Nice as far as it had friendly host, regularly cleaned bathrooms, and shower availability. But be careful about getting campsites closer to the water - it gets windy during the day and can be a little miserable. The upper campground - Washburn is further from the water but with nice views of the mountains. In between is nice too, just avoid the high hundreds numbers - 131. 132,133 for wind. Beach access was cool. Lots of green rocks and driftwood for kids to build with. They also had an amphitheater and we saw a ranger talk on great white sharks. Also a nice home base to go your Hearst castle or do wine tasting. Cambria and Harmony are cute nearby towns to see. read more

April 18, 2025 The location of this state park can't be beat. Located on the coast, it is near many "must-see" attractions, such as Hearst Castle and the Elephant Seal viewpoints. This State Park has a day-use area and two campgrounds: Washburn Day Use Area, San Simeon Creek Campground and the more primitive Washburn Campground. San Simeon Creek Campground is closer to the ocean; Washburn Campground is about a mile or two inland, overlooking the Santa Lucia mountains. The day-use area is open from 8AM to sunset, and is easily accessed from Highway 1, has picnic sites, parking, restrooms, water faucets, barbecue grills, and easy beach access (unless you are a dog...) One star down from an excellent rating for two reasons: The beach, sadly, is NDA (no dogs allowed), and the day use picnic tables are located next to the highway. read more

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Lower creek has no view but is somewhat out of the wind. In some seasons that may be a bad thing because that may mean mosquitoes and other bugs. My spot was shaded and the spots can be private or close depending on which one. The bathrooms and showers are fairly run down. Lexi. But all in all is was not too bad. I just wish dogs could go on the beaches. read more

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campground is reasonably priced because it is a "primitive" campground, meaning no hookups, no hot spot access or wifi, no cell service and no tv. they have the weirdest generator hours (10 am to 4 pm only?) which means primitive coffee and a cold dinner! I don't get it! a trail leading from the upper campsites to the midsection is overgrown and needs to be cleaned up. it looked like the lawnmower they were using didn't have a sharp blade or no blade. as a californian, this place needs help! we were here years ago and it wasn't this bad. hearst castle and the elephant seal viewpoint are close. we stayed 8 days but recommend a weekend or shorter week. read more

Beautiful campsite right by the water - you could hear the waves! Smooth and easy check in and the facilities were all clean and well maintained. Super happy with the experience for my first time camping :) Highly recommend if you're in central cal to see the elephant seals and Hearst Castle. read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

SADLY the campgrounds are INFESTED with Ground Squirrels - AND the resultant Ticks and fleas they attract! We TOTALLY enjoyed our camping trip there mid May 2025, and we will be back, again! But may I please bring my Gammo Whisper 22 cal pellet rifle next time - to thin the heard of EXCESSIVE varmints? (I'm a upper 60's mature Veteran, and very cautious with a pellet rifle). We were inside our trailer after walking about our Washburn campsite and over our 5 night stay, we BOTH found ticks climbing up our legs! They probably are in the grass in every campsite with too many ground squirrels, so in EVERY campsite! We terminated each tick we found in our trailer and I took a picture of mine, after I smashed it with my fingernail multiple times. If you camp there, ESPECIALLY for tent campers, oh please beware! read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Smashed tick - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

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San Simeon State Park, San Simeon, CA - April 1, 2024 We showed up on a Monday morning after being evacuated from Pfiefer Big Sur State Park the day before. We've stayed here before and were grateful we were able to obtain a "day-of" ReserveAmerica reservation for an overnight stay at the park. We got a spot at the Washburn Loop. It sits much further back from the beach and main highway than the rest of the park. It is also on much higher ground. The spaces are open and more spacious than the sites down below. We loved that and the fact that there is no highway noise. They have picnic tables and fire pits at each site. They have pit toilets at the Washburn Loop, but running water and showers (you purchase tokens) at other loops in the campground. You can purchase firewood from the camp host and they have a dump station and potable water refill station. The dump station has a cost that can be paid for with a credit card. read more

