The people who manage this site are so nice :) the campground was extremely clean - the showers heated up very fast, overall for the price this was awesome. I'd recommend exploring up the hill where the restaurant and inn are - the views are so breathtaking! read more

Save your money and go somewhere where they care about their customers. My friends and I arrived early in the day and were forced to a campsite that we barely fit on, despite there being available sites all over. We talked to management about this upon arrival and were told that its too late to switch because its the day of. We were the only customers in sight and there were three of them standing doing nothing in the booth. We got there early Friday hours before sites were filled. We were sandwiched between two other campsites, whose fire pits were approximately 10-15 feet from us each. Thankfully they were nice neighbors to get intimate with, even though they had a crying baby. There was not enough room for our second tent, so we all jammed into one like sardines. Just the one barely fit between the water faucet and a slope. Two of the gals had to sleep at a slope for two nights. As you can imagine, I did not sleep well the entire weekend. All three campsites could hear every conversation- no privacy at all. It is a greedy attempt to fit more people per sq ft in sacrifice of quality. I have had hotel rooms larger than our campsite. Management is greedy and they overcharge for everything, including parking. Parking fills up at night so even if they charge you for overfill parking, ($10 a car) you are not guaranteed a spot. They told us they would give us a pass, then they later didn't. Pros- Clean bathrooms, beautiful redwoods, and close to Big sur landmarks. Some of the campsites are nice and spacious, others are ridiculously tiny. Make sure you ask for a spacious campsite in the notes upon paying (we didn't get that memo). Good luck! read more

The first time we camped there was about 16 years ago, the soon-to-be wife and I had a site that was back past where they have the "glamping" sites now. Back then there were maybe 18-20 sites on the property; which were all less than half the price that they are now and twice the size, plus deer were seen on a daily basis. Morning camp coffee and deer? F0$& YES and thank you very much! Those were the days; no one close to your camp, the ability to pee on a tree without worries, morning coffee deer sightings... good times. We've stayed there an additional 3-4 times throughout the years and although they had added a few more campsites throughout; the ability to be away from other campers, possibly see a deer and pee on a tree was still viable. Honestly, we hadn't been there in about 6 years. Now there are over 60+ sites and they stack you in like cord wood. The campground has changed, but so have the times. You have to remember that there was a HUGE fire in Big Sur that shut off most if not all ability to get there for a very long time. The community as a whole lost a lot of money! We stayed at campsite 58 this time, it's close enough to the highway to hear the cars roar by and have the people in the hike-in camps walk by our site constantly; however... the hospitality and care are amazing. A HUGE thank you to Ana (I hope I spelled your name right!), as she was hospitable and amazing! All I had to do was walk to the kiosk, let her know how much wood and or ice I needed and she would drive it to our site (they even charge it to your credit card, no cash needed). The bathrooms are cleaned twice a day, always clean and ready to go (I couldn't pee on a tree, god forbid a family walked past our site from the walk-in camps; no one needs to see that!), and if you need shower tokens then all you have to do is ask. Ana gave us more than enough, we were there for a full week after all; but if you need them, just ask. I may not be enthused that the sites are smaller and closer together, or that "glamping" is a thing here, but I get it. We are all just trying to survive in the era of Covid and post Big Sur fires... and so is Ventana. At the end of the day you can relax, judge other people's camping styles, or hike to find a tree to pee on. Either way, the hospitality here is unmatchable. They apparently have amazing WiFi here as well; but we came to disconnect for a week, so I can't speak to that. Thank you Ana for a wonderful week, it honestly felt like we were apart of a community in the middle of the redwoods. We will be back to see you soon! read more

Beautiful campground. We found the staff to be incredibly kind and the location to be breathtaking. We didn't feel that this was the best campground for kids (10,9,6)...or dogs. The campsites are very close together and there really isn't a place for kids to explore or bike safely. Strangely, we felt claustrophobic in the middle of the woods. read more

