Camping and Lodging Details

Campsites, cabins, yurts and more! California State Parks offers many types of overnight accommodations. Below is a list of the terms with information such as occupancy details, limitations and in some cases, a list of parks offering that type of accommodation. Please click the link for the section that you are interested in.

Lodging: Cabins, Yurts and More!

Campsites: Tent and RV/Trailer

Enroute Campsites

Equestrian Camping

Group Camping

Hike Or Bike Campsites

Remote Camping

 

Lodging: Cabins, Yurts and More!

Lodging  (alternative camping) includes rustic cabins, cottages, lodging, tent cabins, floating campsites, and yurts.  Please check the following parks and their websites for more information.

Additional parks with lodging (For more information, please visit ReserveCalifornia.com):

  • Anza-Borrego Cabins
  • Big Basin Tent Cabins
  • Bothe-Napa Valley State Park (10 yurts; 3 cabins)
  • Brannan Island State Recreation Area
  • Calaveras Big Trees Cabins
  • Clear Lake Cabins
  • Columbia Hotel and Cottages
  • Crystal Cove Beach Cottages
  • Cuyamaca Rancho State Park
  • Hendy Woods State Park
  • Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park
  • Lake Oroville State Recreation Area Floating Campsites
  • Little Basin State Park
  • Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park
  • McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park Cabins
  • Mount Tamalpais State Park
  • Sue-meg State Park 
  • Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
  • Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park (Elk Prairie Campground)
  • Richardson Grove State Park
  • Samuel P. Taylor Cabins
  • San Clemente State Beach/ Holidays Vintage Trailers
 

Campsites: Tent and RV/Trailer

Standard Campsites (family campsites) accommodate up to eight people. They are developed campsites with amenities that vary from park to park, and may include fire pits or fire rings, picnic tables, showers, a water supply, and a cleared area for your tent.

Each campground has a limit on the consecutive number of nights a camper may stay. Once this consecutive night limit has been reached, the campground must be vacated, and no one in the party may return to camp in the same park for 48 hours.

A parent or guardian must accompany youths under 18 years of age. The Supervising Ranger may approve the stay of a youth that presents written consent from the parent or guardian that states the dates of the authorized stay and the park name.

Fees include entry for one vehicle and one legally towed vehicle or trailer, additional vehicles will be charged per night at the park. Although your site may hold two or more vehicles, your reservation only covers one vehicle (except for group or specialty sites). Review the maximum trailier and RV length, which are also included in the site details on ReserveCalifornia. A maximum of two licensed vehicles/autos, travel, boat, and utility trailers-may be parked at most campsites.

Only two overlapping reservations are allowed per reservation holder, per park. Most state parks allow campers to stay in the same park up to 30 nights in a calendar year.

The majority of campsites can be booked up to six months ahead on the rolling window, and others are available as First Come, First Served Campsites.

Enroute Campsites

The parks listed below have specified campsites that are available to self-contained camping vehicles only. Because these areas are used as parking lots during the day, you must leave them by 9 a.m. the following morning. Call ahead to make sure that your vehicle can be accommodated. Parks with enroute camping areas:

Equestrian Camping

Equestrian camping accommodations include individual and group sites.  Horses are required for people to stay in these sites.

Group Camping

Group campsites accommodate groups as small as nine or as large as 100 people, depending on the park. At some campgrounds, group sites can be combined for larger groups. Your reservation agent can help you with names and locations of these campgrounds.

Youth groups (under 18 years of age) must be accompanied by at least one adult for every 15 youths.

Stays are limited to seven nights.

Hike And Bike Campsites

Hike And Bike campsites are offered in many of California's state parks and are reserved for people who either walk in or pedal into their campsites. Vehicles are not allowed in these sites.  A permit is not required to hike and bike in state parks.  The campsites are located in relatively undisturbed natural settings and are primitive, typically with chemical or pit toilets, tables, and a central water supply.  These sites will vary when it comes to the availability of fires and showers. Some Hike And Bike campsites have no facilities. 

Regarding check-in times for the campgrounds, they may vary from park to park. Check with the park for specific check-in and check-out times.  The Hike And Bike sites are on a first-come, first-served basis for a per-person fee (usually lower than fees for a typical campsite, check with the park), so it is recommended to arrive at your destination earlier in the day.  It will also be easier to obtain a site during the week as opposed to weekends and holidays.

Hikers and Bikers generally stay one night with a maximum stay of one to two nights. Contact the park for stay limitations. 

Remote Camping

Remote (environmental) campsites are located in relatively undisturbed natural settings. Each site has a table, a clearing for your tent, and a primitive toilet nearby. Environmental campsite fees and hike-in distances vary between parks.

Plan to arrive at your campsite before dark.

No pets are allowed, except service animals.

Stays are limited to seven nights.