Best Tent Camping near Fair Oaks, CA

Recent Tent Reviews near Fair Oaks, California

562 Reviews of 28 Fair Oaks Campgrounds

• D

  Donnalyn C.

  Guide

  

  May. 13, 2021

  Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

  Hook up Campsite vs Tent Campsite

  There are two sites at Beal’s Point, the hook up campsite and the tent campsite. We went to the tent campsite and was surprised how many RVs were parked in the tent campsite. We didn’t mind until they used their generators. I wasn’t sure if the camp host saw/heard them but it was on for quite a while and was loud. The campsite we had was beautiful but bug infested and had lots of crawlies. If you are looking for a short walk from the parking to the tent site, call them first. I looked at the photo online for a back in type site. I was expecting that I could just back in and the tent site would be less than 10 steps away. The tent site was quite a walk from the parking lot, can’t even see it from the car. We had to carry heavy stuff back and forth. There’s a nice trail where you can hike or bike. The lake is almost dry, so it wasn’t as beautiful and fun as it used to be. The campsite is very noisy because it’s so close to the main road. We could hear cars, motorcycles, sirens all night long. Shower was out of service at the time we were there. Glad we were only there for 1 night.

• 

  Kate A.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 20, 2021

  Thousand Trails Ponderosa

  Great location, but plan ahead

  This is a well maintained RV and tent camping resort. It’s great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it’s swift. The RV and tent sites are in two separate areas, with more updated amenities available for RVs like hot showers. Shared pool site. Lots of great trails to weave through the campground on a mountain bike.

  One downside- it can be hot. Not a lot of tree cover for the RV sites- make sure you bring shade with you. Luckily, there’s a nice cool river to swim in!

  Fires are restricted sometimes in the summer. Some sites require a membership.

  Local grocery and pizza, frozen yogurt available within walking distance.

  Lots of great fishing, floating, and kayak accessibly. Bring tubes and life vests. Poles and bait.

• S

  Susan V.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 17, 2021

  Sherwood Harbor Marina & RV Park

  Tent site experience

  I stayed one night in one of the 2-3 tent sites, which was on the water. -It was quite expensive ($55/night) for a tent site. I didn’t request, want, or use them, but I did have a faucet and two 110-V outlets available; perhaps I was paying for that. -Office staff told me I had to sleep in a tent, not my car (I’m testing out a cot in my car; can’t do a tent any more). My thinking is, if I pay and take good care of the tent site, why insist on controlling how I sleep? I found this intrusive - and I set up a tent, but slept in my car. -The sites for RVs were very small. The campground was pretty much full and I felt bad for the RVers, who were almost on top of each other. -Additional notes: good, free showers (but $15 returnable cash deposit to get a restroom/shower key); tent site was on water and had privacy of bush on one side (unlike RVs); friendly office staff; not near town or residential areas, despite being so near an urban area.

• J

  Jim B.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 8, 2023

  Nevada County Fairgrounds

  No tent camping here

  Says right on the web home page, no tent camping ( no car camping either).

• M

  Michael

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 11, 2021

  American River Resort

  Family of 4 roof top tent camping

  Nice campground - close to river. .5 mile walk to town for shopping/eating. All sites have fire pit and picnic table. Bathrooms clean and private showers. A little pricey for a tent site - 45.00 and 5.00 for the dog but it’s California.

• K

  K. O.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 17, 2018

  Ruck-A-Chucky Campground — Auburn State Recreation Area

  Very Peaceful

  Went here a few years ago. Perfect for tent camping. Right along the river. Very quiet and gorgeous. Good spot for families.

• 

  Les S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 24, 2019

  Live Oak Riverfront Park

  Beautiful river side park

  I tent camped and loved it. Very quiet and beautiful scenery. A water faucet and picnic table at every campsite .

• M

  Mike L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 16, 2019

  Lake Amador Resort

  Nice family campground

  The man made pond is nice for the kids. It has a slide they can use. Rv areas are clean. Tent camping is okay!

• S

  Susan V.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 12, 2021

  Midway RV Park

  No tent sites

  This management informed me they do not have tent sites, contrary to the information the Dyrt app provided.

• A

  Allison M.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 5, 2020

  Ruck-A-Chucky Campground — Auburn State Recreation Area

  The Dyrt has this one wrong

  Mostly used by the river rafters and rafting companies that use this stop on the river for their shuttles.  Many sites are in direct sun.  All 5 sites are tent camping only.

• 

  Travis S.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 25, 2019

  Inn Town Campground

  In a word, excellent!

  This campground has it all. It’s clean, has great amenities (pool, showers, kitchen, bathrooms), and it’s a nice walk away from town. It has a spot for everyone - RVs, glamping tents, and the standard tent sites (my style).

  Highly recommend!

