Tucked into a beautiful grove of redwood trees, Cotillion RV Park offers a lot of scenic beauty. This park is within easy walking distance of Roaring Camp Railroad/Thomas the Train. The campground is spotlessly maintained. The only real drawbacks are numerous children on scooters and bicycles that clog the narrow roadways and pathways. The park's management is ultra friendly and can take care of the RVer's immediate needs. One suggestion for park improvement would be to install clear directional signs for entering or exiting the RV park. It's hard to give ground when encountering a large motorhome or trailer coming at you in the narrow roadways. All in all, though, Cotillion RV Park offers serenity in a wooded environment. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is an excellent park and we discovered it 4 years ago. It's been an annual trip since then as we attend the Thomas the Tank Engine days at Roaring Camp with our kids each year. As others have mentioned this campground can be full of kids as expected with the Thomas event every year. This is great for us as there are other kids and "young" families in the campground during this time of year. In talking with the few "permanent" residents many other times throughout the year the campground is quiet. Cotillion Gardens though is a great base camp for doing most everything in the area. If steam trains aren't something you're interested in then the Santa Cruz Boardwalk is only minutes to the south. Want to do some hiking? Head north for Big Basin State Park or just stay in the area and hike Henry Cowell State Park. Need groceries or other items? Downtown Scotts Valley is only minutes away as well however there is a large grocery store in Felton as well. Point being this is a great central location to explore the greater Santa Cruz area with lots of things to see and do. The campground is also clean with decent sized spaces. I would give this campground a 10 however the pool has been a little colder than expected on 2 of our 4 visits. Just a little cold for children however it's clean and everyone still has fun. Oh don't forget to check out the tree slide. A unique playground feature that my kids look forward to every year. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Beautiful setting in the Redwood trees, adjacent to Henry Coe State Park and within walking distance of Roaring Camp Railroad. We have been here twice and enjoyed both times. Some of the sites are very spacious but not all - some are really small. The recreation hall has fooze-ball, ping-pong, etc, and movies in the summer. The RV sites are gravel and are raked for each new arrival; most RV sites have a deck big enough for a small tent. Tent sites are grass or have decks. The pool is clean. The bathrooms are small and old, but clean and in good working order. The staff is responsive to maintenance requests (a clogged toilet was fixed immediately). We will come again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Great park for rest and relaxation. Very pet friendly if you are responsible owners. Our dog enjoyed meeting with the others at the park. It is older so anything larger than 35 ft may have a problem. Most sights are narrow. With the slide and awning out, you will take up the whole site with. That being said, I would go back again when in the area. We camped in a 31ft 5th wheel. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is one of our favorite parks and our second visit here. We camped with 4 other rv'ers and had about 8 kids under the age of 7 with us. We had spot 53 which was a bit small but right across from the creek where the kids played. The pool was a great amenity as was the playground although a short trek from the campsite. The park has lots of big trees with a a mountain feel that is city-close. It's very close to lots of attractions in the Santa Cruz area. It's small, clean, quiet, and conveniently located. I gave it a 9 because it seems a bit overpriced at $50/night, but as they say you pay for location, location, location. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The good things: beautiful campground, good rates for the area, nice courteous staff, discount for military and for paying cash, quiet. The bad things: pool only open on weekends (how hard is it to open a pool for the day?), lack of play area for dogs or kids (I'd like to see a small grassy field or something), horrible pothole at the entrance nobody tells you about until after you hit it (no worries if coming from other direction, but not told), restrooms had no soap or paper towels, showers had to be turned on every 15 seconds, stream isn't much of a stream. Overall: It is a nice place if you want peace and quiet and don't have dogs or kids. It would be nice if they invested in WiFi Internet. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Park is in the middle of the forest adjacent to a state park. Our site was cramped, but there are larger ones available. All sites have a movable fire pit and picnic table. All hookups worked perfectly. Park is well cared for and offers basketball, playground, pool and game room. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We had such a nice time here. The park is beautiful. It backs up to Henry Cowell State Park. The sites are lovely and clean. The park staff were friendly and unobtrusive. We were part of a large group and never felt anything but welcome. We have children (8 and 6 years) who had a wonderful time. The recreation facilities include a pool (closed after 10/15), basketball, playground, video games, pool, and ping-pong. We live 9 miles away but would come back for a quick weekend getaway. What a fun place. I loved the pictures in the rec room of their Halloween festivities dating back 10 years! There were dogs on leashes everywhere but I saw no dog waste anywhere. Everyone we interacted with was friendly and fun! A great family park! We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
