We came by on the recommendation of our niece and her husband, who camped here for a couple of nights on their way south to visit. We knew the location, but hadn't seen the campground, which is up a winding road and off the beaten path. One thing about spending time on the Monterey Peninsula is that you start to find lots of hidden gems of wilderness here. This camping ground virtually in the middle of the city has a spectacular view. The campsites are somewhat close to each other, but surprisingly affordable at $40. There are large bathrooms, and a great play structure for kids located in a big meadow. The only downside is that you can't reserve a space ahead, and it is probably packed in the summertime. It was a nice detour on our drive around the bay, and we enjoyed seeing new parts of the city. read more

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The restrooms are neat clean and the workers are nice I can't becouse I need to write in Spanish

Only $47 a night, lots of open campgrounds, clean restrooms, showers, running water for every site. No fires allowed though when we came..

Its really your only choice to camp in or close to Monterey so for the proximity to downtown/Cannery row and restaurants its 5 star as you can walk downhill 1.5 miles to town and the ocean or get an Uber. Its pricey at $50 a night compared to state campgrounds and most other places. The campground is nothing special. Most sites are not private at all and are not big enough for RVs over 20 feet nor are they very flat. Best RV sites are near the big open park which lacks any privacy. There are a lot tent sites btu aain many were not not very flat. Bathrooms were very old and not all that clean and totally inadequate once the weekend comes and fills up. The mens bathroom had only one stall! Showers are not coin operated just walk in and use them. Saw a number of non campers drive in and use them maybe homeless folks, dont know...dump station is included in camp price and easy to use. Never had any issues with any camp staff or host actually barely saw anyone in the 3 days we were there. No fires in the summer but gas firepits are OK as well as gas grills. read more

Beautiful park with a small campground. Camping sites are not reservable, but available on a first come, first served basis, with a 3-day maximum stay. Campsite fees are $40 per night, plus a $5 RV surcharge. There are no RV hookups, but there is a dump station. The maximum RV or trailer length is 21 feet. The sites themselves are pretty nice; some are more secluded than others. But because of Covid, the sites that were close together were closed to maximize social distancing. This park really is a little bit of forest in the middle of a city. It is only about 1 mile away from downtown Monterey, with a nice trail that takes you into town so you don't have to walk on the main road. Also, there are other hiking trails that go up into the woods with views of the bay below. One of the trails has 185 steps, so be prepared for a bit of a workout. We stayed for 3 nights in February 2021. The first night, around midnight, someone was collecting (and chopping) firewood from the downed wood at empty campsites. Very rude and disrespectful. But other than that, the campground was pretty quiet. We would stay here again, although I imagine it gets a little tough to get a site in the summer months. read more

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Nice park at top of hill over Monterey. Will come stay another time.................................................................

This is one of the nicest little campgrounds I have ever been to. The area is beautiful. It is first come first serve and it works well for the site. The bathrooms are clean and the property is well maintained. It's a perfect tent locations for most of the sites. I didn't see any site with hook ups but I know our neighbors had a generator that ran for a bit. The other campers here were nice and it seems like a great spot for families, there is a large park with a jungle gym for the kids. I can't wait to come back to this place! read more

This review is acutally connected to pictures of Huckleberry Hill right above Veteran's Park. Each time I come here to hike, I see the campground is a very popular spot! I am not really a camper, but will try it at some point when family comes to visit. It is more affordable than a hotel. Of course during SIP, the campground was closed along with all the areas adjacent, playground, picnic tables, etc. Now, things are more open and available. There is a large open grassy area perfect for stretching on after hiking Huckleberry Hill. The views are outstanding of the Bay from up here. Plenty of room for social distancing. I personally have had no issue with parking and always find a spot. As I mentioned, this is the campground for those campers visiting Monterey, and I do not camp, but glancing at the other reviews it seems to be a popular camping spot. If it is crowded in town, head up here for a picnic. Bring a blanket, relax and enjoy the views! Cheers and happy Yelping. read more

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For 35 bucks a night you really can't go wrong. Great location - walk to town, playground for kids, large field for dogs. Sure the restrooms are basic but they were clean and fine for car camping. The rangers were beyond nice. My 18 month old just walked up and asked for a hug. Best deal along route 1 if you want some city exploration in addition to woodsy adventures. read more

