Had a great time the bathrooms were kept clean camp spaces are huge the campground needs a little TLC other than that it was perfect it has a walkway to the beach.. Very safe place definitely camping there again. read more

Beach, camping, bird watching. Entire campground has this weird, funky smell . . . I cannot seem to figure out what that funky smell is wafting through the air! Bathrooms and showers are outdated, old, and needs to be updated pronto. Entire campground has very small campsites with little privacy. Heads up: Main Entrance Gate closes at 10 PM SHARP! CRAP! Church service held on Sunday mornings at main campfire. read more

McGrath State Beach - McGrath State Beach - Parks Near Me

NO RESERVATIONS. NO 'ONE DAY' PICNICKING. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. $35 PER DAY. CASH, CHECK- NO CREDIT CARDS. Five Stars, for this PUBLIC facility. Recently, it reopened. Not sure but I think it closed down (for a few years) due to unknown (to me) reasons. I'll ask the Host Ground Keepers later on. In any event, and be that as it may, a day at the beach, a Park, a Campground is always very invigorating- both for the body as well as the Spirit/Soul. McGrath has what are called "Loops"- three in all. Each "Loop" harbors campsites with varying degrees of greenery providing some semblance of privacy. My favorite spot (so far) is in the middle Loop (spot 47). If I recall correctly, any spot you choose has a wooden pick-nick (SIC) table, a metal drum on the ground- for log fires, a space to park your vehicle, and plenty of tent space. AMENITIES: Easy access to sheltered showers, Latrine, Refuse Bin and such. If I've left anything out, please feel free to write your own review and include my intended omissions. The Beach is gorgeous. It's on the Campgrounds to the Westside. Plenty of sand dunes and knolls to tire you out. Great Caution must be taken if you intend to go in the Ocean, for strong currents, big waves can wear you out pronto. There is plenty of little critters and birds flying around protecting their nests, so be considerate. If you see a nest (of any kind) LEAVE IT BE! THE NEST OCCUPANTS HAVE A RIGHT TO PRIVACY AS WELL. Wouldn't you think? Lastly (for now anyways), if you camp here, you may want to bring along some ANT repellant. That's 'ANT', not 'AUNT', that is. I may see you there some time, I hope! read more

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Went camping to just get away from life. I went from Sunday to Tuesday. When I arrived, i was greeted by the attendant at the gate who was really friendly. I had two dogs in the car and she just couldn't get enough of them. (They are pretty cute). I thought I would have to pay an extra fee for them but she didn't say anything so neither did I. :) She asked me if I knew which site I wanted and I told her I hadn't been here since I was in high school. She told me to drive around and pick out a couple sites. I drove around and chose site 68 for the shade the trees provided. (since I didn't have a canopy). Went back and told her my site number and went and settled in. Being a Sunday, it was pretty desolate. Come Monday, almost everyone was gone. It was nice, peaceful and quiet. I didn't walk to the beach since dogs aren't allowed. So I drove them to Harbor Cove which is in Ventura Cove are. Took them to lunch at Margariaville and then walked around the harbor. I'd definitely come back. No real cons for me. The spiders might be con for most, BUT you are outside at a park. Can't really get rid of the bugs now, can you?! Firewood is $6 a bundle. I bought 6 bundles for two nights and it seemed to work out perfectly. You just go over to the camp host and he gives you the wood you need. Bathrooms were always kept clean and stocked with 2 ply toilet paper. YUP, you read correctly....2 PLY! I'll be back! read more

McGrath State Beach - Campsite 68 - Parks Near Me

Really enjoyed staying at this park. It needs a bit of modernizing but our stay was OUTTA THIS WORLD. John and Brandi the park hosts in # 34 were amazing and went out of their way to make sure everything was great. Best hosts ever and definitely will be back! Park was real clean from trash And other hosts we met were very nice and courteous as well. Had such a great time in the area enjoying the harbor and shops. The beach we went to was clean and nearby. The bathrooms were clean and everything worked just worn from time. If the state ever ponies up the money to redo bathrooms it will be perfect read more