November 2006
$41
Yes there are signs everywhere. But with good reason. When people follow the signs it is easier for the hosts to keep the park clean and quiet! Our space #49 overlooked a small creek, was mostly level with manicured gravel. A wash tub fire pit and wood picnic table filled out the site. The site was roomie and separated from the other sites by large redwood trees. The campground hosts were very different from each other, Bob was very friendly and helpful. He gave us a quick, interesting history of the area and good tips on hikes to take. His partner, we didn't learn her name, was quiet and short in her conversations. The location is in the middle of a redwood grove with a small stream flowing thru the campsites. It is an old park but well maintained. It is bordered by the Cowell State Park, with trails that lead from the campground into the park. it is about a 15 minute walk to the Roaring Camp Railroad. We will be back again this spring. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
Just returned from our second and LAST visit to this park, at least while the current managers are there. Don't get me wrong, the park is beautiful and picturesque. Having Henry Cowell State Park right outside the back gate is wonderful. But it doesn't make up for the completely rude and inhospitable long-term managers. If you're older than 65 or are bringing kids younger than that, don't bother. I've never seen so many "no" signs in my life. 14 in the pool area alone! The only one that was missing was, "No fun allowed". These folks need to move on... We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
October 2004
$40
Nice park right in the middle of a huge redwood grove. The staff was friendly. Sites that back up to the stream are the nicest. 10-15 minutes to the ocean. Just a minute or two to the Big Pines Railroad. The drive over highway 17 is an E-ticket so plan for non-commute time to travel. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is an old park in the middle of Redwood trees.The sites are very tight for any 5th wheel over 33 ft.The 30 amp. was very poor.We even had to turn our water heater from electic to gas to run our microwave!The park itself is beautiful.It is right next to a large state park.No laundry. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 7 / 10 ]
2002
$40
Stayed here in November, not too many guest at that time. Had no real contact with the
owners other than at check-in. Beautiful redwood location, huge trees, our site had a deck overlooking a small creek. Small playground, seasonal pool. Very close to state park and narrow gauge railroad. Nice place to stay if you're in the area. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2001
$38
This is one of my family's favorites.15 minutes from Santa Cruz in the red woods. This is a very pretty park. Several of the sites have individual touches and you are truly camping in the middle of the redwoods. The only negative was the single push button showers and no soap in the restrooms. They have a rec hall, ping pong, movies. All sites have wash tub fire rings. 3 trail heads venture out into the redwood one going down to a river beach. You can hear the train that goes from Roaring Camp down to the boardwalk. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a great campground, located only 5 miles from downtown Santa Cruz.. It is very pet friendly. Spaces for RVs & trailers can be tight (there are wood posts). Many spaces have room for extra tents, etc. Showers were 25 cents for 2 mins. We will be back again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We really enjoyed our stray at Henry Cowell. The campgrounds are just above the redwood tree line. You are situated in oak, and pine. It is a short hike to the redwood groves. We did a 2 mile round trip that took you into an amazing redwood forest and to a beautiful stream. You can also drive 5 minutes to the visitor center and the old growth redwood grove. Roaring Camp Big Trees Railroad is a must. It takes you on a narrow gauge into the redwoods! If you are staying at the campground you can park for free at the visitor center and walk 100' to the railroad. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I will certainly stay here again. Very nice overall. Close to the Henry Cowell, San Lorenzo River and alot of shade, and management very helpful. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Stayed here on Coast to Coast (non member rate $45). Awesome place completely in the redwoods. Many sites are very tight for a 5th wheel and be careful navigating within the park. Do not take a 5th wheel (probably not a decent sized class A) south on highway 9! Very narrow and super curvy, but a beautiful drive in a car or truck. The place could use some maintenance and upgrading but it is a beautiful place to stay. We loved it. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I was very surprised to find such a wonderful campground right on the San Lorenzo River. You could walk to Henry Cowell State Park and catch the train to either the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz or go the other direction and view the Beautiful Redwoods from this train ride. A must do We camped here in a Motorhome.