We stayed in the upper creek campgrounds last weekend. For the price I was expecting a much better campground. It was small and hilly. The people at the front gate were super polite and helpful and deserve 5 stars. The groundskeeper deserves 2 stars. My cars undercarriage got stuck on rebar sticking out of the concrete. It was large and should have been hammered in. The groundskeeper offered no apologies for it affecting my car. The person at the front gate helped my husband get the undercarriage back attached to the car! That was really nice. I prob would not camp here again. The bathrooms were ok. Nothing to write home about. The showers were kinda expensive. read more

I love this campground! The rangers are friendly, it's well organized and the bathrooms are clean. The only bummer is that depending where you camp, it can be a little squished, and the roads can be a little confusing to get around and find the exit and campsite..be sure to grab a map. Other than that, it's great! The ranger station has basics like firewood, bug spray and a few other essentials. Bathroom showers require tokens which you can get at the ranger station. The campgrouns is a 5 minute drive from the Big Sur Bakery and supply store. I love the scenery here because you are amongst the trees and beauty of Big Sur. Love. read more

A place that charges $100 for camping (in March) and then has pay showers is not a place I'll be headed back to. Staff was nonexistent in the campground -- spent two days looking for someone that we could ask some questions and the camp store appeared shuttered. The sites are very close together, parking areas are super small, and doesn't look like there was any work done to level any of the sleeping areas. Pluses -- it's in a beautiful grove of redwoods (lovely but dark) and centrally located in Big Sur. read more

Just stayed here for my birthday and Halloween weekend. We had site 11, it was great. Rich at the front was actually very friendly, not at all like he's being described in most posts. Everyone that worked there was great. Luckily our neighbors all checked out on Sunday so we got to burn a fire late on Sunday and Monday nights since we were alone. I will definitely be visiting again. It's possible the most expensive campground in all of Big Sur, but it's also in my opinion the most magical. Oh and NO RVs!! No RV's, no general store, no cabins. I'm happy about this, because it also means no running screaming kids at 7am. We saw lots of other couples and a few groups, but didn't spot one child the whole time we were there! SCORE!! Thanks for the hospitality Rich & Co! Sincerely, Angelina Butera read more

This would be a 4 star had it not be for the fact that the campsites are located along the 'private' road that I assume all of the Ventana Inn employees live on, and therefor drive on all night long, like 5 feet from your tent. Starting at 9pm till at least midnight, at least one car per minute (not an exaggeration) drove by our tent. Maybe a car wouldn't drive by for 2 minutes, you'd start to believe it was over, then 5 more cars would come. It is as if they made housing for their employees and decided they could squeeze in some campsites along the road. Honestly, terrible. read more

I am a novice camper who have been in cabin and rv campgrounds with friends, but nothing compares to camping within the redwoods with your tent, a pit and your supplies in boxes and food in an ice chest. I love the serenity, the spectacular views of the large redwood trees all around, and the pravicy of neighbors more than 10 feet apart. My little ones, 10 & under, are having a blast sleeping in a tent and exploring the campground which is safe and the neighbor campers are neighborly. This is our 2nd of 5 campgrounds we will be exploring on our NorthCali summer roadtrip. I'm looking forward to what the remaining 3 campgrounds will be like. So far, this is a place I will definitely be returning to. read more

We just stayed here last weekend and will defiantly be coming back. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Jim is so nice. The bathrooms are very very clean.You can hike in the woods and go to Pfeiffer Beach all in the same day. The campground is close to stores and restaurants. read more

I stayed in a hike in campsite, #3. If you are able to deal with walking your stuff in, it's so worth it!! I read in another review that you can drive up to your site and unload and then just have to park in a far away spot. This is not the case anymore. But you can pull your car up to where the hike in campsites start and then just move your car after. The hike in isn't too bad or too far, maybe 1/8 mile, and definitely worth it! Campsite 1 and 3 are the best because they are completely isolated. 1 is really big and really flat. 4 and 5 are right next to each other. 2 is up a hill and super super tiny. You would have to have the smallest tent ever, plus it would be a pain hiking up to that spot. The bathrooms were nice and clean. The staff was always friendly. Plus they were so easy to just book online and I changed my dates by just emailing them and they wrote me right back. read more

