Quick Take
Sara Swenson lives in Santa Cruz, but also has a family property in the Sierras she wants to save and protect. She’d like to do that by renting out space to private campers. She thinks Santa Cruz County should be at the forefront of this new trend, which, she says, is a way to both preserve and share beautiful spaces. The county board of supervisors will discuss this issue on June 25.
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Living here, we know just how special Santa Cruz County is, with its stunning natural beauty and rich wildlife. As residents, we’re the caretakers of this incredible place, and that’s why we should support responsible, low-impact camping on private land.
As the fifth generation responsible for caring for our family’s rural property in the Sierras, I view private, low-impact camping as a win-win. It’s an income generator to help families keep land without needing to develop it further. It allows us to preserve our dark skies for stargazing and wildlife watching.
Private camping is a simple idea: It allows landowners to earn extra income for sharing their gorgeous, untouched land with campers. This reduces the strain on our public parks and natural resources. Meanwhile, campers get a unique experience.
My husband, dog and I are avid campers, having explored most of California over the past two decades with a tent. With the competition for campsites at national and state parks a challenge, I have looked into new places to camp and have loved the privacy and connection to nature that private campsites offer. I’ve found incredible venues and ways to connect with nature, from campsites hosted by a retired couple and their forest/field property in Ferndale to Mendocino and the nonprofit host next to Jug Handle State Natural Reserve.
Here in Santa Cruz County, on June 25, the board of supervisors will hold a public hearing on an ordinance establishing regulations and streamlined permitting for low-impact camping on rural private property. I hope the board supports it and encourage anyone who shares my view to reach out to your representative. Other communities, including San Luis Obispo County, Henderson County in North Carolina and Chaffee County in Colorado have already done this.
I hope private property owners can keep their listings on camping sites and that organizations like the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County can offer sites on its amazing land so we can have weekend adventures to explore our county. With its focus on nature and recreation, Santa Cruz should lead the way on this.
Private camping is as simple as providing a flat spot for a camper van or a tent in a nature-like setting. Some might be larger and have more amenities like picnic tables or tents, but they are not at the scale of private campgrounds like KOA, a huge national franchise of private campgrounds. They also don’t have crowding issues. Currently, sites like Hipcamp or Harvest Hosts have offerings, but they are limited. Creating regulations and a permitting process will enable more owners to explore this way of sharing their land with others.
In Sonoma County, the owners of Pharo Pharms used the money from private campers to pay for their daughter’s college education. With the growing demand for outdoor recreation, our public lands are being loved to death. We allow camping on private land to give our overburdened public spaces a breather.
This is a nationwide experience that AARP has even covered as more older adults look to travel on a budget while having local experiences. With hotel rates getting closer to $200 per night and short-term rentals closer to $406 per night, offering prices starting under $100 per night makes it more accessible.
Santa Cruz thrives on rural recreation. From farm stays to ranch visits, agritourism is a lifeline helping local farmers and wineries run their operations. Hosting campers on private property is another way for locals to manage the ever-rising costs without selling off or subdividing land. Plus, it helps preserve the rural charm and natural heritage we cherish. Campers are drawn to scenic, undeveloped areas, and the income from hosting them can fund crucial land-management practices like planting pollinator gardens or fire mitigation.
Santa Cruz County should support opportunities for landowners to fund conservation projects and finance long-term land ownership and should applaud initiatives that create more ways for people to share and access land that would otherwise exist only for the benefit of the very few (and very wealthy).
This isn’t just a local issue; it’s part of a bigger picture. California’s Outdoors for All Strategy, for instance, specifically calls on local governments to expand recreation access on private lands by creating accessible permitting pathways to allow for low-impact camping on private property. The state’s 30×30 initiative to protect 30% of our lands requires landowner participation to be successful.
Santa Cruz should be at the forefront of this movement, expanding outdoor access, promoting equity and protecting our natural resources. By fostering a connection with nature, we inspire the next generation to become passionate stewards of the environment.
Sara Swenson is a Santa Cruz homeowner, a fifth-generation caretaker for her family’s rural property in the Sierras and a former advisor to camping platform HipCamp. In between camping trips, she loves to work on products that improve the planet, people or pets. She is a co-founder and chief product officer at Petszel, which provides software for animal shelters and rescue. She views enabling low-impact camping as a way to provide income to keep it in the family while enabling more people to connect with nature.
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FOR THE RECORD: This piece has been updated to include Sara Swenson’s connection to HipCamp.
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