A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Plaskett Creek Campground

Forest Service campground in Los Padres National Forest, Monterey County, California. About 200 feet. 27.8 miles from King City.

Managed by
Forest Service Los Padres National Forest
Elevation
About 200 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
46 43 standard non-electric, 3 group standard non-electric
Longest rig
50 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Plaskett Creek Campground offers a beautiful location just minutes from Sand Dollar Beach, one of the largest and most popular beaches in central California. The campground gives visitors access to a variety of outdoor activities, including water play and exploration of the surrounding hills and forests. The family-friendly campground offers comfortably equipped sites, allowing anyone to enjoy a relaxing stay in the Los Padres National Forest.

Recreation

A short walk leads to Sand Dollar Beach, a very popular spot for surfing, fishing, swimming, exploring, sunbathing and more. Fishing permits are required for anyone over age 16. Anglers can expect a catch of yellow perch and other coastal surf fish. The beach is dog-friendly, as long as dogs are leashed and waste is picked up.

A variety of trails exist along the beach, which lead to the bluffs that overlook the beach and coves in the area. Additional hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails can be accessed within a short drive from the campground, and offer scenic views of waterfalls, redwood groves and mountain meadows and streams.

Facilities

The campground offers single-family sites, as well as three group campsites, for tent and RV camping. Group sites can accommodate up to 40 people and 10 vehicles. Extra vehicles will be charged an additional fee. Utility hookups are not available.

Individual campsites are each equipped with a table and campfire ring with grill. Flush toilets, sinks and drinking water are provided throughout the campground. An accessible flush toilet is located near Site 10. Group sites are equipped with several tables, grills and campfire circles. Vault toilets and drinking water are provided in the group area.

Natural Features

The campground is located in west-central California, on the east side of Highway 1. Sand Dollar Beach, the largest sandy beach in the Big Sur area, is just south of the campground. The Pacific Ocean borders the campground to the west and the surf can be heard at many campsites.

The campground has a park-like setting, under a scattered canopy of mature Monterey pine and cypress trees. Cedar trees provide a fragrant aroma. All sites are grassy. The campground is situated at an elevation of about 200 feet in the Los Padres National Forest.

Wildlife in the area includes fox, bobcat, deer and raccoon. Mountain lions and bears are occasionally seen in the area, although they have never entered the campground.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • hunting
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Plaskett Creek Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.