If you are looking for a beautiful campground with hot running water and showers. The campground staff is friendly and inviting. The camp sites are big, protected from sunlight with huge trees. I recommend checking this place out, it will not disappoint! -Dante Duke read more

Ok, first time camping at this ventenna and it's a beautiful place but the owners are really rude and mean. It doesn't say in fine print when you pay the extra 30 for parking on your campsite you can't have the second car at your campsite! Didn't help that the bathhouse close to us was temporarily down. This is ridiculous, having to drive my car back and forth! They don't really explain where to park either, we had to guess. Hopefully our stay here gets better if not I know I will never camp here again. For the price you pay and the beauty around you, you would think the owners would be more polite... smh 2 stars for the beautiful redwoods. read more

Premium camping experience staffed by friendly and very helpful people. Glorious land, well spaced sites with great privacy. Only small issue - the hand dryers in the wash blocks are noisy. Otherwise a first rate experience. Book ahead, as they are justifiably busy. read more

Seriously my new favorite! We stayed here 3 nights in mid-May. The place is perfectly located, grounds were super clean, and the staff was polite, fun and beyond helpful! We were assigned campsite #1. It's a great spot because it's above the road and you don't have other campers right next to you. You have to carry all your gear UP which is a hassle but totally worth it because you're a bit secluded. Anyhow, our tent was too big to fit on the site. Cameron, one of the staff members, was really great and tried to find us a new site on the grounds. With everything booked and most people already on site, he wasn't able to move us. He did however take the time to try to find us a smaller spare tent to use. He went above and beyond and I can't thank him enough! I'd go back based on Cameron alone. We walked all the sites, checked out the glamping tents, and even took a stroll through the resort. This place is more expensive than the state run parks but I think it's a great find and still has availability on weekends. Like other reviews say, campfire wood is pricey here ($11/bundle). Pick up larger boxes of wood in Carmel or bigger stores on the way. There are small grocery stores on the way to the campground where you can pick up essentials but do you major grocery shopping at a big grocery store and pack your cooler. read more

The campsites are beautiful! Natural and lush with a stream that lulled me to sleep. No RV'S. The grounds are very well kept and quiet as are the bathrooms. The shower has little pressure. My only complaint is the outrageous price of $80 to spend the night which about twice the price of any other campsite on our 12 Day Road Trip. We did not have much of a choice because all other campsites were full. read more

The campsites here are nice but tight. We showed up and asked to be moved to a larger site because we had two tents. Staff was not accommodating and were actually rude. They suggested that all 5 of us simply camp in one tent. We paid $250 for two nights and for that much, you would think the customer service would better. Plan ahead and stay at Pfeiffer State Park. read more

Very beautiful and. Peaceful campsite made even more enjoyable by host and manager Jim and his wife. Highly recommended. We stayed in upper creek with our two older children who enjoyed making campfires. Silence of the redwood forest is awesome! read more

What a GREAT experience and a beautiful, well maintained campground. Special thanks to Jim who always had a friendly smile and went the extra mile to make us feel welcome!!! You are awesome, Jim! We stayed in the "hike in" spots at the top of the campground and we booked all 5 spots--which was more secluded and felt like we had the place to ourselves. ;) Bathrooms are much nicer than many campgrounds, too. read more

Amazing experience and such a friendly staff. This was my first time staying at this campground and they exceeded my expectations. I even left my glasses in the bathroom and one of the staff members mailed them directly to my home. Can't say enough great things. They're wonderful!! read more

