaking and abalone diving, see hermit crabs & all sorts of marine mammals - and also a morning bun at Two Fish Bakery. But no coin-operated shower. That's a bit sucky after a few days. read more

I camped with a small group at the Woodside campground in SPSP. Pricing for parking just went up for extra vehicles, $8 a night. $25 per night for one campsite is pretty high too. It was nice but pricey, bigger trees in the campground than I thought. No showers and a few flushing toilets. Seems the toilets would get vandalized at night, one of the toilet seats was broken. I read that raccoons were a problem, but they are a HUGE problem, they have learned how to open coolers, boxes and tupperware to get to food. The water faucets were spread between campsites too. The hike from Woodside campground down to Gerstle cove was a little hard to navigate although it was pretty. The steep hike on the way back was a little rigorous too. Worth the beautiful views at the cove. Neighboring campers were abalone divers and shared their cooked creations, pretty amazing! If your going through Bodega Bay, stop at Spuds Point and get some Clam Chowder! read more

I loved Gerstle Cove. The first time we went tidepooling and were just feet away from sea lions. It's slippery, but so much fun. The second time I went camping at Gerstle Cove itself with some friends. There are bathrooms, and you can have a camping stove and bring wood for firerings. It was super crowded, I think we had the overflow campground because I really don't remember a firepit. It was a quick walk down to the shore, but when we got there, we realized you can't bring dogs to the water. This was after I was climbing around on the rocks with Seamas, my trusty standard schnauzer mix. I promptly got out of the tidepools, as it makes sense there are no dogs allowed, and trekked back up to the campsite. So my first time was much better than my second time. If you go for tidepooling, leave really early in the morning and go through Bodega Bay. Pick up some coffee and some early morning chowder. Skip bringing your K9. There is also a rhododendron park to hike around there, which would be amazing in the blooming season. read more

Nothing stood out at first but the thing that is this place's moneymaker is it's rocky shores/ tide pools when the tide is low enough. (seemed like most of the day) The ocean waters created a lot of natural water movement between the rock outcrops along the shores and even caused a continually renewed waterfall on some of the rocks further out in the sea but within 10 yards of you at most because you can navigate through the rocks on foot. The formations of rock and water look so out of world sometimes you feel like as if you're on mars.(http://www.mendophoto.com/htmlpages/saltpt.html) There are plenty of places to climb if that is your thing, nothing too challenging but enough to stay away most people who are fainter of heart. The cliffs and rock formations are a joy to climb if you like getting from point A to point B through obstacles. The turquoise-green-blue-ocean against the white of the crashing waves in the sea is very serene and pretty to see, I can see why people decide to live here even though the population is sparsely existent. I climbed one of the rock formations out on gerstle cove and fell asleep between two rocks to shield me from the wind. I was passed out for 30 minutes when a couple girls happened upon me and one nearly dropped her backpack on my head seeing as where I was sleeping was a very secure area among the rocks. One of them looked and sounded like a girl I once liked. Would've never thought anyone would climb up those rocks while I was up there. For a few seconds I thought I was dreaming because I was so groggy. Oh how our memories sometimes toy with us. read more

Yep, this is as good as it gets! We have been here 4 times and every time it's a 100% beach experience. Do not come here if you want any sort of easy camping... this place is for the strong only. read more

Salt Point State Park - Sunset - Parks Near Me - Jenner, California

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Spent a Sunday night there so we prett much had the place to ourselves. Something seemed strange: Only one dumpster for the entire loop of 30 something campsites. Trails for to the beach had REALLY not been groomed in a while. I'm talking trees, plants completely overgrown and it became so unclear WHERE the path was that we had to turn back and walk along the road. Seemed really strange. Also all the campsites were filled with fallen trees that made some of them impossible to use until cleared. Maybe April is the beginning of the season? Overall a good camping experience but I could see how it could be rough for someone older or not as young and spry and my group. I will be back but will probably bring my hatchet to help me clear the tree lying across the firepit. read more

Wow what an incredible park! And all worth the $8 for a day pass. My husband camped at Ocean Cove (a campsite that is 2 1/2 miles away from Salt Point, but only $20 a night instead of $35) so we could explore Salt Point State Park. Make sure you look up when low tide is! It is worth it! Though you can still see some marine life at Gerstle Cove when the tide is in. There is so much marine life here. We saw sea anemones, sea urchins, Pacific Harbor Seals, jellyfish, gulls, LOTS of crabs, star fish, eels, little fish, mussels, etc. The rocks here are so unique and it is fun to climb around on them. The waves are pretty dangerous here, so I don't recommend bringing little kids if you plan on climbing on rocks near the shore. The park rangers are really nice - at least around Gerstle Cove during the week days. We saw people dive for abalone, and several others spear fishing or just regular fishing. It was foggy the entire time we were there, but we still enjoyed it! I recommend bringing a jacket, especially since we went in August and it was always in the 50s-60s. read more

