Reviews

Michelle Kohnen

Gorgeous campsite with beautiful views no matter which site you end up with! At night the stars are unreal, I’ve never seen so many in my life! I didn’t see many reviews on this part of the campsite, and if I had we could have come more prepared. There’s no running water on the site, and the bathrooms are outhouses with no plumbing. Which is understandable for being on a location so close to the ocean with stunning views, but just want future guests to be more aware than I was! It was difficult to use the bathroom as it was during the summer and the bathrooms were full of flies. I will say I’m not an extreme camper so this felt more intense for me. Also you will lose service driving along the coast of Big Sur so download maps ahead of times, luckily this campsite is very well marked and easy to find!

Caroline Gray

Suggestion: the sites which only have dirt (which is rock hard) should be for RV’s (like site 25). The sites which have grass should only be for tent/car camping. Sleeping in a tent on rock rocky dirt is very uncomfortable. It was very frustrating to look at a campground of 90% RV’s where the people didn’t use their huge grassy spots at all. While I’m in a tent at a site with zero grass basically sleeping on a patch of dirt road. The giant bushes need to be trimmed down so site 25 has a view of the ocean. Currently it has zero view unless you practically sit on the paved loop road to see the ocean around the bushes. This campground is only as good as the site you get. People think there are tons of no-shows, but the host told me no-shows are exceptionally rare. What you’re seeing at the seemingly “empty” sites are people staying one night who arrive late at night and leave early in the morning (which seems a waste since the whole point is the daytime ocean view). I asked to switch to one of the several “empty” sites with soft grass and fantastic ocean views and was told they were all booked. 🤷‍♀️ Like all campgrounds, no one should be allowed to blast music and disturb everyone else. Everyone comes here for peace and quiet. This should be stopped by the camp hosts. Use headphones so you don’t ruin it for everyone.

David Mahoney

Kirk Creek is a very special campsite in Big Sur. The sites are relatively private and large. The nearby hiking trails are absolutely spectacular. The sunsets and scenery are some of the most epic I have seen any where in the world. While remote the facilities are adequate and one needs to go in with the understanding that this experience is a bit more roughing it than one might experience from some of the other campsites throughout Big Sur. If pit toilets are not your thing bring a portable toilet and shower setup. These small creature comforts can help to elevate the experience if they are important to you. Most of all soak in the beautiful place you are in and appreciate how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to experience places like this.

David Martin

Kirk Creek Campground is one of those rare places that lives up to the hype, even when you’ve been on the road for a long time. As a full time van lifer, you get used to filtering spots fast. Most either lean too crowded, too restricted, or too forgettable. Kirk Creek cuts through all of that immediately. The setup is simple. You’re parked on a bluff directly above the Pacific, with wide open views from almost every site. No trees blocking your line of sight. No buildings in the way. Just coastline, cliffs, and water stretching out in both directions. It feels exposed in the best way. This is not a luxury campground. It’s closer to primitive. No water, no hookups and no cell service. Strictly minimal but amazing at the same time.

Kevin White

Absolutely loved my time at Kirk Creek site #11. Very secluded and beautiful views. The trail/people go right next to the site but not a bad trade off for this site. Tall shrubbery offers privacy. Campground was extremely peaceful and especially quiet by 8pm. Can't beat the views and the hike down to the beach. Perfect for 1-2 people. Could do 3-4 adults but not much flat ground for big tents. Perfect spot for a truck camper to back in

Gemma Boothroyd

Such a gem. Loved our stay here. I’d suggest getting a site that’s on the outside perimeter, and of course with a view if possible! Only comment is that we were close to the bathrooms which, unsurprisingly / expectedly, got a bit smelly at times. Asides from that, the vibe here is wonderful and the people running this place were absolutely terrific. So friendly and helpful. Fires are also permitted here, which meant we could have smores by the sea! Yay!

