Best Campgrounds near Bella Vista, CA

I had a perfect spot right by the river… easy to navigate with my 20’ van, stunning, private, shady and green… I was about to write a 5 star review… but then my dog and I both got bitten by ticks - and we woke to find 8 other dead ticks in our bed. (She’s on tick prevention meds, but I’m not!) Anyway, we didn’t return as anticipated for our 2nd night.

We had the campground to ourselves as they hadn’t put up the glamping tents yet. We set our tents up on the platforms and had a great view of the lake and trinity alps in the distance. Birds and frogs were in abundance. The lake was too cold for swimming and the fish were hanging out in deep water so no swimming or successful fishing. This campground is hilly and one must pack gear down or up to one’s spot which was a pain but once settled it was a fun and relaxing time, pre-season.

Hosts were very nice! facilities were great !

I’ve been coming to this campsite since I was a kid. I come back every year, and now that I’m 18, it’s still my favorite place in the world. Boating on the lake, sitting around the fire at night, the peace and quiet– it’s what makes me look forward to that special week every year. My friends say,“You’re obsessed with this place.” And it’s true. Interestingly, despite my love for nature, when I need to“de-stress,” I play Solar Smash– a game that gives you the power to destroy the entire planet! A perfect contrast, but extremely entertaining.

About 45-60 minutes from Redding. Easy to locate. Road was just scrapped so it was in good condition. Found perfect site to feet from the river. No slot of other sites

Easy access via paved road. Very bucolic area. Lots of trails. Sacramento River is within walking distance. Pit toilet, no water or other services.

Camping here in early April, we weren’t able to access anything past the pull off from the highway. The area has a good amount of space that we felt safe enough to put two tents down.

Each space has a nice grassy area and concrete patio. Sites are level. Great showers and laundry. Nice dog play area. Away from highway noise. Lots of shade trees.

It’s a Passport America campground & so we tried it out. A creek, lots of trees, a quiet roadway and full hookups made for a nice break. There are long time campers/residents & the place is worn down but it has a nice peaceful presence. Flush toilets & showers (remember to have shower shoes), no litter laying about and even though it’s actually next to the I-5, no traffic noise because of the thick buffer of trees.

Just a small parking lot with 8 or 9 pull through sites in the middle of a small downtown commercial area. The parking lot is next to two restaurants and a bar.

We came in at about 3 AM and went to sleep. Woke up and made coffee in the parking lot around 10 the next morning. Several very confused customers looked at us like we were hillbillies.

The good. Managers are there daily. Dumping trash and cleaning the pit toilet.

The bad. Managers are there daily being passive aggressive in reminding you they can kick you out, walking around looking in the same vehicles (even yours as you stand there) and writing down plate numbers. They like to remind you of the 14 day in 365 day limit for the region, not just here. They like to talk about their database and what will happen if you try to camp somewhere else and they love complaining about tent campers outside the parking lot. Also, no fires, ever.

That being said. Blm law enforcement they claim to have in their pocket reminds everyone that tent camping is allowed outside the parking lot.

It is clean though, the rivers is blah and turkey hunters might fire off next to you but walk the road. Plenty of trails, beautiful meadows, horseback riders seen regularly. Quiet at night usually to. If not tell the managers, they’ll get right on that lol.

I won’t go again but that’s not because of the CG.

Details: Law Enforcement does visit, they are nice Locals are a problem Be prepared for management complaints, not camper complaints Town is 20 minutes away Free stay with a weird 14 day regional rule, inquire with management

Very basic sites, on the river. Hosts are super helpful and friendly, great for a short time.

This campground has full hookups, a. WiFi that is good enough to stream and it’s not a parking lot, good for tents and rv’s

I have frequented this RV campground several times over many years.  It is sad to see it becoming run down. The once paved interior roads are now barely discernable dirt paths. They also have a fee for locking in your chosen campground site for an additional $35 fee?!?!? Once you have waited for a specific site/s to become available to reserve, under what circumstances would they deem it reasonable to move you to another site without your consent?  I luckily did not (will not) pay the additional fee, and 90% of the campground was vacant the week I was there. That guaranteed reservation fee is just a scam to get more money out of you. The costs of the sites are not cheap to begin with.

Men’s shower code is 9271 as of 10/10/24 for all you stinky campers (myself included)

Plenty of dispersed camping along the creek just south of Big Pine Campground. We found a could spots that our 38ft fifth wheel could fit, and many spots for smaller rigs. Water, dump, and trash are available at Old Station Visitor Information Center just north (RV sewer dump closes mid October)