• H

  Hani S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 1, 2021

  Inn Town Campground

  Great getaway!

  We spent two nights doing a family and friends reunion. We loved our rv spot, the rest of the group had great tent site and glamping tents. Facilities were super clean and nice. Pool was small but the pool area was really nice. Great location for swimming in the Yuba river!

• J

  Julie H.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 3, 2021

  SacWest RV Park & Campground

  Decent city camping

  Right off the freeway - easy access to the city. We didn’t book ahead much and ended up with a site that just had rocks and a picnic table. No grass except at tent sites. Not wide enough to fully put out slider. The bathroom were great in the tent area. Nice pool and dog area.

• A

  April N.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 30, 2020

  American River Resort

  Gorgeous setting, but...

  This review is for tent camping, not RVs.

  1. Nearly all of the tent sites are tiny and crowded very closely together with no privacy breaks at all between them. To make it even more claustrophobic, many of the near-river sites are terraced into the hillside so you stand at the bottom and look up into a wall of tents stacked 3 high on top of each other. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and most of the sites were full so the effect was like looking up into a packed stadium from the bottom row of bleacher seats. That first night was like a giant tailgate frat party. Multiple groups were blasting music & even though that’s against the rules nobody seemed to make them stop. Thank goodness we were able to move a few sites away, and then everybody cleared out the next day. The best site is #31. If you’re going on a weekend or any time during the summer, don’t make any reservation at all if you can’t get #31. I’m not putting that in my google review btw, that’s only for folks on Dyrt.

  2. The facilities have a lot of maintenance issues that just aren’t being taken care of. For example: there are two bathroom buildings, an old one built out of rail cars (?) near the river and a newer-construction one uphill by the RV sites. Both bathrooms have multiple sinks and toilets that are out of order. In the downhill ladies room there was a toilet that ran water constantly and another that wouldn’t flush at all. I actually took that 2nd one apart and fixed it myself. That same ladies’ room had a sink removed completely from the wall leaving hanging pipes sticking out, a 2nd sink that wouldn’t turn on, a 3rd sink with wobbly handles, and a 4th sink that was fully functional. Next to that restroom on one side was what was supposed to be a shower facility but it was completely out of order and locked. On the other side of the restroom there was what was supposed to be a dishwashing station but it was disconnected with pipes dangling and dirt & leaves filling the sink. Why install nice things and then let them fall apart? I don’t understand.

  3. They do seem to keep the toilets stocked with soap and TP and paper towels, and there are lots of garbage cans that do get emptied when needed. However, sometimes campers are naughty and leave behind trash outside the bins. This ranges from micro-trash (bottle caps, wrapper ends) to big pieces (foil pans, beer bottles). We stayed there for 2 days after the giant party moved on, but we never saw camp staff coming around to deal with the loose litter. We were pulling wads of fishing line out of the rocks and throwing away other people’s bottles. Blech.

  4. There is an on-site rafting company. We took a full-day rafting trip that launched right from the campground & we had a great time.

  5. There is a little general store that sells ice, firewood, souvenirs, Tshirts, etc.

  6. It is a gated facility so hopefully secure?

• 

  MarinMaverick

  Legend

  

  Sep. 1, 2020

  Brannan Island State Recreation Area

  Access To The Delta

  I am a tent camper and there are some good tent sites here.  A bit open so can be windy but pick your site.

  Access to the Delta with a boat ramp.  Access to fishing all around you. Beyond water sports not a lot to do here but relax. Or go fly a kite.

• 

  Lori L.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 20, 2023

  California Delta's Snug Harbor

  Worth the drive

  Snug harbour sits on Steamboat Slough of the California delta. It is a small island that has pretty calm water around it. It is under new management (2022). They were gracious and helpful. Bathroom were clean. (I am a bathroom snob). Extremely dog friendly. Tent camping is allowed. Back in RV SITES back right up to the river, with their own dock. There are also cabins and two manufactured homes. A cute beach sits at the end of the island. There was plenty to do if you enjoy boating or fishing. Looking forward to going back.

• 

  Roxanne D.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 8, 2024

  Lake Camanche

  Fun Spot low cell service

  We have been going to camanche Lake for years . Low cell service but very nice place to tent camp. Last year, they gave us our spot we set up, then was told they made a mistake and made us move spots, but the new spot was closer to the water and that made the kids happy. Kinda a hassle, but it worked out. We love it at this lake.

• 

  Anna W.

  Guide

  

  Feb. 21, 2021

  Scotts Flat Lake

  Foothills fun

  Scott’s Flat is just five miles outside of Nevada City. It is run by the Nevada Irrigation District. One of the many man made lakes in the region. There are bath houses, tent sites and no hookup RV sites. It is clean but can become loud with rowdy camping neighbors. A beautiful lake to boat, fish and swim.

