Monterey Pines RV Campground

Been going here for a few years. This was once a top place to go. The grounds are being over run by weeds and grass not being cut. Half the sites are not even close to be level. During our stay, 4 families that are long term occupants. With 1 family having a freezer outside his trailer. Restrooms and showers, and washer and dryers were clean during the stay. MWR needs to start putting some money into this place. Golf course as always gets the most dollars, it looks like they are building them a new club house. Looking at the previous reviews have to totally agree about the sites being hard to back into. Also the sites are sandy dirt all over. Only saw the camp host once, didn't get to talk to her.

Yes, location is great. Lots to do and enjoy in the area and that is why we were visiting. After reading previous reviews, I was apprehensive about what we'd find at the park and, well, it really is that disappointing. We camped in a 40' fifth-wheel. Check-in was smooth and then it all seem to go downhill. Very tight getting through the one-way road because of cars parked along the way. We had a horrible time backing into our site; narrow road and very narrow site. Once in, it was all sandy dirt. No exaggeration, I was filthy after having to crawl around the embankments that surrounded our slides to hookup. (I should've taken pics.) And then we discovered it was only 30amp. Thank goodness it wasn't summer so we didn't need AC. (We made reservations through DoDLodging, so you never know...) Had to park our truck in the parking lot at the clubhouse because it wouldn't fit at our site and no where to park nearby. Not a big park and quite a few permanent campers, but sites were pretty much free of clutter. The thing that shocked me the most was that the first two groups of people we met were just plain rude/unfriendly. Couldn't believe we were at a military campground. Wifi didn't work. Thank goodness most of the time we were gone enjoying Monterey and Big Sur. When we did watch TV we had to pause the show when planes took off, but it wasn't too often and considering how many air stations we've been to, it just doesn't bother me. Laundry machines were good and decent cost. Oh, one last thing. The camp host was out quite a bit and busy. She really kept up with things.

Make this review simple, next time in this area I will stay at any campground before staying here even if I have to pay $100 a day. Worst entry to park, no info given when registering. Sites a mess and on top of each other. Wasted enough time on this review, stay away.

As a student at NPS, we (family) are lucky to have the opportunity to stay here. It is great for me to get to school and a secure location for the family. Overall, for travelers, this is an awesome location. Those that have been to Monterey know that it is easily accessible to just about everything one would want to do in the immediate area. The campground itself is nearly forgotten. It is not up kept like others we have visited (nor even like the golf course it resides on). If you have a long rig and get a spot on the left side of the road, get ready to do some leveling. There are a lot of blocks around the trash areas, I imagine for that reason. The bath house is cleaned multiple times a day and the washer and driers are good to go (4 each). No playground for the kids, but there are usually enough kids around that there is enough for them to do. Internet....a bone of contention with visitors. It has been inop for about two months now, but they are working to get it fixed. The internet is beamed up to the park from the club house (via Ubiquity gear). Something crapped out and they had to hunt for someone that knows the system. Overall, a decent place. The price is high compared to other military campgrounds (think Nellis), but cheap compared to surrounding areas...

This campground is popular because of its prime location but that is about the only thing to justify the $30 a day rental fee which is top dollar among military campgrounds. Many of the sites do not have 50 amp electric and many are too small for today’s large RVs. The sites at one time were asphalt but that has long since worn away. Now it is dirt and gravel. A new layer of gravel is needed. The campground road is one-way and narrow and the narrow width makes it difficult to back into many spaces. Since the golf course was rebuilt in 2009, the overflow area was converted to part of the new course – there is no overflow now. Several reviewers seemed to like the campground because of the beauty of the surrounding golf course. Most of the immediate area around the campground is an industrial area. One side of the campground has an ugly green fence about 8’ tall which hides the adjacent golf course (or maybe it hides the campground from the golfers.) The grass receives little attention and is brown with a lot of bare spots. Contrast that with the nearby golf course. I tried many times to connect to the free Wi-Fi during my 5-day stay and was never successful. I am using my air card. Right now, 32 of the 38 available sites are occupied. This weekend, the campground is full. The first time I was here, in 2004, it was also full but I was able to stay in overflow. With the high occupancy rate and fees, I would estimate that the annual revenues are more than $250,000. Where is that money going? O.K., end of rant. The bath house and laundry were refurbished about 5 years ago and are in good shape. This is the only improvement I can identify in the last 10 years. The Commissary and Exchange are at Fort Ord, an easy 6 mile drive north along Highway 1. Lots of things to see and do around Monterey which is a pretty town on beautiful Monterey Bay. We will visit the aquarium, one of the best I have seen. I enjoy walking along the waterfront near Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row and watching the seals on the rocks. We will also spend a day touring the Pacific Coast Highway and Big Sur. The airport noise here is surprisingly low considering that we are right at the end of the main runway of Monterey Regional Airport. The concerts at the fairgrounds this Memorial Day weekend are much louder than the airplanes. At check-in, I was given a Customer Satisfaction Survey and asked to fill it out during my stay. I asked her if she knew of the Military Campgrounds website and she answered, “No.” I feel that everyone managing or working in a military campground should be familiar with their particular section of this website, especially the reviews.