Wish the State would post the budget for all campgrounds. Poor McGrath must be at the bottom. Glad they're partially reopened. Very safe for family camping. Rincon is too dangerous. Vehicles driving 45 mph 5' from your RV. So, McGrath it is. read more

We checked in on a Saturday in the middle of July. The campground was crowded and it was slim pickings for campsites. The good news is that on Sunday morning, everyone leaves. Half the campground empties out and it's wonderful on Sunday night it was dead quiet. Lovely. The best part about camping at McGrath is the beach. The beach is really, really beautiful. When we were there it was a little chilly in the morning with your typical beach cloud cover then it would burn off around 11am and get nice and warm but never too hot because of the breeze from the ocean. WEAR LOTS OF SUNSCREEN AND A HAT. The sun is strong. As the sun goes down it gets rather windy, not too bad though and then when the sun does go down it gets really chilly. Make sure to bring LAYERS. You will want a nice sweatshirt. You will want warm clothes to sleep in if you are in a tent. Bring fleece Jammies for the little ones or they will be cold at night. So the talk about the undertow is true. I would say more than anything the surf is just pretty rough. There were definitely people surfing, boogie boarding but there are like 3 different breaks and the waves are strong. I would not let smaller children who are not very strong ocean swimmers go out. My kids still had so much fun at the beach. They loved running from the waves and building sand castles. There is a life guard and we just basically parked ourselves directly in front of him. Also there is another beach you can drive to at the Marina just up the road which has smaller waves. There is a playground there too and a cool Zip line that the kids loved. We went there Sunday and it was crowded so Monday might be a good day to go there for a couple hours. The distance from the campsite to the beach depends on where you are camped. We were kind of in the center of the campground and it took us about 15 minutes to walk from our site to the beach. Keep in mind we have toddlers walking with us. We will definitely bring a Wagon next time to carry tired toddlers back. Walking in soft sand with a two year old on your hip and three bags on your shoulder and a whining 4 year old is not fun. If you can fit a wagon into your vehicle or bikes & scooters, great. Lots of kids there had bikes or scooters. The main arteries of the campground are all paved and there are lots of places to ride. There is a little amphitheater where the did a Ranger Show Sat. night at sunset which the kids loved. It was about bats and they had a live bat. Cool. We also sang dorky songs. Another fun part was the nature trail. There is a nice little path that is very easy for the kids. You can turn off and walk down into the Estuary. Lots of birds to see and a very pretty atmosphere. The kids loved the trail. WARNING: Poison Oak. Poison Oak has green leaves that are turning red. It's all over this area. Stay on the trail and you can easily avoid it but point it out to the kids. There is a water spiket that is near each campsite. There is a bathroom for each ring of Campsites but the sites that are kind of the best with the most privacy will be farther from the bathroom. We were close to the bathroom but I think next time I'd rather be farther away and get a better site. There is a large sink for doing dishes at each bathroom as well. The bathrooms are cleaned daily but you know, they are old and need a good deep clean and a coat of paint. Wear flip flops when you go and lower your expectations. It's camping after all, not the Ritz. I never walked in and was like grossed out or anything. The showers take quarters and it's 2 min for each quarter. I was able to take a shower easily with a dollar. The water is nice and hot with good water pressure. Each campsite comes with a nice big sturdy picnic table. If you bring a table cloth bring an extra large one and bring some thumb tacks or it will blow away. Each campsite has a fire pit which is kind of like a steel drum cut in half, it's tall and it has a grate over one side that you can take on and off. You would have to build a fire really high though to cook anything on the grate or boil a pot of water. You will def need a propane stove to cook with. We did hot dogs and marshmallows on the fire though. I recommend bringing folding chairs to sit around the fire. We had folding chairs and they got quite a bit of use. You can buy firewood there for $6 a bundle. If you have an easy up, bring it. Some sites have shade but not very much. It's nice to have shade over the table. read more

