Coastal Paradise Awaits at Northern California’s Beach Campgrounds

Imagine falling asleep to the sound of crashing waves, waking up to massive redwood trees, and spending your days exploring beaches along Northern California’s coastline. Beachfront camping in Northern California is some of the best camping in the world. Whether you’re looking to pitch a canvas tent under evergreen trees or wake up next to lapping waves, campgrounds on the beach in Northern California will excite every type of adventurer.

While you could spend a good part of your life touring Northern California and never see the same beach twice, here is a handy guide to 10 of the best coastal campgrounds in Northern California.

Bodega Dunes Campground: Where Sand Meets Serenity

Right in the heart of Sonoma Coast State Park, Bodega Dunes Campground is next to a beautiful coast and offers all the camping comforts you can imagine. There are 99 campsites here, tucked among the sand dunes that provide both privacy and protection from the wind. For anyone who has spent time on the coast, wind will always be a factor.

The campground offers hot showers, flush toilets, and a sanitation dump station for RVs. While dogs aren’t allowed on the beach itself (to protect endangered snowy plovers), they’re welcome in the campground on leashes.

There’s a five-mile trail system through the dunes where you can take the path to South Salmon Creek Beach. The campground is near a beach town called Bodega Bay, so you’re never far from restaurants and shops.

Wright’s Beach Campground: Oceanfront Camping at Its Finest

I get it. I want to get so close to the ocean I can feel the mist on my face when I pop my head out of my tent. For those like me, Wright’s Beach Campground delivers a truly authentic beachfront experience. Also in Sonoma Coast State Park, this is a smaller campsite, but it is right near the beach.

Wright’s Beach is practically in the ocean with many sites only a few steps from the sand. The facilities are more basic than Bodega Dunes (no showers on-site, though registered campers can use the facilities at Bodega Dunes), but the location makes up for it.

The wildlife experience offers beachcombing, tide pooling, and fishing opportunities, though swimming can be dangerous due to strong rip currents. If you’re not comfortable or experienced with ocean swimming, I recommend staying in the shallows.

Salt Point State Park: A Coastal Wilderness Experience

Further north along Highway 1, Salt Point State Park offers a more rugged camping experience in the middle of Northern California’s most dramatic coastal scenery. Salt Point is a true escape into the wild with over 6,000 acres of wilderness and six miles of rocky shoreline.

The park has two main campgrounds: Gerstle Cove (30 sites on the ocean side of Highway 1) and Woodside (79 sites in the forest on the eastern side). Every campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, and food lockers, with drinking water and restrooms available nearby. This kind of terrain is right in my wheelhouse. I prefer to be near the forest, but still like to soak my feet in the ocean.

The park also features California’s first underwater preserve, making it popular with divers and snorkelers. For the perfect addition to that steak dinner grilled over the fire, Salt Point is also the only state park in California where mushroom foraging is legally permitted (with limits). It goes without saying that if you can imagine it, camping on the beach in Northern California will provide it.

Point Reyes National Seashore: Backcountry Beach Camping

For those willing to work harder for their coastal camping experience, Point Reyes National Seashore offers ideal backcountry beach camping. This protected coastline allows for four hike-in campgrounds, with the closest to the beach about 220 yards from the shore.

A little further in is Coast Camp. It’s a short 1.8-mile hike, but the reward is a quieter, more immersive natural experience in the backcountry. The campground provides vault toilets and water faucets, though I recommend you bring water purification tablets.

Out here you’ll spot tule elk and harbor seals and enjoy some of the darkest night skies in the region. Pack light and remember: Haul it out, haul it out, and leave no trace.

Doran Regional Park: Coastal Camping for the Whole Family

Doran Regional Park is one of the most accessible and family-friendly beach camping experiences in Northern California. This 120-acre park has a beautiful 2-mile stretch of beach with protected bay waters, making it ideal for children.

The campground has over 120 campsites spread across five areas where both tents and RVs can stake their claim. There’s potable water, restrooms with flush toilets, and coin-operated hot showers.

Doran Park is special for families due to the bay beach with relatively calm waters. This is a much safer environment for swimming, playing in the water, and just living the beach life. There is also a boat launch nearby that makes it easy to get out on the water, or a jetty where any age fisherman can cast a line.

MacKerricher State Park: Diverse Coastal Ecosystems

Further north, you’ll find one of the most diverse camping spots on the Northern California coast. MacKerricher State Park has it all with beaches, bluffs, dunes, forest, and even a rare pygmy pine forest. This is an absolute must-see!

The main attraction here is Glass Beach. Keep your eyes open for colorful, smooth sea glass created from broken bottles and trash tumbling around in the ocean for years. You know what they say: “One man’s treasure…”

A paved trail follows the coastline, making this one of the most accessible beaches for visitors with mobility challenges. There is also a lake nearby, Lake Cleone, where you can spot more wildlife or try casting out for some freshwater fish.

