West Coast Campsite Availability

We did it but didn't get on the PCH until Eureka. We had no problems finding a place to stop. We called ahead an hour or two before we planned to stop and found a spot on the first call except once when we had to call a second place. We drove all the way up to the Olympic Peninsula.

Dont know about PCH as that is a California highway designation. But along US101 in Oregon you will want reservations unless your willing to stop no later that 2PM and hope for a one night only. The good sites fill up with reservarions months in advance.

Adiabatman wrote:
We're contemplating a trip from the DC to southern CA and then up the Pacific Coast to OR. We generally travel without reservations and I'm not too concerned about heading west. But I am worried that it might be difficult finding sites along the PCH in June. Any advice? Thanks.

fred

Your "no" reservations plan will result in the following possibilities:
1. severely limit/alter your RV park choices
2. add a level of anxiety or frustration during your travel as you wonder about your next day's reservations.
3. June will be the HIGH season for other tourists and local people who will impact your traveling and sight seeing activities.
The Calif. and Oregon coasts are high tourist attractions any time of the year but especially during the summer months. Reservations do not limit your RV travels or choices. Reservations are only plans to deviate from--You can cancell or change reservations!!!!

I definately would have reservations in California during the summer and especially the weekends.

For Friday or Saturday stops I would make reservations. If you will be staying in one spot for a weekend I would make reservations.

Sunday through Thursday stops you may be able to get a spot without reservation unless the campground is near a high volume tourist destination (San Francisco, Big Sur, Carmel...etc.). The farther north past San Francisco the easier it will be to get a space at will. Anywhere in Southern California up to San Francisco the campgrounds are sometimes booked a year in advance for Friday thru Sunday.

X2 on what djgarcia said. We volunteered for 5 seasons at Emma Wood State Beach in Ventura, CA. Even though it's beautiful weather all year long, summer is definitely high season and you REALLY need reservations anywhere along the coast. You can check reserveamerica.com for CA state park reservations. The state parks don't have hookups as a rule. Another comment, Southern CA is not rv friendly, few rv parks and PCH doesn't go all the way up the coast. It starts in southern Orange County, goes through Los Angeles County, then ends again in Ventura County. 101 is the road you will be traveling on north of Ventura County. Be prepared for frustrating traffic and make reservations!
Also, don't go on Hwy 1 (PCH) north of San Francisco, don't know how big your rig is but it's a really winding road with switchbacks that is NOT a place for rv's. Find a park and drive it in your toad/tow vehicle.

Most of the California state campgrounds on the coast are fully booked by now. The booking time is 6 months in advanced. In So.Ca when you want a campground on the beach it takes only a few minutes for all them sites to be gone. I have been doing this for many years so I know how it is.Maybe you will have better luck looking into private ones.This year I tried to make reservations for Memorial Day at a State beach campground near San Diego but couldn't get in,all sites were gone within 5 minutes. Good luck

Oregon State Parks are among the best, if not the best, in the country. You will find on their website which parks are first come first serve. I have camped for years on the Oregon coast without reservations. It is doable if you are not trying to adhere to a schedule. That said, the most popular of the parks you can reserve will book out quickly.

Coastal SoCal campsites for the summer, are probably already all booked up.
June was probably booked up last December.

Expecting SoCal campsites, in the summer, to be available only a month in advance, is a fantasy.
California State Beach campsites are usually all reserved the first day tney become available.

Oregon's coastal state parks are almost as bad.

If you're doing this now, you'll have to go inland or hope there are some private parks with some8.

Have been camping on the West Coast for over 30 years and we have always made reservations.
We also stopped camping during the summer months, about 15 years ago.
Too crowded and too competitive for camping.

We now camp just spring and fall. Way more pleasant.

if you do it i would suggest a list of parks and start calling each morning before you get to far down the road. it is prime season and the coast is a magnet.
i live in the portland area and will not consider heading any where on the left coast without reservation in the summer