Great place to go camping. However, you MUST book early, as weekends fill up really fast. ==Specs== - It's relatively cheap: $35 (plus an $8 transaction fee) for a spot of land to pitch a tent and park a car (a maximum of 3 cars are allowed at each site). Once you pay, you'll have free ingress/egress until the gates are locked at 10 pm. - Check-in is at 2 pm; checkout is at 12 pm. - Download the .pdf brochure to see which campsite you would like (hint: it's best to pick one at the top closest to the beach): http://www.parks.ca.gov/mediagallery/?page_id=607&viewtype=7 - The beach is a 5-10 minute walk away from your campsite and is very enjoyable due to the absence of large crowds and the serene atmosphere. An inland lagoon is situated between the protected sand dunes and the the beach. - They say the rip currents are strong and that swimmers should avoid wading out too far, but I saw plenty of surfers paddling out toward the horizon. You may see dolphins jumping out of the water. - Each site comes with a fire pit, and if you forget to bring firewood, you can buy some for $6 from a campsite host. - There's running water, bathrooms, and showers close to each site. The cold water taps in the showers are free, but two minutes of hot water costs 25 cents. It's best to have three quarters on hand when showering. - Bring booze, but remember to dump empty bottles/cans in the appropriate recycling bin. Leave the mj at home: too many kids are around. ==Cons== - The park staff has an odd system of choosing your campsite. You enter, drive around, and tell them what spots you desire. Often, by the time you drive back to tell them which spot you want, it'll be taken -- a lot of useless driving is required. - The showers may be out of service quite often. Some hot water dispensers may not work, so choose the showers that everyone uses. Bring shower shoes/sandals! - Bring your own toilet paper, as the park staff may not replenish it. Also, don't be surprised if people piss on the floor/toilet seats. - Since it's a fairly popular place, kids and RVs will likely be crawling all over the place. Peace and quiet may not be totally guaranteed until 10 pm when quiet hours are in effect. read more

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So here's the thing, I didn't set this up, deal with reservations/ picking out the camp site/ etc etc etc. So I don't know anything about pricing and site procedures--I do know that civilization is only within a 5 mile radius of Mcgrath State Park. ONE: Be sure to absolutely get here before 10:00pm or you may have to get creative with the do-not-back-up-or-you'll-damage-your-tires spikes as an alternate method of getting your car into the camp grounds because the main entrance gate will have been locked and bolted shut by then. TWO: Quiet time is also at 10:00pm. So don't get hella drunk and start playing flip cup--screaming profanities at the top of your lungs when your team loses and screaming profanities at the top of your lungs when your team wins. Eventually, fellow campers from neighboring camp grounds will approach you with intentions of nicely asking you to settle down and hush hush until you somehow manage to get them to join in a game or two. [a] the next set of neighboring campers will be trouble and tell you to shut up or be prepared to be taken elsewhere--which is by all means totally understandable. [b] the next morning, a ranger comes to warn you about the several complaints against your camping party from last night--again, this is understandable. [c] a few hours later, another ranger comes along to issue the same exact cautionary message. now this is annoying. [d] post-10:00pm, silent and still, you notice the rangers still making their rounds to flash their lights in your direction to make sure you're not disturbing the peace while the sounds from other sites echo throughout the camp grounds. SERIOUSLY, BRO? Obviously don't come here with intentions to all out party unless you want to be under the radar. Camp grounds in general aren't good for that kind of stuff. You need to be out in some serious wilderness--maybe even hike into a secluded location to engage in shenanigans. The sites are too close in proximity to each other. The bathrooms are outdated and remind me of bathrooms back in middle school and their showers are set up like college dorms except it's 25 cents for every 2 minutes of hot water. There are sinks to wash utensils and equipment and the camp site host sells firewood in case you run out. There are fire pits on every site--perfect for smores and barbeques and benches to set all food/ equipment. Our campsite was a 5 minute walk from the beach/ sand dunes/ nesting wildlife--but there are several sites, some are closer to the main road and some closer to the beach--your choice if they are available. Just be sure to "KEEP IT G-RATED." -MSP Ranger read more