• 

  Leah L.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 17, 2021

  SacWest RV Park & Campground

  City stop

  Camp site is clean. You can order food and they will deliver. Wonderful ada bathroom/showers with a fold down bench. Friendly staff. Near freeway (lots of traffic noise. Quiet morning. Stayed for a quick night. The cabins and rv section are top notch. Tent sites are ok. If we come back will choose site 10 of 12. River was dry in july

• 

  Jessica B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 4, 2018

  Ice House Campground

  Beautiful Lake

  Tent camped in spot 72. No shade what so ever, and it was a hot day! However loved the spacing of the campsites. Neighbors were close, though not so close to be crowded. Spot was very close to the restroom, advantage and disadvantage when a strong ordor would breeze on through. Short walk to the lake which was beautiful, spent the day floating and drinking. Have visited before, and will visit again!

• 

  Shawn A.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 8, 2021

  Inntown Campground

  Lots of rules...

  I get the impression this is a family park. There are cabins & tent sites and a handful of RV spots. Good for a shower & dump. The list of park rule are too long to list. Nice bathrooms. Cell & WiFi are poor for AT&T users. I only stayed here because it was all that was open in the area in March and I needed a shower!

• 

  Mike P.

  Scout

  

  Mar. 2, 2023

  Miner's Camp RV Park

  Lake Comanche South sure

  Nice place quiet lots of places for big RVs pull through spots and back in spots they have spots for family reunions have showers store boat ramp nice place to camp North Shore is not for RVs it's for tent camping the South Shore has hookups 30 50 amp service full hookups all around a good place good people quiet time is 9:00 p.m. till 7:00 a.m. I believe doesn't mean you can't be up just no loud music no carrying on to disturb the other people lake is almost full

• C

  Carina B.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 29, 2020

  Collins Lake Recreation Area

  Great camping near lake with safe swim area

  We have been to this camping spot a few times. It is big with a nice store. Music on the weekends on the deck. Some sites on waterside are nice. Nice beach. Can get crowded but we liked it. No issues. RV or Tent sites. Roads are steep in spots but no problems getting into site. You can boat and fish here but we didn't do either. Might be nice in the winter when nobody is around?

• 

  Whiffaroni M.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 22, 2021

  Coloma Resort

  Love this place

  This place was amazing. It was our first trip in our new RV and it couldn’t of been more beautiful. There were super cute cabins available as well as tent sites. We came in the beginning of March and it was fairly empty so that made it really nice as well. River was stunning and it was neat to walk across the bridge and check out the old historic mining town. We are going back in august and can’t wait. Looking forward to rafting in the river !

• 

  Jeanna J.

  Traveler

  

  May. 12, 2021

  Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

  Excellent No-Frills Experience

  This was my first solo camping experience.  I stayed overnight with the intention of simply testing out my gear.  The reservoir is currently nearly dry, so the "beach" is just a field.  Luckily, I was only there for the site and the hiking.  The Camp Hosts were lovely and accommodating; they came around a couple times, once to say hello (and ensure my car belonged to the correct site) and once to bring firewood.  The tent site was level and raked.  It was exactly what I was looking for.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 26, 2023

  Orchard Springs Campground

  Eerily quiet in the off-season

  This review is based on an off-season visit. During the summer months, this campground would likely have a much different vibe. In fact, our family camped at Rollins Lake 20+ years ago and had a great time (although it was at a different RL campground). This is one of two Rollins Lake campgrounds open in the off-season; it is open for camping, boating, swimming, and picnicking year-round. Although we saw several boat trailers in the day-use area, there was only one occupied campsite on a Tuesday in late October. The camp store was closed for the season. 

  There is a mix of FHU, electric, and tent sites. The sites have gravel camper pads, and many were not clearly defined and, in fact, seemed to be laid out in a hodgepodge fashion, making it difficult to see where the sites were separated. If the campground was full, there would be little to no privacy/separation between sites. 

  I thought the fees were a bit high for this campground - $51 for a tent site, $56 for electric, and $65 for FHU. The website does not provide much information on camping, so I called. It took more than a month for my call to be returned. We felt a little like Goldilocks but after eating our lunch, we decided to head further down the road in search of a more affordable campground.

• 

  Rosina A.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 8, 2019

  Coloma Resort

  Nice place next to river

  This place is north east of Sacramento. Coloma resort is what some friends call "Glamping", but it's so much more than that. You can tent camp (it's covered sites for camping too), rent a cabin or RV camp. Great sites along the river too. One negative, is you have to book way ahead of time, but it's well worth it. You can pan for gold, relax, or bike, hike along the river, and kids can play along several playgrounds for kids of different ages. A large grass area great for games, and if you are up for it, rafting, kayaking and fishing in the cold American river. You can also learn some history about the discovery of gold and check out Sutter Mill!