Veteran's Memorial Park - Ranger Chris - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

The day use area is fine but bathrooms are locked because the staff here are taking their job way to seriously. You have to walk out the day use, across a street and down a road to use the restroom. All so they can see who enters the restrooms. They have showers in the camping area but they hound those like no other! All water spouts in the day use are turned off instead of one in the middle of the grass field far away from the bbq area which looks like it used to have a sink but they took that away too. If you're into people spying on your every move while camping or enjoying your day then this is the place to be! read more

We had a very nice one night experience camping here. The park was 3/4 full on a Monday night. We took advantage of the nice hot showers. Only one shower was working in the woman's room. The place is kept quite neat by Chris. Also, Chris was great giving suggestions on walking to town and for hiking up Huckleberry Hill. Thanks for the Yerba buena leaf Chris it helped me get up that hill. I would recommend this park for one or two nights. read more

Very nice park ranger, our RV is 26ft and he let us stay one night cause it can not be any bigger then 21ft. Campsite is VERY clean and bathrooms too. Quiet at night, thank you Veterans Memorial Park. Also it's first come, $50 and self registration when you arrive. read more

My family opted to go camping during the Summer of Covid! Family fun! Hiking! Social Distancing! All in a city with GREAT Food, beaches, outdoor activities and lots of cute shops! Monterey is requiring masks be worn while in public, with a $100 fine if sited without one. Some public areas in Monterey are requiring a mask, Period! I appreciate all their precautions! Monterey Veteran's Memorial Park is enforcing the mask rules and keeping the bathrooms bleached spotlessly clean. The bathrooms offer showers!!! The children's playground is currently closed off because of covid, but is a big, fun amenity when available. The campground and spots are very clean and there are many to chose from regarding size and terrains. Most have flat or near flat areas for pitching your tent. Currently, wood fires are not allowed, but charcoal is permitted. Actually, it's nice to not get smoked out every morning and evening. I understand the park gets full on the weekends, but we easily found a spot on an early Tuesday morning. Nice thing about this campground is if the spot is untagged and open, you can move in. No wait-till-check-in time. Check out time is noon. The park manager is very nice, and the campground reflects his hard work! I 100% recommend Monterey Veteran's Memorial Park!!! read more

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UPDATED REVIEW: Well, I've changed my opinion of the park completely after meeting "Ranger John." He creeped up on me like Trump on Hillary at a presidential debate. It made me extremely uncomfortable. His introduction was pretty uneasy and I'm not a meek woman. I said I was at the park using a shower voucher from Gathering for Women. Yes, I am currently living in my SUV, but I continue to take care of my hygiene needs like any other human. HUMAN is the key word there because I felt like a was treated as less than human by Ranger John. He said "I don't want to harass you" or something to that effect. The he continued, "BUT, you go in take a shower and LEAVE. I was merely in my trunk assembling my outfit and shower items for 3 minutes. He said I should do that before I get to the park. Really? A publicly-funded campground where I have been granted access and I get a lecture about how there are fights and people who attack? Generalize about the homeless much? What, is it because I'm Latina you automatically assume I'm some chola looking for a fight? Uh, Ranger John. Your salary is paid the taxpayers of California and your retirement will also be booted by us. Please remember that. I don't see you guys doing all that much in the campground but driving around. It's more like a dusty parking lot next to a kid's park. You don't even register visitors or use any technology. A self-registration kiosk and envelopes go into a green dropbox -- not exactly adding to your job duties. I haven't seen you address the out of control kids, unleashed dogs, or smokers. And all the people who walk into the camp from the "day use" area don't even have vouchers like I do. There were white Women around and none of them were harangued. Wonder why? Your male white privilege maybe? Please don't treat minorities like second class citizens. And if you didn't notice, I'm disabled and had my placard up. Familiarize yourself with the ADA and put some parking in and maybe update your showers and restrooms to meet code. I hate when government is exempt from everything important. Thanks for ruining my day BTW. I had just been in the ER at CHOMP and didn't need to be harassed and targeted. Anyone reading this -- please donate to Gathering for Women so they can open their dream 5,000 sq. ft facility. That way they can house services in one place and we no longer need to go to Veterans Park and be treated so terribly. OLD REVIEW: After reading the reviews, I thought this place would be a dump. I found quite the opposite. It's pleasantly retro. If hipsters want to find out what camping near a city was like in the 70s & 80s, this is pretty close. First off, there aren't many spaces. The self-registration kiosk/board is to the right when you enter. The price as of today: $30 day, plus another fee for a second vehicle. You self-register and slide an envelope in a box. Abound with trees and birds, it's a lovely place. I even saw a deer. This would be the campground city people could appreciate. If you like conveniences, town is just a mile away. There's plenty of space for sports and kids to play. I also saw lots of dogs, but not sure if they are service animals and/or emotional support animals. I saw the employee or ranger keeping the campground tidy. The restrooms aren't bad, but not great. Like I said, think 1980s camp or RV park. The showers are pretty good -- and powerful. Try to get in during non-peak hours.fir those worried about valuables, there are steel lockers to hold your stuff while you shower. The lockers take quarters so remember to bring some. Other option is getting a stray plastic bag with a hook or long handle that you can hang on the corner of the door. One thing you didn't see in the 80s...people glued to cell phones, which is the situation here. Bring an extended charger or car charger. I have a car jump power brick that also has USB ports. That's also a good safety item on case you wear down your car battery (especially SUV campers). Lastly, great air up here! Peaking through the trees is a beautiful view of the bay. I plan to visit again. Eventually I'm sure they'll update to modern tech and have some sort of touchscreen kiosk or robot monitoring the camp. But for now, enjoy the simple mess of this place and please limit your screen time. read more