Went camping for a weekend here for a friend's birthday. LOVED it! It was so close to the beach. Walking distance. There's a lot of other campers around too so it definitely gave a safer but less private feeling. Unfortunately, the bathrooms weren't working when we first got there so they hauled in some portapotties. I'm usually DEATHLY scared of portapotties (might be exaggerating a little lol) but they did a great job of keeping it clean as much as a portapotty can be clean. The attendant at the gate wasn't too friendly initially. Just kind of screamed at us about one of our other cars having to come back and pay (you drive around and pick a camp site and go back to the front to let them know which one you chose). It's a parking fee of $10 per car and each camp site is only allowed 3 cars. There's a fire pit. The beach was beautiful. It was weird though. SOOO hot at the campground and then SOOOO cold at the beach. Another bad thing about the beach was that the sand wasn't sand. It was rocks. It HURT! The weather was amazing. it wasn't cold at all at night. Unfortunately I wasn't able to see ANY stars. Another nice thing was there was a Von's right down the street in case you really really needed it (my friend seemed to be allergic to something so we had to do a benadryl run). I believe you can only check in at the camp site at noon too. And check out time is noon too. It was a lot of fun and I'd deff go back! read more

We love this place! We've been going there annually for the past 3-4 years and this year our group was about 40 people with 20 of them being under 10 years old! The restrooms are kept as clean as public restrooms/showers can be. Ample shade and segregated enough from civilization that you kinda forget you are less than 5 miles from a Starbucks and McDonald's. I love seeing all the kids riding their bikes around and the respect that others campers have. The crickets can be loud, but it's better than hearing a freeway, gunshots, or helicopters like in the city. Just remember to cover your food when not attended as the seagulls will trash the place. Also hide your aluminum cans! This last time we went, there was a guy walking and rummaging for recyclables at 2am! read more

Omg after searching for hours where you camp, my friend and I came across this one. We were doing a last minute tenting trip. We went along the coast to see where it was "legal" to tent without having to make reservations. A lot of the places we went to either was full blown packed or had to have an RV to camp. We just had a tent....lol. So finally we came across McGrath State Park. It's $35 for a night and make sure you have cash or check because they don't take card after hours. We finally found a spot to set up our tent. We were greeted by a man. Don't remember his name but he was super helpful and broke it down on where everything was. Yes, there are bathrooms w shower stalls. The bathroom isn't super dirty but it's not like a five star hotel shower. It's good enough..at least for me. You don't need to pay for hot water. read more

Beautiful campground, no reservations needed which is a big plus! Big sites, nice showers and restrooms, easy walk to beach access, real "camping" very rustic, great for tent camping and plenty of room for RV's as well. Very quiet at night for a campfire and listening to the frogs, sorry to say the park is closed now indefinitely due to a flooding issue. Since this is a state of CA park always check online or call for info read more

McGrath State Beach - McGrath sunset - Parks Near Me

I have been visiting McGrath State Beach since I was a toddler. My family visits every year in August. We spend a week camping (typically in tents). I recently spent July 24th-27th camping at McGrath. The weather was wonderful, the sun was strong and the beach was beautiful! I love McGrath! The review written below by Hillary K. was quite accurate. She gave a good visual of what the campground looks like. I prefer the spots closer to the beach (usually spots 100-110). I also like these spot because there are open fields around them that offer plenty of space to play volleyball, catch, etc. The bathrooms are campground bathrooms. They offer private showers and bathroom stalls. Definitely could use some work, but like Hillary said, this is camping, not the Ritz. I was quite disappointed, however, to find out that this campground is slated to close due to state budget cuts in September 2011. One of the camp hosts told my sister and I to vote for McGrath at www.livepositively.com as there is a contest sponsored by Coca-Cola that they are hoping McGrath could win. After spending 27 summers camping at such a wonderful, peaceful place, it would be unfortunate for it to close. I recommend this beach to anyone who enjoys camping and all of the adventures (swimming, fishing, campfires, nature walks, etc.) that camping offers. read more

