First off, we love car camping. We have all the gear, and we love driving to different parts of California to camp during the summer months. I booked a premium site (#88) at New Brighton after a colleague of mine raved about it. He said the premium spots are huge and right on the water so they are hard to get. I got lucky and was able to book a premium spot for June 2017. The campground was fine, nothing special. It was a little too close to Santa Cruz to really feel like you were out in the wilderness. PROS -Close to the beach, great for daytime hanging -Facilities were clean -If you forgot anything, or run out of firewood, there is a Target and a Safeway like 10 minutes away. Kind of a pro and a con. -Decent cell service. Most campgrounds have zero signal so that was surprising. But again, kind of a pro and a con. CONS -You could hear cars on the freeway all night -- very close to Santa Cruz, which totally spoils the feeling of being in the wilderness. -Although the premium spots are large, the grass is so overgrown that you can't really put your tent anywhere you want. The area near the fire ring is cleared so we had to put our tents there. Oceanfront, technically. But you had to walk 30 yards to see it. -No privacy. The spots are RIGHT on top of each other. Our neighbors had a huge group (like 12 people) and because there were no trees to separate the sites, we felt like they were on top of us. -So much foot traffic. Our site was pretty close to the bathrooms, which meant that people were walking by our campsite constantly. Hard to avoid that at any campground, but it felt much busier than we're used to. -Fire ring was much taller than other campgrounds in Northern California. Not the end of the world, but it does get really chilly at night and a taller fire ring gives off less heat when sitting around it. Overall, we had a good time, as it's hard to have a bad time camping. We got super lucky with weather, and were able to enjoy a perfect beach day. So all in all, a good weekend with friends. Would I go back to New Brighton to camp? Probably not. read more

New Brighton State Beach - Premium site #88. Very close to neighbors, no privacy between sites on either side. Tall grass made it hard to enjoy the large size. - Parks Near Me - Capitola, California

Family has been visiting New Brighton State Beach for several decades and I must say, it is a total Pain in the Ass to get a good reservation to this place. It all starts with using the parks.ca.gov website on a specific day at a specific time in the morning, ( I cannot share these sacred details ) my family usually gets together early in the morning with our computers, tablets, at 8AM the reservations start, and by 8:15AM the campsites are filled and getting consecutive sites near each other is damn near impossible. It costs a small fortune for a site with hookups but if you are lucky enough to get a campsite in the 110s your going to have an amazing view of the beach . The campgrounds are very good, family friendly, kid safe with lots of activities for the kids, they have a weekly kids bonfire event, the showers take quarters so bring a roll, the bathrooms are okay, at least the toilets are flush toilets. Beyond renting a site guests also have to pay a fee to come in which IMHO sucks , we should not have to pay to come into a park and my friends shouldn't have to pay if they just want to come in and visit for a couple of hours. Its a great State Beach but if you want to experience it, get your credit card ready, its going to cost you read more

New Brighton State Beach - Lovely - Parks Near Me - Capitola, California

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Our experience at this beach was great. Much less populated than other beaches in the area. We got there late morning and got a great spot not close to a lot of people. Definitely worth the 10$ parking. read more

This is the review for the camping. This was my first time camping there. Pros: dogs are allowed on leash Great location and access to beach( although one access to the beach was closed) No mosquitoes but rather got a tick there Sites are clean, nice spacious bear boxes Cons: bathrooms are awful dirty, although cleaned daily, it seemed that they weren't Some wait to use bathrooms ( campground was packed) Showers are dirty Most sites are in the sun, no shade, bring your own shade Most sites are close to each other. If I go back, I would definitely choose a different site if I can. Wood available for purchase at $10 a bundle (1cubic ) read more

