Best Glamping near Essex, CA

I stayed here twice for a total of eight days. Many long-term Residents give the place a seedy feeling. Ultimately it is safe and secure. And well managed. The bathroom is clean, heated, free showers and the combination is changed weekly. Large grassy area with good spacing between most RVs. I was in the middle of the campground for short term parking. Because of recent rains and some soggy areas I had to overnight campers close to me. 30 amp and 50 amp power and water at each side. The largest downside to this place is the RV dump station inside the fairgrounds. It’s the worst one that I’ve ever used. It needs to be completely rebuilt. No ultimately it did work. Great location to the picturesque town of Ferndale California. Also a convenient location for exploring the Lost Coast area. 12 miles away from Eureka California which has a Costco and Patriot gas station on the south end of town has a car wash that can accommodate RVs.

This is one of the nicest and quietest California State Parks in the system. The individual sites are separated by foliage and everything is green. The walk to Agate Beach is a must, where you can find interesting drift wood and other interesting beachcombing stuff. Need to reserve your campsite early, however you might luck out if you just show up. The staff is very friendly.

Amazing campground nestled amongst the heart of the Redwood Trees. Lots of shade throughout area but limited privacy due to proximity of sites and road noise. Bathhouse has water and basic shower amentities. Nice hiking trails to explore the Redwoods within walking distance of campground. Great location to explore the forest and access the rugged California coastline.

Emerald Forest is just that, nestled in a forest. It was a little muddy when we visited but California was smack dab in the middle of a very wet season. Our campsite was level and secluded. The bathrooms were clean and showers had nice warm water, did have to pay for the showers but a couple quarters isn’t much. We stayed two nights and walked to town every morning for coffee and scones from Beachcomber…delicious! Our dogs absolutely loved running on the beach which was also a couple mile walk away. Our second visit to this campground was as good as our first. Love this place and would return again.

We stayed for one night as we were passing thru from Oregon to Central California.

Pros

• No cell service
• In the trees, very secluded
• Flush potties.
• Nice swimming hole, the water was warm in mid June. This seems to be the primary attraction for this area. Most of the families were gathered along the shore and playing in the water.
• Hiking straight out of the camp ground. But, it is a very steep trail, so make sure you bring a walking stick(s) and wear proper gear. This is also a heavy bear area, so pack your bear spray.
• Best for tent or car camping.
• Nice fire pits, wood for sale at office
• Fantastic place for kids… so many families with young children.
• The camp host and other campers were really friendly.

Cons

• Close to the road, we heard vehicles all night. We were in a hard sided camper two rows away from the road and could hear them inside. It’s got to be really loud for people closer and in tents.
• Tight spots and everyone is packed closely together (Check out the video).
• No electric, site water, dumping, or showers.
• Not suited for most RVs and travel trailers, you need to be very small and fully self contained. Our 19’ A-Line barely fit into our spot. The sites are close together, short, with roots coming up in the road and parking areas, and sharp angled turns to get into your spot. A lot of spot have over hanging tree limbs. We made it in our spot because our camper is super low profile during travel mode. Would not have been able to fit under the tree limbs with a normal camper.
• Hwy 36 from the 101 is very curvy with lots of narrow areas and very few turn offs.
• Not a good place for dogs, very few areas they are allowed other than your camp site. Upon arriving we receive a yellow sheet letting us know why our dog was a problem for wildlife in this area and all the reasons we should not bring him with us next time.

Over all, I this campground would be a fun place for families, wanting to disconnect from technology for a weekend of tent camping.

General: Five campgrounds – Agate, Abalone, Penn (tents only), and two group campgrounds (Red Alder and Beach Creek) situated just north of Trinidad. 

Site Quality: Not all sites are created equal. Many are not level; we had a challenge in Site 123 and saw a few others in the same situation. Fortunately, we changed our sleeping position (we don’t carry levelers for our van) and parked sideways. We did see some larger RVs but many of the sites would be challenging for large rigs to fit. The sites themselves are very generous in size with a large picnic table and fire ring and plenty of room to set up a tent. Many trees separate the sites, providing privacy. There are no hookups at any of the sites. 

