Rancho del Oso Horse Camp in CA -- Campground & RV Camping in California
Rancho del Oso Horse Camp in CA
CA State Parks allows overnight stays only at the designated sites here.
Rancho del Oso is the coastal unit of Big Basin Redwoods State Park, sitting on Highway 1 near Waddell Beach 16 miles north of Santa Cruz. The former horse camp now operates as walk-in and bike-in camping with five reserved sites and one shared bike-in site. The area features marsh, meadow, and redwood forest, with Waddell Creek flowing to the beach. The Skyline-to-the-Sea Trail ends here after descending 30 miles from the ridge. A Nature and History Center interprets the landscape's cultural heritage. Note: trail access and horse camping opportunities remain limited following 2020 fire damage.
Grounded in parks.ca.gov · read August 24, 2026The road in has not been measured -- unknown, not bad.
The coast lies 0.3 mi off. Exposed here -- the nearest through road is 0.1 miles off. Night skies measure Bortle 2 -- true dark-sky territory. Pine Mountain stands 2,167 ft above the site, 4.6 miles northeast. The nearest town, Boulder Creek, is 8.6 mi off.
September normals 54–79°F, 0.1″ rain. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.