This is just a lovely spot. Very family friendly and quiet. We went with a large group (I think we had 6 sites?), so about 30 people and maybe 5 doggies. The campground put us up in the 60's spots and we couldn't have been happier. We were a decent walk from the bathrooms, so that was a trek, but the sites were beautiful, clean and well-maintained. The bathrooms (when we did visit) were very clean. Loved the redwoods, sun filtering in and privacy of our spots. The campground is in close proximity to Pfieffer beach (the only dog friendly place around, reallly- hikes are off limits to doggies), the Big Sur River Inn (where you can sit in Adirondack chairs and drink a beer in the river), great hikes and a few other restaurants. I would definitely bring the food you need/want and not buy gas down there- it was 3 dollars over Bay Area prices. Will definitely return. read more

Site are not all that big but does the trick. Bathrooms are clean and showers are freshing even though you need to pay for them. I would go again. read more

Great camping place if your okay with almost $80 a night for camping. The camping spots are super private the view from anywhere is amazing. We camped in 48 which was perfect! Hidden and right on the creek. The bathrooms were impeccable. There is NOT water at every site but close enough that you can't really complain. Super quiet and quiet times are really enforced! Wood is expensive $11 a bundle. Showers are 5 min for $2 read more

Someone called to cancel the reservation the day before arrival. Not sure what else to say when you can't even rely on having a confirmed reservation honored. read more

Our family of 4 stayed at the Ventana Campground over Valentine's Day weekend. This was by far the most amazing campground that we have yet discovered. From the moment we arrived we knew that we had found our paradise. Located on the same grounds of the Ventana Hotel... in the quiet forest amongst beautiful huge redwood trees. The campsites and spacious and at night you fall asleep to the sound of the river. The host and hostess were the nicest people in the world. The bathrooms were gorgeous. Everyone who was camping around us was quiet, nice, and respectful. No loud late night partiers. Just a perfect group of happy, respectful good hearted people. The vibe was felt by all and I wish you the same amazing and magical experience that we had while camping at The Ventana Campground. See you soon BIG SUR. We love you. read more

My girlfriend and I went to Big Sir on a spontaneous road/camping trip and there was no place to stay. We stumbled upon this campground and Lisa and Jim not only were the absolute nicest but made a place for us to save us from our stupidity of not booking in advance during the summer. We can't wait to go back! Beautiful and so much fun!!!! Seriously Lisa and Jim are the best! read more

I took my kids in early April and had a magical time. The grounds were beautiful and well kept. We blew up our mattresses in/near the bathroom and drove them back to our campsite. It was fun and much easier than I thought it would be. Bathrooms were squeaky clean! There was a water faucet across from our campsite, a fire pit and picnic table. We brought our own wood and a small fire starter which made making a fire soooo easy! I think we had a slightly bigger camp site than some of the other sites we saw. I would definitely camp at Ventana again. Oh! And the older guy so many people have complained about? He did come off as grumpy when we pulled up, however, we picked up a small conversation with him and he was great! Super helpful, in fact. Again, we enjoyed our stay at Ventana and we're looking forward to going back! read more

After looking at all the campgrounds in the area which were cheaper and booked up I'm so happy I chose Ventana! It's a tent only campground which is great and much less crowded and quieter so it was worth the $80 a night . I was called the day before our trip and told we were being moved as there was some light construction going on...well they really hooked us up, we had camp 75 what a super spot so nice and secluded we loved it!! Brian at the front entrance was so pleasant and helpful. The newer bathhouses with hot showers:) are fantastic and they really keep them clean. They do a great job at keeping the sites clean and emptying the trash etc. Ventana is close to everything, Nepenthe, Big Sur Tap House, Pfeiffer Park. The one disgusting thing on our last day thank god is that one large, rude and extremely loud family (come on site 41 you know who you are! ) can ruin it for the ENTIRE campground. The young kids were terrible, screaming and throwing stuff, up at 1 am yelling an waving flashlights around guess they did not get the 10 pm quiet time idea!. I have teenagers so I know how kids can be but come on. I would have complained had it not been our last day. read more

