The season for camping in my car at the coast has officially begun! Even though this is the rainiest time of year, most months still offer a few good weather windows — and with the right setup, it’s easy to stay warm and cozy out there.

On this trip, the last night brought steady rain, along with a few on-and-off showers while I packed up in the morning. Even so, the sunsets were spectacular, as they always are, and I loved not having to roll out of bed too early to catch sunrise.

I do a lot of solo camping trips to test gear, spending much of my time taking photos and videos for the reviews I share on this website. Between shooting, I walk on the beach whenever I can and never miss an opportunity to catch sunset or sunrise — which are often at their best during the winter months.

I used to think solo camping wasn’t something I wanted to do, but over time I’ve grown to love these trips. While I stay busy working on photography, I also value the quiet time alone — letting my thoughts slow down, tuning out everything else, and focusing on being in a beautiful place.

I almost missed sunset on the first night after arriving late at the campground. I was in the middle of setting up camp when I looked up and saw color building in the sky. I dropped everything and ran to the beach, where I often spend hours photographing the changing light. Most people leave as soon as the sun goes down, but the color lingers long afterward, and being on the beach at that time feels especially magical to me. I made it back to camp well after dark to cook dinner.

It was just me and my seagull friend hanging out long after the sun disappeared.

During the off-season, campgrounds are quieter, reservations are easier to get, and the overall pace feels slower. While summer has its appeal, fall through spring is my favorite time to camp at the coast.

Back at camp, I finished setting up my car and the shelter attached to it. These photos were taken the next day when there was more light. Most of the time I camp in a tent, but once the weather turns cold and wet, I switch to sleeping in my car. Learn more about my Honda CR-V camper, including my sleep system, canopy, and camp kitchen.

The next morning, the sunrise filled the sky with soft shades of pink, blue, and purple. I spent about an hour walking along the beach before heading back to camp for breakfast and a full day of shooting photos and videos of the gear I was testing.

On this trip, I was testing a new sleep system (full review coming soon), an alpaca half-zip top from Arms of Andes, and alpaca-blend sleep layers from Paka.

I was also working on making the canopy attached to my car more rain-ready by adding support poles to raise its height. While that helped, it didn’t completely solve the problem of rain pooling on top — I had to keep pushing water off the canopy on the last morning of the trip. For my next trip, I’ll take my Kelty Sideroads canopy instead since it can handle rain better than the one I was using on this trip.

After spending most of the day on gear photos, I headed out for a late-afternoon walk before sunset.

The textures on the beach always catch my eye, especially where creeks meet the ocean.

Cape Lookout has several trails that connect the campground to the day-use area, and I always enjoy exploring them. I love catching glimpses of the ocean through the trees, and after camping here so many times, I know where all the best views are — so I made my usual rounds.

As I passed through this section of trail, I noticed an unusual tree formation that looks like a mythical creature. It seems like they enjoy the view, too. : )

I stayed out long enough to catch sunset again. While it wasn’t as colorful as the first night, it was still a beautiful way to end the day.

To stay warm in camp, I bring a propane fire pit that I place under the canopy. It keeps me comfortably warm while I relax in the evenings.

This was my seventh solo camping trip this year, and I’m already looking forward to many more in the year ahead.