Bathhouse: The bathhouse was very basic with concrete floors, three small stalls, and two sinks with cold water only. Soap is provided but no dryers, paper towels, hooks, or shelves. Clean enough. Only one bathhouse in the Agate Loop had showers. I have no idea how many minutes each quarter will buy you in the shower as this information was scratched off, however, just the fact that you can use 15 quarters tells me not very long. I didn’t attempt to try it. 

Activities: There is a nice rim trail that will lead you to various points. Wedding Rock, Ceremonial Rock, Mussel Rock, and both Patrick’s Point and Palmer’s Point. Palmer’s Point is where you can explore tidepools at low tide (the times are posted as you enter the campground). The wildflowers along the trails were beautiful. Several other trails take you to Sumeg Village and Agate Beach. Although we saw many dogs while there, be aware that many of the trails do not allow dogs. While there was good signage on most of the trails, I did manage to get lost a few times while wandering around. California may not invest in many other campground upgrades, but they do spend money on signs! 

Two nights here was the perfect amount of time to explore what Patrick’s Point has to offer. This was the very first campground we stayed at where campfires were allowed as the fog is so thick that fire danger was not an issue. However, there must have recently been a price increase for wood as the price was scratched off the sign; it is $10 per bundle. A shout out to the two rangers who had great attitudes and were tons of fun to interact with!

Campground Review: Abalone Campground at Patrick's Point State Park

I love Patrick's Point State Park. It's literally one of my favorite places in the world and I've been coming since I was a toddler. These sites are what I compare all other campgrounds to: huge sites that can fit multiple tents and smaller trailers, lots of space and trees between sites for enough privacy, fun trails between spaces for kids to explore, and just a short hike to the beach. Yes, it's often foggy and cold, but it is stunningly beautiful with so much to do.

All that said, my most recent trip rates just a four out of five stars for several reasons including the horrific new reservation system, gross bathrooms that were often out of toilet paper and needed to be cleaned, and camp hosts that were never available. The lack of funding for state parks is sadly showing here, but I'd still go back in a heartbeat.

Product Review: Primus Classic Trail Stove

Last summer we drove 4000 miles, camping across the country and back, without a stove or really any cooking utensils. Combine that with a fire ban throughout much of the Western U.S., and it meant a lot of cold meals and mediocre fast food.

So for our next camping trip in the California Redwoods I decided to get out my old backpacking stove and see if it might still work. I was honestly doubtful. I bought my Primus Classic Trail Stove maybe 15 years ago and for the past decade (since kids) it's mostly sat on shelves in basements and garages through several moves. I expected to find it rusty or possibly broken, but was incredibly surprised to pull it out of its tiny black bag and find it looking like new. I did some online research to make sure it would still be safe to use and found out they're still selling the same or very similar set, so after some inspection I packed it up with my gear without much expectation that it would actually work.

Oh man, why didn't I do this sooner? As soon as I fired the Primus stove up and cooked our first batch of mac n' cheese (followed by popcorn) I was shocked at how easy and quickly everything cooked. Lighting the fire was easy, the flame didn't go out once, the pot was completely stable, and food cooked even more quickly than it did at home. After three days of cooking we still had plenty of fuel left and clean-up was a breeze (basically, just wait for the stove to cool down, unscrew it from the gas, and pack it up). My primus stove is coming with us on all future camping trips. 5/5 stars for the Primus Classic Trail Stove

We stopped through while passing Eureka on our way north and we’re so happy that we did! The cabins are cute and charming (be prepared, no kitchen) and the grounds clean.

Nice spot, but no privacy, site are right on top of each other.

I tried along the 101 corridor in the area to no avail. This location had several sites available, tent, and cabins, as well.

Clean restrooms. Courteous staff.. small store w/ a few things we needed. Close to lots of hiking.

I must admit, we arrived after dark and left by 8 am. The folks were great on the phone and set us up for a after hours arrival. I can’t comment further of the facility. Would stay again.

Site #17 is a Pull through site. Some look like permanent resident but quiet n stay to themselves. Children’s play area was nice. Grassy areas needed mowing. Dog area had agility items for the dogs. In entering from 101, felt like we were coming into a business but park was out backs. Adorable cabins to rent. Would come again. Lady in office was very friendly, polite and went above and beyond.

