Camping around Monterey?

[BroncoHauler]

Laguna Seca - fond memories of my buddies and I riding our bikes up there to watch a motorcycle Grand Prix.

[mjeffrey]

Originally Posted by BroncoHauler

Laguna Seca - fond memories of my buddies and I riding our bikes up there to watch a motorcycle Grand Prix.

Nice! I rode down to the first two MotoGPs at Laguna Seca when I lived in the Bay Area - it was really something awesome, both riding in and out with all of those bikes, and hearing/seeing the GP machines (also heard them start up the legendary 2RC164 6-cylinder Honda from 1964, if I recall correctly... whatever it was, it SCREAMED!!)

I wasn't there for that great battle between Rossi and Stoner, in which Rossi passed Stoner in the dirt down the corkscrew!! Fantastic stuff, I would have loved to have seen it right there in front of me.

Cheers,
Mike.
(seriously considering bringing the motorcycle on the back of the van next year - winding California roads and beautiful weather are too much to resist!)

[Skywagon]

I live right over the hill from Laguna Seca and race my car there, but never thought of it as a camping spot. Some really nice walking trails into old Fort Ord leading north out of turn nine.
Bill

[daveb]

Close to San Luis res is the fore bay CG and Los Banos Creek. None are great places to camp IMO at this time of year and may be quite warm depending on our weather. Weekends will be busy.
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=670
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=558

If you are willing to go to the Pinnacles there might be some other spots shown on this site.
http://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMEN ... 033999.pdf
http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pacficsw/lospcmp.htm
Fred’s link shows the zoos around Monterey but a few are close to the beach. It’s been years since I was at any of them. Like you said, they are noisy.

[Skywagon]

This weekend is supposed to get really hot here- (Over 103 in Carmel Valley) Pinnacles wil be an oven. Making Big Sur Coast more appealing.
Bill

[floorguy_724]

Originally Posted by Skywagon

This weekend is supposed to get really hot here- (Over 103 in Carmel Valley) Pinnacles wil be an oven. Making Big Sur Coast more appealing.
Bill

I went out for a mountain bike ride today over near Laguna Seca (Sea Otter course) and it was baking!!!! Big Sur would indeed be more appealing during times like this!

[jmos6711]

You can also try this.
http://www.cypresstreeinn.com/rvfacilities.html
it has been a few years since I have parked here, I have heard rumors of the place going down hill. It is 5 minutes away from Cannery Row.
Veterans Memorial is the best place to camp, Each morning someone is always leaving so if you are there early 7-9am you will find someone leaving. It is a nice park for kids.
I would look there first, 3pm on a friday is not a bad time to find a spot.
Alot of people boon-dock at the "Break-Water" (San Carlos Beach) at the north end of cannery row.
It is mostly Scuba Instructors and their students so plan on getting woken up early.

[mjeffrey]

Thanks again everyone for all of the help! We ended up camping at Laguna Seca. There are hot showers and flush toilets, and the sites are nice. Facilities are clean (though my wife was a bit spooked by the lizards lounging in the bathrooms!) Not much privacy, and the campgrounds are all on fairly steep hillsides, but on a Friday night in early June it was maybe 10% full. Some sites have shade, most are in the sun. Many are up on a ridge and have beautiful views over the track and/or the valleys around. We paid the extra $5 for a site with electrical, only because it was in a nicer loop of the campground. $35 for the night.

Overall: not a place I'd travel to stay at, but really very pleasant as a staging point for Monterey and thereabouts.

Highlight for the kids: the driving school started up around 10am in the morning, and started the day by driving the students around the racing line in vans. So we got to watch three E350 EBs racing at Laguna Seca!!