Limekiln Camp Gear Checklist

What shapes your gear on Limekiln

What the park says right now

On 15 October 2026 the park page called Limekiln partly open. Backcountry trails east of Highway 1 were closed for fire suppression, the Hare Creek and Falls trails were closed, and the Limekiln Trail to the Pitkins Curve overlook was open. The campsites closest to the beach were closed during a bridge study, and every transaction at the park was cash only.

From California State Parks: Limekiln State Park

Two camps in one campground

The park map counts 29 developed sites with a table, a fire ring and parking at each. Some sit near the beach and others in the trees along the creek. RVs and trailers are not allowed in the redwood area. Campers put the ocean side at about a dozen sites, with a few on a rocky slope above the rest.

From California State Parks: Limekiln State Park campground map and rules, The Dyrt and Beyond The Tent

Ocean sites versus creek sites

A 2019 camper called the ocean sites a dirt lot under Highway 1 with little privacy and constant road noise. A van camper in 2021 said the same side felt crammed on gravel under the bridge, unless you landed one of the hillside sites. Another group in a redwood site said the creek at full flow covered all other noise.

From The Dyrt and DayTrippen

Wind, rock and storm

A Christmas camper at site 5 on the beach side found the ground too rocky for stakes and the wind strong enough to push the tent onto them in a storm. Other campers say the beach sites get very windy and that the ocean side can feel cold in November while the trees stay cozy.

From Hike Then Wine, The Dyrt and The Outbound

Rules that shape the stay

Check-in is 2 pm and check-out is noon. Quiet hours run from 10 pm to 8 am. A campsite takes up to 8 people and 2 vehicles, and the fee covers one vehicle. Bicycles stay on the roads and dogs stay off the trails.

From California State Parks: Limekiln State Park campground map and rules

What hikers carry on Limekiln

• Stakes that bite in rock, plus a big rock

  The Christmas camper at beach site 5 struggled to drive stakes through the stones, had a stake strap break right away and fixed it by putting a large rock inside the tent corner. Later the wind pushed the tent down onto the people inside.

  From Hike Then Wine and The Dyrt

• Layers for a place that changes between the beach and the trees

  The park says the weather can change and advises layers. One camper wrote that the beach and the redwoods can feel very different, and another found the ocean sites windy in November while the tree sites were cozy.

  From California State Parks: Limekiln State Park, The Outbound and The Dyrt

• Quarters for the showers, and cash for firewood

  Showers take quarters, and one camper counted about two minutes of water for 25 cents. Firewood from the host is a cash purchase, and a regular visitor wrote that the bundle price climbed from $8 to $15 over the years.

  From Hike Then Wine, Beyond The Tent and Campendium

• Backup stove fuel

  The same Christmas campers found their stove failing to get propane the morning after the storm. A second can half worked, and heating water for coffee took ten minutes. The nearest town is Big Sur and writers stress there are no stores nearby.

  From Hike Then Wine and DayTrippen

• A solar lantern, headlamp or flashlight

  A solar lantern hung in the tent ran for twelve hours for the Christmas camper. Another camper found the only restroom light for a dozen ocean sites was out and assumed campers would carry flashlights.

  From Hike Then Wine and The Dyrt

• Anti-itch cream, long pants and tick repellent

  Poison oak is abundant along the trails, per the park, and one guide adds ticks among the redwoods and suggests a hat, tall socks and repellent.

  From California State Parks: Limekiln State Park campground map and rules and Beyond The Tent

• A paper map, since signal is thin

  Writers say cell service and GPS are spotty to nonexistent in the park, and one camper wrote of escaping the phone.

  From Beyond The Tent and The Dyrt

• A closed bin for food and trash

  One camper complained that squirrels and birds popped the lids off the metal trash cans all day and night, and that other campers fed the squirrels. The guides also list skunks, raccoons and ringtails among the park's animals.

  From The Dyrt and Beyond The Tent

Gear questions for Limekiln