Not bad, it's right next to the Ventura Harbor which is where I outrigger. The spot where my girlfriend and I camped out was super shady which is ALWAYS a plus in my book. I don't think there are any hikes around there, the only good thing is that the beach is ~5 minutes away. My girlfriend convinced me to buy a sports kite at the shopping plaza next to the harbor, and I have to say that it definitely made the trip funner. It was super easy to fly the kite on the beach because it's always windy there. I had a blast doing figure 8s and other tricks with the kite. All in all, a ok camping spot that's close to civilization. read more

I love camping at McGrath. The weather is always perfect, and it's a great location for those in your party who aren't necessarily one with nature (i.e. flush toilets, drinking water, paved parking spots, etc.) There's a nice nature trail near the site, and the sunsets are beautiful. The fee is extremely reasonable, and there are fire pits for yummy s'mores. Curfew is at 10 PM which is pretty early by my time, but it's a family place, so what're you gonna do? read more

Staff are nice and very quiet. Staff are accomodating. We will go back again. Safe with kids and had a good spot for sanctuary

My friends and I needed a place to crash last week on the way to Big Sur from San Diego. We were gonna try to get to Santa Barbara, but the L.A. traffic wore us down so we ended up staying here. We had heard nothing about it except from the AAA Camping book we had. We pulled up at 8:30pm and they had a spot for us sans reservations. It cost $35 for the night. The girl in the booth was so, so friendly. When we got to our site, someone had illegally taken it, but we were hesitant to report it because we didn't want to be narcs. However, we ended up getting a new spot regardless. We went along the beach trail at night and it was red tide, which means at night the waves glow green. It was so fun and just a short distance from our site. Although, we did find a dead seal, which was kind of a bummer. The bathrooms were super gross, even used panties were on the floor. But I was the most disgusted in our group, This just may mean I'm picky. It was a nice place to stay for the night. I can't really speak about daytime activities, but I would certainly stay here again on another coastal adventure. read more

This place was a lot of fun to camp at. The rangers there are all very friendly and want to make the most of your experience. When we got there, there were still a lot of site open so they gave us a map and told us to drive around and pick about 6 sites that we would like to have and come back and they'll check if they're booked. It was great because we were able to pick the right one for us and see it in person rather than read a description online. Well we got to our site and it was pretty big. We had a whole back space that could easily fit 3 tents. We were next to the road of the campsite but there was probably 10 ft of bushes and brush between that we didn't notice lights or that much noise from it. What I do really like about this place is the trees. There was plenty of shade which is great. But I do remember seeing some sites that are in the open and had no trees or bushes around it so make sure you look at where your campsite is. The pros: Trees/shade Weather Big site Nice rangers The Cons: The beach is far and during certain parts of the year they close part of the walkway to the beach because of migratory birds. Parking spaces are a little tight (if you have 2 cars it can fit but really tight) read more

Great news! The sewage line at McGrath has been repaired and the park is officially reopening July 1st 2012 and you can make online reservations now! Not only did the sewage line get repaired but the bathrooms all have new partitions, toilets, paint and the visitor center was painted and fixed up some along with some landscaping and new plant additions. Here is the link for online reservations starting in July: http://www.reserveamerica.com/campsiteCalendar.do?page=matrix&calarvdate=06/25/2012&contractCode=CA&parkId=120056 read more

Ok, in all fairness, we are tent campers. I think if we had a self contained unit, this might be a different review. We stopped by to check the campground out and were told that we could park the car and walk thru, or we could pay for a day use ticket. We chose to park the car and walk thru. The campground looks nice enough, however the bathrooms were beyond atrocious. Dirty, and gross. I love to camp, but this is one place we will not return to. read more

