If you’re more of a coastal camper, Riverside campground in Big Sur is just a ten-minute drive from beach access. Riverside is a tent, RV and cabin site located in the middle of beautiful coastal redwoods.

Riverside campground is the first site I had the pleasure of experiencing that was equipped with fully functioning hot water showers, free wifi, and even laundry stations. Definitely more of an up-scale, glamping style campground, it was almost too nice for camping. Personally, I have never stayed in such a nice site before, but it was an interesting glimpse into the other side of the camping spectrum. While I stayed in a tent towards the back end of the site, more inside the trees, I walked past the cabins everyday. Carefully maintained and clean, the cabins weren’t falling apart or infested with rotting wood and insects. I think they were some of the nicest cabins I have seen and yet they managed to fit in with the redwood vibe. They weren’t out of place, giving Riverside too much of a “boujee” style atmosphere.

As for the community environment, it is both family and pet-friendly.  I brought my border collie and he slept with me in my tent. Even he seemed pleased with the woodsy scenery and crisp, clean, beachy air. There were lots of young kids in the cabins, but the tent sites were occupied by more “permanent” residents. I think many of the tent inhabitants lived there for a few months at a time and biked to local jobs, as many of them had makeshift homes with tarps and ropes.  Camp staff was kind and helpful. There’s also a camp store with wood bundles and coals.

I strongly recommend the hiking trails along the local beaches. The trails snake along the upper bluffs covered in sand and brush. The trails were so beautiful that I actually discovered my favorite wildflower here. The view of the ocean the entire way makes you feel like your walking along the edge of the world.

Overall Riverside was a good trip but definitely more of a nicer campground than most of the ones I have been too.