Sun/Moon Rise Camp W/ Valley View

#2 Secret Shaded Grove (No view)

A truly remote mountain-top escape. The thoughtful touches like running water, a nearby porta-john, and an optional fire pit made the stay super comfortable. Since I had the whole place to myself, it was wonderfully quiet and peaceful. Exactly what I needed!

Recommends

· September 2026

Tent · Group trip ·

It was a little hard to find in the dark but it was a great location and overall wonderful experience

Recommends

· September 2026

5 m rooftop tent · With pets ·

#9 possible UFO sightings

Great first time camping experience. The site was spacious and views were great. The only thing was dusty al around but that was expected reading other reviews

Recommends

· September 2026

Tent ·

Great site, as advertised. Highly recommend adding the propane tank for fire pit as it added a great ambience in the evening. Nice to have running water at the site.

Recommends

· September 2026

Tent ·

The views were beautiful and directions were very clear

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· September 2026

7 m campervan ·

#4 Stargazer

Nice spot. Site is in the middle of an 8 middle dirt road strip. Good view of the city!

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· August 2026

On top of the World

Tent · With pets ·

Amazing spot to go camping, feels like you’re on top of the world. Worth the hype for sure!

Mixed feelings

· August 2026

Not for us.

5 m travel trailer · With pets ·

The good; the camp is isolated, high atop a mountain overlooking Watsonville, and sites are spread out and big. The bad: the sites are scraped level and all dirt, surrounded by very dry chaparral. Very fine silt that gets into everything. A PortaPotty is a short walk away. For $75/ night, that’s all you get: no potable water, no electric, The ugly: Gnats were an ever present swarming nightmare. (To be fair, there’s nothing the host can do about that.) The gnats never let up during our early August stay. The road up to the camp is four miles of rocky rutted dirt and gravel. Figure 30 minutes at 5 mph Between the gnats, the road, the silt and the heat, we bugged out a day early, leaving $75 bucks on the table. Also, to be fair, the listing did suggest that the road was rough, that the PortaPotty was the only option and that there would be no potable water. We booked anyway. We won’t do that again.

Recommends

· August 2026

All we could ask for (and more!)

4 m travel trailer · With pets ·

Booked on Friday and arrived on Saturday. The location is isolated despite being relatively close to civilization. Sites are a nice distance from each other where each has a good amount of privacy. A water spigot at the sight was a pleasant surprise and nice to use to splash some water on our faces and fill the dog bowl. Toilet was clean and well kept. We got a nice welcome text from the host, but didn't reply until we left and realized we had misplaced an earring. The host immediately went to our site with a metal detector (wow!) and helped us out as we had already left. Truly above and beyond. We appreciated knowing the roads to get there are unpaved, but driving slowly with our trailer we made it just fine. We were glad to have our awnings for some shade. Bug spray is also a good idea, but there really weren't swarms or anything that would keep us from coming again. Thank you so much!

Recommends

· August 2026

Camping with a view

5 m car ·

We had the most pleasant experience car camping there, beautiful views, clean area and very helpful and responsive host. Would definitely recommend!

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· August 2026

Semi-private campsite with view

Tent ·

#7 Private Sunrise Plato

Nice campsite but not as private as I had thought, could see and hear other campers maybe 30yds away. Loved the view and the fire pit add on! View is facing towards Morgan Hill, not the ocean and is slightly obstructed by trees, but all in all nice spot. Great directions and instructions on how to get there as well! Definitely some windy mountain roads, so be prepared for that.

Mixed feelings

· August 2026

Tent ·

#2 Secret Shaded Grove (No view)

Since I was only one person the site size was small but with open high view, close to bathroom. The bathroom facility needs some work as there is no water, no flush water, no hand disinfectant. There was a water faucet at site but I was afraid it would drain down the short hill to tent, so didn’t use. The road up from Watsonville area is interesting and parts are beautiful, with amazing views near and at the top. I would recommend #8 for a single or couple for one night. There are other spaces that are larger and with expansive views.

Recommends

· July 2026

Tent · With pets ·

We loved this spot! The views are amazing, and it's close to the trails. Just a heads up. There's not much shade, so be prepared!

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· July 2026

8 m pop-up camper · With pets ·

Nice views, fairly isolated and private. Rough roads to get there especially pulling a trailer but not terrible just have to drive slowly for the last few miles.

Mixed feelings

· July 2026

Great place with some planning

Tent · With pets ·

Great views with very little shade, pack some sort of canopy or plan on leaving the site during the day. Portopottie filled up over the weekend so also advise to bring your own toilet and bags.

Recommends

· July 2026

Amazing :)

Tent · With pets ·

#3 Scenic Valley View

Awesome campsite would do it again although next time gotta keep in mind that it’s a bit dusty so prepare for that. The views are incredible and you can see the stars in the night.

Recommends

· July 2026

Great views

4 m travel trailer · With kids ·

I loved camp spit #1 on this mountain. The views in the morning and stargazing in the night was amazing. Directions were clear!