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The campsite here is well maintained and the staff is super helpful and took pride in their job. The campsites are pretty close together but there is also a lot of open space, a playground, and deer frolicking in the meadow. Very convenient location to Monterey sites. read more

Monterey Veterans Memorial Park Campground is a hidden gem! A little bit of everything for a spectacular camping experience. Chris, the Campground Supervisor, is dedicated, kind, and his attention to detail make the operation run smoothly and efficiently. The park is a close drive to downtown, has great camp sites, clean bathroom/showers, and a convenient dish washing station. The kids will love the playground, big lawn area, basketball court, and hiking trails! read more

This campground has been around for over 60 years. Lots of memories made here. Lots of camping spots. I like that they have bike camping too and at such a great deal. The weather is ideal for sleeping and such great views. A fun place to take the kids for the day too with lots of structures for the little ones to play on. People come here to celebrate birthdays too. A perfect spot. read more

We had a wonderful experience at Veterans Memorial Park. The campground host, Chris, was very welcoming. We stayed in campsite four across from the entrance. The host came over during dusk to make sure my little one saw the deer that were coming into the park. There were also a couple playgrounds, which my son really enjoyed. There was one right next to our camp space so he could play while we were setting up. read more

Great place to stay where you can ruff it a bit and go to the beach. Then wine & dine too, many here go glaming or is it glamping.

Went here a lot as a child for day camps and hiking. It's surprising that just a few blocks from city hall you can find a campground! The amenities are pretty basic (showers, sinks, etc) but it's enough to get you through a weekend of pseudo camping :) What I always enjoy most about this park is the amount of space there is to roam. In addition to the campground there are several picnic areas, grassy fields, and a large play set. Hiking can be found a little ways beyond the camp grounds, although you'll soon find that they bring you back to civilization (aka the neighborhoods around city hall). read more

If you're looking to do some hardcore camping, this ain't it. But if you're looking for a quiet spot to get away from the hubbub of city life, you've found your place. Located just a mile away from downtown monterey, this place is a nice little haven with just enough ruggedness to call it "camping" but more than enough in terms of amenities to make it comfortable. My friend Casey and I spent the night here for $27. A bit on the pricey side in my opinion but well worth the money saved if we tried to book a hotel (they were going for $200/night because the Big Sur Marathon was in town). When you drive in, swing to the right where it says Visitor Check In. Grab an envelope from the bulletin board, fill out your information on both the envelope and the dettachable stub. Keep the stub. Place the camping fee (I'm guessing cash only) in the envelope, seal it, and place it in the metal hydrant looking container below the bulletin board. (It looks a little shady but that's where it's supposed to go). Take the stub that you kept and clip it to the pole outside your campsite--that's to let the ranger and other campers know that that's your spot. And you're good to go! My friend Casey and I cheated by "pitching" a pop up tent. Don't judge. read more