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San Simeon State Park campground is not easy to get reservations for so make them early! It is right off Hwy 1, a few miles north of Cambria. There is a lower campground and upper, the lower has many more trees and the higher seems more desert-like. We stayed at the lower campground, the sites are decently sized and many separated by vegetation. Plenty of fresh, potable water spigots are available through out. Each site also comes with a fire ring and flush toilet restrooms are also available. The campground is a quick 5 minute walk to the beach for sunbathing. Swimming and relaxing. Be sure to guard your belongings as the birds are quick to swoop anything left unattended! They will also try to open backpacks, bags, etc. The campground is also close to Hearst Castle and other beaches if you'd like to explore the area which I highly recommend! read more

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Beautiful campground. We stayed in the lower lot, and were pleasantly surprised by the quick beach access, the large number of clean bathrooms and showers and the trees and greenery that made the campsites feel semi-private. We even were treated to a fantastic ranger talk in the campsite amphitheater, complete with a fire pit and a well spoken lesson about sharks. Both the ranger at check in and the ranger speaking were wonderful, and they made sure the kids had Junior Ranger books for the event. The location is superb, right down the street from the Elephant Seal Rookery and Hearst Castle. A heads up, we reserved a 25 foot campsite for our travel trailer, which is appropriate based on its length. If you're pulling a vehicle, I recommend reserving a 35 foot. Getting both the trailer and our vehicle in our site side by side was tight. Not impossible, but do yourself a favor and get a little extra room if you can. We will be back, only complaint is not staying longer. read more

Pretty enjoyable camping experience, we stayed in the San Simeon Creek Campground which is right near the entrance of the park off Highway 1. This site is right next to the Creek side trail that takes you to the beach (about a 5 minute walk) that same park of the Creek side trail also connect to a hiking trail that goes around both campsites at the park. The hike is a loop somewhere between 3-4 miles depending where you start. We stayed during the fall of 2022, the weather was decent during the day, cool 60s to low 70s and once the sun goes down it get pretty cold in the 40s. The restrooms at our site were pretty clean, the dumpster to take your trash was in a centered location of the site so you don't have to transport your garbage too far. Cell reception is pretty much zero unless your close to the beach/highway side of the area. read more

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This place is a great site. We stayed pretty close to the entrance to the site. They have multiple bathrooms all over the site. I learned there's actually easy, medium and advance camping depending on your style and the equipment. We stayed on the easy campground site because it was flat, there was flat grass and there was already a grill and table for us to use. Usually each site had one or two spaces for cars, trucks or even RV's depending which site you choose. My friends choose this site because it was actually available in feb 2024. We went in april so we lucked out. There's paid showers using tokens. Minutes within walking to the beach. It was chilly our first night, but sat and sunday was beautiful. The camp site is right off the freeway PCH and about 3 and half hours away from LA. read more

Incredibly poor job by park staff to advertise a guided hike and then cancel without notice (I found out only by showing up and seeing nobody there at the designated time & place). Not to mention, this is not a hiker-friendly park; and the trail has evidently been closed for weeks. read more

The campsite is reasonably priced. You will need to book on reserve California. Highly recommend to reserve your site early. Typically they get booked early. There were some sites available during the time we visited. The campsites are space fairly far apart from your neighbor. limit to 2 vehicles per site. Pros + the beach is a short 5 minute walk from the campsite + some nice hiking trails nearby + nearest town is Cambria, which has markets, stores, etc. + camp host sells bundle of wood for $10 + each site is equipped with a picnic table and fire pit. All all have a water source. Cons - the hot water is hit or miss. The showers closest to the campground we stay at, had zero hot water. Even after feeding the machine quarters! We asked the ranger and he just advised us to try another one. - bathrooms can be quite dirty since they are clean once a day. They run out of toilet paper quickly. - no soap in bathroom. (Bring your own) - lots of ticks. (The dogs were getting bites) Tips * bring sandals to the showers. They are quite dirty. * no receptions for most cell service (cricket, Verizon, sprint) you will need to walk to the beach or go back on the freeway 1 go make a call/text * gets pretty cold at night. Around 50 degrees during the summer. read more

