Wailaki Campground

Off the beaten track but nice, safe, clean. $8 a night or $4 if you have an interagency pass. Large vault toilets. No water. There's a general store ~10 minutes away if you drive towards Shelter Cove. Bring your bug spray! Pretty quiet during the week but it filled up by Saturday.  Solo female traveler thumbs up for chill vibes.

Had a great time and even got lost in the woods. Epic walking trails and priceless views of the Ocean. You can get lost easy so always bring water and a flashlight. Park Rangers were polite and gave great information. I met a few locals and few pot holes. Make sure you don't bring the lowriders. The General store is a little pricey and make sure you bring extra water and toilet paper. House before Campsite sales firewood for $10 a bundle. Bring your Bear mace and watch your small animals at dawn and dusk. This is one of those places where you can really unwind and be in nature. I would suggest getting a few walking poles and getting lost for a few days.

Dispersed Paid Camping. You sit all day waiting for someone to show up so you can pay and get a bunch of fines that you not aware of till last minute. I sat afraid all night waiting for $300+ ticket. You need Bear Mace and a permit. Then online it says first come first serve. Mountain Lions are biggest threat at night. I finally left this place. It was cold cause the creek nearby and worried sick for Park Ranger and Mountain Lions. Met a few great locals out collecting Mushrooms. Great hiking trails nearby. Not that dispersed many people driving and hiking by and everyone can see your business. Not really private. Restrooms have no lights or soap and water. No showers or running water.

My group and I stopped here while road tripping up to oregon from Los Angeles. There are no amenities like water or phone service but this spot really is special. Takes about an hour or so of driving from the nearest town, into the woods, to get here but it really is worth it. The site is very much so accessible and is nestled next to a small creek in the woods. Bears are common out there so lock up all your food well! No light or noise pollution in the slightest. There were no fires allowed but we cooked on our camping stove in the back of the jeep. All in all, for tent/hammock camping, this is a wonderful spot to drive in and cosy up for the night. While it's nice during the day, it gets pretty cold at night! Because it's so remote you're likely to find a spot regardless of the time of year but it's by no means a secret or hidden spot. Since it's first come first serve and outside of service, you have no way of knowing how full it is until you arrive. We believe we had neighbors but they were out of earshot so we weren't sure how many others there were, since the sites are pretty private and it's hard to see far through the thick trees.

This camp was where we stayed when we were trying to stay at Tolkan but it was full. Not yet knowing about the dispersed site at horse mountain just a bit further up the road from Tolkan we stayed here.
We arrived late and spent just one night but it had everything we needed. We found a spot easily and bathrooms were close.
Lots of little mosquitoes trying to suck our blood 😅 so bring bug spray as it’s by a lush stream!! $8 per night