Campgrounds and RV parks near Elkhorn, CA

The slough itself is the headline attraction. It is famous for having the largest group of sea otters in California, often seen floating on their backs. Harbor seals and California sea lions are common in the Moss Landing marina, and the slough is a top spot in the state for kayaking and bird-watching, with over 300 species of birds recorded across the reserve and surrounding wetlands. Electric pontoon and kayak tours of the slough operate out of Moss Landing harbor. On land, the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve has a visitor center and trails through marsh and oak woodland. The Reserve and Visitor Center are open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Day trips reach the Monterey Bay Aquarium, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Cannery Row in Monterey, and the Steinbeck Center in Salinas.

The Monterey Bay coast has a Mediterranean climate with two practical seasons for RV planning: a cool, wet winter and a long, dry, foggy summer. Summer is the busiest stretch. Coastal fog often holds along Moss Landing and the dunes through mid-morning, then burns off inland by midday. Inland sites near Salinas run noticeably warmer and clearer than beach-adjacent sites in Marina or Moss Landing on the same afternoon. Reservations at state parks fill months out for any weekend between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Spring and fall are the strongest shoulder seasons. Wildflowers and migrating shorebirds peak in spring around the slough, and the warmest month on this coast arrives in September, later than most U.S. locations, which makes early fall the clearest and most settled stretch. Western snowy plovers nest on the beach sands at Sunset and nearby state beaches, so seasonal beach closures and roped-off zones are common. Winter brings most of the year's rain in short Pacific storms. Private RV parks remain open year-round, and state park demand drops sharply midweek.

Sites vary widely. Sunset State Beach has no RV hookups at the campsites; amenities include drinking water at spigots, flush toilets, showers, and a dump station, and generators are limited to set daytime hours. The campground holds tents, trailers, and RVs across three loops on a bluff above Monterey Bay, with shorter parking spurs that restrict longer rigs. Marina Dunes RV Park offers 88 sites in Marina, with five tent-only sites, a 51-foot maximum RV length, and full hookups, with beach access through the adjacent dune preserve. Moss Landing KOA Express is a smaller property steps from the harbor; industrial stacks are visible nearby and tend to fade into the background after a short time on site. Expect coastal fog, cool evenings even in July, and leash rules on most beaches.