Gold Bluffs Beach Campground: Camping Among Giants

For a truly magical experience while beachfront camping in Northern California, it’s hard to beat Gold Bluffs Beach Campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. Where else can you camp on a perfect beach with ancient redwood forests just steps away? This towering, old-growth forest is worth the trip alone, but to hear the ocean at the same time will be a memory you will never forget.  

This small campground offers only 26 sites nestled among the dunes, and the amenities here are basic, with solar showers, restrooms with flush toilets, and food storage lockers. It may be basic, but the extraordinary setting more than makes up for it.

What makes Gold Bluffs Beach truly special is its location within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From your campsite, you can wander through miles of wild beach and take a short hike to Fern Canyon, where the walls are completely covered in lush ferns. A little trivia for you: this spot was featured in “Jurassic Park 2.” Don’t worry, they cleared out all the dinosaurs after filming.

Sunset State Beach: Perfect Southern Exposure

Sunset State Beach is just short of Santa Cruz and is the perfect combination of accessibility and natural wonder. As its name suggests, this beach is renowned for its flawless sunset views over Monterey Bay.

The campground provides more than 90 sites, including some designated for RVs. With home-away-from-home amenities like coin-operated hot showers, piped water, and restrooms, your stay will be in total comfort. The campground sites are hidden in shady pine trees, keeping the temperatures cool even on hot summer days.

From your campsite, it’s just a short walk to get to the beach. The water here is warmer than other locations, so it’s a popular spot for swimming in the summer months.

New Brighton State Beach: Coastal History Meets Natural Beauty

Near Capitola, New Brighton State Beach is rich in history and plentiful in beauty. This is a popular campground for tourists and locals alike. It overlooks the northern Monterey Bay, and from here you can get to both the beach and the forest, so there’s a little something for everyone.

There are 111 developed campsites for both tents and RVs. Another good summer spot with pine and cypress trees providing some cool shade throughout the campground.

A little dose of history: The beach was named after the English resort town and was once home to a Chinese fishing village in the 1870s and 1880s. Below the campground, the shore is perfect for swimming, fishing, and picnicking. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins and sea otters frequently frolicking in the bay.

Patrick’s Point State Park (Sue-meg State Park): A Cultural and Natural Wonder

Recently renamed Sue-meg State Park to honor the indigenous Yurok people, and located 25 miles north of Eureka, Sue-meg offers sites scattered throughout spruce and hemlock forests with incredible ocean views. The campground provides 124 sites in three loops. Thanks to its forest setting, Sue-meg is nicely sheltered from the wind.

What sets Sue-meg apart is its cultural significance. The park features a recreated Yurok village called Sumêg, where visitors can learn about indigenous traditions and crafts. Wedding Rock offers panoramic ocean views, while Agate Beach below the bluffs is famous for its semi-precious stones for all you rockhounds. While it is encouraged to hunt the stones, only look, please don’t take rocks or other natural items from National or State Parks.

Bring Your Bell Tent to Your Coastal Campgrounds in Northern California

I have been visiting friends and family for years from Monterey Bay to Crescent City. The 101 was my commute for a while. If you’re camping in this region (and I highly recommend you do), do yourself a favor and get a canvas tent. My personal preference for layout and style is a Bell Tent.

Canvas tents are awesome in the wild coastal weather. The natural canvas material also breathes better than synthetic tents and reduces condensation. This is important to keep in mind in the foggy, humid coastal environment of Northern California. If you’re on the coast, there’s no escaping the wind. A bell tent’s sturdy construction withstands coastal winds better than lightweight backpacking tents, with plenty of space to hang out during surprise rain showers.

White Duck’s Regatta Bell Tent is a personal favorite for coastal weather. It’s comfortable, tough enough for any weather conditions, and, frankly, they look amazing. For glamping tent enthusiasts, these roomy caverns transform a simple camping trip into a luxury retreat.

Planning Your Trip to Northern California Beaches

No matter which coastal campground you choose, these tips will help you have a successful Northern California beach camping experience:

1. Make reservations early: The most popular coastal campgrounds book up months ahead, especially for summer weekends and holidays.
2. Pack for every kind of weather: Even in summer, Northern California’s coast can be foggy, windy, and cool. Bring layers, including warm clothes for evenings.
3. Bring a paper map, know your area: Cell service can be spotty along the coast. Download maps and campground information before your trip.
4. Respect wildlife and natural spaces: Stay on designated trails and follow all food storage rules to prevent attracting animals and damaging fragile ecosystems.
5. Check fire restrictions: During high fire danger periods, campfires may be prohibited entirely, so check with the local ranger station.
6. Mind the coastal rhythms: Tides significantly affect beach activities. Bring a tide table to plan your beachcombing, tide pooling, and swimming.

Coastal campgrounds in Northern California are the perfect summer getaway. With the coast on one side of camp and massive redwoods on the other, you can’t beat the diversity.

Whether you’re setting up a canvas tent in the redwoods or parking an RV with your windows open to the sea breeze, the sound of crashing waves and the fresh, salty air will draw you back year after year. I may be partial, but the West Coast is the best coast. I hope to see you out there.