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Stayed at Gerstle Cove Campground for President's Day/Valentine's Day weekend. Perfect weather for the Sonoma Coast. The campsites were not on top of each other, compared to other campgrounds, say Wright's Beach. They're comparable to Bodega Dunes. There are multiple restroom facilities with lights, running water, flushing toilets, plenty of toilet paper, and 2 electrical outlets. They were often cleaned and replenished. No issues with trash, grime, etc. The park also has a bunch of big trash bins and recycling units. No wood collecting permitted, so buy it there or ahead of time. The fire puts were well maintained and were at least 2 feet deep. The campsites have lockers, please use them. Racoons are abound and tried to get into our lockers and coolers. From Gerstle Cove campsite loop, it is a mere 0.3 miles straight downhill to the coast. The reason to visit this state park is to see the pristine waters of Gerstle Cove Marine Reserve and the tidal pools. You cannot collect or fish in the reserve, but are permitted to fish and collect outside of it. In our short stay, the rangers constantly patrolled the loop, as well as the host and a CA Highway Patrol officer. It is definitely safe, clean and quiet (quiet hours 10 pm - 6 am). read more

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This was my first trip to the Sonoma coast, and I really wanted to experience it. This park is huge, and we only spent a few hours hiking around, so my review is limited to the day access area near Gerstle Cove. We first went down to the area called Picnic area. The parking there is mostly dirt pull off areas. the guardshack, bathrooms and visitor center were all closed due to budget cuts. We hiked around on a path leading south along the coast. the path was clear and safe, not too close to the edge. we encountered a lot of folks fishing for the day off of the rocks. it was a level trail and not at all strenuous. then we hiked down to another area where the trail leads north along the shore. first the trail starts as a fire road of some sort, but then branches off into foot trails that are winding around the shore. some areas are very close to the edge, sandy, or have loose rocks. it was a beautiful day though, and there is always something else to see just around the next cove or next corner. Lastly, we just waked the trail right in front of the parking area. it was here that we saw the most accessible tide pools. there were also seals sunning on the rocks, and a number of sea birds in the area. I did enjoy this area, but unless you are not afraid to climb up or down steep ledges and on rocks, it is not too easy to access the water. After driving down the coast, I would say areas to the south, such as in Jenner or in Bodega bay would be better areas with more accessible beaches for people like me who do not like rock climbing! read more

Decided to take a sudden camping trip for the weekend by the coast... Well it was difficult at first, hence the ocean campgrounds are always booked, but we found this place north of the Russian River (by the way it's a beautiful drive to the location). The camp ground was awesome with limited spaces available but all are big and have tables with fire pits. Rest rooms are clean and the hike to the ocean is less than 1 mile. The down side is no showers available.... Otherwise the place is awesome... You can sleep great at night with the sound of big ocean waves crashing...... read more

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I love camping here, so peaceful and beautiful. The Rangers and park volunteers really like to interact with the campers and make sure everyone know about the campfires and junior ranger programs. They are very knowledgeable as well. The park has a lot to offer, the coast line is beautiful. I like staying on woodside as its a lot less windy and the sun seems to be out more frequently. read more

My daughter and I camped here last week. It was a beautiful drive up, and near enough to the coast that you can even walk there along a trail. There are three main locations you can camp at within the park: Gerstle Cove, and across the street are the upper and lower loops for the the Woodside Campgrounds. Gerstle Cove is the only one where you can reserve each site individually, and Woodside, both loops, you can reserve a spot, but not a specific spot. What you do, is pay for your trip, then drive around the loops, choose your top three, then go back to the ranger who tells you if your spots chosen are available. Once you have your spot, you can set up camp. We found that the campsites at the Gerstle Cove, while reservable, were really open, and we were glad we hadn't chosen there. We reserved a spot in the Woodside sites, and when driving around, discovered the upper loop to also be pretty open. We chose a spot in the lower loop, which we found to be far superior, and more nestled within trees. The cloud level was pretty low, so our site, picnic table, and tent, tended to be pretty damp come morning. I think it even rained one night a little. I would definitely suggest keeping anything that you can tucked in either your car, tent or locker during the night, and then pulling them out during the day. We camped in the upper 50's section, but my daughter really liked site 49, because it was tucked lower and less visible from either the road, or neighbors. Alas, it was taken. As with any camping trip, you cannot always choose your neighbors, and we had some doosies! Between those those that yacked till midnight, laughing and talking rather loudly, and those that did imbibe a bit. However, despite this, we had an awesome time, and loved looking at the sites surrounding the general area. We loved the lady who sold the firewood, and the rangers at Gerstle Cove Visitor center, and the ladies that helped when we first arrived. All the rangers were really awesome! Directly across from Fort Ross, is Fort Ross Road. Travelling up it, you can see the orchard from the fort, which still has fruit bearing trees. Near the top of the road, before it T's to another, are blackberry bushes that line the one side. We stopped and picked some luscious blackberries that we had with our pancake breakfast the next morning. The weather is very cool, even in August, so I would highly recommend dressing in layers. Also, despite being early August, the sky was pretty much overcast the entire time we were there. The only other negative was the restrooms near the campsites in the 50's (I think it was pretty much across from spot 51?). Flushing was not easy, and took a while to happen. There are only two restrooms, one had a mirror, a sink and a toilet,(the right one) the other just a sink and a toilet (the left one). Despite the issues we couldn't control (weather, neighbors), the location was awesome, and well worth the 2-3 hour drive it took for us to get there. I definitely would go again, and I definitely would suggest the lower loop of the Woodside campground. Also, we didn't pack our tent away completely when we left because it was so wet. We rolled it up in a tarp, and then when we got home, we set it back up to dry for a few days, along with the tarp we used as a tent pad, and the vinyl tablecloth. Definitely worth visiting, and visiting again! read more