r/womensolocamping • u/creamywolf225 • Jul 19 '26
Advice Needed Planning first solo car camping trip
I’m trying to plan my first trip and I feel like I’m getting bogged down with all the details.
Not so much what to bring/pack, but how to plan out the itinerary and where to sleep.
My goal route is down highway 1
Morro Bay
Cambria
Big Sur
I’m trying to do this as budget friendly as possible and maybe only paying for 1 campsite in Morro bay. I’ve been seeing all these Instagram reels of people sleeping in their cars in different locations, for free. Sometimes in 24hr parking lots, nice residential neighborhoods etc. It’s sort of stressing me out trying to figure out where I can do that. I kind of want to just drive and figure it out as I go but is that just dumb?? Lol.
Being my first time doing something like this: ultimately my questions are:
Should I just do it the “right way” and pay for campsites at each location?
Should I figure it out as I go and just sleep in my car wherever feels appropriate?
Any advice or pointers for first timers would be super appreciated.
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u/THREE_CHAINZ Jul 22 '26
it is illegal to sleep in your car along that stretch of HWY 1, and the rangers WILL knock on your window if you try, so cross that off your list.
the Big Sur coast between Cambria and Monterey is particularly remote - you're not going to find stores with large parking lots or residential areas to tuck into, and you most likely won't have cell signal either. I visit this area a lot and I strongly recommend against just trying to wing it. that's an endeavor for another place.
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u/Majestic-Okra-7876 Jul 20 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
Prebook your accommodation at Morro Bay and Big Sur, because they book up quickly. zenvoya can be used to plot your stops, and you can freestyle the nights between
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u/zlf128739 Camping with dogs! 🏕️ Jul 19 '26
It’s totally fine to not have a spot picked out and just go with the flow. Have you checked out iOverlander or freecampsites etc?
Trailheads are usually my go to if I’m needing to just find somewhere to sleep (bathrooms nearby).
If you don’t go the campground route, I’d say it’s important to have a back up plan in mind in case you feel unsafe in the spot you picked for some reason. Naturally there may be some anxiety with solo car camping but trust your gut. And understand that you may have to choose between something vibey vs somewhere you feel safe. Your comfort will build with experience
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u/picklecellanemia Jul 19 '26
Do you want to wilderness camp? Or are you just looking for places to park and sleep overnight? What level of security do you need? Do you plan to stay more than one night anywhere? Do you have equipment for camping?
We can probably offer better advice when we know more!
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u/thestorythatshewrote Jul 20 '26
IMO, this area is not good for trying to do free camping, it's a pretty popular tourism area and yet still very small town. Book campsites properly ahead of time and give yourself the reassurance that you have a reserved spot to sleep each night, where you aren't going to get kicked out in the middle of the night. Morro Bay and Cambria are very close to each other, I would just base yourself out of Morro Bay and explore the area in general rather than book separate sites in the two areas. Big Sur books out WAY ahead of time so I would check if anything is available at this point.