If your dream camping trip involves the sun, sand, and maybe your RV, you’re in for a treat.
There are many great spots for you to go beach camping in Northern California.
Almost all of these have great facilities which you can enjoy with your loved ones.
Updated 9/23/2019 – But beware – some of the best beachfront campsites in NorCal are haunted.
There are many spirits that have made Northern California’s beaches their home.
While some only scare campers, others don’t hesitate before lashing out at the living.
So, unless you want your next camping trip to become the latest campsite ghost story, don’t head to the following nine alone.
9 Haunted Spots In Northern California Where You Can Camp On The Beach
9) Sunset State Beach State Park Campground – Watsonville
If you’re camping at Sunset Beach State Park with children, remind them not to talk to any strangers after midnight.
Especially if they’re named ‘Steve’.
In 2014, a woman woke up to the sound of her daughter talking to someone at 2am.
While checking to see if her other children were up, the girl turned her head and told her to sleep.
When she asked who she was talking to, she told her that ‘Steve’ wanted a friend to stay with him.
The woman’s daughter suddenly began choking.
So, she switched on the lights and ran to her.
The girl had fainted.
But when she came to, her mother noticed the marks of small fingers surrounding her throat.
8) Doran Beach Campground – Bodega Bay
Not many people know this, but Doran Beach is one of the most terrifying places to go camping on the Northern California coast.
One spot you should be careful around is the shower and restrooms area, especially after midnight.
According to a camper, he heard soft moans as he was about to step inside.
Embarrassed, he decided to wait outside.
But the moans turned into a shrill screech followed by a manic laugh.
Expecting a murder scene, he ran into the restroom, but found no one.
The worst, however, wasn’t over.
While looking around, a “pair of ice cold hands” grabbed his left ankle and he fell into a puddle of blood.
Terrified, he ran to the nearby ranger station.
But no one believed him as there wasn’t a single drop of blood on his clothes or on the restroom’s floor.
And, of course, there weren’t any bodies around.
7) Clam Beach State Campground – Arcata
This is one of the least known sites for camping on the NorCal coastline.
And that’s because of issues like a pit toilet and reports of homeless people.
But fans of the paranormal know Clam Beach County Park Campground as a hotspot for the paranormal.
Campers claim seeing their things float around their tents.
Some were shaken awake after 3am only to find no one remotely nearby.
The beach itself isn’t very safe after midnight.
A camper reports seeing someone walk towards the water.
He looked her way and put his finger to his lips to shush her.
Smiling in a sinister way, he continued walking into the water.
Sprinting to save him, she lunged at his legs but only grabbed onto water.
The man disappeared without a trace.
Walking back to the beach, she couldn’t even spot his footprints.
She left the campsite quickly and vows to never return there.
6) Bodega Dunes Campgrounds – Bodega Bay
If you want an eventful night while beach camping in Northern California, this is where you should be.
Blackish figures have been sighted near the water.
If you’re on the beach after midnight, you may experience dizziness and cold chills as these figures appear.
Legend has it that these are the ghosts of the victims of the woman in the water.
This entity, which many report looks like a pale woman with flowing black hair, opens her mouth wide as if screaming.
While no sound ever comes out, her ‘scream’ has been known to terrify those who come across her.
So, if you’re camping in Bodega Dunes, don’t get caught by the woman or her victims.
You may not be as lucky as those who speak about coming across them.
5) Seacliff State Beach – Aptos
Seacliff State Beach looks haunted even during day.
With tons of driftwood and decay, you can’t but expect to see ghosts all over the beach and campsite.
But it’s inside your RV that you should worry the most about.
Some campers experience sudden suffocation while asleep.
A few reported seeing a pair of bright red eyes and smelling decaying flesh before fainting.
Others have heard a soft gasp when they woke up, only to feel even more pressure.
So, don’t camp there alone if you want to wake up and see the next day.
4) North Beach Campground – Pismo Beach
Beware while interacting with the people at North Beach Campground.
Some of them are far from alive anymore.
Earlier in 2016, a camper woke angrily at night due to sounds outside his RV.
Expecting one of the displaced homeless to be the culprit, he shouted loudly as he stepped outside.
That’s when a large orb pushed him to the ground.
Suddenly, he felt multiple hands beat and scratch at him.
After many futile efforts, he managed to escape his unseen foes and ran to his RV.
According to him, the orbs of light waited for him and invisible hands beat at the door.
It wasn’t until he started praying that it was quiet again.
3) Caspar Beach RV Park & Campground – Mendocino
Caspar Beach is a hotbed for the paranormal.
Many campers have reported seeing ghostly figures gliding along the beach late at night.
You may also hear footsteps around your RV or screams coming from the beach.
One story that made news was that of a woman vacationing there in 2010.
While sunbathing at a secluded part of the beach, the woman felt a pair of hands caress her back.
While trying to get off the sand, she felt the same hands firmly pull her back.
Scared, she tried to scream only to feel sand trickle down her throat.
It took her five minutes to get away from her invisible captor and get help.
2) Westport Beach RV Park and Campground – Westport
Its proximity to the beach makes it one of the best places to go beach camping in Northern California.
But it’s also what makes it the last person to be for the fainthearted.
For more than 20 years, campers have reported sighting a tall figure make its way from the water.
The most recent report, which dates back to January 2014, described the entity as a tall male with light blue skin, wide eyes, and a gaping hole where the mouth should be.
Legend has it that this is the ghost of a local criminal.
When the authorities couldn’t incriminate him, the locals took things in their own hands and dumped his body in the water.
Since then, the angry ghost has been seeking revenge and dragging campers who don’t escape his cold, blue hands in time.
1) Francis Beach Campground – Half Moon Bay
The ghosts at Francis Beach don’t care whether it’s day or night.
In fact, many have seen terrifying spirits during foggy days.
While lying on the beach with her eyes closed, a camper felt chills despite it still being summer.
She suddenly felt as if something blocked the sun.
Opening her eyes, she saw a distorted face parallel to her own.
The face’s eye sockets were empty, but she felt the entity’s hatred for her.
Once the fog began to lift, the entity disappeared, but not the woman’s fear.