One of the best Labor Day destinations near the San Francisco Bay Area is the Big Sur. It is not only great to visit the place: getting there makes up a lot of fun as well. A road trip with many interesting stops along the Highway 1 with magnificent vistas of the ocean, starting with some explorations of the historical surf town of Santa Cruz or the Monterey Bay Aquarium or sweet romantic Carmel. Labor day is also the best time of the year weather wise to explore the area, since the coastal location can make for unpredictable fog or rain conditions November through April. At just two hours from the south bay, it is a very family oriented, child-friendly destination, with price ranges that go from luxury to the ever-popular (and affordable) camping adventure.
But say you have a dog and you don’t know what to do with it. No problem: lots of campgrounds in the area allow pooches. Here are some of the best dog friendly camping places around the Big Sur Area:
Ponderosa Campground: located 45 miles north of Cambria, CA and 55 miles south of Carmel, CA. It features family campsites along a mountain trout stream under a canopy of trees approximately 13 miles east from Kirk Creek campground on the Nacimiento-Ferguson Road. Ponderosa’s diverse environment includes Ponderosa Pine, Oak, Madrone and Sycamore trees in a high valley with the Nacimiento River running through. The Nacimiento River is excellent for fishing and also has spots for a cool dip in the stream.
Kirk Creek Campground: its location on the west side of Highway 1 overlooking the Pacific Ocean, offers great views of the Big Sur coastline. Campsites feature picnic tables, fire rings and pedestal barbeques. The campground elevation is approximately 100ft. above sea level in the Los Padres National Forest. There is one trail providing beach access or you can get in the car and after four miles hit Sand Dollar Beach, the largest sandy beach in the area. It is a very popular spot for surfing, fishing, swimming and sunbathing. The beach is also dog friendly, it is only required that the puppies are kept on a leash and get cleaned up after. For hikers, there are many trails within short drives that feature water falls, groves of Redwood Trees, breathtaking views, meadows and streams.
Reservations for these campgrounds can be made through Reserve America.
Isabel Bonfatti is a San Francisco journalist with a master’s degree in anthropology and a wandering eye for art, food, music, and sustainable living. She is finishing her first novel.