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Not impressed with this campground at all. We were in C34 and it was the most lopsided site ever. The upper section was crowded! Like zero privacy between you and your neighbors. Our days were packed with activities, so we only stayed in the campground to sleep. I'd be sad if we had to hang out here. We checked out the lower section and that was better. If we ever stay here again, this is the section I'd book. Washburn was totally exposed, far from everything and it's only accessed via an unpaved road. The pro to this campground is it's central to San Simeon and Cambria. $35/night + $7.99 reservation fee AND $10 dump fee. A big rip. read more

went camping with my family july 16-18 it was nice clean and kid friendly quiet time was respectful the beach waves were awesome but a lot of sea weed kelp kids found rocks & seashells to paint no reception unless your near the entrance or by the beach it was nice we will return maybe next summer we did see some squirrels but no fleas or ticks at all we were at the lower creek space 75 :) read more

If you're looking for a view of the beach or the supposed creek behind the campground at San Simeon State Park, FUHGEDDABOUDIT! There are two main sections: Washburn Campground supposedly is more primitive with just "fire ring and picnic table at each campsite" in addition to non-flushing toilets. The other section (referred to as "upper" and "lower" sections on the Reserve California website) entails the following: - camping for tents or RVs (max=35 ft.) - each campsite has its own fire ring and picnic table - flush/non-flushing toilets plus shower facilities - outdoor sinks - two dump stations - pay phone also available (because you might not get service once inside the campground) - firewood for sale from the campground host - at least one water spigot is near camp host Our site (4/22-4/23/19) was mostly trash-free aside from the fire ring a bit too full of ashes, but that seems to be a recurring theme at ALL California State Parks. The brush and vegetation between neighbors was really nice. Saw many ground squirrels and quail here. I love quail! We did not partake in any of the trails or even "beach" access, but there is that here. Hearst Castle and an elephant seal viewing area is within close proximity. Biggest con for me was being able to hear cars passing by on Highway 1, but they didn't really keep me up at night. Mild temperatures and the radiant colors of the California poppies adorning the terrain help make this an enjoyable campground in mid-late spring. read more

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Fairly nice spots but tents are mixed in with trailers and RV's. Also the facilities are really run down. read more

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I understand generators are loud, but 10 am is way too late to use. Kids are noisy at 7 am, garbage truck is noisy at 7 am. Most parks allow generators at 9 or even 8. I only needed it for 30 seconds to dry my hair. read more

There are two camping sites within San Simeon State Park & Campground: We stayed at the Washburn Primitive Camping Area. I am glad whoever was in charge of naming the sites put "Primitive" in the name because it pretty much describes and warns guests ahead of time. With our realistic (or lowered, some would say) expectation, we found the Washburn site very much acceptable. You will find the following at Washburn: - non-flushing toilets (hole in the ground) inside permanent structures - pic-a-nic (Yogi!) tables - faucet with potable water - parking for 2 vehicles per camp site - some sites have trees - a trailhead that leads to the beach on the other side of PCH What you won't find: - showers - hot water - signal You can make reservations at Reserve California website. read more

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Beautiful stretch of beach in a lonely area near San Simeon. Had to stop briefly and admire the peaceful still and crashing waves read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

Beautiful Camp Ground. The Campsites tend to be over crowded during the summer months and holidays. Off season is the best time to visit this campsite. Difficult to book online. For the most part...sold out. When arriving in person there seems to be a few campsites available. They no longer sell Fire Wood for $10 dollars per barrel. They sell a very small bundle for $10 dollars Small bundle of cheap wood that burns fast. You are much better off to bring your own wood. Located slightly inland from the ocean. Some Spaces have Ocean Views. No Full Hookups. No Electricity. Clean Restrooms and they have Showers. They do have a Dumping Station. Employees at the San Simeon State Park Kiosk are friendly and helpful. They are more than willing to answer questions and help you the best they can. The State Park Rangers, that patrol the Coast and the State Park Camp Grounds for the most part are very very nice. "Fact" There always seems to be one or two that patrol the area, that act like real A..Holes. They wear a badge., act Macho and cannot wait to get off telling you what you've done wrong. I've seen them Intimidate Campers that are trying enjoying their vacation. Sad but True !!! read more

