Moss Landing KOA Express

Basic no frills rv campground. Its more like a compound with tall fence all around and adjacent to a marina parking lot. The most prominent feature in view is the giant powerplant.

It has hookups, laundry, level cement pads, and clean restrooms.

Great place if you want to paddle elkhorn slough, do a whale watch, surf, or go birding through adjacent marshes. Can also explore miles and miles of beaches a short walk from camp.

There are several restaurants in Moss Landing but all were closed on the night we were there so be prepared to drive further or make your own meals.

We’ve stayed here since before it was a KOA. As empty nesters, we’re not KOA fans (kids all over) but this wasn’t designed to be that. The OTA channels are superior to the provided cable. Speaking of. Recently I have been unwilling to award the top rating to parks that lack streamable internet. Our first night, my iPad seemed to be connecting to the internet, but turns out it wasn’t. Second day it did. Can’t definitively comment on that which is becoming an increasingly demanded offering. Moss Landing KOA will continue to be our go to park when visiting this part of the coast.

The site is sandwiched between a storage unit facility, the marina parking lot, and a junkyard. Glorious view of the power plant next door. Our bike was stolen out of the rack in the back of our truck with two cable locks on it. They probably would’ve taken all 4 if we hadn’t heard them. In fairness, that was after the host had offered to loan us some extra security locks, which could just be hospitality but could also mean this is a history. Maybe our bad luck, but on top of that there is eternal and constant, never ending,I stress never ending, noise from the crane operating in the nearby marina. We arrived right at 5 and didn’t notice the overall sketchiness of the surrounding places, we just assumed it was quiet and shut down for the night. Daylight showed the shops and businesses were more shuttered and junkyards.

Nothing was terribly wrong about this spot. Good location for exploring Monterey to the south and Santa Cruz to the north but the little town of Moss Landing doesn't have much to offer. Maybe it's just because we were here in mid-October and there was that thing called Covid - every little store & restaurant in walking distance was closed (at least they were on a Monday). But the harbor and all the boats was pretty, and the beach is a nice beach there (although no dogs are allowed so we couldn't walk our dog there.

The RV park was clean and the folks there were really friendly. They only offered us two spots, right by the road, even though there were quite a few other spots available. Since we were only going to be there 1 night we just went with it. It's a very small RV park and nothing special considering it's a KOA, so $77/night felt steep.

Wifi was good, full hookups, etc.

We came here during the California wildfires September 2020. We were smothering in smoke back in the Central Valley and came here for some fresh sea air. Sea Lions barking most of the night along with the buoy bells. Lulled us into a restful slumber. We rode our bicycles around the boat yards, beach, and of course Phil’s Fish House, (different than Phil’s snack shack). Also the Whole Enchilada Mexican Restaurant is fun as are the couple of unique shops to discover unusual items.
We will go back. The staff was friendly and even asked if we needed bicycle locks. The whole park seemed friendly.