About this permit
Manzanita Point offers eleven hike-in group camps at Henry W. Coe State Park for backpacking groups of 9 or more, a 2 to 3 mile hike or mountain bike ride from the Coe Ranch Entrance. Each camp is primitive, with picnic tables and a nearby vault toilet, plus a metal campfire ring usable when wood and charcoal campfires are permitted. There is no potable water at Manzanita Point, so group campers should plan to carry in enough water and supplies to last their stay.
Unlike the park's individual backpacking permits, these are reservable. Reservations for the hike-in group camps must be made a minimum of 7 days in advance through ReserveCalifornia. The rate is $75 per night including a maximum of 5 vehicles, with $8 per additional vehicle.
The vehicle rule is the practical detail that makes this camp work for groups: conditions permitting, up to 2 vehicles may drive in via a gated one-lane dirt road to carry equipment and supplies. They must then stay parked at the group camp for the duration and drive out once at checkout. Shuttling people or supplies is not allowed. Staff prohibit vehicle access when the park has received or is expecting significant rainfall.
Wood and charcoal campfires are permitted seasonally in the park-provided metal rings at Coe Ranch Campground and Manzanita Point, but as of 12 June 2026 they were banned for the remainder of wildfire season. Dogs are not allowed at any of the hike-in group camps.
The route
Manzanita Point offers eleven hike-in group camps for backpacking groups of 9 or more. The campsites are a 2 to 3 mile hike or mountain bike ride from the Coe Ranch Entrance. Each camp is primitive, with picnic tables and a nearby vault toilet, and a metal campfire ring that may be used when wood and charcoal campfires are permitted. Wood gathering is not allowed, so campers must bring their own wood or purchase it at the visitor center.
There is no potable water at Manzanita Point, so group campers should plan to carry in enough water and supplies to last their stay. This is the constraint that shapes every trip here.
Vehicle access exists but is tightly controlled. There is limited vehicle access via a gated, one-lane dirt road; conditions permitting, up to 2 vehicles may drive in to carry equipment and supplies. Once driven in, group camp equipment vehicles must remain parked at the group camp through the duration of the stay and drive out once upon checkout. Shuttling people or supplies to and from the group camps is not allowed. Vehicles must arrive during business hours and no later than one hour before sunset, and park staff will prohibit vehicle access when the park has received or is expecting significant rainfall.
Why it matters
Manzanita Point is how a group samples Henry Coe's backcountry without everyone carrying everything. The park describes it exactly that way: for backpacking groups of 9 or more who want to sample the backpacking experience without necessarily having to hike in all their gear.
