Scenery is absolutely breathtaking right now. The river is full, and everything in and around the…read moreriver is lush with greenery. The water is flowing alittle bit too fast for swimming. I saw a couple fishermen though.

Had our car/trailer fixed (Rossi Bros Auto was great) and spent the rest of the day and that night…read moreat the San Lorenzo park/campground. Very peaceful clean bathrooms full hookups and senior pricing! Right near the 101 but heard hardly any noise! Happy Trails!

Came today (Sunday on midday) and it was very sweet to find a calm place for my 1 year old as well…read moreas something that she enjoys for the first time watching other children play. My baby is very shy and she was able to play and make some very sweet little friends. In regards to parking it was very full but it only took me 2 rounds around the parking lot to find one. I can say that many people don't know how to park properly some were parked in double spaces. There are some handicapped parking in the front. For the mess around the park I did see some however I think that's more of the parents' job rather than the park maintenance itself. I look forward to visit this place soon

Definitely one of the best playgrounds we've ever been to! It's huge, and has things for all ages…read more Seesaws for 4 kids, a rolling conveyor belt, handicapped swings, pretend play areas, various slides, etc. It's mostly enclosed so feels safer with only one exit. But the third time we went, the bathrooms were all closed.

One of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to! Located on highway 1 very close to the Kirk…read morecreek campground on the south end of Big Sur! When I tell you the walk down to this beach is breathtaking... my god! It's a ton of stairs so be mindful of what you want to carry because you start on a path from the parking lot and then it turns into stairs.. a lot of stairs! To park in the beach parking lot it's $10! This beach is simply beautiful! My yellow Labrador loved it! They also have this cut out area called jade cove! On the far north side they have a small cave! So cool! Please pick up your trash and be a good human!

Very pretty beach. Plenty of parking spaces. Free. Also free public restrooms. We did not find any…read moreSand Dollars but enjoyed the short easy hike down the stairs to the sand from the parking lot. Found some gorgeous dark green rocks-looks like jade but was probably granite. Worth the stop.

Whoever created this listed botched the address up. Use the following address:…read more 1505 Metz Rd Soledad, CA 93960 United States

A beautiful CA national park. We did 2 short hikes in one day…read more The pinnacle rocks and the caves are SO cool! Parking was really easy for the trails we wanted to access. National Park pass is required.

On our road trip up north, we wanted to stop into Pinnacles National Park in hopes of spotting the…read moreCalifornia condors (no luck). On our way in, we passed Chalone Vineyard (random!), which was closed, but looks like a fun place for wine tasting after a day of hiking. We entered the park's West entrance and be warned that the drive up there frequently merges the 2 lane road into one lane. Luckily there weren't very many cars coming and going so we didn't have any problems. We arrived to the visitors center and did the wheelchair accessible hike on Prewett Point Trail. It's not super long but gave us a good view of the pinnacles. We then made our way to the end of the road to try the North Wilderness Trail. My wheelchair bound son only made it so far until the little bridge by the big rocks, so he turned around, while my middle son and I continued on to explore more of the trail and to look for caves. Would love to see the park from the east entrance next time for a different perspective of the park!

First timer and it was a good time! It wasn't crowded and neighbor campers were very nice and kind…read more Easy check in into the lake. We had a big group and accommodated all of our needs. The only thing I wish this lake/campground had were actual bathrooms and some shade. I've read that it was manmade but you would think they would consider building actual restrooms and/or shade even fake trees for shade. Otherwise, the lake was a gorgeous spot and the area was clean. I would definitely come back with other families but be more prepared with shade or head when the weather is slightly cooler lol. Highly recommend when you're in the area!

My favorite lake for one my grandpa helped dig out the lake. It was news to me I didn't know it was…read moreman made so now it's my favorite. Yes I camp other places I love the area and it gets very hot wish we had more tree coverage so with that said bring a pop up or two. You never know what kind of wild life you will see and walk hike with caution rattle snakes blend in super good. I made the mistake of brushing my teeth with the water spicket one year so don't do that unless you want to get sick my stupidity. If you like fishing make sure you have a fishing license we went down to the lime one year with a kids like two year old fishing pole and a child hook and some lame person said we had a fish net and called the rangers on us and they all came looking for a net looked in my backpack in my truck in our ice chest in the back of my truck acting like we had done something wrong it was a huge embarrassing moment for them because they came In hot like I was a criminal with my wife and to young kids and the only thing was a trash bag that I collected trash people left around apparently they had a video of this so called net and the ranger told me after looking a this video that they must have mistaken a net for a trash bag. It's was super lame like I understand they have a job todo but the way it was handled in the beginning was not professional with kids around. Other then that I've always have had a great time in the heat we even went when the lake was dried up on the Harris creek side and camping one year and it rained we still had a great time. Yes it's not super party like as year in the past and that's ok you want that behavior drive up the road to the next lake. I wish they still had the little store but that closed up sadly. They need more people camping to get that open again.

This park is big and I enjoy running the trail. Would be nice if more things were added for the…read morekids since it can get full but that wont happen. Overall, great park. Also wish the handball courts were always open but dumb kids ruin it.

We've stopped here twice this year, to stretch our legs and let the kids run around a bit after 3-4…read morehours in the car. There's a nice big field good for kicking a soccer ball around (with frisbee golf targets), two play structures in decent condition, and swings, on what appears to be shredded rubber tires. When we came in the summer the rubber smelled quite rubbery. But I felt fairly confident that my kid wouldn't break anything if he fell off a structure. Tree-shaded benches. Toilets. Sinks with soap. We'll probably be back. And stop at the Starbucks on the way back to the highway.