Good campground. A lot of the sites seam close to each other. The map PDF link on the state website is pretty accurate in regards to site proximity. There are some sites with power and water hookups, but the sites are small in regards to the non-paved section of your spot. There are 4 dump stations AND a DRINKING WATER hose tap to fill up your fresh water tanks, great for us who don't get the hook up sites. The premium sites have BREATHTAKING VIEWS! Some of the other sites have views by the premium sites. The bathrooms and showers all seam relatively new and well cared for. They also have a dish washing station attached to the bathroom buildings. We have seen rangers and the camp host roaming the camp so it seams like security is now beefed up. This was a concern based on previous reviews. We took a hike to the beach off the cliff, it is a "hike". We are not in the "greatest shape" and we had our 4YO and 7YO with us but it was doable and fun. This was the first camping trip with our 2 dogs. Everyone obeyed the dog barking rules and other noise rules. There were a few "bone heads" walking their dogs off the leash. There is a large covered gazebo with power, speakers, tables, lights, BBQ pits and fire pits. It is open subject to reservation, but the camp host said they haven't seen anyone use it. We will definitely come back. Bring quarters for the showers, your own toilet paper (single ply is provided but harsh lol) and hand soap to wash your hands. 1cubic foot of wood piles with fire starters are available to purchase from 4-8pm for $10. That's enough to roast some marshmallows and stay warm for a little while. One last thing... Safeway grocery store is only 5 minutes away! I forgot ice ;) One more.... AT&T has LTE here. read more

Beach Parking 10bucks. Easy flight down some steps and you're on the beach. You can walk from here to sunset beach. Half way in middle of this beach is nice clean restroom just off the sandy beach. The giant rock wall along the northern part of beach is beautiful. Highly recommend a Day in the sun. read more

New Brighton State Beach - Parks Near Me - Capitola, California

Do not come here if you're a group of teenagers, minors or not. I would not consider this a safe environment with safe rangers or employees. My friends and I spent weeks planning on camping here for our Senior trip and the minute we get there, we're stereotyped as those typical, "unruly" teenagers (we are AP students, so I think that says a lot). Our names were all taken down along with our License plates - I don't even know if this is normal procedure or not. Two hours later, our friends that came late were not allowed into the park because of one forged permission slip (she was a minor). Although they called both parents to get verbal consent, the park ranger not only didn't let the whole group, but he proceeded to "eject" our whole group from the beach and out of the park. He claimed that if one note was forged, all 15 some notes were forged and that even the adults had to leave. The park ranger would not speak to us and explain to use what was going on. He said he "didn't have the time to deal with us" and that he "didn't want to talk about it" He threatened to take us to jail. He illegally searched one of our four cars. He said that we could sue them for all he cared. He clearly used his adult position to intimidate us by raising his voice, stepping right in front of us, and looking down on us. They did not give us our money back and were left with no where to go and not enough money to get a new place. We were banned from all public west coast camp sites and like he told us to do, at the end of the day we "took our cars and went back to wherever we came from". A parent was finally able to reach him and he said, "well I've had troubles with teenagers in the past so I just wanted to get these guys out of the way. You could tell they weren't good kids". Way to stereotype us. Ageism ruined our whole trip. read more

Just like Jessica L., my friends and I were the victims of age discrimination. I wish I had read her review before camping here. I would not bother wasting time or money here if you are young. Despite the fact that we are all of age, and that we did not break any laws, we were harassed by the park ranger. I'm not sure of his last name, but I believe it was Roucha or Rocha. He instantly accused us of breaking laws, which we were not. He kept telling us that "[we] have no idea how cool" he was being by not writing us any citations, despite the fact that we were doing nothing that warranted a citation or ticket. He used his position of power to intimidate and harass all of us. At one point, he told us "you are not welcome here" and we certainly felt that way. The campground is another story. Sure, it is close to a public beach, but that is the only redeeming quality. Our campsite offered no privacy and was not well kept. The sites are squished together, ensuring that you are within feet of your neighbor. There was an overgrown tree very close to our fire pit, and we ended up setting up our tent on a spot of 4-5 inch weeds since there weren't any better places. They require photo IDs for all campers, no exceptions. If you're looking for a good camp site on the coast, I would head up north and go to Ocean Cove Campground. It is a private campground where the owners are friendly and I know that I will not be discriminated against because of my age. read more