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Look, I'm a native Californiaian, which means I pay for this through my taxes. I pay again to camp there, and then pay again for the "hot" showers they used to have. It used to take quarters so we had a boatload of them. Except now they just do tokens...which you can only buy with dollar bills. Okay, minor annoyance and we happen to have dollar bills even though there is no change machine. But after all that and the showers are FREEZING COLD, then I start to get mad. No excuse for it. They tried to give us some song and dance that it was crowded, and that's bull because we've been there plenty of times for YEARS when it was ultra crowded but the showers were still hot. Even now after the large crowds left, cold showers. DON'T ADVERTISE HOT SHOWERS IF THEY AREN'T. Do better, California. It's not a big deal to have instant water heaters. Surely we've all paid for it by now! read more

The Good: The park is clean and the restrooms were cleaned regularly. The camp site was a decent size but you are close to other campers. The Bad: The camp site is right off of the freeway so you will hear noise until about 2AM when traffic dies down. The Worst: I can understand that there will always be circumstances outside of anyones control. However at the parking spot I was assigned to at my camp site they had me park right under a tree that had multiple thick and very dense pine cones. One came down and obliterated my back windshield and in consequence we had to pack up camp at 8:00pm and head home with the trip ruined. Would be a smart idea for the camp site to be proactive in their maintenance of their landscape to prevent this in the future. This is definitely something I wish I had considered as even being possible prior to parking my vehicle. read more

can't beat the location for all kinds of fun, beauty and sights. great accommodations, conveniences. We enjoyed the first couple nights with considerate and neighborly neighbors. Unfortunately a huge multi family reunion moved in the whole central area next to us and everything changed. Barking dogs, flood lights, and loud fun- for them. they even carried 2 huge beams of truly gorgeous natural driftwood from the beach to chop up for firewood - illegal. Two other surrounding campers spoke to offending campers- one even yelled "quiet!!" ...We spoke to them also, twice. There was even another campsite that had a movie playing and it was so loud you could hear it 1000 feet away and that was two nights of nobody doing anything. - we felt heartened to read the campground rules they give to all campers - has great policies written up. they actually specify on paper, not only the usual quiet time (10pm -6am), but the park also specifies that no audio etc should impinge "beyond one's own site regardless of time of day". Unfortunately it's all talk and no action. - spoke to host after 24 hours of above intrusions - Laurie was sympathetic- and she had ranger notified. Ranger Moore pulled up ONLy to our site in full view of our noisy neighbors, and only spoke to us and not the offending campers. she was respectful yet minimized what was happening, except may the illegality of stealing the driftwood...she said we could change sites tho-and she said the three dogs barking cannot be addressed bc it wasn't "persistent" -- no one spoke to the families and we were assaulted that night with very loud music, yelling and laughing. We told them to please lower everything down about 9:30 and we had had it by then. The people seemed nice enough but just in their own bubble and not aware or interested in anyone else's experience around them, clearly. and we were clearly on our own to deal with this and we left a day early as a result. The dogs were barking at us even as we packed up with no intervention or care. In fact maybe it was their goodbye message to us. Also might as well mention that there was plenty of trash left on our site number 105 on the grounds little rappers charcoal bag etc. candy wrappers so nobody seems to rake the sites regularly to prepare for the next campers. read more

I actually find this state park awesome. So close to many beautiful beaches and hikes. I highly recommend visiting the Elephant Seal viewing area about 5 miles north. Cambria is a quaint town with great eats and of course Moonstone Beach walk. Hearst Castle is probably the main attraction for sure. We stayed in the more remote Washburn Camp. Very few trees so if it's actually hot I would avoid. Pit toilets were very clean. Campsites super big and space between sites not a problem. Now the serious negative)))))))TICKS))))))TICKS))))) WERE EVERYWHERE. Got dogs? Don't bring um. Maybe this is is just the season, July, if so maybe December is better. 2 stars for the location. 3 negative for the TICKS. Our party of 5. Four got um.... read more

This was our 2nd trip to Washburn Campground. The two stars are for the beauty of the area only. Please use great caution with children and pets. The ticks are insane! Every time my dog came close to a blade of grass higher than 5" we had to remove ticks. And, he's treated for fleas and ticks on a regular basis. Please be careful. The website shows this CG to be a "primitive" campground. Not so. It's filled up with huge motorhomes and 5th wheels. Some of the "campers" in them rarely step outside. I love kids! I've had a few, have a few grandchildren.... If your child screams like a banshee for hours on end, maybe they just don't like camping! Beautiful, but won't be bak. read more

