Westside Regional Park

This is a mellow, low key, beachy Sonoma County campground in Bodega Bay. It’s got that vibe that so many beach campgrounds do, a little run down, no frills, open layout, and happy friendly campers. We stayed here for a couple of nights and had a great time. 

There’s hiking all over this area, lots to explore and see. Cell service was good. Showers here are expensive at $2 for 5 min, quarters only. There’s a host on site who’s been hosting here for something like 15 (maybe 30) years. There’s a boat ramp adjacent to this campground, lots of boats in and out for fishing. 

There’s a dump station for a $7 fee (though the website says $10, so maybe it's actually $10), honor box at the station to deposit your money. Water fill available here as well. 

Recycling available, as well as a separate bin for green propane canisters. Camping is $35/night, plus $2 fee per dog per night (boo), plus whatever online reservation fee ($8?). Reservations must be made online. Hosts obviously do not handle that and there was nobody in the entrance shack when we arrived- though a ranger swung by later to collect the dog fee (that fee can’t be paid online when you make the reservation). Anyway, confusing process but just go with it and have a great time.

The campground was easy to find. Depending on what space you get, you maybe only have a view of other campers and RVs. There are several spaces along the bay shore, but I suspect those are the most sought after. We got #18. Why #18? Well, because it was the only one available for 2 nights for the next 2 months. The site offered ample parking for our teardrop and tow vehicle. It appeared that many campers opt to park their extra vehicle in the lane, which appeared to be totally ok with the Rangers, as long as it isn’t blocking the lane. We were also allowed to have a couple tents in the camping area adjacent to the parking pad. There is a fire ring and picnic table on just about every site, and a water spigot every few sites. Water and bathrooms were nearby, the bathrooms were decent, and the coin operated showers were nice and hot. They have a dump station charges $7.00 to dump if you are a guest there. There were a TON of fishermen and boats, and rightly so since it is on Bodega Harbor. It was awesome to chat with people that had just come back in from fishing to hear of their catch. The weather along the coast get get moist, foggy and windy, but this campsite seems to be a bit protected from the wind. In the evenings, there is a foghorn, but it’s not nearly as loud as it is at Doran Beach. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. The campers and fishermen there were very pleasant and courteous, and everyone seemed to turn down at a reasonable time.

Bodega Bay's Westside Regional Park is a great place to stay as a base camp for exploring the Sonoma Coast. Situated by the Bodega Bay yacht harbor, this is a dry camp facility managed by Sonoma County Regional Parks, and is a great alternative to the more popular and always crowded Doran State Beach campground. There are well situated and spacious tent and RV sites, both back-in and pull-thru. The campground has very easy access to the bay's water edge to explore. Each site has a large fire ring and picnic table. Bathrooms and showers are at each end of the campground, and a dump station is onsite too. Generator curfew is 8PM - 8AM which is great! Just a few minutes off Hwy 1, this is a fantastic launch pad for exploring the southern part of the very beautiful Sonoma Coast by car, motorcycle and bicycle (worthy road and touring bicycles recommended). Hiking, kayaking and beach exploration are all around. The mouth of the Russian River is close by and is another beautiful area to check out. Just know the weather, even in the summer, is generally cool and foggy mornings are the norm.