Cotillion Gardens RV Park

Check in was easy! We arrived on a Friday afternoon and were handed a map and told to choose any available site. We chose #19, some sites were very small and still considered RV sites, this site was easy to back into and right on the creek. The campground is built going up a mountain and this site had a pretty spectacular view! We had water and electric hookups, and they have a dump station on the way out. The clubhouse was nice and there are hiking trails just outside the campground. Also if you have kids, they have a pretty cool looking playground. The sites are also all meticulously cleaned and raked after each guest leaves. We had no cell reception on Verizon, however they have free wifi that worked pretty well.

Also, on our way to the campground heading north our GPS told us to take highway 9 to the park. We pulled over to let cars pass and one of the locals pulled up behind me and gave me an insider tip! Highway 9 north from Santa Cruz to Felton is not very RV friendly! Your best bet is to go around it into Felton and head south on highway 9, I was glad I did.

We love Cotillion Gardens. So many activities to choose from. The roaring camp railroad is just a walk away. The ambiance is very fun relaxed and camping friendly.

The only reason we could not stay was because my husband was on call and had to have cell service.

Booking a site for the following weekend was easy. I can’t wait to go, take pictures and enjoy a weekend in the woods.

We love this place. It was as expected clean, relaxing and peaceful. The roaring camp train whistles in the distance. The only thing I did not enjoy was the shower set up. It’s a 30 second burst of water and you have to keep pushing the button. That water was a pleasant temperature but I prefer a campground that give you control of your shower. We tend to look for good shower when paying for campgrounds as we can easily dry camp for free, so a good shower is something we look for in a campground.

Cotillion Gardens was a highlight on our 1400mile road trip. Nestled in the redwoods just outside Santa Cruz, with hiking trails right from the campground.
The road into Santa Cruz is twisty and narrow, so if u have a large trailer or rv, take that into account.

Pros-Cute little park tucked away at the end of a road. It’s in the woods and backed up to Henry Cowell State Park and has many trails right out of the park. Have a nice clubhouse with old video games and a pool table. Usually quiet.

Cons-They will charge for more than two people and more than one pet. They charge if you have a visitor. WiFi stinks and no cell service.

Cotillion Gardens is in a beautiful setting, backing to Henry Cowell State Park. Our site was lovely, steps away from the trail and a gorgeous view of the redwoods through our back window. The location of the park gives you easy access to hiking, as well as Santa Cruz. If you have young kids, there is a swimming pool, game room and basketball hoop for entertainment. The park is dog friendly though we learned dogs are not allowed on the trailheads so plan accordingly.

The park is very dense, with the sites very close together. We were there on Father’s Day weekend and it was packed, a little too crowded for our tastes.

The price is for two people. There is an additional per person fee plus pet fee. WiFi is available, though the signal is very weak. No cell reception.

Overall, very peaceful. We will be back when it’s a quieter time of year and site 24 or 25 are available.

Did not use pool or public areas . We have stayed in Site 51 and Site 21.

Site 51 was more private

Sites 19-21 are crammed in , though our neighbors were nice

Some sites need sewer adapter.

Very close to San Lorenzo river by walk and easy walk into the redwoods. In Site 51, there was a resident banana slug in our site which was a plus

They do not have propane on site and a few residents seem to be long term. Cell phone connection on AT&T was poor to none and internet speed was horrible except very early morning or late night hours.

All the short comings are more than made up for by the location and natural setting !

We did not realize just how close together the sites would be and how difficult it would be to navigate around the campground. My husband managed to do a great job, but he was nervous and we will try the other RV campgrounds nearby before coming back to this one in the future. The positives were that there were so many beautiful Redwood trees around the park, there were 3 trail entrances into the Henry Cowell State Park from the campground, and the San Lorenzo River was close by for the kids to play in. The pool was open and is heated to 80 degrees, but the clubhouse and playground were closed due to COVID-19. The bathrooms/shower are available but very tiny! Trash and recycling tubs were nearby and the kids loved riding their scooters around the park (note to parents, helmets and pads are encouraged by me- my son fell as he went down the hill and was scraped in 6 places! It was traumatic 😂🤦‍♀️). The Santa Cruz beaches are 15 minutes down the hill. Upon arrival, do not take the 9 highway, it's too curvy and narrow for trailers and big RVs. Take the 17 freeway around through Scotts Valley. The campground also provided old washing machine basins for campfires and wood was available for purchase in the little campground store. Also, there was wifi access (slow!) and cable tv. If you have a small RV/trailer or a tent, I highly recommend this campground! The larger ones might want to try down the road.

This is an old park nestled among the Redwoods. Once you are settled in, it’s quite peaceful. There is direct access to neighboring Henry Cowell park for hiking. Sites 14 and 35-43 are the best. 14 is hard to get into as it’s between the trees, but once you’re in it’s quiet. 35-43 are along the creek and are the biggest sites. Get these if you can.
There are dedicated tent areas and even a group camp area.
There are several long term residents, but they don’t get involved with campers.

Stayed here with my 16 year old son. The wifi worked well enough for us to work/school from the camper and our site was quite a ways from the office where I would guess the router is. Henry Cowell is great for hiking around and playing in the river. The clubhouse and pool is a kid's dream. Felton is close for groceries and restaurants. It's generally warmer, sunnier, dryer and cheaper than Santa Cruz but you're only 15-20 minutes away from everything in SC. Very quiet at night. Yes, some of the spaces are tight but all of SC and maybe Cal is probably like that and I heard the other nearby campgrounds were even tighter. Site 44 is great if you have a smaller RV or trailer (ours is 22' and that's about max I'd say.

The showers are losing them my 5th star. They are all push button with fine mist heads (like in prison and really old high schools). The 2 men's showers in the main block would never get hot and one of them you pretty much had to hold the button down with one hand to keep the luke warm water flowing. The other shower would get hot but the head was clogged or something and the spray was not great. After trying each one I told the maintenance guy on day 4 and nothing changes for the rest of our stay. The nights would get chilly and after coming back from a day of surfing and mountain bike riding, I would have liked a good hot shower. Otherwise 5 stars and we'd come again even with the showers as they are.