If you’re looking for a family getaway at a Central California campground where you can just relax, or a place to stop while passing through Central California, Basalt Campground might be the place for you.
One year during Spring Break, we stayed at Basalt Campground for two nights on our way to Pinnacles National Park. You’ve probably driven past it before between Monterey and I-5; on that stretch of Highway 152 that links the coast with the valley, you drive through Pacheco Pass and by a huge reservoir (it’s one of the biggest in the country, in fact). Along that water are a few campgrounds, and Basalt is the nicest one.
Basalt Campground: a peaceful Central California campground
The campground is located just across the road from the San Luis Reservoir and backs up to the rolling hills that define the landscape of this area. You’ll notice basalt rock poking through the hills (see below).
We came upon Basalt Campground while looking for a central California campground to stay to break up the four-hour drive from Sacramento to Pinnacles National Park. While other campgrounds were booked during Spring Break, this one had lots of openings! Spring seems to be quiet here despite good weather, green hills and lots of wildflowers.
Basalt Campground is open year-round but gets busy in the summer when people bring their boats for recreation and fishing in the reservoir, but I’d recommend spring when it’s not as hot and dry as in summer or fall.
We loved that there was almost NO ONE there. Half the campground was closed, and the other half had just a handful of campsites taken, leaving lots of space between each site. We never heard other people’s voices and only noticed other campers when they came and went in their vehicles.
While there weren’t many people, there were plenty of rabbits (the cute little ones with white cottontails). My kids were especially fascinated by watching the bunnies hopping around and darting for cover when they spotted us.
And the birds! There were so many beautiful birds to watch all day. Even at night we could hear the hooting of owls in the eucalyptus trees above our trailer. In fact, there are bird watching walks held here because it’s a migratory stop; in the spring you can spot are warblers, vireos, flycatchers, yellow-billed magpies (lots of them), and orioles.
Compared to other campgrounds we’ve stayed at in California state parks, there’s not much to do at this campground, but we loved it anyway. In the campground itself, we had lots of space outside our campsite for our kids to play, look for rabbits and birds, and fly our homemade kites. We also watched a movie in our trailer, played games and just relaxed. Sometimes that’s just what we need — time away from our usual routine to just be in the moment and enjoy each other’s company.
There’s a 1.5 mile hike that begins at the campground and shorter trails up and down the surrounding hills. Our favorite was the one behind campsite 53 — the hill takes you directly up to a fence where cows lazily roam the hillsides. There are longer walking trails nearby, including one along the water and a new 5-mile trail at San Luis Creek Campground.
A short drive away is the reservoir, but we chose to drive about 30 minutes west on Highway 152 to Dinosaur Point. Here you can access the water and hiking trails that go around the reservoir. Note that swimming is not recommended right now, especially for kids and dogs, because of a recent spike in toxic algae (this is happening in other bodies of water in N. California, too). We loved visiting later in the day with the soft light of evening and cooler temperatures.
Tips for staying at Basalt Campground San Luis Reservoir:
Summer here is at this central California campground and more crowded with people enjoying the water.
In hot weather, watch for snakes on the trails, and stay out of the tall grass.
The bathrooms here are very nice — private bathrooms with a toilet and coin operated showers.
This is dry camping, so RVs will need to get water at the dump station before setting up camp.
There are 79 sites, some that can accommodate trailers of up to 30 feet.
Most sites have at least partial shade.
Look for a site that backs up to the hills.
Reservations can be made year round.
Click here to see photos of the campsites and here to see the Basalt campground map.
Do you have any favorite lesser-known central California campgrounds? I’d love to hear your recommendations!
Read more: Our Favorite Northern California Campground and A Guide to Visiting Pinnacles National Park
