Arroyo Seco

Quiet campground. Flush toilets available, were very clean. Nice hikes to take. Some places along the river in the day use area were available.

Lovely campground set in the oaks. River access nearby, great trails for hiking and biking. Very popular on the weekends.

Great location for watching woodpeckers and other birds. A hike up the gorge makes a lovely walk no matter how far you go.

This is a surprise campground. The road from Carmel is awful despite what was reported. Drive around. But once at the campground we were pleasantly surprised. Only complaint - apparently there are no rules regarding how many campers and tents per site. It was a zoo. And the many groups were all playing music loudly. The campground either didn’t care OR had lost control. It did get quiet after 10, but sitting around the fire after dinner was less than enjoyable. We suspect this is a regular “party” place as it is pretty close to Greenfield, Ca.

Modern campgrounds have flush toilets and porta potties,running water (bring own soap)

I don’t typically take the time to leave reviews, but in this case, I feel it’s important to share my experience so others can make an informed decision, especially those traveling with larger RVs.

If you have an RV over 30 feet, I strongly recommend using caution before booking at Arroyo Seco Campground. I stayed in Group Site 024, which is advertised as accommodating trailers up to 45 feet. My fifth wheel is 43 feet, so based on that information, I expected access and conditions to be manageable. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The drive from Highway 101 into the campground is extremely challenging for larger rigs. The road is very narrow, with multiple areas affected by rock slides, leaving little room for error. In addition, there are several tight turns that make maneuvering a long trailer difficult and stressful. Vegetation along the route is not maintained for taller RVs; my fifth wheel stands at 13'6", and low-hanging branches caused significant damage, scratching both sides of the trailer as well as the roof.

Once inside the campground, the challenges continued. There are additional tight turns and low tree branches that make navigating to individual sites difficult. Signage within the campground is also not very clear. At one point, I was unsure of the correct route to my site and had to back down a very narrow road, which was both time-consuming and risky given the limited space.

I share this not to discourage others from visiting, but to emphasize that the posted size limits for campsites do not reflect the realities of getting there. Larger RV owners should carefully consider whether their vehicle can safely navigate the approach before booking.

On a separate note, I do want to recognize the camp hosts, who were outstanding. They were friendly, attentive, and genuinely helpful throughout our stay; always available when needed without ever being intrusive. Their efforts made a positive impression despite the challenges we experienced.

Camp was clean and camp hosts were very helpful.

The campsite was in a convenient location, in proximity to both the river and trails like Camp Cawatre Trail and Indians Road. The gorge is beautiful!! The modern campgrounds have potable water and clean bathrooms along with fire pits. There is also a road that goes past the modern campgrounds and leads to a nice lookout spot for sunset. Great experience overall, would come back!

The Bathrooms could have been working.

Nice campground, busy, lots of families on a warm weekend. Showers were broken, but facilities were otherwise nice. No cell.