We were looking forward to some fun camping with our young grandkids. We were awakened at 10:30 pm to a large loud party at the site right next to us--profanity, profanity filled music, raucous laughter, a generator, etc. Our two year old woke up terrified by the generator. DIL begged them to turn off the music which they finally did about 12. Most went to bed shortly after except two guys who kept loudly talking, cussing, laughing even after Grandpa asked them to stop. At 3:45 the 2 finally went to bed! No cell service to contact anyone. Talked to park ranger the next morning who ended up talking to them. It didn't help. The partying started again around 9 am. We spent the day at the beach in Cayucus which was great, but after returning to the campground, we packed up our tent site and went home. read more

Very nice campground for $35 a night. We got the tent site # 12 , we had a view of San Simeon State Beach and we could hear the sound of the waves all night ( pretty loud actually lol ). I didn't mind cuz I like hearing the sound of the ocean. We set up our tent underneath a big pine tree which gave us some privacy and shades. Nice fire ring next to the picnic table which was nice because we didn't have to pull out the lawn chairs. Bathroom was clean and the shower was nice , had hot water and good pressure. We put 50 cents and was plenty like 12 minuets. I think there were some electric outlets in the bathroom but I didn't use them. The best thing about this campground is the location. Right across the street from the beach and close to Cambria . We drove to the Main Street in Cambria for dinner and brunch across from Moonstone Beach the next day. So convenient. Also close to San Simeon Pier, we parked there and hiked around San Simeon Point which was so beautiful and not crowded. Campground was also not too crowded considering weekend. We thoroughly enjoyed camping here. Would love to camp here again . read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

I love this area and have stayed two different times at this campground. Once at the upper and once at the lower. My spot on the upper level was small and on a slant, like the majority of them are. There was hardly enough space for our tent and chairs. The next time I reserved a spot on the lower level, which was better for the most part. I do have to say the bathrooms stayed cleaned the whole time so I appreciate them keeping up with that. My issue is the grass was not maintained. Some areas it was up to my knee and this was in the middle of the campsites. Knowing this spot has issues with ticks I don't know why this wouldn't be taken care of. We drove around to look for better spots and there were a few but some of the spots had tree limbs right above the fire pits and just overgrown bushes and grass. Bummer because this is a great location. read more

A decent spot not too far from Hwy 1, the beach and Hearst Castle but as far as campgrounds go...meh. However I pity the fool who doesn't have all of their camp necessities with them because the nearest store (other than the gas station) that stays open past 8pm is miles and miles away. Come prepared! We stayed in space 74, which is directly across the road from a set of restrooms and showers. We booked last minute. I do not recommend this space. The toilet flushing was loud and all of the doors slammed shut. Being sort of secluded on the coast, if you're looking for an overnight to see the Castle, it's a good touchdown. Other than that, I wouldn't recommend it as a destination. read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Space 74 - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

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I absolutely love this campground! I'm sure part of it has to do with sentimental reasons as my family has camped here every labor day weekend for the last 8 years. Yes the days of amazingly hot showers and flushing toilets are long gone and while I do miss those amenities, the rangers do a fantastic job at keeping the porta potties/chem toilets clean and well stocked. For those who complain about them all I have to say is you must not do a whole lot of camping because these are the least smelly chem toilets I've ever come across. And with some slight ingenuity you can build your own shower for a few dollars which is what we have done the last 2 years and I have seen several other campers who have purchased a portable shower. This place does NOT allow you to reserve a site in advance, however the rangers are more than happy to let you scout the open sites and choose one to your liking. We have done this every year and have always had a great site with enough shrubbery to give the sense of seclusion and privacy. While some sites are pretty open with no privacy between sites, I have mostly seen large family groups occupying those spaces which gives them a great open area for everyone to spread out and enjoy themselves. Get there early, be nice to the rangers and you shouldn't have a problem grabbing a site that works for you. There are raccoons and skunks in the campground. The only problem we've ever had is when I forgot about an empty package of sausage at the bottom of our trash bag. Needless to say the raccoons found it along with some eggs in an ice chest we didn't secure properly. Throw out your trash every night, put your small ice chests under the bench seating and place something heavy on top of each of your bigger ice chests and you'll be fine. Fires are allowed! Yay! Nothing better than a good camp fire. If you forget or need more wood I suggest driving a few miles into Cambria and buying your bundles at Cookie Crock Market...much cheaper than the bundles sold by the ranger! Its also a great place to restock on beer, ice or any other camp essentials. Finally the beach...its not the most beautiful beach I've ever seen but its walking distance from the campground with bathrooms near the entrance. My kids love exploring it on their own while we stay at the campsite and make dinner. If you're looking for a family friendly, low key campground then this is your place! However if you want seclusion or a glamping experience then keep driving. read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