I read some reviews that weren't that great...I don't know what they were thinking? Not many places are dog friends this place is dog heaven! My campsite was 43 probably the worst lol, but all I could get with a 2 month wait. It was by a restroom and ft a lot of traffic. The sites have a lot of trees and decent bathrooms, washing sinks and showers. The park has beautiful bluffs with sites 99-78 I think as prime spots. A short walk to the beach and you can walk all the way to aptos when the tide is out. The camp is close to town for dinner or forgotten items. Be prepared the ocean is a wet place you'll wake up with wet gear and the coastline has poison oak and there's a lot of it here. Good visit my teens would love it here. read more

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DISCLAIMER: IF YOU OWN A CAMPER OF ANY KIND AND HAVE NOT STAYED HERE, YOU ARE AN IDIOT...that is all. I never understood the camper-camping ideal. Do people go to a car dealership thinking, "I want to camp, but I don't want to sleep in a tent outside...or poop in the woods...or cook over a fire...yeah, I would like a bathroom and a kitchen...But not a hotel...if I make my own bed and stuff, that's roughing it?" My aunt bought one of those fancy ones about a decade back...Dude.... That is not camping, but whatever it is--me likey. Crown molding, king sized bed, matching wood cabinet treatments for the cabinets and fridge, marble tiling... Given the poor state of the economy, I'm thinking about renting that thing out and being the first person to make others envy living in a trailer. But I digress...People subconsciously get trailers to go to New Brighton. 30 bucks a night, panoramic ocean views, and luxury. You are close enough to Capilola/Aptos to do things other than sit around a fire and read, but you are also far enough away from civilization to just enjoy the forest AND the beach (two things that are usually not in walking distance that are now in your front yard). Definitely look into it. Book hella in advanced though, the word is starting to spread and this place is getting hard to get into. I think you can tent camp here too, but you would feel like a total whack @$$ being surrounded by the macho RVs. read more

This place is the best! Honestly, when I think of car camping this is the ideal (for me at least). Our campsite was number 006 and it was phenomenal. The site itself was great, very spacious and for the most part completely covered. The rangers were fantastic and very polite. I guess I'm an idiot and this threw me off a bit - We arrived at night so there was no ranger at the gate. I usually always reserve through reserveamerica.com however there is a pay site at the gate that asks a person to fill out a card and make the payment with cash or a check then drop it into a mail slot. But, I already paid online so I was a bit confused. They just ask that you write a note and check in with them in the morning, simple enough and they were polite about everything. Bathroom - very clean and the showers were perfect. 25 cents for 2 minutes. Capitola beach is a 2 minute walk from the campground and is pretty secluded, you can definitely find a nice comfortable spot on the beach away from everyone. The great thing is too if you reserve a spot for camping you don't have to pay the 10 dollars to get onto the beach. The weather was fantastic and the water was cold, we kicked a soccer ball around for a bit then took a dip in the ocean. There was a bit of seaweed that was washing around but you're in the ocean, what do you expect? Warming - Raccoons are the worst but so are my friends. Before anyone passes judgement, I mean that in the nicest way possible. We are all late 20 somethings and are always respectful of the quite hours and rules of the campsite but normally I am the one that cleans everything up at night. The second night I was one of the first people asleep so I didn't clean everything assuming my friends would take care of their own shit. My girlfriend wakes up in the middle up the night throwing car keys at a Raccoon because they are getting into the cabinet because my friends are boneheads and forgot to lock the cabinet (I can't make this gem up). Just be wary and lock your food up, don't be like my idiot friends. Anyway, this has been my favorite spot this summer and I've been to a few good parks this summer - Yosemite, Clear Lake, Samuel P Taylor, Henry Cowell and this one takes the cake! read more

Just got back from our first time at New Brighton. Stayed 4 days. This is a popular place to camp because it proximity to the beach and Capitola so there is not a problem with filling up the park. What that means for you; camp sites are literally crammed together, no joke. I guess if you don't mind being 5 feet( or less) from other campers, and packed in like sardines then its ok.... not me though. Besides a very poor lay-out to the camp ground, you'll notice very little camp site maintenance. Sites are basically over grown and unkept. Overall, place seems generally safe for kids. It was crazy how around 10pm the whole park went silent every night we stayed there... Beach access is a short hike down the bluff. Beach was nice, with bathrooms and places to rise off. Capitola is an fairly easy and safe 20 minute cruiser bike ride.Our 9 yr old did it fine. Bike lanes for the whole route. Rangers patrol occasionally and just kinda keep to themselves, which I actually liked. My advice.... if you go get one of the premium sites. They are the best sites in the whole place.They are bigger, awesome ocean views, and spaced farther apart from one another.These are 5 star sites, and well worth the wait to reserve one. If you can't get one, I would wait to go until you can. read more

