Cali Camp Vibes

Photos & Words by Matt McKechnie.

Long weekends on the Central Coast. Turning right onto the Pacific Coast Highway always gets the blood flowing. You know you’re headed into a lightly inhabited land where the mountains meet the water making sweet little wave babies. Peelers to yourself and a couple of hand-picked friends. A slight detour inland took us straight up the steep walls of the headlands via an old fire road. After raising camp in the dark, we settled into some relaxing camp vibes with the knowledge of the fun to be had in the coming days.

Rising with the sun the following morning, we laid eyes on our little slice of paradise – an oak tree grove lined with large boulders and a fire pit atop one of the tallest coastal peaks in California.

With backpacks packed we began hiking down the ridge line towards the ocean. The power of the swell made itself known far before you could lay eyes on it. This picture came together as we reached a maxed out Sand Dollar Beach.

Later that night, an epic sunset opened for a thick blanket of stars that would hang for the rest of the night.

The morning found us recharged by a good night’s sleep under the stars. We broke camp and spend the day at Sand Dollar, taking advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures and dry weather.