Heated bathrooms? Wireless access? Camping at this North Coast resort is nobody’s idea of roughing it.

{ 22 MILES NORTH OF SANTA CRUZ off Highway 1. Through October weekend rates for tent bungalows run $130-180, and $115-165 November through April, including breakfast. The Año Nuevo State Reserve is closed to the public Dec. 1-14. Advance reservations are necessary for weekend visits from Dec. 15 to March 31, when visitors must join guided walks ($5/person). 650-879-0227; www.parks.ca.gov. There is a $6 parking fee. }

By BETH KOHN

SENTINEL CORRESPONDENT

For those who came of age on foam mats and mummy bags, snuggling into a warm bed — no matter where it’s situated — does not qualify as camping. But outdoor adventures can sometimes warrant an extra dollop of comfort, especially in the shoulder season.

When summer and fall collide in moody fits and starts, with soaring temperatures one day followed by sprinkles the next, it can be a leap of faith to schedule an outdoorsy overnight. In Pescadero, the Costanoa resort provides a more foolproof approach to camping and a luxurious alternative to wrapping yourself in rain tarps.

While it’s technically true that Costanoa has guest structures described as tents, the white canvas wood-framed cottages have little

in common with constricting nylon domes. These windowed tent bungalows place scant emphasis on the Spartan part of the equation. For one thing, you bunk down in an honest-togoodness bed, and you can stand up and putter about without grazing your head or squeezing against the walls.

Built in 1999, the 40-acre Costanoa complex is hidden out of sight behind a quiet section of Highway 1. It’s also across the road from the Año Nuevo State Reserve, and the year-round colony of raucous elephant seals are a regional highlight. Until visitor restrictions begin for the December breeding season, no reservations are needed to see — and hear and smell — these Rubenesque pinnipeds, so fall is an excellent time to venture in without advance coordination.

But your first decision is to choose between four levels of tent cabin options. There are family-friendly two-tent clusters with a queen bed master and an adjacent bunk bed set, or the most sumptuous models, with four-poster beds, hot tub access and daily room tidying. (If you insist on going back to basics, they also have simple wooden platforms where you can pitch your own tent.) Still, you’d be hardpressed to think of another campground with bedside reading lamps — no need to thumb pages by flashlight — or a full menu of spa services, in addition to Wi-Fi access throughout the compound.

If you or your tribe need a little nudge out into the big wide world, Costanoa does their best to keep you busy. In the fall, they still have mountain bikes to rent, horses to ride, nearby hikes to recommend and, assuming it’s not overcast, stargazing walks. And if you’re angling for private time, a children’s camp runs on Saturdays through Halloween.

On a recent weekend afternoon, strands of fog reached in from the ocean, but the mood was sunny nonetheless. Adirondack chairs sat poised on a grassy open meadow, facing pine forest and the ridgeline of Big Basin, and towards the west, an overlook surveyed rugged

Pacific bluffs. Families feasted at knots of picnic tables, frisbees flew through the air and a tame soccer scrimmage occupied the play area just beyond barbecue pits. For those with no pretense of roughing it, gourmet meals beckon at Costanoa’s Cascade restaurant.

Perhaps the most unusual features at Costanoa are the shared “comfort stations,” which the less euphemism-inclined will recognize as bathrooms. Not content to leave pseudocampers

out in the cold, heated concrete-floor facilities keep you toasty when nature calls,

with flush toilets, hot showers and 24-hour dry saunas. Warm your toes at one of the outdoor fireplaces, and bring a flashlight to find your way home from nighttime forays.

So on cool coastal nights, ramp up the heated mattress pad, listen for the nocturnal sounds

of nature, and try not to feel guilty that camping can be this cushy.

Contact Beth Kohn at fiercesf@igc.org.