BEST OF BAY AREA CAMPING

BEACH

New Brighton State Beach, Capitola What we like about this park is, paradoxically, that its campground is not directly on the beach but on a coastal bluff. That means you’re spared the sandblast effect you often get when you stake your tent right next to the surf and the wind comes up. At New Brighton, the beach is just a short stroll away, and it’s a beauty, a curve of Monterey Bay shoreline that extends south to adjacent Seacliff State Beach — home to the proud but increasingly battered World War I vintage cement ship, SS Palo Alto, still to be glimpsed beneath the breakers by the pier.

Vitals: 82 tent and RV sites. Reserve at (800) 4447275 or www.reserveamerica.com

Runner-up: Doran Regional Park, Bodega Bay. The Sonoma Coast is famously (and beautifully) craggy, but we like this park because it has an actual sandy beach — 2 miles of it, in fact, perfect for strolling. 132 tent/RV sites. Reserve at (707) 565-2267 or www. sonomacountycamping.org

WITH DOGS

Anthony Chabot Regional Park, Castro Valley Dogs and the outdoors have become a fraught issue in the Bay Area; witness the prolonged imbroglio over canines in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. So finding a park that welcomes pooches is a plus. One good one in the East Bay is Anthony Chabot Regional Park. Dogs have to stay on leash here — that’s true of nearly all parks in the Bay Area. But once on leash, they can accompany you (and exhaust themselves) on 31 miles of hiking trails that lope across the East Bay hills. Another plus: This park is relatively close — if your dog is the kind of dog that gets carsick, there’s less chance of that spoiling your camping trip before you even get to the campground.

Vitals: 75 tent/RV sites; 10 walk-in tent sites. Reserve at (888) 327-2757; www.ebayparks.org

Runner-up: Mount Madonna County Park, Watsonville. On-leash dogs will love this promontory’s 14 miles of trails. Will they love the spectacular views? We think so — and so will you. 118 tent/RV sites; 5 yurts. Reserve at (408) 842-2341; www.sccgov.org/ sites/parks

FOR BACKPACKERS

Henry W. Coe State Park, Morgan Hill When it comes to backpacking, size matters. You want big, you want expansive, you want to feel like you’re Cheryl Strayed on the Pacific Crest Trail ready to hike for hundreds of miles even if you’re only planning to go 5. That’s what makes Henry Coe such a premier backpacking destination. It’s big — at 87,000 acres, it’s the largest in Northern California, and 23,000 of those acres are designated wilderness. With 250 miles of trails winding over beautiful rolling hills, backpackers have lots of options; they can hike to designated backpacking camps, or, in the park’s backpacking zones, camp where they like. This is a spring or fall destination; it gets hot in the summer.

Vitals: Designated and open campsites; first-come, first-served; permits required. For information, call (408) 779-2728 or visit http://coepark.net/ pineridgeassociation/activities/backpacking

Runner-up: Wildcat Camp Hike-In, Point Reyes National Seashore. You backpack to Wildcat via a trail that is just long enough (6.3 miles from Bear Valley) to make you feel you’re working, and so filled with beautiful beach and ocean and hill views you won’t even mind. Five individual sites. Reserve at (877) 4446777 or www.recreation.gov

CAMPING WITH BENEFITS (COOL STUFF NEARBY)

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, Calistoga Especially in spring, this pretty park is entirely pleasing on its own, with 10 miles of trails that lead alongside a creek, through redwoods, up to the top of Coyote Peak and to adjacent, historic Bale Grist Mill State Historic Park. But notice how Highway 29 runs along the park’s east boundary. After you’ve done your hike, all of the Napa Valley is there for your enjoyment — wineries, St. Helena shopping and restaurants, Calistoga mud baths. And you’ve wisely saved so much money by opting for a campsite (or one of the park’s 10 yurts) instead of a fancy boutique hotel, you can afford to do everything.

Vitals: 45 tent/RV campsites; 9 walk-in; 10 furnished, lockable yurts. Reserve at (800) 444-7275; www. reserveamerica.com; or www.parks.ca.gov

Runner-up: Butano State Park, Pescadero. Here’s the recipe for camping happiness. You pitch your tent among the towering redwoods of this San Mateo County park and then, for lunch or dinner, you head down Highway 1 to that classic coast-side stop, Duarte’s Tavern, for cream of artichoke or cream of green chile soup (or combine ’em both for a half-andhalf) and berry pie. 21 tent/RV sites; 18 walk-in; 8 hike-in. Reserve at (800) 444-7275 or www.parks. ca.gov