Hearst San Simeon State Park — Attraction in Cambria

Absolutely loved this campground ! I had never been camping before and I appreciated how easy it was to find our campsite. There was enough space to fit two tents and two cars per campsite. In addition to this, each campsite has a table and a fire pit available for use at no additional cost. The campsite that we stayed at was very close to the bathrooms, showers, and trash. When we got there the showers and the bathrooms were out of service but they had them up and running on our last day and we were very appreciative.The showers do run with coins so take change if you plan on showering we did wipey baths on both nights we were there. We went at the end of March and the temperatures were extremely cold. I would recommend dressing in layers and beanies if you go around this time and bringing in a little tent heater because it does get cool and damp in the tent due to the campgrounds close proximity to the beach.

The campground itself is very clean and well kept. Our neighbors were very friendly on both nights. It does get very dark, so I recommend bringing a couple of clip on lights or lanterns to provide some light. The campground is very green and gives you the feeling of being secluded even though you are literally just off highway 1.

There is a little trail you can take underneath the bridge to get to the beach from the campsite which is on the other side of PCH. At night you can hear the waves crashing from the camp grounds. If you have a telescope and you're into that sort of thing, I would definitely recommend bringing it as you have an amazing view of the stars! One thing we didn't bring and I wish we would have brought were our bikes to ride around the campground and maybe a hammock as well since there are a lot of trees to hang them from. They do have clean water available but I would recommend bringing your own and enough food that you will need for your stay. There is a small market a few miles north of the campground or you can travel back down to Morro Bay to visit the Albertsons.

I don't have anything negative to say about the campground other than the inconvenience of the toilets being out of service, but when you go camping you kind of expect to go outdoors anyways and we can prepared ! I would definitely recommend this campground for you first time campers or those of you who want to be secluded but not completely isolated from...

Camping at San Simeon State Park -- no running water for toilets or showers for 3 years running!!

I booked a one night stay in San Simeon State Park using ReserveAmerica. We waited in line at the ranger station for 20 minutes and we were only third in line. When the park ranger finished checking us in, he said that the sinks, toilets and showers were turned off due to the water emergency in California. Everyone had to use porta-potties. This was a surprise to us since the San Simeon website said water restrictions were in effect but didn’t say what those are and they list showers and flush toilets as amenities.

My husband spoke to the camp hosts and they told him the water has been turned off the last 3 years and they’ve been using porta-potties for 3 years at the park! The ReserveAmerica website (where I booked the reservation) requires you to click to view the park warnings. The warning said the water was off but I missed that important fact. In my defense, ReserveAmerica still said the park had showers and flush toilets as amenities.

If you haven’t had running water, flush toilets and showers for the last 3 years, I think the park and ReserveAmerica need to remove those amenities from their websites. They should also make these details part of the standard park information and not a warning that you have to click on.

The camp hosts said a lot of the restaurants in San Simeon have locked their bathrooms and installed porta-pots in the parking lots to conserve water as well. Needless to say, we didn’t patronize any of those restaurants.

The rest of the park was satisfactory but my trip had already been spoiled by the misleading websites. Beware...

It's a very beautiful place, lots of squirrels will come up to you like kind of in a way they're welcoming you, they seem like to try get into your food you leave out, which no one should ever do, it depends on what camping ground you choose to camp on, you might be able to see the ocean. I had to wear a sweater while I was there camping, if you want to go there, you should take a pair of sweats with you, just in case the weather turns cold like summer has ended all suddenly without hearing the weather cast. It's nice when you're standing in the sun, but when you're in the shades it turns cold quickly, especially when you're near the ocean sometimes it can be cold and foggy early in the morning. It's good to bring extra things with you just to be prepared for anything, and especially for weather. I've been told that there are Zebras in the city, you might get to hear them during the day, as I heard that they sound like a siren going off. Me and my sisters tried to see if we can find them and see them, but unfortunately were not able...