One of California's bigger and more popular state parks, rightfully so. Not as touristy as Yosemite…read morebut this is on a bigger scale than most other Cali State Parks. I ventured here once before in my early 20s back in my school boy days and felt it was time to see it again with decades worth of a wiser perspective. And I was rewarded in spades. This park is about 30 miles or so south of Carmel on Highway 1, which in my opinion is one of the most glorious stretch of road to drive. Even though it is only 30 miles or so, it still takes almost an hour to travel from Carmel. The road winds around through many curves and undulations so you simply cannot drive freeway speeds here, nor should you want to. Enjoy the views, roll down the window and take in that coastal air, play your favorite tunes and just soak in the moment. Once at the park there are campsites, as well as cabins and even a full service lodge for those that don't want to rough it at all. You are now in mountainous terrain so lots of trees, a big creek and lots of hiking trails. I did a 3 day camp stay and loved it. They keep the park clean, maintain the restrooms and patrol the grounds frequently. Even though they have almost 200 campsites available, they spread it out nice so not everyone is in the same area. I could sometimes hear my neighbors but they were never in my direct view. That is a big plus for me when rating camp sites. People can also just get a day pass and enjoy the trails and creek without having to stay. My camping pass also got me to see a couple other California State Parks nearby on the same trip, so well worth the price of admission. Very lively with animal life which are unfortunately very used to humans. Squirrels and blue jays will not be shy to investigate what they can scavenge so do not leave any food unattended. Upon setting up camp I had a ziplock bag of trail mix on the picnic bench along with the rest of my gear. While I was setting up the tent with me somewhat close by, a stellar jay swooped in and pecked at the bag. It didn't take it but ripped a good hole in the bag. So just a big fyi to keep your food on guard/lock. The big creek runs through many of the sites. Some parts are mellow whilst other parts the water rushes pretty good. I was about 50 yards from the creek so I couldn't see it but I could hear it rolling through the valley. It was very relaxing to hear the cool water rolling downstream, whether at night or waking up at sunrise. And a myriad of birds will contribute with their morning songs, which makes for the best alarm clock. TRUST A little too big for my preference but still beautiful enough that I can revisit every other year. And just outside the park are the California coastline with Highway 1 carving through it. Some of the most breathtaking views Cali has to offer. Pfeiffer thanks for the reacquaintance and the confirmation that you are still indeed one of California's top gems.

Great Stop in Big Sur -- Beautiful Trails, Swimming Spots, & Scenic Views!…read moreThe drive along CA-1 to get here is reason enough to visit--absolutely stunning coastal views the entire way! Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park itself has a lot to offer. There are tons of trails to explore, though keep in mind that there isn't a whole lot of signage. The good news is that if you start from a central area, most paths naturally end up bringing you around in a loop at some point, so it's pretty easy to find your way back. A few takeaways from our visit: Water & Swimming: There are plenty of great spots along the rocks to dip in and swim, which is perfect on a warm day. Accommodations: Great setup whether you like roughing it or prefer comfort. Plenty of campsite options, plus the Lodge if you'd rather stay in a room. Pfeiffer Falls Trail: Honestly, this hike was pretty underwhelming. The falls were down to just a trickle when we went, but at least it was a decent walk to log some good steps! Overall, it's a lovely park with plenty to do. Just keep your expectations low for the waterfall if it hasn't rained recently, and enjoy the river, trees, and incredible coastal drive!

We love this park. While it is a little older than some others in the area, I feel like it's a…read morereally great playground for littler kids. My two year old loves it!

Nice playground and walking trail around the park. It looks like the playground is currently fenced…read moreoff for a renovation.

Shamel Park is a community park in the coastal California town of Cambria nestled in the burbs…read morealong Moonstone Beach. It's a six acre park that has a large grassy field, kids play area, swimming pool, reserved picnic table area with a Santa Ana grill, individual picnic tables with smaller grills, gazebo, restrooms, and direct access to Moonstone Beach. There is no fee to use the park including the parking. When I dropped by recently in the summer, the grassy lawn was crunchy brown. I don't know the reasoning for the lack of irrigation. But it was open for folks to use still, some folks were playing soccer. The swimming pool was surprisingly smallish size for a community pool; it was covered up and not in use. Possibly closed just for the day. I'm sure the schedule is posted on the San Luis Obispo parks district website. The pool is next to the children's play area, gazebo, and restroom. The play area and picnic areas are shaded by beautiful old growth trees. This is one of my favorite beaches, in Cambria, due to the restroom situation and combo park and beach access. There are several walking beach access points from the park. But most I recall involve stairs. The stairs are not numerous but they're there. The beach has sleeper currents and strong riptides. So if you go into the water be careful especially since there are no lifeguards here. To the far right behind the restrooms is a ragged tag self made old dirt trail leading to the Santa Rosa creek where it connects to the beach.Beautiful views. Movie worthy cinematography scenes. Regarding the dog policy, dogs are not allowed on the beach. But they are allowed in the park, leashed that is.

This park is a fine place to stop if you want to let the kids or the dog out for a bit…read more Most of the grassy area was taken up by a large group of gentleman playing soccer while we were there but there is a small, unfenced area where you can let your dog off leash for a bit and let them relieve themselves. Most people kept their dogs on leash though Be careful though as it's close to the street and people go around the corner there much faster than I would like, especially for a residential neighborhood. The bathrooms were clean and there is a playground area for kids. You can also access the beach from this park. There is a pool are that was closed, so as busy as it was when we visited, I imagine it gets even busier.