Park was very nice and staff was very friendly. They provided free TV cable connections. Didn't try wifi since we were only there one night. Quite a few activities available for the kids in the area if you stayed for a few days. Steep incline in and out of facility but otherwise no issues. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Loved this park. Right in the middle of the redwoods and next to a wonderful park. The sites are easy to access and most have privacy fences made of redwood. Gentleman met us and led us to our site. We asked about a truck wash before leaving for the day to go biking, and when we returned he had the name and address of a truck wash waiting for us. He was a very nice and hospitable manager. This park is about 10 minutes from Santa Cruz and about 25 minutes to San Jose. It was the perfect location for us. (PS: We ate at a recommended spot on the fisherman's wharf called Reva's. Very good food and lively atmosphere. ) We camped here in a Motorhome.
They were extremely nice. The great grandson "Smith" offered to park our trailer & we accepted. Out site was nice & shady as we requested overlooking the San Lorenzo river. There are some that get full sun & are close. Be exact as to what you want. There are several miles of hiking trails that are a quick access from the RV park. The area is just beautiful & they keep it clean. They just started taking credit cards. Many people were booking for next year. We are returning in September 2009 for another great stay. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a wonderful RV Park situated among the giant redwoods, truly a beautiful place. Park and facilities are well maintained, and the staff/owners could not be more helpful. We were here in early June and had the place almost to ourselves; July and August are the busy months. This park is a combination of fulltime mobile homes on one side of the park, and leased RV spaces and rental spaces on the other side of the park. Free Wi-Fi worked well at our space most of the time. Great park for rest and relaxation. Very pet friendly if you are responsible owners. For 5vers, entry driveway is steep; truck bedrail clearance could be an issue for some. We look forward to staying here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We stayed mid-week at this park and it was so quite. The staff is very helpful and they guide you to your site. The grounds are very well kept and the restrooms while older are clean. There are a lot of year around/seasonal residents at this park but the owners handle it in such a way that it's not a negative. Towards the weekend a large group of seniors came to celebrate an anniversary. We had a great time and would stay here again. We camped here in a Tent Trailer.
