Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Clearlake, CA

This KOA is pretty big with plenty of options for RV sites. Wide variety of full hook-ups or partial hook-ups. Like most (if not all) KOAs, you can also tent camp or tent cabins. Good size dog park for the pets to run and be free, as well as plenty of fun activities to entertain the kiddos. For us, this is a great spot to shoot down the highway and pull in for a few days to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal life! Close to downtown Petaluma with plenty of premium shops and restaurants.

centrally located in within Anderson valley,so one can go for a hike and (cool off in the Navarro river), go next door and eat organic apple, and Saunders down 128 (<1/4 mile) and sip some wine at the Navarro winery. Big bonus for pet owner this park has trails that you can walk your dog on!

Great playground, jumping pillow, petting farm and mining fun :)

bathrooms where clean, park ranger was super nice, and i love how the trees gave lots of shade. the campsite we got was pretty big as well. also extremely pet friendly

There is so much to do here. There is a store, big playground, jumping pillow, pool, petting zoo, and more. All the amenities were very nice. It’s a bit pricey and they charge for kids over 5 years old

Beautiful campground sitting next to water with dense forest and ground cover.  Clean shower and restrooms that include hot water, hand soap, paper towels, mirrors and electrical outlets.  Friendly camp host and hike and bike area. Extra fee for pets.

This campground is so friendly and lively! It reminded us of the vacation scenes in Marvelous Mrs. Mauser or Dirty Dancing. A great vacation buzz/sound of kids having fun, people riding bikes and visitors walking their pets. Facilities are clean and the staff is courteous.

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

We stopped here on our way to the Redwoods and it was a beautiful stop. This campground is clearly a getaway from the more congested parts of the area. Cute petting zoo and a pool that was open during COVID! We didn't stay long enough for sure. We also appreciated that it was close to city amenities like Lagunitas Brewing Co.

A nice KOA close to Petaluma with great facilities. We took advantage of doing some laundry and having a hot shower. This KOA also offered all sorts of amenities for families including a small petting zoo, a pool, playground areas, and more. Sites were fairly close together and offered little privacy but overall it was a great place to recharge and get organized.

We stayed one night and lived the site and area surrounding. There were so many beautiful sounding birds in the canopy above and our site was surrounded by redwoods and douglas firs. I wanted to stay longer! Needless to say, I'll be back! I think this is my new favorite place. It was a little noisy at times but that's because it's fourth of July weekend and the site next to us had two families having a great time together. I was worried they might keep me up all night but they were respectful of quite hours which was nice. Pets are allowed which I also love. Next time I am bringing my pupper!

Wow! This place is busy and expensive. We stopped at this KOA because it was a good halfway point for us heading to the Redwoods. This KOA offers a variety of activities that cater to children, such as petting zoos, jumping pillows, climbing walls, and pools, which are excellent for keeping the young ones engaged and entertained. To me it was overcrowded and the firepits were so close to the RV’s I was afraid it would set my neighbors RV on fire, or our neighbor was going to set ours on fire. For those without children (like us), the bustling environment might be overwhelming, but it also provides an opportunity to enjoy the lively atmosphere.

I came to Colusa for work and only needed to stay for a couple of days, but I found the campground a comfortable spot to settle in for the week and catch up on some writing. I enjoyed biking the path along the river and fishing in the evenings. There are stray cats around town and the park. I lured one in with some treats.

Spring Lake is a local destination for summertime fun and cooling off. This regional park is located on the southeast edge of the city of Santa Rosa and is surrounded on three sides by neighborhoods. That being said, this park is nice and while you won't feel far from civilization, it's a nice spot to spend a weekend.

Connected to Spring Lake Regional Park to the west is Howarth Park, a small city park offering a train ride, carousel, jump house, petting zoo and pony rides. The park also has multiple tennis courts, some trails as well as Lake Ralphine where you can fish, SUP, or bring your own boat. If you are interested in paddling however I would recommend Spring Lake, which is much larger giving you more areas to explore.

Connected to the west of Spring Lake is Trione-Annadel State Park, a wildly popular spot for local mountain bikers. In fact, as a hiker I tend to avoid Annadel because there are so many mountain bikers, many of whom unfortunately ride as if there is no chance of them coming upon a hiker. That said, there are miles upon miles of trails in to explore Annadel State Park.

Camping at Spring Lake is fine, but reminds me of bit of a KOA with the way it’s set up. All campsites are in a couple of small loops centered around bathrooms and showers with most all of the sites being set up for RVs. There are a few tent sites, but it just doesn’t feel like camping to me personally.

Recently they have added cabins which look really cool, but I have not stayed in one yet.

Pros: If you are a person who likes to either stay all day at your campsite or are a water sport/water toy type person this campground is for you. Cons: Bathroom near our campsite wasn’t working. Campsites were overgrown with foxtails, not good for my dogs. Trash in our fire pit. A few campsites away from ours had a huge poison oak plant at the back where you park your rig. A walkway near the campground popular for fishing had a tree fall on it, instead of clearing the tree, the park rangers closed it off. Not much hiking in the park, and if you decide to walk the couple short hikes, don’t bring your dogs, NO DOGS ALLOWED. For the number of workers this park employs you would think these things would be dealt with, but no. I guess this is typical of State Parks in California, so much potential but sadly California parks slowly deteriorate.

General: There are four campgrounds in Clear Lake State Park: Upper Bayview, Lower Bayview(both of which were closed when we were there in April), Cole Creek, and Kelsey Creek. This review focuses on Kelsey Creek. 

Site Quality: The sites all appeared to be level with paved pads. No hookups throughout the park. Not a lot of privacy between the sites but decent separation. 

Bathhouse: Clean but as we have found in other California state parks, no soap! Showers take tokens which must be purchased on-site 

Activities: Limited hiking on a short nature path. In season, there is boating, swimming, and fishing. It was very quiet when we were there in April but I imagine there would be quite a different vibe come summer when the campground would be full (which is why we like camping in the off-season!)

After a last minute decision to leave Lake Berryessa in search of more solitude, found this gem of a spot. Lonely, picturesque, peaceful, and most importantly... open!

Totally recommend it. It’s a short 45 minute drive from Nice, CA adjacent to Clear Lake.

Note: there are fire restrictions- bring your propane stove / gas fire pit.

Worth the 4x4 trek to the campground. There is a "million dollar" view of the mountain range and Clearlake. They have bathroom facilities that could be cleaner, but I suggest that you bring your own. You should bring a solar shower and water to drink and cook with, as there is none. You can stay 14 days out of the year for free. Be mindful of the environment.

People leave their trash everywhere. People let their dogs run lose, and were loud. I doubt most of these people even paid. Anyways beautiful place if people respected it. Drive was nice, most people do not have cell service. A lady flipped her quad and was life flighted out so.... my quiet weekend was a bust.... I'd come back if people cleaned up after themselves and respected others . I was afraid to let my dog out because the lady had no control on her off leash pitbull.. that's why dogs have bad reps because of irresponsible people like this.