Being dog friendly is about the only thing that this beach has going for it. This dumpy beach is strewn with drift wood, seaweed, and random flotsam and jetsam. It is also overcrowded and suffused with smoke from too many bonfires. Not worth the $10 admission fee. read more

Sooooooooooo many sticks! You know the image in your mind of white sand beaches? Well scratch that and think of lots of gorgeous driftwood that has made its way onto the beach. It is a beach fort builder paradise! Perfect for older kids, but not so great for toddlers (you know at least one of those sticks will end up in their mouths). My husband and I came down here kidless last weekend for a morning walk on the beach and it was beautiful. Tide was still in, so the beach was very narrow, but families were already starting to come out to enjoy the day - despite the fact that the fog had not burned off yet. Lots and lots of people fishing on the shore, so imagine the fishing is good here. Not really my first pick of activities at the beach, but I know my husband wants to bring the bog kids back for a morning fish with daddy. It is super gated off, but the sinkhole in the parking lot is surreal. Obviously not all of the water was going through the storm drain - it looks like the water eked out and just eroded the sand around the pipe. And then took part of the parking lot with it. read more

I've spent many hours at this beach over the past few weeks, happily bobbing about in waves, napping in the sun, eating sand-encrusted lunches. Cinzia and Reno are in their glory here, thanks to wetsuits (water = cold) I've never seen Reno so alive. I believe my family's first generation of surfers may have hatched. I saw dolphins here, frolicking perhaps 30 feet away, while I peacefully bobbed upon my board. It was amazing. There was no glass wall separating us. This was not some huge aquarium, yay. Then some idiot yelled *shark* there wasn't one, but the damage was already done. read more

We should enjoy the natural beauty before us humans destroy it. This beach was nice to visit this past weekend as it wasn't as crowded at others. They allow camping and bonfires as well. My quick tip is to skip the $10 parking fee and park in the residential neighborhood. There is a quick trail down the hillside by the tracks that leads to the beach. If you want to park, it's cash or check only. Normally, I would support this because you'd think the money would be going to help keep the beach clean and allow for the restrooms to be maintained. However, they have no such restrooms and the port-a-potty they have is a long way to walk and looked quite dirty. Regardless though, it was a nice sport to relax for a few hours. You can bring your dogs on leash as well. read more

This is not a kid friendly beach! Went here today with 2 kids under 3 and it was a nightmare. My 3 year old had to keep peeing on the rocks since there were no bathrooms- just a port a pot- about a football field away- which my 3 year old would have never made it to (not to mention lugging the baby in there, just not happening). I can't understand how they charge you to park- when they are not "keeping up" anything. They call it a state beach but don't have any facilities there to warrant the parking fee. So California to charge you for nothing. No bathrooms, 40 steps down to beach and you have to pay $10 to park. Will never come here again- except maybe to camp- looked decent for that. read more

I spend many of my Sundays beaching. 3/25/07 was no exception. I should write a little California Beach Travel Book titled, "Travels In My Truck. The 411 on California's Beaches." By: Rox M. Believe it or not I had not actually planned on going to the beach this Sunday. When I checked Yahoo! weather on Saturday night, it claimed that it was going to be 'Mostly Cloudy.' Imagine my disappointment. But then today, Sunday morning, what was there but some sun after 9AM. I had previously planned on maybe catching a flick at the theatre. But since there was some sun....NAH!! Forget the movies!! I belong in the sunshine by the water. I decided to explore some beaches that I hadn't visited previously. New Brighton State Beach was the main one. It's very easy to access off of Highway 1 South. You will pay a $6.00 state parking fee at the kiosk, then drive down to a fairly large parking lot. As you walk towards the beach, you won't really see the beach, but ahhh.....you will hear it!! You'll walk down some stairs, and then there you are. This is a wide and peaceful beach. The weather was mild when I went. The water was, of course, cold, but not too cold to walk in. Too cold to swim in?? Yes!! There were people all over the beach, but spaced out, so it didn't appear to be super crowded at all. The bathrooms are decent too. Lots of natural rocks can be found by the shore. The sand is golden in the water, black in some areas outside of the water, and there is some super soft sand off the shore. The water was slighty reminescent of Bay water, in that there was no roaring surf. But it definitely was not Bay water!! And I did see two folks kayaking far in the distance. The water was beautiful. I didn't stay more than an hour and a half. I wasn't dressed to go beaching. I looked more like I should have been attending a cocktail party. Haha. I took a long walk from the beach entrance almost to the pier/sunken boat area, but not all the way, and then back. Will save that for next time. I did stop and sit for a while to take in the atmosphere. It's a long wide beach my friends!! read more