A group of five camping senior friends had a marvelous time at this lovely campground. Jim and his staff were friendly and helpful. The surrounding redwood trees and brook behind our campsite made site 35 a true delight. We appreciated the updated, clean restrooms after camping at primitive San Simeon State Park! We will be back, Jim! read more

We stayed here for 2 nights in late July 2015... it was fantastic.The setting is really is beautiful amongst the Redwood trees & although it's just off highway 1 it feels really remote. We stayed in pitch number 35 which was really nice & had reasonable privacy. Each plot has it's own picnic table & fire pit. I took a walk through the campsite one evening & was glad to have picked the 'Grove' area as some of the other areas looked like they had a bit less privacy. I would recommend the 'Grove' or 'Overlook' areas because they seem to have a bit more space between pitches, even if it does mean more cars passing through since they're closer to the campsite entrance/exit. The washroom areas were clean & well maintained & the campsite overall was well maintained. There are also lot's of nice restaurants, bars & grocery stores close by along highway 1. The only negatives were that for the 2 days we were there, there was no hot water at all. You had to buy tokens to activate the showers, so they didn't charge us for the tokens because of this. Also, the little shop on-site is very basic & rarely seemed to be open. And even when the 'open' sign was on the door, there didn't seem to be anyone around! It wasn't a big problem though because, as I said above, there were several supply shops within a few miles of the campsite that had a much wider range of goods & all sell firewood etc. I don't think these things were a big problem & the campground was so beautiful that I'm still giving it 5 stars! A few people have complained about the amount of bugs.... we didn't have any problems. There were a few mosquitos buzzing about as you would expect, but not many. I'm allergic to mosquito bites & swell up badly when bitten, but was absolutely fine at Ventana. I never seen any ants/beetles etc either. Overall I would definitely recommend this campsite & I would stay there again in a heartbeat! read more

A great campsite. The prices have gone up since the first time I visited which can be above what most people would pay. The showers are clean and nice. The area is beautiful with the trees. I would recommend if you're into clamping situation. I honestly think if I was to pay $100 per night I'd just do a hotel. But if you want outdoors without all the vault toilets this is your jam read more

Best family get away since Hawaii! Very last minute reservation and a spot was available. Just others haven mentioned, almost hate to give away this beauty of a spot. We visited Fernwood and the spots appeared to be super close together, not the case here. Quiet at night for us, no obnoxious campers. Jim, the manager, was awesome! We mistakenly did not book for four nights and asked if there was a possibility to stay... with some twerks he made it happen! Big Sur is now one of my favorite places! Make sure to get to busy spots early.... If you can, bring your own firewood! Most places including Ventana have small overpriced bundles (only small bad thing). Bathrooms are bathrooms, but these are well kept for the most part! Some have private stalls which makes for well, you know..... We will be going back here! And the pictures were pretty spot on... read more

This was one of the nicest campgrounds I have ever been to. The staff was great. The sites were spread out giving us plenty of privacy. It was very quiet too. The bath houses were new and very clean. It was expensive at $75 for one night but camping in a redwood grove was a unique and memorable experience. read more

I just stopped by the area not knowing that the campground was reservation only. When I asked how it works, front desk man just repeated "What is the last name on your reservation" three times slower with each time, maybe because I'm Asian? The world will never know. Either way terrible management with a bad attitude. Wouldn't want my money paying for this guy's anal cream. read more

