Camper submitted image from Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday - 1

Camper submitted image from Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday - 2

Camper submitted image from Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday - 3

Buildings

Camper submitted image from Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday - 4

People

Camper submitted image from Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday - 5

Facilities

Verified

Established Camping

Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday

15 Reviews

About

KoA

Soak up the bright sun and take in the crisp ocean air along the California Coast when you stay with us at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday. With our ideal location just minutes from Monterey Bay, you and your family will appreciate an oceanfront camping experience near Santa Cruz as you spend your days with your toes in the sand, relaxing on a beautiful beach. Book your stay with us at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday today!

**Why Stay at Our Family-Friendly Campground in Santa Cruz? **

Santa Cruz is home to an assortment of wonderful attractions and places the whole family will love! Of course, the area is full of beautiful beaches for you to visit — a whopping 28 in total! After getting your tan on, take a short drive and visit the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and its endless array of fun things to do. You'll be able to ride rollercoasters, play mini-golf and eat your fill of fresh cotton candy. The area also has many opportunities to kick back and relax. Bring your clubs and head to the Pebble Beach golf course for a round of golf on some of the most pristine greens anywhere. Take a drive north and explore Napa Valley or head south to discover the more than 60 wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Whether you want a relaxing getaway or one filled with adventure and thrills, the Santa Cruz area is the perfect place to be.

Ways to Stay With Us in Santa Cruz

Regardless of how you want to spend your time at our Santa Cruz beach campground, we offer a variety of ways to enjoy the camping experience. For something traditional, we provide individual Tent Sites equipped with water and electric hookups to give you everything you need to enjoy your nights beneath the stars. Our Camping Cabins also offer a rustic lodging experience with the benefits of a roof and a warm bed as you rejuvenate from a day filled with adventure in the outdoors. If you're looking for extreme comfort while beach camping in Santa Cruz, we offer Deluxe Cabins equipped with a kitchen, full bathroom, shower and beds for the whole family. We also provide unique Airstream and glamping cabin opportunities to provide you with a luxurious West Coast camping experience you'll never forget. Looking for a place to park your Airstream or RV? We offer Pull-Thru and Back-In RV Sites with the choice for full hookups. With connections for up to 50 amps and options with a KOA Patio™, you can choose the features you need to enjoy your vacation. Our RV Sites are excellent locations to rest and recuperate as you take in the beautiful surroundings of Santa Cruz!

Our Beach Camping Amenities and Activities

Our family-friendly campground in Santa Cruz offers various amenities and recreational activities to help you make memories that will last a lifetime. Spend your days splashing in the pool or participating in weekly events, including several weekends of Halloween fun or seeing the campground transform into a Winter Wonderland with twinkling lights every December.

Some of our other amenities include:

Wi-Fi
Bike rentals
Hot tub
Volleyball
Firewood and propane
Outdoor movie theater
Jumping pillow
Fire rings
KampK9® dog park
Coconut Palm Tree Climb

Reserve Your Site With Us Today

Are you ready to make memories along the California Coast? Take your family on a camping vacation with us near Santa Cruz and enjoy the adventure of a lifetime! Check the availability of our sites online and book your stay at Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday today!

Fee Info

Adults 18+, Kids 4-17, Free 0-3

Location

Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday is located in California

Directions

From jct Hwy 1 & San Andreas Rd: Go, then 3-1/2 mi SW on San Andreas Rd, then 500 feet E on Spring Valley Rd.

Address

1186 San Andreas Rd
Watsonville, CA 95076

Coordinates

36.9257267017795 N
121.84241216667243 W

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Access

Drive-In
Park next to your site

Stay Connected

WiFi
Good
Verizon
Available
AT&T
Available
T-Mobile
Unknown

Site Types

Tent Sites
RV Sites
Standard (Tent/RV)
Group
Cabins
Tent Cabin

Features

For Campers

Market
ADA Access
Trash
Picnic Table
Firewood Available
Phone Service
Reservable
WiFi
Showers
Drinking Water
Electric Hookups
Toilets
Pets
Fires

For Vehicles

Sanitary Dump
Sewer Hookups
Water Hookups
Pull-Through Sites
30 Amp Hookups
50 Amp Hookups
Big Rig Friendly

For information regarding reservations, contact this campground directly.

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Contact

General Info

Reservations

David J.

