Best Tent Camping near Arcata, CA

Well let’s see where do I start? The coast”ocean” is about 500 yards away. There is absolutely nothing to do here. It’s being remodeled/renovated because it’s a new owner. The on property store has limited supplies. I asked for plasticware they didn’t have it. I asked for allergy pills, they didn’t have it. I asked for ice, guess what? Didn’t have it. I just left the store and drove into town which takes about seven minutes. Can’t go for a walk around the camp because somebody just murdered somebody today and he was seen behind this camp in the forest. Of all days right? Doesn’t matter if you could walk around there’s nothing to see but people that I’ve been here probably months on end and it’s just “boring“ and it’s overpriced for boring. I stayed at humbug in Oregon after 101 it was $18 a night it was the best place I’ve ever been, and I love tent camping. the website says Wi-Fi, let me tell you something there is No!!!!! WI-FI The bathrooms are locked and they give you a code to open them. What the heck is that about right? The tent sites are very odd it’s a strip of grass with a picnic bench every 5 yards. it’s not fenced. There’s no trees or shrubs separating anybody it’s just very “odd“ you’ll be camping 25 feet from the next guy. I had to turn my tent facing the fence because any other way people can look in. A little privacy would be nice in a place like this but you won’t get it. You better have unlimited data on your phone plan because you’re going be using all your data out here because there’s absolutely nothing to do. Sit in your tent or at the table and hopefully have somebody with you or you better love movies “a lot “

Big parking lot picnic benches and one group tent site

This campground is lovely! The bathrooms are decent and maintained and it’s very child friendly with a sweet playground as well as a basketball hoop and some great picture spots around the onsite pizza place! It has in-ground fire pits and the tent camping wasn’t crowded at all last time we went but the tent camping is in an open field (no natural foliage/ trees to act as barriers between sites if noise and/or proximity to others is a concern but I can’t imagine it being a problem most of the time) I highly recommend them if in need of a pit stop or a place to stay around the area for any reason. 😊

Across from Stone Lagoon and Dry Lagoon Beach along Highway 101. This campground accommodates tent camping and RV full hook-up. Herd of Roosevelt Elk live there and are frequently in the campground. Beautiful grounds and open all year.

Loooooved this campground. There's a meadow area for RVS and a forested area for smaller rvs/vans and tents. Some tent sites have electrical outlets, all tent sites have a spigot. BIG bathrooms with flush toilets, hot coin showers, laundry room. Laundry room has a soap machine AND a change machine. Hosts are super nice and the facilities are really clean. The grounds are beautiful, there's a lovely large lake with a little footpath around it - I saw otters in the lake and elk in the front meadow! Great base to explore the redwoods, Trinidad, Patrick's Point and Eureka. I got some TMobile service near the road but the wifi didn't work for me. Solo female traveler approved, super chill. There were a few open spaces even over the weekend.

New fifth wheel with a sliding hitch was giving me issues with a back in site. The staff escorted the took the time to work with me to get the rig parked perfectly in the spot (great that he is a big rig driver!). The is a great location in the middle of the redwoods. Definately a ton of tent camping and lots of trails.

We stayed here one night last year. We’d hoped to stay at Patrick’s Point State Park, but it was full. The woman who set us up with a tent site here was super friendly and helpful. She offered advice for where to eat in the area and points of interest.

My daughters and I checked out the Bay Area and hiked the Trinidad Head. It was a beautiful afternoon. We had dinner at the Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery which was nice with a friendly server and good American fare.

After we returned we looked at the little arcade area in the cabins area. It reminded me in a nostalgic way of the arcade area in the 80’s movie Starfighter. Very fun.

Although it wasn’t quite dark yet when we headed back to our site, it was VERY dark in the back area with the tent sites fue to heavy tree cover. Finding our spot was difficult in the dark. The path is winding and doesn’t exactly match the campground map and the ground was very uneven. I was glad we have four wheel drive.

The campsite was also very uneven and had a steep drop off to a creek bed on the side. Luckily we’d planned to car camp and only had to fold down the sleeping area in our vehicle. I can’t imagine trying to set up a tent on that site in the pitch blackness. I’m not sure that the site had any amenities like a picnic table or water or a fire ring. I couldn’t see anything!

