Coastal Camping and Hikes

As the summer keeps coasting, get coasting! These three camping spots are blissfully brought to you by beautiful coastal locations that are prime time for pitching your tent by the water.

Week: 07.27.2022
Regions: Northern CA

Damme Good Camping

Camp at the environmental campground in Van Damme State Park in Mendocino

kids on the beach van damme state park
cliffs at van damme state park
redwood forest trail van damme state park
Just a few miles south of the town of Mendocino is one of the best hike-in (or bike-in) campgrounds on the California coast. Van Damme State Park follows Little River inland from the ocean, and the nine first-come, first-served environmental campsites can be reached via the Fern Canyon Trail.
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Best of the Summer Fests!

2022 Sonoma International Film Festival Summerfest

Outdoor winery events featuring films, food, wine, live music, and Sonoma’s cinematic scenery in the background: now that’s a blockbuster summer weekend!
Get Your Tickets!

Where There's a Willow, There's a Way

First come, first served camping at Willow Creek on the Sonoma Coast

woman looking at Russian River willow camp
willow camp on Russian River
woman walking willow camp Sonoma Coast
russian river willow camp
Set in a narrow grassy meadow among the rolling spring-green hills of the Sonoma Coast, Willow Creek Environmental Campground has 11 walk-in campsites that are first-come, first-served. And the setting ain’t too shabby: it’s the only state park campground on the Russian River!
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Sur Bet!

Camp along the Big Sur coast at Kirk Creek Campground

kirk creek campground big sur
kirk creek campground big sur
kirk creek campground big sur
You can spend $1,000 a night for an ocean-view room in Big Sur. Or you can spend $45 and wake up to the sound of crashing waves and incredible views of Big Sur’s coastline when staying at Kirk Creek Campground.
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  2. Been There, Dome That

    Surrounded by granite domes, craggy peaks, and miles of hiking trails, the High Sierra landscape of Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park is famous for good reason. For a truly grand view, take a short hike to bold—and bald (except for snow at times)—Lembert Dome.

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  3. Wapama Wows

    Hetch Hetchy can be overlooked in Yosemite National Park because of its more remote location and limited facilities. But this is where you’ll also find one of the best day hikes in the park: Wapama Falls.

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  4. Hike Mount Tamalpais into Muir Woods

    Muir Woods Through the Backdoor

    A backdoor entrance into Muir Woods? Hike a tranquil trail that starts in Mount Tamalpais State Park and quietly leads into Muir Woods, letting you avoid the busyness of the main parking area.

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Trending Stories SoCal

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  1. Inn-spiration Point!

    For more than a century, people have been hiking or mountain biking to West Point Inn for good reason. Perched at 1,785 feet on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, the historic inn has sweeping views from the Marin Headlands to the San Francisco skyline.

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  2. A Thousand Steps to Paradise

    A picture is worth a thousand words, but is a gorgeous beach in Laguna worth a thousand steps? The answer is yes, though the question is moot, because it’s only 223 steep steps down to the 400-yard stretch of sand known as 1000 Steps Beach.

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    Take the Exit to the Best of the San Francisco Peninsula

    The San Francisco Peninsula is proof that some of Northern California’s greatest surprises are hiding just off Highway 101. All you have to do is take the exit.

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  4. Hike to the Sierra Buttes Fire Lookout in the Lakes Basin

    Lookout for This View!

    Sierra Buttes Lookout, at a lofty 8,591 feet, is a memory maker for its pucker-worthy stairway to the tower’s balcony. It's a 5-mile (round-trip) hike to reach it. And the reward? Epic!

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