Location is good... If you get a primitive campsite its only 20 bucks per night... A good alternative to the overpriced and underwhelming motels in San Simeon. I was here at the begining of the summer... Right when kids were out of school. Weekend warriors were out in full force with their fancy jacked up trucks pulling big trailers. This is a very busy campground on weekends and sites are close together. Maybe because I have a big beard and a mean look to me people left me alone... I sat and read a book in the shade of a tree... And like most other sites I started a fire when the sun went down. You must be able to tolerate noise to camp here... Loud diesel rigs came in after midnight scavenging for a spot... Kids are loud... They do loops around the area on bikes... A girl in the site next to me rhythmically bounced on her pogo stick. The 50 year old frat boys in another site next to me inconsiderately blasted all the terrible music I could think of from Christian rock to pop country... They fell asleep early after drinking heavily and being obnoxious. It just comes with the territory when camping in the Summer after kids get out of school. The pluses are the price... The location just a couple miles from San Simeon... The employees here are helpful and pleasant. Most people do seem to mind their manners and the few who dont stick out like a sore thumb. Last night some kid was attempting to sing various songs on his guitar... Loud enough for everyone to hear after we went to sleep. You get competing loud radios... One neighbor played crappy hiphop (Im a hiphop fan) and R and B... The other group played obnoxious country... Both louder than they should be. Seems a lot of people are selfish in their experience here... Maybe thats just a problem with the world in general these days. Id probably like this place a lot more when its not crazy busy with people who dont camp much. Could be much worse.... Could be much better. The glass is half full here. read more

I am almost afraid to review this because I kind of like the fact that some people don't like it and want to stay away... STAY AWAY! Keep it quiet and more secluded! But at the same time I feel the need to stick up for the place... We stayed at Washburn.. the primitive area. I thought it was beautiful, rolling green hills, horses, a view of the ocean, lots of great hiking. It was windy and we were one of the few tents, but we found a place where the wind was calm and we enjoyed ourselves. read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - San Simeon Campground - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

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We spent a couple of nights here, VW camper camping, recently (January) and I would give San Simeon Campground 3.5 stars over-all, mostly for its location: The Good: *Gorgeous area, rural, close to ocean *Walking distance to beach from campground. About 15 minutes via street and beach deck walkway *Level pads *Activities like visiting elephant seals is close *no problem with local animals bugging us- one did try and open a cooler in the middle of the night though... *camp fires permitted *campground was clean & quiet when we were there *rangers were friendly at entrance Not-so-good: *NO WATER anywhere: no showers, no toilets, no communal water, no lighted bathroom: be prepared to bring your own potty or face going out to a pitch-black, windy chemical toilet in the middle of the night with coyotes calling in the distance!! Chemical toilets were serviced, but no sinks... Over-all kind of a bummer for more than a couple of nights. * *NO hook ups... not really a ding cause this is common, in many campgrounds, but something to be aware of. * *Ranger accidentally gave our site away after the first night!! No tags or way to reserve at the site itself. They were apologetic, but wish they had a better system to reserve site once someone books it. Be prepared to leave something behind to keep your site from getting taken, especially if can camp is busy, or you could be bummed at your return. *Limited hours to buy wood. They want you to buy wood on premises, but he camp host only sells from 8 am -10am which is kinda ridiculous. We bought local wood for both nights in nearby town. *Part of campground was closed down. Looked like the better, hillier part too. The flats were fine cause the place was about half full, so many of the more private spots were open. Because of the beautiful location we would return to this San Simeon Campground again... with our trusty portapotty! read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