I just got back from a lovely three day, two night stay at this campsite. First the pros; -incredibly cheap! We paid 35 dollars a night which is great -bathrooms have showers (coin operated) and hot water. -very clean and family friendly Cons: -conflicting information then what is on the website. On the website it says each campsite is allowed to have two cars but when we got there they charged us for every other car minus the first one. -not much privacy at some of the campsites. It wasn't a problem during our stay since the campsite wasn't too full, but I could see it feeling crowded around a holiday or summer months -big hike down to the beach! That was a workout!! I would 100 percent come here again. It's super close to town in case you forget anything or want to get dinner at a restaurant etc :) read more

This is definitely a good camping destination for when you don't want to rough it too much. There are almost as many restroom/shower buildings as campsites, and downtown Capitola is maybe a mile away. The park is kept clean and firewood is sold by the friendly campground hosts at the campsites. The beach is pretty (though there's lots of houses there) and not crowded (early April) and we even spotted two dolphins frolicking in the waves. Unlike other campsites, the ever-present plant is blackberry, not poison oak. There's a variety of singing (and squawking) birds and we heard the cats, but didn't experience any raccoons. We walked down the beach a few miles to Seacliff, a tiny little town with a great Indian buffet and not much else. Again, not roughing it much this trip. The negatives: Highway 1 is very close and pretty noisy almost all night. We were there to pitch our tents, but the RVs were there to share their bright lights and country music (OK, one of them did, but all it takes is one). There are no walk-in or more secluded campsites, so this is not a good choice if you're up for a peaceful, quiet camping experience. read more

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS state beach with campgrounds in Santa Cruz. I recently came camping here with some buddies and it was hands down one of the most scenic places that I have ever been in my life. I go camping, hiking, fishing and everything else outdoors frequently and New Brighton literally left me speechless with some of its views. It may sound corny guys but it's absolutely true and no exaggeration, I promise. Santa Cruz in general is one of the most beautiful parts of California but New Brighton has to be one of the best spots. We set up shop in the woods and did some camping- I'm not sure where we were was 100% legal but we wanted the real nature feel vs paying for a campground. I found out about the place from several friends that had camped here so I know they have excellent campgrounds as well. If you have the chance to visit this state beach and especially if you get the opportunity to camp, take it!!! read more

My wife and I just camped here for the first time a few weeks ago. Really great spot, 10 minute walk from campgrounds to beach. The beach was well maintained and if you're in the mood for a long walk on the beach you can walk north to Capitola. The campgrounds had plenty of restrooms which were cleaned each morning. You can reserve particular camp sites. Some are better than others and the ones with an ocean view are huge and come with a premium fee charge but they are well worth it. But if you have small children I would avoid them as there is only a two or three foot redwood stake fence bordering a steep cliff. If you look at the site map on reserveamerica.com the premium sites are on the bottom of the map. I think they are numbered in the mid 70's. read more

LEGALLY BONFIRE UNTIL 10PM -$6 Parking day use fee -About 7 or so bonfire pits -Hepatitis-filled bathrooms, I'd rather pee in the ocean -Short walk from the beach to the parking lot -CHEAP DATE read more

