CampgroundHidden gem
Fremont Peak State Park
San Juan Bautista, California
Small mountaintop state park with a public observatory and views from Monterey Bay to the Salinas Valley.
- Price
- $25 per night including one car; $6 day use
- Booking
- Best to book
- Time to allow
- 2 hours
- Sites
- 25
A 25-site campground sits in pine and oak woodland above San Juan Bautista, with a 30-inch telescope in the observatory that opens to the public on select Saturday evenings. Views take in Monterey Bay, the Salinas Valley and the San Benito Valley, and the sky is dark by Bay Area standards.
Good to know
- Camping is $25 a night and books on ReserveCalifornia
- Wood and charcoal fires are banned; gas stoves and the provided fire pits only where allowed
- A road-improvement closure was announced in July 2026, so check road status before you go
- Water is limited; bring your own
- Best time
- Clear Saturday evenings for the observatory
- Open
- Open all year; observatory programmes on select evenings
- Getting there
- Narrow, winding sealed road to the summit
- Vehicles
- No campervans
- Dogs
- Dogs on a lead
Facilities
- Picnic tables
- Toilets
- Drinking water
Data: Roadtrip. Things change: check opening times, prices and rules before you go.
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