Located in Los Osos, San Luis Obispo County, Spooners Cove in Montana de Oro State Park is a serene campground overlooking the water, with the kind of quiet that actually feels restorative. The site sits in the hills above Spooner’s Cove itself, and you get real ocean views from many spots in the campground. There’s a visitor center near the entrance that’s worth stopping into—they have good information about local wildlife and the park’s history if you want context for what you’re seeing.

RVs and trailers max out at 28 feet here, so this works well for people with smaller rigs. The campground has pit toilets, which are clean and functional, though you’ll want to bring your own water and supplies since amenities are basic. That’s part of the appeal for a lot of people—it’s genuinely quiet and undeveloped, not a commercial RV park.

Dogs are welcome at the campground itself, which is the main thing to know if you’re traveling with one. The trails throughout Montana de Oro State Park don’t allow dogs to protect nesting birds and other wildlife, so your dog won’t be joining you on hikes. But you’ll have plenty of space to explore around the campground, and the coastal setting means there’s usually a breeze and interesting things to sniff. Evenings by the campfire here are legitimately peaceful—the kind of place where you notice how dark the sky gets and how loud the ocean is when there’s no other noise around.

Bring more water than you think you’ll need, since the campground doesn’t have hookups, and make sure your dog’s current on water too since it can get warm during the day. The proximity to the actual cove and those coastal views make this feel like a real getaway rather than just a place to park, even though you’re staying put at camp most of the time.