I can't help but give Mother Nature herself a rave review... the ocean has always been awe-inspiring for me. So when my friends invited B and I for their annual camping trip here for the second year in a row, I was excited. The campgrounds are quite large and kept pretty clean. They have trash cans/recycling bins everywhere and plenty of restrooms and showers. The sites themselves are somewhat close together but there's enough trees and brush to give you a bit of privacy. There's a fire pit, picnic table, and wooden storage locker at every site. As for parking, most spaces can easily fit two, if not four cars. There was a tiny snaafu with the parking arrangement thanks to the rangers at the front entrance (they assinged our friends in the wrong spot so we couldn't park by our tent... and they refused to fix it) but it wasn't a HUGE inconvenience. $10 a night for parking for extra cars, btw. The beach itself is nic eand has lots of room for walking. If you're feeling particularly ambitious you can either walk to Capitola (about 40 mins up the railroad tracks) or along the beach in the other diection to see the old concrete ship. We did both- and let me tell you... my legs are not thanking me! read more

So we love both backpacking and car camping, so we planned a few more car camping adventures this summer than usual. While it was nice to camp near the beach, I wasn't overly impressed with this place. Others have it right...there are just too many people crammed into one campground. The occupancy rule is not enforced here at all. Some campsites had 4 of those gigantic tents that sleep like 10 people, if they didnt have they aerobeds in them. One site right near us had at least 12 people. It absolutely amazed me what people at this site call "camping." I dont think Ive seen anything like it. Giant trailers towed behind their trucks, loaded with furniture and gas grills, bikes, and even TVs! Yes! TVs. I saw one group sitting around the box watching some DVD. There is a mix of camping trailers and tent campers. If the areas were separate, it might be better. I dont want to hear your TVs or listen to the generators running to power all of your toys. I personally only liked the premium sites. Too bad they were all booked. Those would have earned 4 stars. The sites in the middle of the traffic circle are especially awful--rarely a tree and no privacy. Pros: *Beach nearby, *Decent nearby parks and Santa Cruz. *Individual bathrooms and showers that were kept pretty clean (but see below). *Dog friendly. Cons: *No privacy. *Site size is variable and there is no way to know til you get there. *Little upkeep to the entire park--our site was a mess with trash when we got there. *Too much noise from both people and machines *Get ready to wait in line for your morning dump. The bathrooms are limited. read more

Unfortunately, due to a mix-up (which will be outlined) I can't describe the beach or campsites, but I do have something to say about their customer service. We arrived on Friday afternoon after a long drive (bad traffic!) from Oakland. We were out for a birthday weekend on a reservation we had made a month in advance. The only spot that was available was a wheelchair accessible when we had made the reservation but we went ahead and made it anyways. We drive up to the camp and stop to register, there is a sign that says "campground full." I cheerfully greet the two young woman inside: Me: "Hi, we're here to check in for a reservation, last name ____ and it's in a wheelchair site." The ladies behind the counter: "Do you have a handicap sticker or registration?" Me (confused and ask my girlfriends in the car): "What, do we have that?" We realize that we'd made a mistake and although it was supposedly apparent when making the reservation on ReserveAmerica, we had missed the note that said you had to be registered as handicap to have a wheelchair site. I let the two women know we don't have a placard and that we made an honest mistake and asked what our options were. They proceed to go on a power trip "you have no options, you made a reservation and it was wrong. We're all full and there's nothing we can do." They were obviously enjoying their role in being able to turn us away and not willing to be helpful in ANY manner. My roommate asks if we can get a "day-pass" for the evening ($10) since we had already paid online ($50) for a campsite that we were unable to use, they reply "no, it's out of our hands. Since you reserved a site that you can't use, we can't give you a day-pass and you'll have to buy one for $10." At this point, I request to speak to their supervisor who was the only saving grace of this Park. After insisting I speak to the supervisor, they tried to dissuade me: "they'll just tell you what we have," another Park Ranger shows up. She is the only helpful and understanding one of the whole thing and tells us that these mix-ups happen frequently (campers too excited when making the reservation and don't see the fine print on ReserveAmerica). She proceeds to call Sunset Park where they honor our reservation and money we had spent and take us in for the night. I love camping and I love to support State Parks. However, I don't want my money supporting childish, non-helpful, and snide rangers who are on power trips. What a shame to have hired those two women, but thank goodness for their understanding and helpful supervisor. read more

