Del Valle Campground offers tent, RV and cabin sites with hiking trails adjacent to the lake area. Visitors must drive from the campground to the swimming areas along the 5-mile lake shoreline. Summer temperatures rise considerably with ground conditions making tent staking difficult on the rocky terrain. Winter and spring camping provide cooler conditions with more wildlife viewing opportunities of deer and wild turkeys throughout the park boundaries.
What to do
Hike through volcanic landscapes: Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve features trails through ancient volcanic formations just outside Oakland. "San Francisco East Bay residents actually have a volcano in their backyard at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. The Sibley backpack camp is a small, primitive hike-in site for a maximum of 15 campers, a moderate 0.2 mile walk from the parking lot," notes Elliott B.
Paddle on restricted-speed lakes: Del Valle Campground provides excellent water recreation with controlled boating regulations. "Great lake for paddling as the speed limit for boats is low. Good fishing too. 'Private' covers along the lake to hang out in," shares Tom G. The lake has designated swimming areas with lifeguards during summer months.
Mountain bike through regional parks: Tilden Regional Park offers numerous biking trails just outside Berkeley. "Tilden is great for anyone looking for a close park right outside of the Berkeley/San Fran area. It is a rather large park area that overlooks Berkeley. It is great for biking (but be weary of the hills)," advises Ethan K.
What campers like
Wildlife encounters: Briones Regional Park provides opportunities to observe native species. "Lots of opportunities for horse riders in area. Pets on leash," notes Cococounty L. The park's trails wind through oak woodlands where visitors commonly spot deer and birds.
Easy access to camping without long drives: Anthony Chabot Regional Park offers camping close to urban areas. "Paradise an hour from the city. It is great for laid back camping! Karl the fog even likes it! Go check it out!" states Kyla M. The park provides an ideal weekend getaway without extensive travel time.
Free hot showers: Several dog friendly campgrounds near Alamo provide shower facilities. "The showers were great. Hot and FREE!" reports Ryan W. about Anthony Chabot Regional Park. This amenity stands out as many regional parks charge for shower usage or don't offer them at all.
What you should know
Gate closure policies: Mount Diablo State Park has strict entrance protocols. "Only reason for 4 stars is that they lock you in at sunset; if you want to leave you have to call the fire department to open the locked gate, it's not like a tiger-teeth exit but no entry kind of situation," explains Blake H. Plan evening activities accordingly.
Water availability varies seasonally: Many pet-friendly campsites near Alamo have inconsistent water access. "Water is off, probably forever as CA will be in perpetual drought, so plan for that as well," warns Blake H. about Juniper Campground at Mount Diablo State Park.
Wind conditions affect camping comfort: Campgrounds at higher elevations experience significant wind. "No matter how hot it is you'll never be able to escape the howling winds at night. Good tent stakes and warm gear is a must," advises Mike C. about Mount Diablo State Park.
Tips for camping with families
Consider wildlife-protected sites: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness offers enclosed camping areas. "The entire space is encased in a barbed wire fence area playpen to keep the roaming cattle and other wildlife from coming near the area. When we were there we saw deer, cattle, raccoons and many other four legged vermin running around the area," describes Stuart K.
Pack food securely: Raccoons are particularly active in many campsites around Alamo. "If sitting around picnic table at night, make sure snacks are not out on picnic table, but kept in lap. Raccoon was not shy about jumping on inactive stove top," warns Jay L. at Mount Diablo State Park.
Choose shaded sites when possible: Summer temperatures can become extremely hot. "We went during the summer and it was very hot. The camp ground did not have much shade. We ended up taking a long hike around 4-5 pm when it started to cool food down," shares Sarah F. about Mount Diablo State Park.
Tips from RVers
Limited RV sites with hookups: Alameda County Fairgrounds RV Park provides full-service options closest to Alamo. "A good RV park @ fairground with lot of RVs. $42 for 30-AMP though we don't need it. Good Wifi & clean toilet/shower. Friendly staff," reports mike Y. The location offers urban conveniences with easy highway access.
Know your site dimensions before booking: Campsite spacing varies significantly between parks. "Usable, but narrow. Our slot 170 was very narrow, other spots had more space. You could not see that on the onlinemap. My neighbour had a slide-out. There was only one meter to my van," notes Stefan K. about Alameda County Fairgrounds RV Park.
Plan driving time carefully: RV access to higher elevation campgrounds requires additional time. "It takes ~30-45 minutes to drive from the bottom of the mountain to Juniper Campground depending on the amount of traffic on the mountain. Longer if you are doing it on a weekend when you'll be waiting to pass cyclists," explains Blake H. about Mount Diablo State Park.
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