Camping in Olema | California

 

Heading down the California coast has been a real treat. After weeks and weeks of rain, we are so happy to feel the warm sunshine. Don’t get me wrong- we’ve really enjoyed the misty, moody Pacific Northwest. But we’re from North Carolina. And Carolinians are just used to a lot more sun! :)

Looking for a campground near San Francisco was pretty difficult. A lot of them were basically parking lots in the city with bad reviews (not to mention VERY expensive). We ended up searching on google for something a little outside of the hustle and bustle which is how we ended up at the Olema Campground. Like so many campgrounds, the website just doesn’t even do them justice. Our campground is right in the California wine and cheese country surrounded by green rolling hills dotted with cows. We’re within walking distance of the Point Reyes National Seashore AND the park has forested sites with great amenities (laundry, camp store, hot clean showers, fast wifi). We loved it so much we decided to stay in this area for two weeks.

Driving into our campground, we were once again timing our arrival with the sunset. The drive through Santa Rosa to Olema was absolutely breathtaking. My friend wasn’t feeling good so I wasn’t able to stop as often as I wished, but there were a couple times I simply could not resist. The Nicosio Reserve area near our campground was like something out of a painting.

After setting up camp, we decided to treat ourselves to a night by the fire. I bought some local wines and cheeses to sample and my friend got a hot crackling fire going. While we sat there, we watched the full moon rise over the hills. We also had quite a few animal visitors come by our campsite. First there was an owl hooting in a nearby tree, then a few raccoons, and then a beautiful gray fox! It stood there and stared at us about 10 feet away and then decided to scurry off. We both had our headlamps on to get a good look at it. What a neat way to kick off our time here!

Plenty more Bay Area + Wine Country adventures to come! Thanks again for reading! Shelley , California + North Carolina Wedding Photographer