Kirk Creek Campground

A section of Hwy 1 was closed near Limekiln State Park so we drove up from Paso Robles. The last leg of the drive had narrow roads with A LOT of switchbacks. The water views and beautiful weather made it well worth the drive though!

Our site had a nice view of the ocean but not front row. Also it was not level and probably not a good site for a tent. Extra leveling blocks are needed.

Things to note:
- It’s primitive camping. There’s no water (not even from a spigot) and no cellular service.
- There’s clean pit toilets.
- $15 wood bundles are available for purchase.
- The camp hosts were friendly and very hardworking. The campground is well kept.
- Quiet hours are from 8pm-8am

I originally had site 16 but it is really sloped for even a class B rv. Site drops 20 inches so hard even with leveling blocks. All sites along the ocean are great with 22 & 21 my favorite. They are level there as well (mostly). Host was great. Campers where also great and got together to watch the sunset. I posted a few site photo’s to help with your picking of a site.

First, do not arrive prior to 3:00pm. The gate will be closed and you will not be allowed in. We showed up 15 minutes early and had to back our trailer out onto the busy PCH then go find a place to sit until 3:00pm.
Am guessing this is a hard campground to get into without a reservation. So you should already know that there is no water, no dump station, no cell phone signal, etc. All is true. You come for the view. Since the campground is on a hill, every site has a view. That said, plan on having to level your RV more than you might be used to. There is firewood available for purchase. Site has a deep firepit and separate grill. For those camping in a site on the backside of the ranger site, know that a generator will be running a lot.

No cell reception, no wifi, no water. Uneven sites. BUT it’s awesome. Amazing views. Super hike across the road, especially at sunset, and lovely trail down to ocean from camp.

No option to empty cassette toilets. No human waste allowed in trash (too many tossers have ruined it for normal people)

FF sites are 2,3,4,6,18. We loved site 4. Hedge on two sides, ocean views on other. Site 9 has the best ocean views from large grass area.

Probably my all time favorite campsite was at Kirk Creek Campground and that says A LOT being full timers since Dec 2021 from Florida in our 27” Airstream. This place was a dream! The views were straight out of a travel magazine, the Sunsets could be caught at your campsite or a short hike down below at the rocky beach. We enjoyed both! With no cell service, we took in the views, enjoyed our neighbors (hidden by the brush) and disconnected, I highly recommend it. I wanted to be here for my birthday and it happened l, we didn’t book 6 mths in advance…we booked just a few days ahead. Keep searching and be flexible and it will happen. This campground is a Bucketlist MUST! No showers, clean vault toilets and there’s the avoidable poison oak in the westcoast but all that can be glazed over when you experience the unforgettable Pacific Ocean views. I also took video and shared on our arrowstreamlife Instagram because knowing which spot is golden, is key and we absolutely loved site 13!

(Camp host has nothing to do with bookings BUT keep in mind, from my search, there seems to be 2 sites that are available, on a first come basis, arrive prior to 2pm;) but these go fast!

There’s a path to the beach down below the campground. It’s engulfed with poison oak. I thought I was being careful and I’m covered head to toe in rashes and blisters so I am just hoping other to have to go through this like we did. Campground is beautiful. Hosts were kind and helpful. Other than the poison oak and losing our drone to the brush it was a nice stay.

Few things are better than camping on a cliff between PCH and the ocean. We've stayed here twice and both times have been amazing. Reservations are hard to get, unless you're online at exactly the right minute 6 months in advance. But if you snag a spot, you won't regret the effort.

Every site has ocean views, but we prefer the ones on the ocean-side of the loop (those inside the loop are too exposed for our liking). Site #7 has a beautiful tree that provides nice shade on sunny days, and #9 is spacious and very private. Be aware of the wildlife -- raccoons and bunnies are everywhere and they WILL get into your coolers if not attended.

Kirk Creek is the kind of campground you picture when you buy your rig. A beautiful site on a cliff over the ocean with stunning views of the rugged Big Sur coastline.

The sounds of the waves crashing are amazing and drowns out almost all the noise of other campers.

We made a big deal about getting a site directly on the ocean, but almost every site here is positioned to have an incredible view of the coastline.

The location can be a bit isolating, it’s 30 miles to the main stretch in Big Sur. There is a dog friendly trailhead right across the road and Sand Dollar Beach day use area is about 10 minutes south.

In April 2019 We found the trail from the campground to the “beach” to be overgrown and not worth the trek. You end up on a pile of rocks and there was no actual beach.

The National Forest Service outsources management and maintenance of the campground to the generically named “Parks Management Company.” The team was constantly out and about in the campground, super friendly, and on top of everything. It was a nice change from the camp hosts that hide in their trailer all day.

The firewood was the most expensive we’ve seen at $12 a bundle, but it was dry and burned great.