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Ocean Cove campground is located about an hour north of Bodega Bay, CA on Highway 1.  I camp here every Labor Day with my dive club.  We take up group campsites 1-3.  The photo above is of Group 2 from the very back looking out towards the entrance.  http://www.oceancove.org/.  Click on photo to see additional photos from the campground

Total Score: 14

Driving distance from Sacramento:  (Rating 2)  The total distance by car is about 3 hrs.  If towing a trailer or driving an RV, it can be upwards to 3.5-4 hrs

Weather: (Rating 4)  In September (when I have gone) the weather has been beautiful.  They days are warm enough that you can wear shorts during the day and a sweats at night.  Very comfortable.  The rating is only a 4 because it gets breezy to down right windy.  The closer you are to the ocean, the windier it gets.  You might get lucky to get a spot where the shrubs block the wind.

Peacefulness: (Rating 3)  The group sites are near the road (Hwy 1) so if you are in one of those, you can hear it.  At night, on this busy weekend, the other groups sites tend to be noisy and there doesn’t seem to be anyone monitoring the noise after 10:00, at least there hasn’t been in the past. 

Walking Trails: (Rating 3)  There is a walking trial that follows the cliffs outside the campground.  It’s along trail that goes all the way to Stillwater Cove if not further (I haven’t gone any further than that).  While there is plenty of trail to walk, I only gave it a 3 rating because: a) there is no where I can walk Roxie off leash; and b) the trail is mostly on or near sand on the cliffs and with the winds, you  tend to get sand in your face, teeth ears, everywhere.  It’s just not comfortable. 

Water Access: (Rating 2)  While there is a launch ramp at this campground and it’s great for the divers and fisherman, it’s not so great for families with children or dogs.  The cove is covered in rock, kelp and muck that has washed up on shore.  Allowing your kid or dog to play down there will ensure that everyone will need a bath as soon as they get back to camp.   The launch ramp is a bit scary and windy.  You must be experienced at backing a trailer before attempting to launch here.

Water & Power: (Rating 1)  There is a few water spiggots around the area to hook up to but you can’t really stay hooked up to them.  There is no power in the campground and no cell service for miles.  This is great if you really want to get away from it all, but not so great if you need to stay somewhat connected with the world. 

WiFi: (Rating  0) Obviously, there is no wifi on site.

Other Notes:  Ocean  Cove Campground is a nice place to visit.  It is clean and generally quiet.  If you like to dive or fish, it’s got great access.  The store is just across the street and while small, seems to have anything you might have forgotten at home.  The price is reasonable at $19 per night.  They do not accept reservations for anything but group sites, so good luck finding a site on a holiday weekend.  However, they do have an overflow site where it’s just an open area to pitch your tent if the individual sites are booked.