David Beard

One of my favorite places on Earth. Gateway to Big Sur primeval! Nice grass campsites. Unbelievable views up and down the coast. A nice path leading to the rock promontory festooned beach (but watch out for the ENDLESS poison oak). The only downside? The same one that every park service beach has in California; the park service! Kirk Creek was a first come, first serve camping area that you could almost always find a camp site at. Now, thanks to the park services online reservations, you better be on their website exactly six months before you want to vacation there because every site will be booked almost immediately. Since the fee to lock in the reservations are fairly inexpensive, people book the campsites, and likely about half never show up, forfeiting a small amount of money...and your chances at a guaranteed spot!

Chelsea Cortez

Lovely trip! All of the campsites are beautiful! Our host, Michael and his wife were lovely! Loved their doggies too! They helped us with what to do around the area and when we decided last minute to stay longer they were so accommodating due to cancellations! I got a Jade class and Michael told us there was a beautiful trail on the campground which had amazing views! We got really lucky due to the campground being booked up! The sunset is so beautiful, I’m so glad we were able to experience camping here! There is no cell service, water, flushing toilets and there are raccoons but it’s all worth it!! I loved every second and can’t wait to be back! Again, please note that the campground is really booked up and only has one FCFS site so please plan ahead!

TheWolfman Zack

Fantastic small campground. Great views, Jesse keeps the place clean and bathrooms stocked. I stayed in site #28, it's one of the bigger spots. My 23 foot travel trailer and Tundra fit just right.

Tom Lang

Awesome location on the cliff overlooking the ocean. Great hiking trails up into the Ventana wilderness. Campsites are decent sized. Pit toilets, no water or electricity. Definitely roughing it, but it’s great. I’ve been trying to snag a reservation for years, finally got one. Loved every minute of it. Highway 1 is closed North of the campsite. Since I am coming from the North I took 101 to Nasciamento Ferguson road, which joins 1 very close to the campground. This is a narrow, steep, winding road with awesome views but not for the faint of heart. Great trail down to the beach but watch out for the poison oak. Be sure to fill up with gas before the final stretch. The closest gas station in Gorda is charging close to $9 per gallon.

Alison Brown

Wonderful campground and well maintained. No running water but that’s okay. There are trails to explore at the campground which was a delight. Enjoyed going down to the beach and sitting on the rocks. My only complaint is that I don’t think the campground should be RV friendly. There was a HUGE RV blocking a lot of the view from my campsite because it was parked oceanfront — and that was a bit of a bummer. If RVs are allowed they should only be at the top, and not obstructing views below.

Ralph Lee

Amazing campground. Has a beautiful little creek and its own rocky beach/cove accessible via a short trail from the campgrounds. Most of the staff is super friendly/helpful. This place is fully booked way out in advance. So if you're shooting to camp there soon, show up Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and get a first-come-first-serve site... and swoop site 3B. You're welcome

Russell Lee

One of the most beautiful campgrounds I’ve been to. Looks like most of the sites are sitting on inclined hill, but not too bad and honestly the view itself easily offsets that drawback. We had zero problems with poison oak and raccoons. Camp host was nice too. Definitely coming back if I can make a reservation.

Chloe

Kirk Creek is The place I decided to do my first solo camp! It was strikingly beautiful, and I just went for a second time. The views The ocean are so incredible and the access to the little beach below makes for such a wonderful time. The camp host Katie Is a wonderful lady, She’s so sweet and bubbly, and makes the trip that much more special! Thank you for all you do camp hosts!

Austin Rogers

Kirk Creek was an amazing place to camp! My friend and I went this week, we didn’t have a site reserved but when we got there Micheal was so awesome and welcoming, he got us in one of the hiker/biker sites. We had a gorgeous view of the ocean, and the site itself was super well maintained. The next day we met Katie and James who were both amazing hosts as well. Theres firewood for sale and very clean bathrooms available, as well as awesome trails directly across highway 1 from the campsite. 10/10 experience, I’ll be back for sure!