Scout

Reviewed Dec. 23, 2023

KOA electric destroyed my poo up

We are new popup campers and this KOA facility was just our 2nd time taking our popup camping. We arrived the day before Thanksgiving and our experience was fun. We plugged into the shore electricity and tried out our fridge, heater and other neat things about our popup that we were just starting to enjoy. Then Thanksgiving day came and with it, 100s of RVs. They parked and plugged into power. The whole place was full, not one space was left. Later in the evening, as we were getting ready for bed, we had a surge of electricity in our popup. The lights would get bright and then dim. We surmised it was because a lot of power was being used, as the lot was full and we didn't have problems the first night. When everyone was in bed, I saw a spark shoot up in the air with a'pop' sound and a burning smell. I quickly ran outside and unplugged from the power. Across our space, I observed several staff members working on an electrical box. They were apparently having another electrical issue. I advised, what appeared to be a lead worker of my incident, and he said once they finish with their work, he would come over and check. He never did. At 8:57 PM, we received a text from 831-220-3855 from KOA stating the following:"Hello Santa Cruz guests- We have a section of the park that has lost power. Our team is troubleshooting but we have not yet identified the problem. Unfortunately, we are not likely to have power restored tonight....." Then on the next day we attempted to try the power and our toaster surged and would only burn toast, my in law's electric blanket was non functional, we finally gave up and unplugged from the pedestal.(Friday) at 9:58 AM we received the following message:"We appreciate your patience as we work through these electrical issues that came up overnight. We ask that you unplug your RVs from the pedestals at this time....." The offer to refund part of the stay. We also found that our closest bathroom showers were also down. After we returned back from our trip, I brought the camper to our garage, and we tested the power. Nothing works, at all. After we found this out, I contacted management at KOA, and they heard what happened and advised that they would put me in touch with their claims service(insurance). Once they provided me the claims service, the said"once we submit, they will handle any communications." I had attempted a follow-up and left a message with their claims provided, Gallagher Bassett located out of Pittsburgh PA. So after I had left a voicemail(no call was every returned to me) I received a letter from the aforementioned claims provider which stated in part:"This letter is to advise you that we have completed our investigation into your claim against our client[KOA]. After careful consideration and review of the facts, we must respectfully decline payment for this matter for the following reason(s):"-"The power outage was beyond our client's control and subsequently, they are not liable for any damages incurred to your camper. They have taken all necessary precautions to ensure the smooth functioning of their facilities." I am very disappointed in KOA's lack of accountability for this incident. It's a shame, because the place makes great effort in all aspects for making it a welcoming place. But since KOA is unable and unwilling to take responsibility for ruining my camper, I decided to post this review. I would HIGHLY suggest you not visit any KOA sites as I don't believe they have the capacity for running their electric system, and you would run the same risk to your RV/campers as we did. If you do decide to visit a KOA site, I would recommend that you do NOT plug into their power system. I plan to advise KOA corporate and post this experience across all my platforms so families know the risks involved with KOA. It's a shame that KOA doesn't take accountability for their mistakes. Update: I spoke with corporate KOA and was advised there is nothing they can do either.

Site#23

Month of VisitDecember

Brianna D.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 24, 2023

Expensive but tons of amenities

This place was awesome for kids. A little loud and busy but still had clean bathrooms, hot showers, pool, hot tub, outdoor games, bike rentals… they were even delivering pizzas to campsites when we stayed that smelled amazing. Compared to other KOAs we have stayed at, this one was extremely expensive. However, given the location and all of the included amenities I can understand why. We had a great time and used this a launching off point to visit Big Sur.

Month of VisitAugust

Travis A.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 5, 2023

Great for kids

Had a nature preserve site for two nights. Overall everyone was friendly and great activities for kids. A little busy and can be loud but still a fun time

Site43

Month of VisitJuly

Scott G.

Scout

Reviewed Apr. 20, 2023

Great spot

Very friendly and helpful. We only staid one night as a stop over. But would definitely stay again.

Site66

Month of VisitMay

Andrea A.

Traveler

Reviewed Jan. 8, 2022

Great for Families

We have been here a few times and can’t wait to go back, any time of the year! We have a two and a half year old and it’s perfect for us in a 28’ fifth wheel. Paved roads for bikes, huge playground, nice store, warm pool. It’s perfect for families. I wouldn’t recommend this for campers who like solitude, of course, or someone looking for a romantic trip. I would recommend booking away from the jump pillow or playground, unless easy playground access is important, because the spots are pretty noisy. Otherwise, it’s a perfect spot for families, close to the boardwalk and the aquarium.