I don't even know what to say, except pick somewhere else. Last summer we stayed for a few days. I reserved a few days for this summer. Got the reservation confirmed by email- didn't notice my name was misspelled by one single letter- and stopped in to the office to inquire about paying early. It turned out they gave me a reservation under the wrong name and that I was actually, in fact, banned from the park. What??? They revealed that in their system I was banned due to"pet damages". My service dog did not cause any property damage and the cabin was left clean. I asked if there was any detail about these supposed damages and no, there were not. I asked if there was someone I could speak to as no one had ever contacted me about this issue. The larger blond woman said,"I am the only one"(that I could speak with) and added that I was also banned from shoreline park- which I had never been to. The hold on my credit card is still there. It's only a few dollars but I'm going to cut my losses. Last time we stayed we were prohibited from flushing tp down the toilet and the bathrooms were not clean at all. The Wi-Fi never worked and the power went out preventing me from using my bipap. Also the pool and playground areas were so closely monitored it was a bit uncomfortable being on camera and confronted about a minor rule violation (within moments like I was being closely watched) that was quickly righted. I believe in second chances but this was just an insult to my sensibilities.  Weird staff, pretty unfriendly. There are plenty of other friendlier and more accommodating beautiful cabins and resorts to choose from in Humboldt.

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 “

SAVE YOUR MONEY! Absolute scam being ran here. I booked for my friend and I to stay for 3 nights in a cabin. I updated our check-in time to a later one, as we got stuck in road construction. Just wanted to communicate our situation and keep them updated as their office closes at 4pm! Nobody there in the evenings or during the night fyi. We arrive late at night and we see the self check-in box. We grabbed our cabin keys with our surname on the envelope. The next morning we took off on our excursion, just to get a voicemail from the office that there's a guest with the same surname as who can't check in because we"STOLE THEIR ROOM" First off, nobody stole anything. Had booking confirmation and guaranteed reservations sorted a week prior. I call them back and the lady says they need a different card to charge us to be able to stay there and that they sent a message to me via Booking.com the day prior. Ummm, so why didn't you bloody call me if there were card issues? I was driving all day and not checking my Booking.com app...They basically don't communicate and said they gave me 4 hours to update my card before giving our booked cabin away! So I gave them a new card, as I saw my previous one hadn't been charged, and it was sorted over the phone. At this point we really didn't even want to stay there with how they spoke to us. Totally out of order and tacky! 20 min later she calls back, says that they can't accommodate us now because STOLE a room from other guests and we had to vacate the cabin as soon as possible. Lol Wait WHAT?! Turn around to head back to the cabins, but first checked to see if my credit card had been charged...Locked my credit card and my debit card immediately!!!! Knew they were a scam at that point. Then the manager calls...oh boy she's a winner. Threatens to call the Sheriff as her associate told her that we said we weren't going to come back for our belongings. Lol! Absolute bonkers these broads are. Got our stuff, key dropbox, and we were off! So this dodgy, rundown, place is willing to leave people stranded if you don't keep an eye on your Booking app because they don't know how to CALL PEOPLE. Luckily, my children weren't with us that late at night with no place to stay! Also, being ex law enforcement, I know the laws and it would've wasted loads of time for a deputy to come to her rescue. Lol Moral of the story, check the Booking.com reviews better...cops apparently have been called on behalf of management and cops told the guests thjs place is a joke and they get called frequently by this manager person. Get a nice AirBnB! We are so glad we actually didn't stay there...we love our cottage we found!

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.

I stayed at Abalone Point. The view was breathtaking, but there was garbage scattered around the site and the bathroom (vault toilet) was filthy and had no toilet paper.

This is a beautiful private campsite in the redwoods. It’s pretty busy in the summer, so a reservation is good. There are great restrooms and showers, clean, with hot water and heated floors. The downsides are that there are lots of sites pretty close together, so it can feel crowded and there were long lines for the bathroom in the morning (it was so nice no one wanted to leave!). Very close to Patrick’s Point State Park

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.