Recommends

· July 2026

Tent · With pets ·

Great spot. A bit secluded from trails and an hour away from Santa Cruz but made for a great beach day in Capitola. Very sunny at this site so bring shade.

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· July 2026

Well thought out mountain getaway!

5 m car ·

#10 Private Shaded Woods

This is a well planned out and maintained private campground! It is remote and definitely tucked in the mountains. I stayed at #10, and loved the amount of shade I had, even though the large site is mostly sunny. It has a smaller but nice view of the valley, with the woods coming right up to the one side of the site. It is extremely private. I could hear the campers at site number 6 but couldn’t see them (and no one can see sight 10). There is a water spigot at the site which was helpful when washing off the dogs and cleaning up. The picnic table was new, sturdy, clean and painted. It was a luxury to have a garbage can right at the site. Noah was super helpful, and ran right down to the site when I couldn’t get the propane fire pit to work. (Operator error - I didn’t tighten my propane tank tight enough and there’s a fail safe.) The fire pit worked great, but I eventually turned it off because the stars in the sky were the real show in this lovely, high elevation spot. Great little private campground!

Recommends

· July 2026

Campsite #6

Tent · With pets ·

A group of us had a nice time camping here. The altitude above the clouds made for some great views and the night time temperature was beautiful. The provided fire and propane were very nice. I'd suggest updating the toilet and the cooking tops. The toilet situation was a bit of a downer for much of the group as it did not flush well and was pretty backed up. Lastly, the directions provided worked fine, but I'd say the written instructions could use an update. Despite this minor setbacks, it felt like a magical place to be on top of the mountain and we are grateful to have found it!

Recommends

· July 2026

Tent ·

#9 possible UFO sightings

Wonderful site with good privacy. Gorgeous views. Remember to bring shade - it can get very hot- and bug spray. Access instructions were clear/helpful.

Recommends

· July 2026

Sat on top of the world

Tent · With pets ·

Before I say anything about my stay, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND staying here!!! My dog Ringo and I THOROUGHLY enjoyed every moment of the most peaceful and serene campsite we’ve ever stayed at. No UFO 👽 sightings, but the show that the stars put on was absolutely breathtaking. The air was also so crisp and clear, which was very much appreciated, being I live in San Francisco. The drive up is definitely suited for a vehicle with good suspension. Mine is ok, but wow! I enjoyed it though, and what I saw along the way was like something out of a dream. I spoke with one of my camp neighbors and they said they had a hard time finding the place, so I thought I’d share what did: Make sure to copy and paste the coordinates into your maps. Once you get close to the campground, go back to Hipcamp and click for directions. It will take you directly to your site. I can’t wait to camp here again. Praying I’ll be able to get the same site. Thank you, Noah, for opening up such a wonderful place. ✌🏼🥰

Mixed feelings

· July 2026

Tent ·

#11 Extra large group Campsite

The views from the campground are really stunning and unique. We also appreciated the privacy of our campsite (no6). But we chased every inch of (barely existing) shade during the day, it got very hot and sunny. It’s not grassy it’s very dry, dusty and rocky. For the facilities and quality of the campground I think it’s overpriced, also the charge of 40$ for propane, regardless of the time or amount of using is not faire regulated. It’s really more about the view that made it „worth it“

Mixed feelings

· July 2026

6 m campervan ·

#3 Scenic Valley View

Cool campground, secluded with great views and good amenities (good toilets for camping and water spigot at each site is great) but not without some challenges. First is that it’s a bit hard to find. The directions tell you where not to go, but it’s not very clear which direction you should take. We got there via Loma Prieta which wasn’t mentioned in the instructions. Bring bug spray as the flies and gnats are plentiful (and pretty uncomfortable) as well as a shade structure as some of the campsites are without any tree cover and in direct sun all day. We stayed at campground #3. If we come back, we would definitely opt for campground #1 which has the best views.

Recommends

· July 2026

Perfect Site

6 m truck camper ·

Wanted a campsite up in the mountains yet close to the coast last minute on the 4th of July weekend. Everything was booked up except this listing. Scenic drive on the way up, amazing views of the valley/sunrise/sunset, toilets, running water to wash hands, trash bins and additional add-ons available to enhance the experience if you want. I was bummed I didn’t bring a group with me with the size of the site available. Noah was quick to answer when I called with questions and has the sites spread out perfectly for privacy. Site #5

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· July 2026

Tent ·

#9 possible UFO sightings

Beautiful newly developed property. My site had water, table. Only suggestion is to clarify turn-by-turn directions from 17. Google lat/longs led me astray.

Recommends

· June 2026

Tent · With kids ·

It’s simple but the location is great, directions, water and restrooms all good for the price. At night we stargazed and in the morning we enjoyed the sun, while SJ was covered in clouds. Will come back!

Recommends

· June 2026

Tent ·

Incredible views and well cared-for sites! We had a great weekend at site #6.

Recommends

· June 2026

Tent · With pets ·