This might be THE WORST state park I have ever been to in my entire life. We stayed here because of it's convenient proximity to Hearst Castle, the cheesy tourist destination. The few spots for tent-only camping are scenically positioned between the the soothing sounds of the RVs and generators and feet away from the raging traffic on highway 1 with late night sirens included (just like home sweet home in SF, who needs a get away anyways?). There are no trees and it is impossible to find any semblance of nature or privacy. You can walk through a parking lot and under the highway overpass to get to the brown, dirty beach covered in drift wood. The only thing this place has going for it are the relatively clean on-site toilets, that actually work. That's it. read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - the camp sites and the highway - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

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I've camped here twice. Once in November and once again recently in June. I have to say, even though November was cold, we virtually had the whole campground to ourselves. We did not have to worry about noise level. So we got drunk and ran buck wild all night long. With that said, this time in June was very different: it was CROWDED. The sites are very close to each other so you really have to watch your voice level. I prefer the washburn location because you get a better view and it's further away from the highway. But you're going to be dumping in a porto-potty. read more

My husband and I had such an amazing time camping here the other week for our anniversary! We stayed two nights, one in the Lower Creek and one night in Washburn. The one in the lower creek area was lush and green, and our spot seemed bigger than others (C71). It also had a lot of trees that offered more privacy than some of the other sites. It was the perfect distance to bathrooms. We bought firewood from the shack nearby for $10 for a wheelbarrow full and it was more than enough. During our night at the Washburn site, it was raining all night, so it was a little muddy since it's mostly dirt sites, but not as many people were there. Both sites were very peaceful and quiet which we loved! You can walk to the beach if desired, or you're just a 3 minute drive to Moonstone Beach in Cambria which is even more beautiful. We will be back! read more

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I came here with my husband as part of our tour-de-California-coast. We stopped here before visiting Hearst Castle (http://www.yelp.com/biz/hearst-castle-san-simeon#hrid:tl98A6qMR0mDIlppOyNetQ). This campground was nestled right next to the beach, and offered nice walks and sunset viewing. We had to be careful not to disturb the snowy plover nesting grounds, but the walk to the beach is lovely enough and the beach itself is beautiful at sunset as it's kept very natural. The campground was riddled with raccoons, and we had a bit of trouble keeping them out of our food/garbage. Make sure to keep things locked up in your car and to throw things out in the trash cans! Our campsite was small, but so was our tent. The majority of our space was a giant parking space meant for an RV. It got the job done and we had a great time. From here, we visited Hearst Castle, Cambria, and the elephant seal beach at Piedras Blancas. read more

San Simeon State Park & Campground - our sweet campsite - Parks Near Me - Cambria, California

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I camped here for the first time over Memorial Day weekened. Great place...worth the 4 hour drive (from LA), I'd like to go again, and stay more than just one night. The camp sites were decent sized, and the beach (which is loaded with jasper and jade rocks) was just a short hike away. The fire rings have a built in BBQ grill, so no need to bring your own. A couple of things to note: Due to the drought, all water has been shut off (including bathrooms and showers)...you must bring your own wash water. The chemical toilets are decent. Also, there's no fishing allowed in the creek. read more

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There are two campgrounds, one with hot showers and bathrooms with flush toilets, the second with no showers, no bathrooms, and only pit (vault) toilets. This primitive campground has potable drinking water. Both campgrounds are accessed off Route 1 in San Simeon, about 4 miles from downtown Cambria, where you can buy groceries at the Cookie Crock market. As of June 2018, both campgrounds offer fire pits and the campground hosts sell a wheelbarrow full of firewood for only $10. As others mentioned, yes, there are ticks so it would be wise to leave your dogs at home. The developed campground has small sites close together. The primitive campground has bigger sites. At night you can hear cows mooing and the waves crashing on the beach. Plenty of great hiking on the premises and Cambria, which as a ton of restaurants, antique shops, and art galleries, is only 5 or 10 minutes from the campground. read more