Central Avenue Walk-in Sites

We thoroughly enjoyed our one night stay. The porta potty had recently been serviced which we greatly appreciated.

We thoroughly enjoyed our one night stay. The porta potty had recently been serviced which we greatly appreciated.

I didn't stay the night because it was unclear where to check in and the offices were closed. There are no signs to the plots and the sign at the lot says cars will be towed. I continued driving and slept at a rest stop instead.

I didn't stay the night because it was unclear where to check in and the offices were closed. There are no signs to the plots and the sign at the lot says cars will be towed. I continued driving and slept at a rest stop instead.

We first pulled into the beach area and a very nice park ranger gave us directions, when we got there we couldn’t find it to we checked every campsite on the map she gave us and we couldn’t find it. After driving around for 2 hours and asking another very nice park ranger we went back to the original spot the First Lady told us about and we walked around for about 30 minutes seeing if we could find it and we happened to come across a little sign thrown in the bushes that said central campsites. So we walked in to see what it was like and when we got there a bunch of people were already in our spot and I mean it’s not our responsibility to tell them to move and it was already 9PM so we decided to just go sleep in our car in a parking lot !

We first pulled into the beach area and a very nice park ranger gave us directions, when we got there we couldn’t find it to we checked every campsite on the map she gave us and we couldn’t find it. After driving around for 2 hours and asking another very nice park ranger we went back to the original spot the First Lady told us about and we walked around for about 30 minutes seeing if we could find it and we happened to come across a little sign thrown in the bushes that said central campsites. So we walked in to see what it was like and when we got there a bunch of people were already in our spot and I mean it’s not our responsibility to tell them to move and it was already 9PM so we decided to just go sleep in our car in a parking lot !

Big storm!! No shelter avaible.

Big storm!! No shelter avaible.

This was a great first "walk-in" trip for my kids. Hopefully it will lead to an interest if future backpacking trips. We stayed at campsite #1,a whopping 510 ft from the trailhead, and honestly, I'd do it the same way again. Even the farthest campsite is less than a mile in. Not great for hardcore backpackers, but the site was secluded enough and well maintained. We really enjoyed it, and I'd like to see more options like this in other parks (Looking at you, CVNP).

The only things I'd change would be clearer communication. I went expecting a communal fire pit with fire wood supplied, and when we got there, we found that each campsite had their own supplied fire ring and campers were expected to bring in their own firewood. I like the change, but I didn't know to bring in my own wood till I was already there. Also, there was a little confusion about the National Park Pass and the Parking Pass. We drove in the evening of our first night coming from the East, and we didn't realize that we were supposed to get our National Park Pass at the visitor's center (another 10 mi west or so). We have a senior pass, so were covered as it turns out, but we didn't know to display it or that it was expected before we parked. Regardless, we no problem whatsoever with parking our car overnight. It would have been nice to better know what the rules were, though.

This was a great first "walk-in" trip for my kids. Hopefully it will lead to an interest if future backpacking trips. We stayed at campsite #1,a whopping 510 ft from the trailhead, and honestly, I'd do it the same way again. Even the farthest campsite is less than a mile in. Not great for hardcore backpackers, but the site was secluded enough and well maintained. We really enjoyed it, and I'd like to see more options like this in other parks (Looking at you, CVNP).

The only things I'd change would be clearer communication. I went expecting a communal fire pit with fire wood supplied, and when we got there, we found that each campsite had their own supplied fire ring and campers were expected to bring in their own firewood. I like the change, but I didn't know to bring in my own wood till I was already there. Also, there was a little confusion about the National Park Pass and the Parking Pass. We drove in the evening of our first night coming from the East, and we didn't realize that we were supposed to get our National Park Pass at the visitor's center (another 10 mi west or so). We have a senior pass, so were covered as it turns out, but we didn't know to display it or that it was expected before we parked. Regardless, we no problem whatsoever with parking our car overnight. It would have been nice to better know what the rules were, though.