This is one of my favorite beaches to visit with my dogs. A leash is required, but as long as there is not a ranger on the prowl my dogs are cruising without it. This past weekend myself, my dogs and seven friends camped at New Brighton and it was a BLAST. There are camping areas on the bluffs above the beach. There are prime camping sites that overlook the ocean, but they were scooped up by the time we made our reservations. The weather was AWESOME and sunny all weekend. Bugs were not an issue. The only critters we saw were raccoons that stole four of my cupcakes off of our picnic table. Damn raccoons! We had group sites 26/27 which were located right next to the restrooms. It kinda sucked always having strangers spying on us every time they had to use the Lou. FYI, the bathrooms are fully operational WITH a flush toilet and sink. There are also coin operated showers that will run you about .25 for 3 minutes. It's about 10pm, campfire is raging and champagne is flowing. We had surprised my friend with a wig party camping style. Considering how loud and obnoxious we were being, not one person or ranger complained. A final camping trip for a summer that was not long enough. P.S. The drive home is only 30 minutes. Yay for that! read more

Camp ground is covered in poison oak. You can hear the freeway from your campsite. The grill for the fire pit falling apart. Campsites are shared - you share the parking pad. You are on top of each other. Not at all what I thought camping would be like at the beach in Santa Cruz/Capitola. I can honestly say we wont be back. read more

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Campers report. Protected from the wind with plenty of trees. Short walk to the beach. Campsites have dry grass so they are not dusty, especially with kids running around. We had visitors every night, RACOONS, so keep your food safe in the cabinets provided. Oh.. also they know how to get into your ice chest, keep it in your car at night. I would drop in on the Visitors Center. Have fun. read more

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For perspective, we spend over 60 nights per year in state park campgrounds -- many of them beach locations. I probably will not return to this park as I think there are better options in the greater SF Bay Area. I believe this park has two things going for it: location, and location. Many reviewers have commented on the strict adherence to rules, and rangers exercising authority. On our recent one-night stay, we did not personally see any staff abusing their position; in fact I did not see many rangers or volunteers at all patrolling the grounds. However, since the greater Santa Cruz area is a party destination for weekenders (many of them young), and considering how big this park is and how little privacy many sites have, I think the emphasis on control is not only warranted but required. I will not elaborate in this review, but a serious security incident did apparently occur just before our arrival. For further perspective, we camp regularly at the state parks in both Santa Barbara and San Diego. Both of those areas are also beach/college/party destinations, but I've never gotten a "party location" vibe in any park down there, or witnessed any abuse of authority that was not warranted, or any breach of guidelines. Last comment: not the fault of the park system, and certainly not limited to this park, but the current drought has left most of the sites dusty and dirty. All grass was dead. read more

Ended up going here with my dog on a Saturday over a long day weekend . The temperature were soaring yet the beach wasn't crowded and I had enough space for both me and the pooch. The beach itself is dirty in the sense that there is sea weed and stuff lying around - I was ok with that . No human trash or stuff like that . People were chill and friendly . Parking was easy and was charged $10. You got to walk a bit to get to the beach if you have a lot of stuff to carry or smaller kids. Overall I had a nice evening and was there from around 3 PM to 6 PM. People were beginning to wrap up and leave around that time . read more

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We really enjoyed our stay here....we were lucky to get a site across from one of the premium sites and had a gorgeous view of the Pacific. The host was such a nice man, and funny too. The bathrooms were clean and plenty of water. Only weird thing that happened was....a critter unzipped our cooler bag and ate the contents, so be sure to put EVERYTHING in your vehicle. read more

The ranger # is: 831-464-6329 Source: http://www.troop325.com/resources/WTGCB/nbsbpf.htm read more

Nice location above the beach. Clean restrooms and relatively quiet campground. The campers followed the rules and after 8:00 PM you couldn't hear anyone running a generator. The restrooms are very clean for a state park. We had a spot in the group camping area. There was a group of about 100 students from Santa Barbara Middle Schools that were tenting. Luckily we were over a hundred yards away from them, but they were well chaperoned and well behaved. read more