After camping here for years and enjoying the beauty and quiet of the redwood canyon and the large campsites at a reasonable rate, we will not be back. We just returned from 2 nights with our kids. The hotel has taken over the management of the campground and is now more interested in making a buck than preserving the true camping experience. They introduced "Glamping" sites that have taken up the back part of the canyon and as of 6 weeks ago put in a Airstream trailer complete with picnic tables, strings of lights and food/drinks including $12 bags of beef jerky and $6 cups of drip coffee. The campsites have been greatly reduced in size to make up for the loss of the sites that used to occupy the area now used by the Glamping tents, which are nicely spaced out. They have also closed off the nearest bath house to our site and made it exclusively for the Glamping guests. Our campsite, #22 (assigned to us, not chosen) overlooked said atrocity. We had no idea that the Airstream was there and would a constant source of traffic from the hotel with their little electric carts and a Range Rover shuttle service bringing hotel guests down to experience a $20 barbecue dinner in the woods. Adding insult to injury we got to be the witness/listeners to a 4 hour long engagement party that took over the Airstream trailer site on Saturday afternoon. They cranked up their music and completely ruined what should have been a serene and peaceful camping weekend for our family. While I don't blame these folks for their party, I do place total blame on the hotel management for allowing themselves to be dictated by a bottom line and allow a campground environment to be used for party rentals. Do you not care about all of your customers that have paid to stay in quiet, enjoying the outdoors? Had we known about all their changes, including their willingness to rent out party space next to our campsite we never would have stayed. Make sure you do your homework before you consider booking a campsite here. We feel extremely upset about paying $105 only to be faced with this disaster. Ventana Hotel & Campground - you should be ashamed of yourselves. read more

Careful of poison oak!! We stayed here during the week when it was very quiet, but then a very large group checked in right next to us and started playing music and drinking and partying. Luckily the grounds were almost empty so we picked up and moved to a lower site, and the people who run the place were great about it. But when we came home we were were COVERED in poison oak! We didn't hike or go off the trails, which means that it must have been on our site. Worrisome. That being said, the grounds are lovely and the bathrooms aren't bad. The staff are great and when the creeks have water in them it is paradise. read more

DO NOT STAY HERE. I was robbed and charged a night that I did not reserve. When I brought it up to management, I was told "too bad" and "our computers aren't sophisticated enough to do that". In 2015, any reservation system should have the ability to do so and this was clearly the management being stubborn on not wanting to give the refund. When I tried to escalate the issue, the manager told me he couldn't give me their management company's phone number and that they were French so I wouldn't be able to find it. I've never experienced such horrendous customer service and flat out robbery. read more

My husband and I spent the MLK holiday weekend here, and were very pleased with the campground and its care takers. Jim and Lisa were accommodating and friendly. We rented a camper van that converts to a bed, so we weren't sleeping in a tent. Your reservation isn't site specific, so when we got there and were assigned site #16, whose parking space (where we'd be sleeping) was a shared spot with two others sites. We basically would have been sleeping in a parking lot. (The site would have been fine if we were in a tent, as the actually campsite was a bit more private. We drove back up to the gate, and asked if we could stay at a site that was a bit more private, and whose parking space and campsite wasn't attached to another site. They obliged, and we ended up with a great private little spot! I would request a site at the end, near the 3rd bath house. Sites are more spaced out back there. The bathroom also didn't get as much traffic as the others as well. Speaking of bathrooms, they are brand new. The only negative to them was that the showers don't have curtains, so either bring a bathing suit or be prepared for a little public nudity. I did shower, and used the back stall, which kept we out of view from people walking in, but no one ever did! They've done a great job of restoring the place after Sean Parkers wedding trashed it http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/local_news/sean-parker-wedding-brings-ventana-inn-s-campground-violations-to/article_acad79f2-d3cc-11e2-b240-001a4bcf6878.html read more

Ventana Campgrounds is what inspired my "General Theory of Life." The first theory is that car camping is generally bad. Ventana Campgrounds tests this theory in two ways. First, if you are in a walk-in site at Ventana, does the theory hold? No, it doesn't, because these are kick-ass sites, full of privacy and solitude, worthy of 5 stars. However, if you are in any other site, then does the theory hold? Yes, it does, because you are packed in like sardines on top of strangers, worthy of 2 stars. Also, if you have the bad fortune to be packed in to site #68, then you are situated in about a square foot next to the bathroom, which features flushing toilets all night long and small girls with bad voices singing at the top of their lungs at 8 a.m. And you are right on the road, and people at Ventana like to drive to the bathrooms at all hours. Really, site #68 shouldn't even be a site. They should also charge differently for different sites. read more