Manchester State Park

If you are traveling up Hwy 1 in the summer and don't have reservations amywhere, this is a good option. The ranger told me I'd have a 98% chance of getting a site. They don't take reservations. There are no amenities and no showers, only pit toilets bit they were clean. I was not impressed at first. Rare are sites with shade and the grassy sites hadn't been recently mowed. But, the weather never got hot so shade was not an issue. There's a nice trail through grasslands to the beach or you can drive to a day use lot which brings you closer. My site had a view of the hills and you could see the Pacific in the distance. Host was friendly.