My feedback about Manresa Uplands Campground…read more 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

Zero stars if I could…read more.. 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

Wonderful stay at KOA Holiday Campground!…read more We had a fantastic experience at this KOA Holiday campground. The entire place was very clean and well maintained, which we really appreciated. The pool was spotless, and the jacuzzi was warm and relaxing after a long day. What we loved most is that there are so many activities for kids. It's a great place for families -- children have plenty to do and never get bored. The campground is organized, friendly, and comfortable. Everything felt safe and welcoming. We enjoyed our stay so much that we definitely plan to come back again!

Loved this campsite Have not visited in over 30 years and…read morethe improvements were noticeable and well maintained.

Back in the mid-80's, my younger brother and I had a bit of cabin fever, and decided to walk from…read moreour grandparents' central Watsonville home, up to Mount Madonna park. We made it about 2/3rds of the way up the winding, two lane road before a passing motorist stopped for us. The driver told us to pile into the bed of his pickup truck, then shortly after dropped us off at the park. My brother and I briefly explored the park, but dusk was approaching. Back in the days when there were public pay phones aplenty, we used a dime (or perhaps a quarter) to telephone our grandparents to ask for a car ride back down the mountain. In our youthful minds, it was just a little adventure, but our grandparents spoke of it for years afterwards.

On a warm Sat at the end of Feb, I hiked with 2 friends on an 8 miles, 700 ft elevation gain,…read moreSprig, Merry-Go-Round, and Tan Oak Loop. Paid $6, parked at the Amphitheater at 9am. Headed over to the ruins of Miller's Mansion. The forest grove sure was pretty and tranquil. The lake was nice but far away. Saw some benches carved out of huge logs, very cute. Too bad we missed the white deer pen. We completed the hike exactly at noon, 3 hours hike.

I really love KOA campgrounds. This one is a hidden little spot between Monterey and Santa Cruz,…read moreless than a 1/2 hour drive to each. Really nice staff, very clean and safe. The spots are very close to each other, but this is a small campground, maybe 50 spots. The KOA person guided us into our spot, made it easy because if it was just me and the wife... well you know! Moss landing is an old fishing town, very small, abut very historical and interesting to walk around. The ocean beach is walking distance from the campground. I will return to this place, very safe and very secluded. Nice clean laundry room, landscaping is beautiful, location is in a very secluded area in the farming community. Very tight spots, you are really close to your neighbor. But that's OK, this is a place you stay at, and go out during the day to see the sites around the area. There is no stores or restaurants in the area. Only one deli (which is really good but only open to 3pm). So you will need to have food and supply with you.

I am a big fan of KOA and have stayed at all of the three levels that I thought they had up till…read morenow. This one is a small KOA - the manager tells me it's the first KOAExpress. The other levels, journey, destination and resort are increasingly fancy, but generally have some kind of market, a cafe or restaurant, pools, jacuzzis and the like - more so at the higher levels. Well, this one was a fraction of the size of most of those. it was very well kept, nice level paved sites, excellent bathrooms - two full bathrooms, where you get your own toilet, sink and shower and door It's essentially located right in the harbor, there's a gate that will get you to the docks. Including all the whale watching boats . A bunch of sea lions were my neighbors on a rock on the other side of the fence. There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance as well, so that makes up for not having one on site

My wife and I have been camping at Mt. Madonna for about 3 or 4 years and our experience has been…read morevery good. I want to take time to commend Monica, who works at the entrance kiosk at Mt Madonna campground. Monica is one of the most pleasant people I have ever dealt with. She also is one of the most professional and helpful people as well. Monica went above and beyond to assist us in making sure we had the correct information for our campsite. She had to walk to our campsite because she did not have a county vehicle to use. She was constantly working to make sure all information was up to date for all campsites. I know that Monica is a relatively new employee and she loves what she does. I think she has a tremendous future with Santa Clara County Parks and hope she moves up the ranks quickly. Thank you Monica.

This review is specifically for the Waterfall Loop Nature Trail within Uvas Canyon Park, one of the…read moreBay Area's many "hidden gems." Nothing like a relaxing hike along a pristine nature trail to clear the mind and nourish the soul. I noticed that one recent review calls this hike "easy" but as we were climbing the stairs from the parking lot, we encountered two young women who looked to be in their 20s who were going in the opposite direction, returning to the parking lot. "It's beautiful," one of them volunteered to us, "but it's really HARD!" And indeed, on the trail we encountered young people who were visibly panting, even though the Waterfall Loop trail is shorter and easier than others in the park. So you might want to take that into account, FWIW, as the expression goes. It might also be helpful to mention the following: * The rules of this park call for purchasing an entry pass/parking permit online BEFORE you arrive. The reason is the limited number of spaces. Your permit is good for entry during a ONE-HOUR WINDOW for which you make your reservation. The person in the car ahead of us hadn't purchased a permit in advance and was able to use a credit card to purchase it at the entry gate but that might only be done when ample space in the lot is available. * To access the park, you must drive through a private 110-acre resort (Sveadal, meaning Swedish Valley), owned and operated by the Swedish American Patriotic League since 1926. It's a SINGLE-LANE road that is NOT LEVEL (quite rocky). You will want to make sure that your vehicle is in reasonably good shape for this drive. The only really scary part of this road for us was that at a couple of points, the incline is steep enough that you can't see ahead of you on this single-lane road. So you have to trust that no other vehicle is going faster than it should be coming toward you, in the opposite direction. * One more point ("muy importante"/very important): If you're coming for the waterfalls, use your preferred AI platform to check to make sure that the water will be flowing at the time of your visit. That's because the falls are generally seasonal and dependent on the amount of rain during preceding months. The falls are not large and thundering but they are nonetheless quite beautiful and soothing. PS: For those who don't know Spanish but may be interested: The Park is named after the Spanish word for grapes (uvas), referring to the abundance of wild grapes (Vitis californica) that early settlers found growing along the creek and throughout the canyon.

