Best Campgrounds near Sacramento, CA
Camping areas surrounding Sacramento include numerous established RV parks and state recreation facilities with varied accommodation types. Within a 30-minute drive of downtown, SacWest RV Park & Campground provides tent sites, RV hookups, and cabin options, while Folsom Lake State Recreation Area offers more natural settings at Beals Point and Peninsula campgrounds. Most locations maintain year-round operations due to the region's mild climate, though summer temperatures frequently exceed 90°F, making water-adjacent sites particularly desirable during peak season.
Road access to Sacramento-area campgrounds is generally straightforward with most facilities situated near major highways and paved roads. Full hookup RV sites predominate the urban camping landscape, with many parks designed primarily for recreational vehicles rather than tent camping. As one camper noted, "Cal Expo RV Park is a parking lot where your rig is nose-down, not necessarily level, and your septic goes uphill to drain. It is quite noisy at night with traffic, sirens and other noise." Visitors should expect varying levels of privacy between sites, with some parks like Sacramento Shade RV Park featuring privacy fences between spaces while others position RVs in close proximity. Most campgrounds require reservations, particularly during events at Cal Expo or during summer months.
Mixed-use campgrounds near Sacramento typically receive higher ratings when located along waterways or offering recreational amenities. Several visitors mentioned the American River Parkway's bike trail accessibility as a significant advantage for certain campgrounds. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, Sherwood Harbor Marina & RV Park draws positive feedback for its riverside location, with one camper writing it has "tons of beautiful, shady spots overlooking or near the Sacramento river." Tent and RV sites at state recreation areas like Folsom Lake generally provide more natural surroundings than in-city options, offering swimming beaches, hiking trails, and boating access. Urban RV parks serve primarily as convenient bases for exploring the city rather than destination camping experiences, with proximity to downtown attractions balancing their typically limited natural amenities.
