This California campground borders no fewer than four state parks - Año Nuevo, Big Basin, Butano, and Gazos Creek State Beach (www.parks.ca.gov) -  totaling some 30,000 acres. No wonder Costanoa's (www.costanoa.com) staff focuses on helping guests make the most of the surrounding wilderness - to see the elephant seals at Año Nuevo's rookeries (also harboring otters, whales, deer, foxes, bobcats, and more), wander Butano and Big Basin's redwood stands, climb the lighthouse at Pigeon Point, or explore tide pools and dunes. Set on several scenic wooded hills behind steep bluffs in Pescadero, the resort is halfway between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, making it convenient for a town-and-country getaway. The camp is quite large, but certain areas can seem a bit crowded. Book camping trips in the Cypress section to secure a double tent with a four-poster queen bed and the most privacy. The staff at the camp's Cascade Bar and Grille prides itself on serving locally grown produce, regional wines, and seafood.