Best Equestrian Camping near Eureka, 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.

We camp here as much as possible. Just good ol' pit toilets, but usually not crowded, and very quiet. As Humboldt locals, we like to be away from the crowds, in the most beautiful natural areas in California. This is the trail head to the famous Lost Coast Trail, and just a stunning beach campground. Dogs allowed on leash, pop your tent in the sand. Super nice.

No big stores nearby, so you should probably get groceries in Eureka or Fortuna before heading over the hill to Petrolia. There is a small store, but this is Humboldt so they could be closed at any given point, wouldn't depend on it.

Be careful in the summer, not really sandal appropriate. The native dune plants have lots of little prickers in the sand among the campsites.

Make sure to stroll along the beach north to where the Mattole river flows into the Pacific. You will almost always find a bunch of seals hanging out on the other side of the river spit and hunting in the estuary for fist.

Plenty of room for all RV’s large to small. 30 & 50 amp power and water. Clean restrooms, heated and free. Many long term residents. The spots are level, it felt safe enough. Quiet. Close to Ferndale, which is Must See. Access from Fernbridge of of 101 as the other roads are very twisty for all but the smallest RVs. Camp host was great! Short drive into Eureka. Patriot Gas has a car wash for big rigs. Not really a photogenic campground. Very open area surrounded by fields with cows, farms and trees in the distance. Used the RV dump as I left. It’s by far the worst RV dump that I’ve used. It works, but needs a complete rebuild. I suggest requesting a spot with full hookups.

I camped here in late March 2021 during a 2 night, 3 day hike of the Redwood National & State Park. This campground is the first one you come upon while hiking in from the Orick Horse Trail Trailhead. There are picnic tables and two bear lockers, (there's another by the horse coral). I stopped for lunch at this site on my first day. I think this is the primary campground used by most hikers, (and the gravel bar near by).

If I were to plan another trip I would only use this campsite as a way point on the way to more secluded sites. This is a main thoroughfare, so people will pass by your site. It's also the only horse camp. There was a sign that directed hikers to camp on the gravel bar instead of Elam. I think this is more likely in summer because of traffic as I only saw one horse rider on day hike.

This is wilderness, so appropriate caution must be taken, Bear canister is required is you do not have access to a site with a bear locker.

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.

This campground is conveniently located right on the 101 Hwy, close by to the ocean and right down the road from tons of Redwood Nat’l Park trails. Because of its proximity to the Hwy, this means you will hear vehicles but it’s not obnoxious and didn’t bother us. The closest amenities (groceries, gas, and one or two small restaurants) are about a 15 min ride south in Trinidad. Orick, the closest town to the north, is very run down, but I think it has a gas station and small market. The grounds are very lush and green. You do have to watch where you walk because there is Elk dung everywhere, but that is a small price to pay for being able to see an herd of Elk almost every day. The ladies at the front desk were very friendly to us. They did warn us about keeping distance from the Elk and doing things like, looking out your RV’s window before walking outside in case the Elk were right there. When they say that the Elk come right into the campground, they are not joking! We stayed in a site in “the meadow”. They are quite close to each other but we got lucky with and end spot and no one on the other side of us during our 2 night stay. Our site had full hook ups, a picnic table, and fire pit. They had a clean laundry room, which we didn’t have to use during our stay so I cannot attest anything other than it’s cleanliness. The bathrooms were also very clean, but sadly the showers required quarters. We didn’t have any but we’re able to exchange cash for some at the front desk. It was $1.50 for 6 minutes of shower time. Overall, we liked this campground a lot and would stay here again.

Incredible area, so remote you gotta commit to it!

No water at the site but we got some on our way at the county park between Honeydew and the campground. Could probably get water in Petrolia too. Plan ahead for that!

Plan ahead for lots of sun — we camped in mid-July and had a full day of sun! The ocean water was super cold (and dangerous) but the river was just right. Nice to have options.

Most stunning was these massive cliffs that open into this wild California coast. You can hike to the (non-working) lighthouse and enjoy yourself with a driftwood fire at night. Camping on the side away from the very close by beach was smart as you get a little reprieve with some shade from the shrubs and hedges (with some wildlife running through).

Animal proof trash on site, recycling too. Toilets were fine (hand sanitizer in them!) and generally pretty quiet.

One of the best little hidden gems I’ve ever camped at.