This campground is not rugged or rustic in any sense but it is close to the City, up in the hills and close to a forest. For convenience and space I give it a 5. Super affordable at $27 per night. Our spot was HUGE - under the trees. The Ranger John was wonderful and shared some great laughs with us and also gave us tons of information on local mountain biking and hiking trails. We hiked the Huckleberry Hill trail right off the campground up in the forest - really good little hike, we biked down to Carmel and then did the 17 mile ride - cruising past mansions and along the coast. We also went out to Laguna Seca and did the whole course they do for the Sea Otter Bike Challenge. Really great time - PS.. There are racoons the size of large dogs here ...they come out at night and look for food so be sure to have yours locked away not like our cakes and pastries that got torn into and eaten by our furry friends ... read more

My negative experience was something that has stuck with me for a long time. My daughter and I set up our entire camp and then the camp park mgr came over and told us that our spot was reserved. This was literrally as we were getting in the car to do our planned drive down hwy 1, the main reason we were there. We were already running late and after moving and resetting our entire camp we hit the road. This moving of the campsite cut our drive short and we didn't get to see much before it was dark out. When we got back to the camp fairly late, after 10 pm there was no sign of the supposed reserved camper in the spot we had been kicked out of. When I woke up at 6am, no sign of the supposed reserved camper. I went to discuss this with the onsite person and he said the camper came in late and left early. Apparently this site takes reservations, you can use my review as proof! read more

The campground is a first come first serve and fills up quickly on the weekends. We were there during a race weekend at Laguna Seca so it was busy. We were in Monterey to scuba dive. The campground was clean and all the guests were quiet or maybe I was too tired to notice. The restrooms were busy but the other guests seemed to help keep the clean. John, the resident camp manager was super nice and great with some local information. Mike, with the City of Monterey buildings and maintenance, came in to clean and maintain the grounds was also full of local info. A little pricey for a tent campground at $30 per night but it is a great location close to downtown. read more

This is (mostly) a review of the campground within the park. We camped here mid-week in early summer and found it to be an excellent option for staying in Monterey (literally within the city limits). Keep in mind that this is by no means a wilderness area and, while there are big trees, it feels more like a city park than a forest. Indeed, there is a big playground structure adjacent to the campground. In fact, if you have kids I would seriously consider trying to get a site next to the playground as you could potentially watch them from your tent. We went for a site on the more forested side of the campground, #32 I believe. Like many of the sites it was pretty big and felt somewhat private. One word of caution: there were a few rough characters staying in the walk-in sites that gave that part of the campground a bit of a homeless camp feel. It felt completely safe and I would return with my kids, but I can see it sketching some people out. Of course I have no idea if that's the atmosphere most nights or if we were simply lucky. read more

We scored the last available camping site during Memorial weekend. The campsite included the basics and was well kept. Bathrooms were amazing! Free hot showers and electrical outlets. Ranger John was great! Straight forward and very helpful. An overall great city-central location. Not much priivacy so expect to meet your neighbors! Watch out for the raccoons. They're hungry! read more

Camped here a few times over last 5 years-great for camping and also being close to town. Enough "outdoor adventure" feeling for kids and we were able to easily get to a pharmacy for forgotten items. Expect a fair amount of damp/dew from costal clouds. We brought extra tarp our second trip to cover chairs/bikes overnight , lending to smoother mornings and less to wipe down. The camp has been well cared for and clean each time we stayed. read more

Don't bring your iPad, my friend ran over his while parking. Campground is basically a parking lot that you can put tents in. Also, quiet hours strictly enforced which is a prob when your basically on top of your neighbors. Stay here if you want to be close to monterey for a half marathon your friend is running. read more

Excellent campsite. So wonderful to have trees and nature all around. So quiet, and we walked to Fisherman's Wharf.