The best hike I've ever been on! Great views with multiple waterfalls throughout the trail and a…read morehuge plus that the park is completely dog-friendly. Easy parking but you have to reserve a spot ($6) ahead of time. We only booked a day before and there were still a lot of availabilities. The reserved hour is only a time frame of when you have to arrive to the park but you can stay for as long as you would like. My printer ended up not working the day of so I called the park and they were so nice in offering that I just write my reservation number on paper and place it on my dash. The weather was so nice when we went (mid March) and almost all of the trail was beautifully shaded. We did the Waterfall Loop trail which was about 3 miles and lasted about 1 hr & 40 min. Moderately challenging and such a fun workout with absolutely amazing views. I loved everything about this park!

April 18-21, 2025…read more Thought I'd update my review, since it's been almost 8 years! since my prior review. We stayed in one of the sites with water and electricity. I believe there are only 10 or 11 sites with hookups; the rest have no hookups. Even though they don't have hookups, I prefer the sites on the bluff overlooking the ocean, but those are almost impossible to get these days. It's competitive out there when trying to make reservations. We were very happy with our large grassy site with beautiful trees and lots of birds. The sites at this campground are a nice size; it's great to have your own space. Unfortunately, our luck was that there were several big groups of campers here together, and they tended to gather at the campsite near ours. Lots of kids, scooters, bikes, barking dogs, etc. Just families enjoying each other, but it was rather lively. The campground seemed like a different world after these groups departed. Peaceful, even. There is a bit of road noise that you can hear from some of the sites depending on their location; but at night it is quiet enough to hear the owls hoot. There are two trails down to the beach; the one that was closed on my prior visits was open. It's quite a climb, but worth every step. Dog-friendly beaches are always a huge plus in my book. Also a plus is that there are four dump stations ($10). I'll definitely come back--I'll keep trying; someday I might actually get one of those premium sites on the bluff again. Note of caution - if you have a tall rig, some of the trees on the road to the campsites were in need of trimming, so you need to watch carefully. Easy does it. Also, the garbage trucks come through at 6:00 in the morning. Really? At a campground? ....... So if you like to sleep in...forget it.

Great beach camping spot in the Santa cruz county. Easy beach access, cute trails around to walk…read more You are able to walk into capital village which is a great spot. Bathrooms are pretty clean. They have dry spots and full hook ups as well!

Love this peaceful and very secure location. Just a short drive south of Gilroy CA. Very nice…read moremanicured spots with perfect cable TV. I will always return here and enjoy this delightful camp spot. All staff very caring and available for any assistance. Put this on your list for the central coast in California !!

4.5/5.0 Stars. The park is quiet and well maintained. The pads are asphalt and roomy. They offer…read morea store, game room with a billiard table, pool, open area, dog park, laundry room (good condition and reasonably priced), propane, and views of hills with cattle in the distance. Almost all the staff are friendly and accommodating. When in the area we will consider returning.

I found so many banana slugs on the Skyline to sea trail! It got warm real quick so make sure you…read morehave enough water and a hat. The volunteer working at the little store they had was so sweet and informative. He told me all about the fire that happened here several years ago! I'd come back again. Also, lots of benches to enjoy the views and good amount of parking.

Came here to see the waterfalls but unfortunately with the fires in 2020 it is closed. Not sure…read morewhen it will be back open for hikes. Nonetheless it was a nice hike here. It was nice to see benches made from the trees to allow for break times and snack time. Parking is $10 but it is good for the day and to other state park until sunset.

Stayed here with my fiancé for a night. It was pouring rain so that kept us up, but the electric…read moreblankets were amazing!!! The ambiance was also very cute! Was about $120/night for our stay in February. There are showers and restrooms on property. Would definitely consider coming back!

6/26-6/28 Overall…read more3.5 rating Group Booking We booked all the cabins and a few tents for our annual gathering this year at Saddle Mountain. Our extended friends have stayed here before and have had great things to say and we were looking forward to coming this year. It was a bit of a mixup with the quotes and rates we were all charged all over the place. Something with system changes and someone made some rate adjustments but larger cabins were charged lower rates and smaller cabins were charged slightly higher rates. We all placed a deposit for the reservations. Some of us paid half the stay shortly after while others didn't have to and the rest of us paid the balance in full 30 days upon arrival. Once you arrive, checkin is fairly easy. Site is really pretty. Cabin is stocked and has essentials. Staff is friendly. Parking is avail close by. Unavoidable in these type of environments but beds are not as comfy and we did find some mosquitos and a few tiny bugs in the cabin. The fire pit by the pool wasn't working and was out of propane. We called it in but it took hours and we had left before it was replaced. Hopefully the next guests were able to enjoy it. There aren't enough community bathrooms to share between the guests sharing tents from my understanding. I was in a cabin so didn't have that problem but did see lines by the office when I walked by. All else amenities wise offered were great. Our friends tent was a great gathering place for us to meet and have smores and meet for lunch. The staff here are serious about quiet time at 9pm on the weekend! Eeeek! Hard when there is 40+ of us with kids that just want to have fun but we took it indoors. Pool available on premises, sauna, etc. Checkout is at 10:00! The deduction of stars for us was really the booking experience and inconsistent experience across the group in rates, charges. Would have been a strong 4.5 rating otherwise!