Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park offers over 200 campsites across 1,000 acres of redwood and pine forest, with many spots right along the Big Sur River—a genuinely beautiful place to base yourself if you’re camping with your dog. The setting is dramatic, with towering trees and that particular cool, misty quality Big Sur is known for.

Dogs can’t use the main park trails, which is a real limitation if hiking is your main goal. Where you can walk your dog is throughout the campground itself, which has plenty of space to explore on leash. The riverside location means you’ll get those redwood-forest walks without venturing onto prohibited trails. It’s a different kind of outdoor experience than backcountry hiking, but the setting makes up for it.

Book your reservation six months ahead if you’re going during peak season—the park fills up quickly and there’s no way around the wait otherwise. Once you’re there, the campground has showers and flush toilets, so you won’t be roughing it completely.

If you want more extensive dog-friendly hiking, the Ventana Wilderness nearby has hundreds of miles of trails open to dogs. It’s worth exploring as a day trip from your campsite. Pfeiffer Beach is also just a few miles away and allows leashed dogs on its purple-sand shoreline, which is a unique spot to visit.

The campground restriction on dog trail access is worth thinking through before you book, especially if you were picturing long hikes through the redwoods with your dog. But if you’re after a solid camping base in one of California’s most visually stunning areas, with comfortable facilities and nearby options like Ventana Wilderness and Pfeiffer Beach, it works. The river setting and old-growth forest make it feel genuinely special, even if you’re mostly walking around the campground perimeter on leash.