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CALIFORNIA: New Brighton State Beach

New Brighton State Beach is one of the most popular campgrounds in the Bay Area because of its easy beach access; walkable proximity to the seaside town of Capitola and its well-regarded dining options, including the ever-popular Pizza My Heart; short drive west to the entertainment of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with its amusement park, arcades, and sprawling sandy beach; and slightly longer drive south to Monterey where visitors can walk the famous Cannery Row and enjoy the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. The park sits on bluffs overlooking the bay and beaches, which can be accessed via a trail down through the day-use parking lot, which is also the same way to access Capitola. There are also some limited hiking on trails near the entrance to the park, but better hiking can be found about 20 minutes away in the nearby Henry Cowell State Park.

The campground boasts over 110 campsites plus three large group sites (group #2 being the largest) and a bike-in site with at least four spaces for camping. There are many sites with ample space for RVs, including 11 sites with dedicated hook-ups for RVs that would not make good tent sites. These are sites 46 – 56 near the campground entrance. The sites along the cliff offer views of the bay and sunsets: These are available for an extra cost, usually have large areas for camping, are suitable for RVs (without hook-ups), and sell-out early. They are numbers 73,75, 76, 78, 79, 82, 87, 88, and 90. Sites opposite these have nice views from a distance but without the same access to the cliff view. Campsites 2 – 7 are the most secluded but also back up to a residential neighborhood and have views of the adjacent houses. For better privacy, campsites 66, 67, and 68 are located on a dead-end offshoot to the west and are surrounded by wooded areas, but they are the farthest from the restrooms. Beware that site 73, while a nice location, is by the trail to the beach, so expect some foot traffic throughout the day. Also note that site 70 resides at the bottom of a short but steep parking space. The east side of the campground, including the group sites, was closed during the winter months when Camp Sites USA visited, but it is not clear that it is regularly closed each winter. While most spots in New Brighton park are nice for tent camping, Camp Sites USA recommends any of the premium spots along the bluff and sites 16, 17, 20, 21, and 22 for spaciousness, seclusion, and decent views.