Overall I’d stay here again, but I’d get there way before dark and set up camp first before adventuring in the area. I love the Trinidad/Eureka area. There’s lots to do and see. I gave the three stars because the tent site area ground is so uneven and so unlit.

Nothing compares to camping out amongst Sequoias. It's a great site. Coin showers are little cold, but run the sink faucets until they're hot and then start your shower. Your neighbors will be very close, but the foliage makes you feel slightly secluded at night especially. Each site is compact for tent camping... You'll be able to fit two 4-person tents comfortably. Firewood is $10 per person. Access to some amazing redwoods hiking trails are a short walk through the grounds. I didn't have cell service at all. Bring walkies for the trails.

We saw the sign on the highway for this campground and stopped. The owner recently acquired the plot and has been putting work into it since then. It was a great spot to stop, close to the national park, river access as well and reasonably priced. For a tent site, it was $38/night. Bathrooms were clean, showers worked well and the overall space was clean

Located right on the Klamath River, this campground is right next to redwood national park. With all the campgrounds in the park completely booked, we were lucky to slide into the spot on a Saturday night. It was pretty expensive for a tent site ($35), where we parked our truck camper. However the staff were extraordinarily nice, facilities were clean, and the crowd was subdued.

Stopped here for a night so that I could be close to the Redwood Parks. I opted for one of the more secluded sites that cost a few dollars more, but ended up being glad I splurged. The regular tent sites are close together but not bad. The secluded spots offer a good deal of privacy. Bathrooms and showers were clean. Staff was friendly.

The campground is ok. The closest bathrooms near our site were closed due to renovation. The main bathrooms were good looking. The men’s bathroom kept running out of paper towels. One of the staff told me they can’t buy any toilet paper or paper towels anywhere. My wife had to keep bringing in toilet paper as they ran out. The pool was warm and spa hot. The most frustrating part was reservations. The website showed only tent sites with water and electricity. I then clicked on military discount and the website showed me a higher price. I called and left a message to get clarification. No one called me back. Turns out they apply the discount after you check in. Check in was another issue. The office was closed early and they gave me a tent site without electricity or water. So I had to call their after hours number to get them to change my site. Later in the office they told me that they aren’t responsible for their website. Campground is ok, but customer service needs work. Wish there were more options closer to Eureka. The WiFi worked good until the last day. The 15A outlet worked until the last day.

Came here on a last minute trip. Everything else was booked up, but this was available. The campground opens up quite a few tent sites (probably over 50 sites) on first come first serve basis at 2:00 pm. Most sites did not fill up. Felt like we had hiked out to the woods with no one else around. Surrounded by redwoods and aspens. Clean bathroom and showers. Great location to explore the redwoods.

Nice large sites that come equipped with a box for items and a fire ring. Where I stayed is in the midst of very tall trees and lush vegetation around the back of my site. As I walked the park I noticed that there are varying degrees of privacy to the different spaces. Nice hiking with a beautiful view of the ocean. If you are tent camping do not use 0-78, I picked the only site that wasn't level and had to put my tent on the parking pad, which still wasn't bad. Great spot if your in an RV due to the size of the space.

I have stayed here several times in the past but this will be the last. To get to tent sites you have to drive through muddy, swampy roads. The bathrooms were dirty and showers were broken and toilets clogged. We were forced to buy a new tent because they would not allow our small children to stay in their one person pup tent because we had more than 2 tents. The lady that called was rude and actually suggested that we get a third site to put our small children in. If you are in the area I wouldn’t waste money here. Go to Elk Country or Patrick’s Point.

This is a wonderful redwood park geared toward tent camping. It not particularly well suited to RVs. There are herds of Roosevelt Elk throughout the park, grazing in the meadow outside of the camping area. The elk are accustomed to people, but keep your distance. There are nice restroom facilities with hot showers. Bring quarters. The sites are close together but there is lush greenery to create a sense of separation. The big complaint are the bear boxes. They are impossible to close quietly so be considerate and plan your late night snack and beverage needs in advance. Reservation absolutely required months in advance for the summer season. This is a great place to go off-season.