roadtripper709900

From sunrise to about 1am, you will experience a constant flow of loud low flying planes landing into SFO. Our trailer, literally, will rumble as if we’re in an earthquake, when the bigger jets take off. We finally came up with an analogy that it’s like living next to an active volcano. The eruptions come at the rate of a dozen per hour. Only in the wee hours between 1 am and 5 did things quiet down.

I must say, though, the spectacle is fascinating, during the day, when you can watch these massive machines float a few hundred feet above the bay on their glide path to the runway. Oddly, I did not find it as annoying as places we’ve stayed where you can hear the freeway, or the park is next to train tracks.

And, even more annoying is the humane society works, right next to the Camp area. Barking dogs and crowing roosters were way more of a problem than the jet’s.

The wind has been relentless during our 4 night stay. But that has made for great sail board watching. This place packs in those enthusiasts, and it’s interesting to see.

There is only a 15 amp circuit for power. If you happen to use more then it can handle, and blow a breaker after 5pm, you’ll be out of luck for a reset until morning, when the staff arrive. You’ll need the correct adapter to plug your rig in.

We have yet to locate a dump station, but we will look again tomorrow.

There is a very nice walk, or bike path around the park. It heads up to the eucalyptus grove and goes by the CuriOdessey, which is a science exploratorium and zoo. There’s also plenty of miles to bike along the bay, if you are up for leaving the park and following the paved paths.

All in all, it’s not really great camping here. It’s really just a parking lot. But, there are some interesting things about the place. We will will probably never stay here again, but it’s not the worst place we’ve stayed.

Lets start with the Pros. Not dusty. Nice gravel space. Close access to the beach, shops and the great bike path that goes north and south, for miles.
The Cons: Jammed together in tiny sites. Seems like they measured for the least possible area that could accommodate a rig and went a few inches smaller. If you’re not around to move your tow vehicle, good luck for the people getting on or out anywhere around your space. The park lacks character. We are on section B, across the street from the main park. Behind us is a batting cages business. Across the street is a construction company with equipment everywhere. It does not feel like camping. But, the most horrible negative is the sewage treatment plant several hundred feet upwind from the park. Most of the time you get constant wafts of stink! At first we thought it was the sewer pipe from the neighbor, which, because of the small spaces, is right in our lounging area, but we then realized, after taking our first cycle ride, that it’s the treatment plant. Half price for this space would be too much. Sorry, but never again will we stay here.

It's a mixed bag with this place. I see so many reviews of praise, and those are valid for many reasons. Yes, it's a good location for visits to the Pinnacles park, and, if you've reached driving burn out, it's easy access right off the freeway (more on that later, but it's a concrete jungle. I guess you have to take it for what it is. You're not camping in a great nature location, with beautiful surroundings, creeks and such. The thousands of acres of chard in the surrounding farms, were actually very pleasant to look at. Yes, I like the great pads and cleanliness, but the ants are relentless. The first thing a yearly resident told us is to watch out for the infestation. Fortunately, I had some peppermint oil I sprayed around the potential entry points, but they still got in the trailer. The next door neighbor was spraying a vinegar solution. Even in remote camping on dirt, I've not had this problem, except for the Morro Strand RV park...another place where ants work every angle to get into your rig. Anyway, let me expand on the cons; Highway noise is a real bummer, but, the valley is flat, and there's not much that can be done about that, unless this park was up in the hills. Then, that would make it an inconvenient place. But, it's worth mentioning that, if you're sensitive to the constant din of 18 wheelers rolling by, this will be a tough place to sleep. It was quite loud to me. The wind is also relentless. Everyone I talked to there said it's constant. It's even stated in their brochure. We weren't able to bring out our fire pit and enjoy the evening outdoors. For avid bicycle enthusiasts, it's not good at all. We expected too much in that regard. You can toodle around the park, but you're really trapped between the freeway and off limits ag land. Which brings me to another con about the farming methods, and potential impact on this place. If you're sensitive to the quality of air you breathe, you'll want to be attentive to when the helicopters and planes are spraying glyphosate on crops. It was something that we didn't think about until we heard the loud low flying chopper, and watched it dump massive amounts of poison on the adjacent field. With such a high wind area, that stuff can easily permeate the vicinity, which includes this park. I'm sure, officially, it's all been deemed fine, but, IMO, I don't think I'll stay here again. That's about it for the noteworthy cons. There are a number of "pros" that other reviewers have mentioned, and those are all valid and positive, so this place may be great for many. Please don't let my opinion turn you off to this place. You should check it out for yourself. So many people love it. The staff was great. Everything is squeaky clean. The concrete pads are luxurious! The easy access is fantastic. However, the cons I listed are deal breakers for me. Enjoy your stay, if you decide it's right for you.

We needed an overnight, to avoid driving burn out. The proximity to all the waterways enticed us to try it out. Lots of traffic and crazy city congestion, we were amazed when the road to the resort took us away from it all and into a large oasis of camping vibes and comfort, less than a mile from that frenzy. Of course, the din of the highway still made it’s way into the park, and the roaring train horn woke us a couple times, but it wasn’t too bad. To top off the positive, the very nice host upgraded us to a full hookup sight at no xtra charge. I’d definitely stay there again, but the city noise would be a long stay deal breaker for me. There were plenty of other campers that didn’t mind it at all, tho. The park is huge, and we were able to have some good long walks along the San Joaquín river. It’s much better than a few places we’ve endured.

Depending on which site you get, it can be pretty nice. We lucked into one right next to the water. Really great being a few feet away and having such a wonderful view. Sites are not really set in stone. There are tables, away from the water, but we didn’t go by those landmarks for our site. We simply pulled right up in an open area along the shore.

The tricky bit was determining where to go based on the throngs of people there on a Saturday. We first went close to the entrance, but terrible loud boom boxes were pounding noise. We encountered a little of that where we ended up, but not a as bad. There’s always an idiot at ungoverned cheap places like this. From across the lake he threw a fit yelling What the F, literally, for a half hour. The folks in the nearest store were fairly polite. We did have a fisherman walk thru our camp to get into the water, but that was not a problem.

It’s summer and 98°, so we baked until 1am, but there was a nice breeze throughout the night that cooked us off.

It’s almost 11pm and the noise is still pounding. Young people are still playing some game that is constantly creating a loud knocking. It’s akin to a Disneyland campground. Probably great for families with lots of kids, but its anything but peaceful, except for the short hiking trail behind the back area. That was quite nice. For $75. You’d expect sewer connections.. nope..only water and electric. Unfortunately, there really wasn’t another park around and we could not drive another mile. Hope the knocking stops so we can sleep. IMO, their fee is twice what it should be. I will try to avoid ever needing to come here again.