The staff that run this park are great. After checking they take you to your site and help back you in if you want. They couldn't be more friendly. Yes there are permanents and long term people, but their sites are very clean and everyone is extremely friendly. The grounds are kept very clean and the site's albeit are not completely level but it doesn't take much to get level. The bathroom's are older but spotless as are the shower's. They welcome pet's but don't have a specific place for the, all they ask is that where ever you take them to please clean up after them and I have to say I didn't see anything that had been left on the ground. Nice pool, didn't use it and a nice little rec room, also didn't use it. Henry Coe park is within a very short walking distance and there are numerous trails to walk. Use the web site direction's, Hwy 9 is very curvy. We saw rig's of every size there. Overall this is a wonderful park, you feel safe and relaxed. We look forward to staying there again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
I previously reviewed this park a couple of years ago. Still love it, but just wanted to add one thing: they now have Wi-Fi, which worked great the whole time we were there. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We liked everything about this RV park. It's been in the same family since 1920. Very friendly and helpful. Beautiful Redwood trees throughout the park and area. We would rate it higher if it had WiFi and 50 amp. service. We'll go back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great park, in a beautiful setting. Would have given a 10, but they don't take credit cards, and some of the sites are small. Lots of permanent residents, which cuts down on the road traffic. Great for allowing your kids to ride bikes on the street. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This was a great find for us. When another campground ruined our reservation, we were able to find this campsite at the last minute. They were very accommodating. The site is literally situated among a towering redwood forest. The sites were level, gravel, and very spacious. The sites were also secluded. It was a busy weekend for them, they were nearly filled to capacity, but it didn’t appear that way. The park was nice and quiet. Their pool is large, and they also have lots for kids to do (pool tables, rec-room, basketball/volleyball, etc). If they had a hot tub and accepted credit/debit cards I would give them a perfect 10. Their location is perfect for a base to drive into San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. We will definitely return. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Pretty place. Right in the redwoods and adjacent to Henry Cowell State Park. Paved roads and gravel sites, some with concrete pads. Park is clean. Rates in the Montery Bay area are very high. Our site was to small to park our tow vehicle in as were the sites of others near us. Many empty sites that would have been more appropriate assignments. Bathrooms old and dingy. The only showers are somewhat away from the camping area, up the hill, by the pool. Management was pleasant and new owners are said to be planning improvements. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Nice, quiet campground on the San Lorenzo River. Plenty of shady sites. We went with a group and stayed in "The Point". This was a level wide open area for different sized trailers. Unlike another submission, we had Cingular service. Friendly staff, close to town and services. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very pretty campground -- lots of redwood trees, right by a river. Shady spots are available -- some are shadier than others. Gravel surface in each spot, which is a plus when it rains. Quiet, well-maintained, well-managed. The staff are friendly and competent. About half of the park is occupied by full-timers in well-maintained trailers -- they are very friendly to campers. Access roads were fairly wide and easy to navigate. The entrance to the park off of Highway 9 is a little steep -- take it slow and put it into lowest gear. If possible, request a spot near the river -- those are the quietest sites. The highway is not too heavily travelled, but once in a while a pack of motorcycles will rumble past. We stayed at this park for four nights -- each day we drove our SUV to a different state park for hiking and mountain biking, coming back each evening to the trailer. Be sure to bring a sweater to the Santa Cruz area -- evenings are often chilly, even in the summer. The park provides fire pits [like large perforated wash tubs] for each site -- it is very pleasant to sit outside in the evenings under the redwoods by a fire. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This park is in a good location and is nestled in redwood trees. However, the sites are small and it is a little crowded. The people were friendly. I camped here with two adults and two Boston Terriers in a Class A Holiday Rambler 32'. I would come back, but not until I try some of the other campgrounds in the area to try and get a larger, more private site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We love this RV park, and since it is only an hour from our home in the Bay Area, we go there often. It is very quiet during the off season (October-April). The owners are very friendly and helpful, and the setting is beautiful (in the redwoods). There are permanent residents, but their sites are very well kept. I want to point out two things, however: they only have 30 amp electricity (not 50) and, as stated in the previous review, they do not take credit cards. This is what keeps me from giving it a "10" rating. It should also be noted (and this is not the fault of the park) that we could not get any Cingular Wireless service. However, there were people using their cell phones, so there were other wireless services in range. We camped here in a Motorhome.
$30 per night with AAA (or Good Sam) discount. Very nice park with lots of big redwoods.Very friendly staff. Let us stay for late checkout on Sunday without any fuss. They have a Mobile Home area and there are quite a few permanent trailers there, but they are pretty well kept. Nice and close to beach and lots of other activities in the area. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 8 / 10 ]
2001
$34
Excellent redwood shaded park in a beautiful setting on a stream. Another park right next door, Cotillion Gardens is also very nice but I liked the National Park type layout of Smithwoods. A place where you can relax under huge redwoods and forget about your daily work routine. A destination type park (you would specifically go to camp at this park for more than one or two nights, not an overnighter). Would definately go back. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.