I went on 06-15-11. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars instead of one is because it is a decent campground with decent facilities. On the other hand, if you are going to drink with your buddies, this is not the place to go. They have a STRICT 10pm "quiet time." Quiet time means you have to go to sleep. You are not allowed to have any more fun for the rest of the evening. We learned the hard way. There is a zero-tolerance policy, not even a warning. Also, even though you are paying for your campsite, it is STILL $10 per vehicle, per night to park. Firewood is $6 per small bundle, I would suggest going to wal-mart or trying to buy some in bulk before going. This is definitely a family campground. If you are a 20-something like our group was, I would suggest staying FAR away from this place. read more

Dry camping for rv's and tents. Kind of don't want to tell folks about this local gem, but here goes. Peaceful, short walk to beach (about 400 yards), quiet. So wonderful to hear the ocean in the eve's or when you wake up. You can bring a generator for certain hours. There are fire rings (bring your own wood), restrooms and showers too. Nice spots and plenty of room to park it without hassle. The hosts are friendly and I feel it's pretty secure. Nice volunteer also rides his bike around checking on things. They've reopened (was closed for a while, I hear). It's along Harbor Drive in Oxnard. You can easily head up to Ventura Harbor for breakfast or whatnot. It's that close, yet you feel far removed from the 'burb life. One thing...there are super eager ants...little ones...so bring some diatoaceous earth or little ant motels for your camper or tent. This time of year we didn't need heat, just a jacket and an extra blanket. We were in an r.v. No lifeguards at beach. Very nice beach read more

Overall stay was great since we went there with a large number of people. The facility needs continuous cleaning, particularly the rest rooms, it was dirty and smelly for the most part and it ran out of toilet paper on our last day on all the stalls. Our experience was OK, but the fun factor was great! Also make sure to bring the following, OFF bug spray (it rained when we were there and the mosquitos and spiders came out), broom, lanterns and of course anything else you bring for outdoor camping. read more

Great beach, we went for 1 night on a second camping trip ever . We were 2 families with kids in range of 11-5. Beautiul 'n close to estuary/beach (400 yds). To our bad-luck, the day of check-out did not have running water because somebody rammed into a water main. So, we had to go out to the Ventura harbor to take care of ourselves. But the parks folks were able to bring water service next morning. (Pity those folks who had to use the Port A Pot etc) but otherwise was an awesome experience. This is also on Sunset mags top CA campsites I would love to go there again.. read more

If there was a way to leave zero stars I would. I'm an avid camper and this is by far the worst camp ground I've ever been to.

Very disappointed. I've never yelped anyone. But this was so disappointing I need to warn others. Let's first start with the pictures are misleading. There is little to no trees, very dead grass and brush and lots of fire ant hills. Bathrooms were gross. Ants, bugs and mold everywhere. Sinks were not clean, had mold and debris from people teeth brushing and hair. Only one of three woman's showers worked. Other three had sign that said "closed for repairs". The one that did work provided warm water ever 2 min for a quarter. One of the only good things. But the shower itself had mold and there were ants all over the counter wear you were to put your clothes and toiletries. The campground rules... let's just say they pick and choose what they follow or enforce. First, when we arrived the host on the golf cart gave us 3 sites to choose from, was pleasant, and helpful. When we saw the conditions of the sites we weren't sure if we should stay. He immediately shared "there's another campground about 4 miles up the road, but they're very expensive and run the place like the gustopo". So we decided to pick one and stay. Rule 1- Dogs must be kept on 6 ft leash at all times. Apparently only applies if they feel like it. We had our 3 dogs and followed the rule when on the paths and walking to and from the bathrooms. There was a Shepard running around all day without a leash and no owners. In the evening he came into our campsite and provoked our dogs. My husband told the "enforcer" on his bicycle. The owner was two camps down, which we didn't know at the time. He went to the owners and we could hear the conversation "you should really have your dog on a leash. Some people are getting annoyed". Rule 2 - No generators between 8pm-10am!!! Really 14 hours! No one sleeps 14 hours. And it's not even dark at 8pm. People are still cooking. The enforcer on the bike was out in full force telling everyone right at 8pm to turn them off. So this rule must be strictly enforced. However unleashed dogs is okay. Hmmmm. Then at 8am we figured it has to be okay to start the generator because we could hear others and there were kids out playing, riding bikes, noise all around. A guy started up his Harley Davidson. But, nope. Coffee wasn't even brewing and the guy on the bike was back telling us to turn it off. We had just purchased our generator before this trip and it was the quietest on the grounds. More quiet then the music playing and kids screaming. Still not okay. Now mind you this is fine for the campground hosts because they are the ONLY sites with full hook ups. So while he's running around telling everyone they can't Have electrical, they have their patio tv on, radio and patio light. Enjoying all the luxuries. Rule 3- Quiet time was 10pm-8am. Again not enforced. Generators were too noisy but all the large families hooting and hollering until midnight is fine. I wasn't really upset cuz we are all on vacation and clearly no one is headed to work. But why are the quiet hours different than the generator hours? If you can be noisy at turn on your radio at 8am, why not your generator for AC and coffee pot? The state employees at the guard shack were very nice and helpful when trying to get around the city and asked questions about the beach. They deserve 5 stars. The camp hosts and the campground deserves ZERO stars. If you made it to the end of this post. I want to reiterate: I have never felt the need to post on yelp. This campground was run horribly and is not deserving of the 4.5 stars it currently has. read more

