Best RV Parks & Resorts near Clearlake Oaks, CA

We originally were going to Fouts Creek Campground but it was HOV weekend (Presidents). Lots of dirt bikes and law enforcement. National Forest pulled in officers from surrounding forests and Sheriff Depts.

With a 35' Class A our options were limited. A Ranger suggested Letts Lake. There is a narrow one lane newly paved road that goes up to Dixie Glade equestrian camp, from there it is dirt. Taking it slow, we made it to Letts Lake and parked in spot 12. It was a tight fit, but we made it.

There are two additional campgrounds at the opposite end of the lake but they are closed for winter. As there was no water or trash service there was no fee. Typically $5.00)

The lake is small with no motors allowed but easy to walk around. Pet friendly in fact all but one campsite had at least one dog.  Fire damage to the forest is substantial but new growth is already starting

The campground at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park offers a range of decent sites. There are certainly some that are better situated than others regarding size, shade, and other amenities--but the entire campground is nice. Well maintained, and located in a State Park that is run by a non-profit "Team Sugarloaf". Sonoma Creek runs along the campground and there is a waterfall a short hike away. There are showers for a quarter per minute, if you want to freshen up after a big hike like to the peak of Bald Mt. Visitor's Center has educational displays, maps, and a variety of items for sale. Ice and fire wood available. Each site has a table and fire pit. Great little get away spot that feels farther in the wilderness than it is at all. Close to Sonoma and Santa Rosa. Year-round camping--beautiful in all seasons.

There is also an observatory in the park, one Saturday night per month the hold "Star Parties" and for just $2 you can spend the evening looking through great telescopes and learning about space from experts. Kids are free! It is walking distance from the campground. If you have flashlights that have a red night-vision setting, those are recommended to use there--otherwise they'll give you red cellophane to cover your light so that it doesn't interfere with star viewing.

Such a gem here! Less than two hours from Oakland.  We'll return soon.

Highlights: 

1. Sites 13 and 15 of the Bodega Dunes loop are by far the best sites.  The others had uneven tent pads or awkward orientations.  The pull-throughs are barely off the road and very sandy.  Take extra blocks if you go because our site was uneven tip to tail.

2. Easy to maneuver big rigs, we saw some 5th wheels, and 25+ footers in here. 

3. This smaller loop of Bodega dunes is so quite, the other loops are sandy and crowded close together.  It was a very different vibe.  It was Memorial Day weekend but our site was out of chaos down below, kids running all around.  Great if you have a gaggle and want to let loose, but if not, stick to the loop with sites 13 and 15. 

4.  A very short drive to the water.  

5. A little trial behind the site connects you to a Sunday farmers market and a Mexican restaurant.  That's about a 10 minute scenic walk.  

6. The dump station and water fill up spigot were excellent.

7.  It's 10 minute drive to Fishermen's cove. A FANTASTIC restaurant. Everything we ate was excellent. 

8. Nice people. 

9. The fire bundles are small for $10 so maybe (gulp) bring some with you. 

Bad: nothing I can think of.  We didn't use the facilities.

General: 19 general and six walk-in campsites among giant redwood and Bay Laurel trees on the Gualala River. Sites 17 & 18 are a double site. 

Site Quality: Level sites with bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. Site One’s camper pad fit our 18-foot camper van, but it would not accommodate anything much larger. Several other camper pads looked short as well. No hookups. 

Bath/Shower house: Three individual units with toilet, sink, soap, and paper towels. One shower that takes quarters – three minutes for $2.00. 

Activities: There is a trail that leads through the walk-in sites, under Highway One, and to the beach, approximately 1.5 miles. You can also drive to the day-use area for a shorter walk. We were there on a weekday but there were many activities scheduled for the upcoming weekend including kayaking on Bodega Bay, outside yoga, and healthy hustle circuit training – I was sad to miss all of these options. 

This campground is beautiful and peaceful. But note that although we did not encounter any, several other campers experienced over-eager raccoons while eating dinner. There was also a sign warning of mountain lions but we did not encounter any. Shout-out to the ranger who shared a lot of good information about the area.

This stop is pretty close to us, and has been a yearly trip. We really enjoy the rural feeling to the area -- no cell phone service for Verizon or T-mobile. If you are trailer or RVing, there are no hookups and no dump station on site. Generators can be run from 10 am to 8 pm. There is an observatory on site which is free to explore, when open. There are many great hiking trails, one of which goes to a seasonal waterfall. The hikes range from easy to difficult. There are campsites that run along the creek which are the preferred for us because of the opportunity to see wildlife at night and the kids love to play in the water. I am not sure what changes that have happened over the last few years, but there seems to be some full time campsites that made me and my family feel uncomfortable. I do really enjoy the campsite, but this may have been the last time we go due to these questionable site living situations. Dogs are allowed, but not on the hiking trails... They have newer restrooms with showers, but they are currently closed due to COVID. Each site has a port-a-potty that is cleaned after each camper checks out.