Babbling Bates Creek Hipcamp, California

Enjoy a leisurely break from your outdoor activities at Soquel Vineyards tasting room and patio just 2 1/2 miles up the road or Bargetto Winery just a mile down the road. You can bring a bottle of your favorite wine or beer back to your campsite where you'll enjoy the peace and tranquility the forest has to offer.

Coastal adventures await you just 2 and 1/2 miles to the beaches in Capitola Village...another mile from there to the 'Hook' surf spot...a short walk from there along the cliffs to famed surf spot and home of Jack O'Neil (RIP) Pleasure Point and the 'Barrel Burrito' at the Point Market, a local favorite.

Enjoy some local craft beer and good eats at Nubo (New Bohemian Brewery) on 41st ave just a couple of blocks from the beach. For that fine dining experience, book a ride in a vintage car to the famed Shadowbrook Restaurant overlooking Capitola Village and beach.

When you're done exploring all that our coastal communities have to offer, come back to your sweet spot along the banks of Bates Creek and take in the wonderful sounds of nature.

Bring your own bedroll, pillow,

towels and cooking equipment as well as flashlights and lanterns as this is 'camping' .

This camp is in a rural/residential neighborhood, so you will see homes along the road. It is a one lane road with a 15 mph speed posted and no exit as it ends at the Land of Medicine Buddha...you will hear the cars as they drive by and we have seen an increase in traffic with Big Basin State park closure.

Named for Joel Bates who settled in Santa Cruz County in the early 1850's.
In 1861, three Grover brothers and three other men established a lumber company called Grover and Company 2 miles north of Soquel along Bates Creek. The area came to be known as Grovers Gulch.

Bates Creek is one of the areas checked when doing an estimate of the bird population in Santa Cruz County.

Our camp spot is situated adjacent to Bates Creek and has access by a foot trail. As you explore the creek, you'll see many birds, perhaps a coyote or two and some fingerling trout if you're patient and quiet. You will also see fossils in the creek bed which tells a geographical story of the land and its relationship to the sea.