This is an amazingly beautiful campground inside Monterey. The location is surrounded by big pine trees and it sits atop a hill with some distant views of the ocean. Where else can you camp inside an urban environment and be in a forest like this? Plus, it is close to all the attractions in the area. There are amenities including shower and indoor bathroom and it accommodates both tenters and RVs. read more

This is a review of the playgrounds at Veteran's Memorial Park. If you're looking for a great place to take your children that isn't Dennis the Menace park, this is a wonderful alternative. There are bathrooms, picnic tables, a place to barbecue, and new and clean structures for 2 to 5-year-olds and a separate one for 5 to 12, all surrounded by woodchips. There are two little kid bucket swings and four big kid swings. There's a big grassy area all around the park, perfect for rolling down the hill or just picnicking. I've posted some photos so you can see all the playground structures. It's almost always quiet, though there are campgrounds adjacent. read more

Veteran's Memorial Park - The big kid structure at the playground - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

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This is my 2nd time staying here because its reasonably priced and close to all the venues of Monterey, seaside and Carmel. Its a little stressful booking here since its first come first serve and you have to get here in the morning to find a space. Its better to walk around and see who is leaving then just wait at the gate area. Someone was playing a bugle at 10 pm and then at 7 am (nice touch!) About 99% of people were wearing masks and the noise level wasn't bad after 10 pm. Good experience again for me and my wife and 2 visiting guests. read more

We only stayed a day but it was very enjoyable. At first was scared from some of the reviews but it was very nice. With a Park right in front of your tent and the nice clean camp sites and bathrooms we will be back. Just wished it felt a little more like camping. It felt more like staying at a park. read more

This place is all kinds of sketch! Just a strange location with some strange folk. It was hard to find, and the location was less than desirable... But if you need somewhere to stay, it does the trick! I did like being able to hear Taps when we went to bed, and Reveille when we woke up. Haha, definitely my favorite part of this campground. read more

Thank you so much for overflow tent sites! I arrived in the park around 5pm and campgrounds were at full capacity. There were signs posted on the entrance at the bottom of the hill all the way to the registration booth that camp was full. I still wouldn't take it for an answer. I met Ranger Tim who laughed at my question whether there was any chance that the signs weren't for real. He showed me a crazy area where he puts families that arrive real late looking for a no frills spot (it's the same price $30 without a picnic table or fire ring but includes use of amenities). The overflow tent site looks so creepy at first, but welcomingly quiet. Another family showed up after dark and pitched a tent next to mine. What a relief. The next day, I had a pick of the best spot to spend my second night. The park's location is a close drive to downtown Monterey, Pacific Grove coast, Carmel by the sea and then back. The ranger removes all site tags before eleven in the morning. This place has a huge play structure for children in the center of the campgrounds. FYI, there is a Hikers/Bikers section. It looks like an overflow tent site because it didn't have tables or fire rings. If you see a homeless looking person, you're probably seeing right. Pitch a tent here if you're adventurous. read more

a shady (literally shady) place to camp with a decent price in the middle of the city. the camp host does rounds multiple times a day to check everyone is registered since the campsite is somewhat small; he wasn't mean or anything but he keeps a close eye and is helpful with questions. the restrooms were obviously cleaned daily too. read more

Veteran's Memorial Park - ladies restroom attendant was quiet and didn't stare. - Parks Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place is wonderful! Amazing prices, perfect for quick and safe camping, great atmosphere, and Ranger Chris rocks! He was so helpful and nice and accommodating. I love this place, we found it on accident when desperately trying to find a camp spot after driving from Diego, and wow! Our new place:) read more

An interesting place to camp. A 3 Day first come first serve dry camp. The worker I talked to I think does a good job managing a challenging place. Following his advice on on how to camping here paid off. read more

Homeless people walking around everywhere. Walked through camp startling me saying she was "looking for someone" Bathrooms are trashed and filthy. Have stayed here many times in the past and it was not like this. Will not be coming again unless things change. We are also not able to start a fire as no fires are allowed. It's freezing. read more

Fun, family friendly space in the heart of Monterey. So many great memories here as a junior camper then camp counselor at El Estero Day Camp. We'd sing sings around the campfire, host skits and enjoy hot dogs and hamburgers. This was before kids were G-Free, Low Carb, Vegetarian and Vegan. read more