Mcgrath state beach is now open. 04/20/2014. Weekends until May 26, 2014, they will take a look at it again then may open 7 days a week through summer. read more

What can I say about this place?? Well I have been coming here for about 22 years now and I have never missed a summer. I was sad to hear that the park would be closing after the summer of 2011, however after lots and lots of fund raising, and donations they saved McGrath and the park will re-open July 1st 2012!!!!! Ok onto the real review of this place. This place is great camping, you have over 150 spots to choose from and each circle kind of has its own unique feel to it. The beach is a little bit of a hike however that is a good thing when it comes to night time and having a bon fire (these are not permitted so do it at your own risk but ALWAYS clean up after yourself if you do) A few reviews commented on the showers/restroom however after the re-opening they will ALL be brand new! The only down side is about 7 or 8 years ago the full nature trail was washed away with river water :( I miss that trail however I can still picture it and how cool it was!! This place is GREAT for group caming and I can't wait to go in 2 months!!! read more

Just came back from a camping trip and it was great! The hiking trails are about 1/4 mile long each and easily trekked, except the one leading to the lagoon, you have to climb over a fallen tree due to the flooded areas. Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed in the hiking trails and at the beach, though I saw a few dogs running around freely, but then again there are people who always break the laws. Very few campers made each campsite quiet and comfortable, but I think it's due to the high daily rates $35 per night! The overwhelming croaking of the toads and frogs in the nearby Santa Clara river can make it hard to sleep at night, but it's much better than hearing sirens and horns. Don't pick a campsite near the entrance and the road, the loud sound of cars passing by will keep you up all night long too. The weather is usually cool, breezy, and cloudy, and there were literally NO MOSQUITOES!! Bathrooms were clean, and other campers were very nice and sociable. You can buy a stack of firewood from the camping hosts for $6 a bundle, which is just a bit cheaper than at the Vons and even Wal-Mart which are nearby. I'm definitely camping there again! read more

As of Labor Day weekend the entire campground is CLOSED due to flooding. Check first before planning to arrive.

Wow! Before going to this camping site I was a bit worried cuz of the many negative reviews written here recently about McGrath. However, when I finally got there, I fell in love with this place and was confused as to how the others had such a horrible experience. Even the bathrooms were not "atrocious", it was actually pretty decent and were cleaned several times DAILY. The beach is absolutely breathtaking, especially at night when you can see the city lights far away at other shores. The neighbors are really nice and the rangers aren't that pesky. They didn't really bother us at all and we did make some noise after 10pm, especially the kids, haha. The campground is nice and decent, lots of shade. The nature trail as wonderful and the sun is pretty strong. I really enjoyed camping here for a week and was sad to find out that it was going to close down due to budget cuts in September. Please vote for this camp at http://m.livepositively.com/index.jsp !! I would really like to come back here next year! read more