David V.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 25, 2021

Great place

Lots of activities for kids, convenient location for area attractions, pet friendly. Local roads to the KOA were in pretty bad condition.

Month of VisitOctober

Patricia

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 20, 2021

Great for Families

Staff is friendly. Sites are nice. I like being up against the preserve area.

Site51, 73

Month of VisitAugust

jay

Scout

Reviewed Mar. 15, 2021

Airstream camping

We stayed in one of the airstreams they have for rent there. The family loved it- it was the perfect size for us and everything worked and the outdoor patio had heavy duty tables and chairs along with fire pit and even a Weber grill. Kids loved the jump pillow/the blub and the playground and the pool.

JAVIER J.

Traveler

Reviewed Sep. 15, 2020

Near the beach

Great for familyfamily time and outdoors. I recommend taking camping essentials even if you camp on a cabin. They stay is almost always quiet and peaceful and nice.

Michael P.

Traveler

Reviewed Aug. 22, 2020

Very Clean KOA

We camped here a few years ago. What can we say- we enjoyed our stay. The sites were spaced nicely and clean. We were there the first of January (off season) so some amenities were not offered but we had an enjoyable time. A short drive to Santa Cruz and Monterey. They have a heated pool, laundry facilities and on site store. There are however some large raccoons so use caution with your trash. Overall good experience camping there.

Drew M.

Scout

Reviewed Jul. 31, 2020

Good place, limited activities

The small cabins are nice and I quite like them. This is a good place for hiking, but unfortunately there is not a lot more to do. You can go to Monterey and do things there though. If you have kids, they also have a pool and a giant trampoline made out of beach ball material. Will definitely visit again.

Carina B.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 29, 2020

Huge Kid Friendly Campground close to everything

We stay at this KOA 3-4 times a year. We especially enjoy the Halloween and other theme weekends they have. They have made tons of improvements over the last 10 years we have been going. Sites range from tent sites, RV sites, to full size cabins. They even rent out Airstream trailers. The staff is wonderful. Fun place. A little expensive but what you would expect for all the amenities offered. Beautiful pool but the kids kind of take it over. All the rest of the stuff KOA offers plus super clean bathrooms and sites.

Site31

Month of VisitNovember

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Daniel D.

Guide

Reviewed Jul. 23, 2020

Great Family “Camping” Experience

This KOA is great for a family getaway. TONS of activities on site- huge bouncy pad, a climbing wall, ping pong tables, a swimming pool, pedal go karts, the list goes on and on. There are also Plenty of options on how to stay- RV sites, cabins, tent sites, you can even book one of the campgrounds Airstreams! There is also relatively quick access to Santa Cruz to the north and Monterey to the south.

My only criticism is that it is not that woodsy. But hey, this is a KOA! If you want to camp in the woods, go to a national park!

Barb K.

Scout

Reviewed Jun. 27, 2018

Quiet, friendly, clean!

Security guy was awesome, kind, friendly, helpful! We arrived at 11:30 pm - exhausted, with no reservation, asking for a tent site. No problem! He quickly got us registered and put us in a site with empty sites on each side of ours. In no time we had our tent set up, and we were comfortable and fast asleep. Felt VERY safe!

Month of VisitJuly

Christy C.

Legend

Reviewed Jun. 30, 2016

A lot to do here

We stayed here Summer 2012. There were many nice amenities here like gravel/paved sites, restrooms, game room, the blob, train rides, swimming pool, general store, playground, etc. the staff was friendly and the grounds were very neat and tidy. We had a campfire and relaxed outside at night. The temperature was perfect. We didn’t have to run the A/C at all. Campground is not on the beach though :( We drove into Santa Cruz for and signed the older boys up for a 2 hour session at Richard Schmidt surf school. Later we went to the boardwalk amusement park that was over 100 years old right on the ocean. We ate seafood at the pier then let the kids get on some rides. The one thing that I thought was really special was the indoor merry go round which was on the National Historic Register. The horses were beautifully decorated and had real hair for the tails. This was definitely a cool place to go visit!

(4) View All