Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Connectivity and Media
- Wi Fi
Cooking and Fire
- Firewood Available
On Site Services
- Propane
- Swimming Pool
Pets and Policies
- Pet Area
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Reviews (5)
What Guests Are Saying
The Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA Holiday offers a wide range of outdoor activities for families, including access to nearby beaches, bike rentals, and various recreational facilities like playgrounds and a heated pool. The campground is well-maintained, with friendly staff and clean amenities, making it a great choice for family gatherings and pet-friendly stays. While some long-term visitors noted changes over the years and expressed concerns about cabin amenities and pricing, the overall experience remains positive for many guests, highlighting the beautiful setting and enjoyable activities.
What Guests Are Saying
The Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA Holiday offers a wide range of outdoor activities for families, including access to nearby beaches, bike rentals, and various recreational facilities like playgrounds and a heated pool. The campground is well-maintained, with friendly staff and clean amenities, making it a great choice for family gatherings and pet-friendly stays. While some long-term visitors noted changes over the years and expressed concerns about cabin amenities and pricing, the overall experience remains positive for many guests, highlighting the beautiful setting and enjoyable activities.
Review Summary
Stefanie Lee
July 16, 2026
Wow, I've been by this location many times in my life and we finally had a chance to stay with our family and granddaughter. It has the perfect balance of outdoor activities for kids and adults. Nearby beach, bike rides, train rides, swimming, movie at the pool, live music and a sand shack. Plus 2 playgrounds and much more like tye dye and games with arts and crafts. They have bikes for the littlest and bike rentals for larger kids and adults. It's centrally located to Monterey and Santa Cruz if you want to go enjoy the boardwalk or whale watching. The staff is outstanding and the grounds are beautiful. Plus it's pet friendly and has a doggy park for small and large dogs. There are always specialty foods coming thru the snack shack like malasadas and poke bowls. You can also pre order 馃崟. Multiple bathrooms on site with hot showers. This is a RV, tent, and cabin rental location so something for everyone!
Lena Khash
June 19, 2026
We have been going here for 12+ years and this was probably the last time. So much has changed and it鈥檚 not the same anymore. The only good thing is probably the pool but that鈥檚 about it. We usually got the deluxe cabin which has many things missing from the kitchen especially for grilling. Their banana bikes were the highlight of the stay but they are discontinued so they won鈥檛 have any. Their staff pressures you to leave immediately or pay extra even though kids had bike rentals paid. They always have you get checked for some kind of bracelet which is so strange. We never had such experience in the past 12 years. We won鈥檛 be back unfortunately and won鈥檛 recommend it anymore. It鈥檚 probably ok if you have your own trailer
Heidi Dickerson
May 22, 2026
This is a clean quiet campground just minutes away from the beach. We had the pull through site with a paw pen for our three doggies. This site had everything we could ask for including outdoor lighting, a gas barbeque, fire pit and swinging bench. The area for the dogs had soft green grass with a cleanup station provided at the entrance of the gate. All the employees were super friendly and accommodating. They have a well stocked store with everything we need, a laundromat, clean restrooms and lots of fun stuff to do around the campground. This is such a great place to stay and we can't wait to come back.
Nani Liu
April 27, 2026
My family and I have visited 30 KOA locations and this is BY FAR, the best experience yet! The campground was incredibly clean and gorgeous! Every area was landscaped beautifully. Bathrooms were immaculate and even smelled fresh. Thoroughly impressed by the aesthetics and cleanliness but was even more impressed by the staff. From check-in, to staff making their rounds, to the owner Andy who was incredibly gracious and took the time to meet us. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. We normally bring our RV but decided on renting a cabin and so pleased we did! They are so cute! We felt like we were in a cabin in the woods. The staff came and checked our gas grill to ensure we were all set. We didn鈥檛 want to leave and will absolutely be back! Mahalo to Andy and his crew for providing such a beautiful experience!
Mike Heinaman
December 23, 2025
Great glamping spot. We stayed in the cabins for a December weekend, and I came away generally impressed. On the positive side - the cabins were roomy, clean, and set up well for small families, with a bedroom area, living area and kitchenette and a loft that my 9 year old daughter loved. There's a firepit and grills outside as well. The community store was well stocked, not cheap (of course), but not crazy expensive. There was a heated pool, a nice playground, and huge inflatable bouncing pad that the kids loved. They also had some nice Christmas and holiday activities that the kids also enjoyed. The staff I interacted with were really friendly and helpful, and you're close to some nice beach areas and Santa Cruz/Capitola for shopping and eating.
The only minor downsides - the shower was a little awkward (but it's a cabin, so just having a shower is a plus) and it's a little pricey, but we will definitely go there again.
Location Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay KOA Holiday
Address:
1186 San Andreas Road
Watsonville, CA, 95076
United States
Elevation: 41 feet
Nearby National Park
Hetch Hetchy Entrance
Approximate driving time: 1 hr 13 min
7.8 mi drive to downtown Watsonville (about 15 min)
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: August 22, 2026