Campgrounds and RV parks near Day Valley, CA

The coast drives the itinerary. Seacliff State Beach has a two-mile-long sandy beach tucked under sandstone cliffs, a snack shop, picnic areas, flush toilets, showers, drinking water and a visitor center, with surf fishing, swimming, sunbathing, kayaking, hiking, biking, beach combing, geocaching, whale watching and wildlife viewing, although the pier was demolished after storm damage destroyed much of it. The small protected pocket beach at New Brighton is good for swimming, kayaking, sunbathing, beach walking and surf fishing. Capitola Village sits a short drive away with shops and restaurants. Inland at Pinto Lake, families can launch kayaks, canoes or small boats and fish the lake. Day trips reach the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to the north and the Monterey Bay Aquarium to the south.

Late spring through early fall is peak. Coastal sites at New Brighton book heavily for weekends, holidays, and school breaks, and the KOA fills out for summer as well. With ReserveCalifornia, reservations open six months to the day in advance of the arrival date, and each new date opens at 8 a.m. PST. Plan to be online at the six-month opening for any summer Friday or Saturday. Late spring through early fall brings reliable dry weather and warm afternoons, though marine fog can hold along the bluff campgrounds in the morning. Inland communities like Watsonville and Day Valley are typically a few degrees warmer in summer than the immediate coast, but nights stay cool and morning mists can form. Winter is the wet season. December is the wettest month, averaging around 106 mm of precipitation over roughly 11 rainy days. Powerful swells and high tides during the 2023 winter storms devastated the Aptos coast, damaging the pier and the seawall that protected the Seacliff campground, which remains closed. Major rebuilding efforts at Seacliff are not expected to break ground until at least 2028, with larger projects unlikely before 2030, so RV travelers should plan around New Brighton, the KOA, Pinto Lake, or Seacliff Center for the foreseeable future.

New Brighton has over 100 developed campsites, 11 RV hookup sites, a visitor center museum, campfire center and large beach parking lot for day use. The 11 hookup sites (numbered 46-56) include electricity only; water and a sanitation station are available on site, with a fee for use of the dump station. Sites 46-56 are suitable for RVs up to 36 feet, and nine premium campsites sit closest to the bluff overlooking the ocean. All campsites have a picnic table, fire ring with grill, and food storage locker, with restrooms, flush toilets, piped water, and coin-operated hot showers. Pinto Lake RV Park offers full-hookup sites in a quiet city-run lakeside setting with a dump station, and the KOA adds a pool, playground, dog park, and organized activities, which works well for families with young kids.