As summertime rolls around, downtown Capitola can get SLAMMED! That's when we found New Brighton Beach! It's only about 5 minutes away down Bay, but the atmosphere here is totally different. It's a small local beach which is perfect for just relaxing without having to deal with a more "tourist" crowd. $10 for parking (good at other state beaches for the day as well) and it's has that secluded feel. Don't expect many amentities besides a bathroom as it is a smaller beach. But if you're looking for a quiet spot to hang out with friends, NBS does the trick! read more

I called to get help with booking and the lady who answered didn't even want to help me. She just told me she couldn't speak for the weekend and something about a 24 hour hold. And hung up what kind of customer service is that. It shows opening on the website but won't let me book so it's confusing and having called for help and to be hung up on. So I had my mom call and the lady for some reason answered her questions and talked to my mom. read more

We keep coming back although it is not quite as nice as when our son was younger. It's a really good campground for families even with young kids. The bathrooms have hot water and it's very close to grocery stores and medical help. Kids love hanging out at the beach and enjoying the evening group of kids that ride scooters and bikes around the grounds. My husband always comments on the playground atmosphere. There is a low key Junior Ranger program for 7-12 year olds on Thursdays and Saturdays. What I've noticed the last couple of times (we usually camp here 2x per summer) is that there is little ranger interaction with campers. The rules on noise, number of people and vehicles per site are not enforced. Many sites, posted as max 8 people, are essentially used as group sites - which means lots of noise. I understand that people are trying to save money and that there are only a few official group sites but on our last trip most of the sites had 3-5 vehicles with groups that appeared far larger than 8 people. We did have a ranger come around in the AM warning us that a small Honda generator and a bike had been stolen the night before. Otherwise we only saw the volunteer campground hosts checking tags. On Saturday the bathroom also ran out of TP thankfully we always carry our own. Possibly the state budget cuts have caused some of this. Regarding Dar D's thorough review, I want to point out that although some sites may be nicely private, they also have freeway noise. Many of the lower digit numbers back to houses and are near the group sites, which can be very noisy. Also sites on the main thoroughfares and near the picnic area have frequent cars in and out and are not really safe for campers with little kids. I would personally recommend choosing a less private site with less traffic. Overall, there is not much privacy at this campground but kids always have a good time here. read more

Pros : -Great location -Near the Pier -Premium sites are nice w/ a view of ocean -Near Capitola down town/mall....so there is unlmtd. conveniences (gas, food, stores, fishing supplies, etc.) -Lots of bathrooms/showers -For those who have kids, there's a kids singalong/group activity at night Cons: -Don't ever get a site in the middle (which I did only b/c everything else was old out)...there is way too much foot traffic through your site...yes ppl actually were walking thru our campsite....no matter how much I rearranged the chairs, car, etc. -Half of the people staying had trailers/rv's so it would have been nice if they had a designated area away from the "real" campers...... -No privacy........I'm used to campsites having an abundance of trees but it seemed like a large portion of sites were close together (even tho some sites were fairly big), few bushes here and there, with tall trees but the bottom halves of the trees were cut so it was wide open. Only see a few sites which appeared more private. **Verdict--- only go here if you rent a premium site or site overlooking beach. I might go here again due to its location, but it appears that they are pretty sold out on weekends as far as I could see....... Tip: Careful there are huge black spiders (Tarantula size) not sure if poisonous but they are scarey looking! eeekkk... read more

okay THIS PLACE is the best beach of all time. At least in northern California. The water is perfect for swimming and paddle boarding, the sand is always soft and warm and I've even skim boarded here. I love that there are so many little crabs in the sand, yet we've also caught HUGE ones. The water is always beautiful and if you come here during the fall/spring months the waves can impress you. My favorite thing about this beach is the large drift wood that washes up sometimes. My friends and I were able to create a seesaw that got us up about 14 feet in the air, it was incredible...so much fun! read more

One of the best campgrounds we've stayed at. Location couldn't be better. It sits on the bluff above the beach, and the sites are not on top of one another. It was quiet. Showers are $0.25 per minute with hot water. The campground is a short drive from Capitola's cute beachfront shops and restaurants. read more