Best Campgrounds near Fort Dick, CA

Camping near Fort Dick, California is nestled among ancient redwood forests and coastal landscapes, with options ranging from developed state park campgrounds to private RV resorts. The area sits at the northern edge of California's redwood country, with Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park offering some of the most sought-after camping experiences. Florence Keller Regional Park provides a more secluded alternative with its second-growth redwood grove just north of Crescent City. The Smith River flows through the region, creating additional riverside camping opportunities. As one camper noted at Jedediah Smith Campground, "The giant redwoods provide a lot of privacy, you feel like you're in your own private wilderness."

The coastal climate creates cool, often misty conditions year-round, with summer temperatures rarely exceeding 75°F and winter bringing significant rainfall. Many campgrounds in the area operate seasonally, with peak season running May through September. Reservations are strongly recommended during summer months, particularly for state park campgrounds which often fill months in advance. Bear activity is common throughout the region, requiring proper food storage in designated containers. Cell service is limited or non-existent in many campgrounds, particularly those nestled deeper in the redwood forests. Coin-operated showers are standard at most developed campgrounds, with rates typically around $1.00-$1.50 for 6 minutes of shower time.

Camping styles vary significantly across the region. State park campgrounds like Mill Creek and Jedediah Smith offer more primitive experiences with limited hookups but direct access to old-growth redwood trails. Private RV parks such as Crescent City/Redwoods KOA and Lighthouse Cove RV Park provide full hookups, WiFi, and more amenities. Smaller campgrounds like Panther Flat offer a middle ground with riverside sites and basic facilities. For larger RVs, options are more limited in the immediate Fort Dick area, with Florence Keller Regional Park having narrow, one-way roads that make navigation difficult for vehicles over 20 feet. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound throughout the region, with Roosevelt elk commonly sighted in meadows and even wandering through some campgrounds.

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Best Camping Sites Near Fort Dick, California (174)

    1. Jedidiah Smith Campground — Redwood National Park

    55 Reviews
    Hiouchi, CA
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 444-7275

    "We felt like we were a million miles away from everyone, even our camp neighbors!"

    "California doesn’t offer any decent senior discounts. The campground is awesome."

    2. Harris Beach State Park Campground

    106 Reviews
    Brookings, OR
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (541) 469-2021

    $26 - $71 / night

    "The beach is a ten minute walk and both walks we took were breath taking! Everyone we met were very friendly and had great knowledge of the park seeing that it was our first time."

    "Just outside of Brookings,Oregon on Rt. 101, this well kept campground was a welcome two day layover during the rainy weather that’s typical of the PNW during mid-November."

    3. Florence Keller Regional Park

    34 Reviews
    Crescent City, CA
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 464-7230

    $20 - $30 / night

    "It’s in a new grove of redwoods but there are stumps of old grove redwoods near some of the campsites that are huge."

    "Traveling around the country and we’ve come to the end of our time in California . We stopped here for a quick overnight stay and ended up staying two days in our Promaster van."

    4. Mill Creek Campground — Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park

    42 Reviews
    Hiouchi, CA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (800) 444-7275

    $35 / night

    "Next. To us. Some other sites that aren't adjoined like this would be amazing I think.

    However, the bathrooms were decent."

    "Drive from the highway to the campground is captivating. Campground staff were both pleasant & informative."

    5. Crescent City/Redwoods KOA

    18 Reviews
    Crescent City, CA
    3 miles
    Website

    "Clean campground, our spot was near the play area, dog park and office. They have some area tucked into the redwoods. They have some farm animals!"

    "Koa is located near the National Park entrance."

    6. Ramblin' Redwoods Campground & RV Park

    12 Reviews
    Fort Dick, CA
    0 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 487-7404

    $41 - $204 / night

    "Camping at Rambling Redwoods offers a unique experience, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in nature, surrounded by the majestic Redwoods."

    "Some spots are close enough to hear highway noise but it wasn’t bad. There are couple great trails through Redwoods. We were there during COVID and forest fires so most activities were closed."

    7. Panther Flat Campground

    18 Reviews
    Gasquet, CA
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 457-3131

    $15 - $30 / night

    "Close to the Redwood Forest 🌳 we stopped here for a night 🌃on our road trip through California. The sites were nicely sized, though the showers are coin 👛operated."

    "Very quiet (it's a little remote) but pretty accessible to California Redwoods. I would recommend it for a place to stop in between the Oregon and California coastline."

    8. Beachfront RV Park

    22 Reviews
    Brookings, OR
    14 miles
    Website
    +1 (541) 469-5867

    "This RV Psrk is surrounded by beach, the harbor and the Chetco River. What a prized location. Park your RV on beachfront property, with the harbor behind and the Chetco River at the end of the park."

    "There are pros and cons to this location. Pros is literally on the beach. At night, I can hear the waves. Great onshore cool breezes. Lots of walking and amazing sunsets."

    9. Lighthouse Cove RV Park

    13 Reviews
    Crescent City, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 464-2473

    "Wow how best to articulate what we feel about this campground We arrived today February 25th escaping The snow in Southern California."

    "Easy walk to adjacent large city park with city pool, sea mammal rescue center, light-house, etc. Clean restrooms with hot shower and acceptable water pressure. Easy access right off 101."

    10. Redwood Meadows RV Resort

    11 Reviews
    Hiouchi, CA
    6 miles
    +1 (707) 954-3310

    $28 - $66 / night

    "The fire pit for tent site 5 is right next to where you park parallel to your site. The bathrooms are cleaned twice daily, just be ready to flush. The park has sensitive toilets."

    "Great location in heart of Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park with easy access to the Smith River. Very clean and medium spacious RV sites."

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Recent Reviews near Fort Dick, CA

926 Reviews of 174 Fort Dick Campgrounds


  • Sarah S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 5, 2025

    Redwood Bar Dispersed Camping

    Redwood Camping

    I’m not sure why everyone is so pressed about the maps leading them elsewhere, the signs are there! There are actually 3 river access roads that will lead you to dispersed camping. The Nook, Miller and Redwood and they all have signs displayed. We were there for 3 nights and to be honest every night from Mon-Wed. was quite but busy. Everyone was respectful of the others space however it was just too busy of a site for how we like to camp. It is good for a sleep and the river was was nice but not really my flavor. We drove up farther to another site and enjoyed that much more.

  • Sarah S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 4, 2025

    South Fork Chetco

    Secluded river spot

    This is one of my favorite spots so far! It’s a little farther up than we anticipated going BUT so worth it...maybe a mile or so past the Redwood river access. You’ll pass through a cute little neighborhood and it’s right before the bridge on your left hand side. The spot that we were staying at before just got way too busy and that’s not the kind of camping that we prefer to do. We were able to get our rig and our Casita down fairly easy. We’re right on the river with very beautiful views and the whole area to ourselves!! We’re visiting early September so no fires are allowed at this time and the yellow jackets are still definitely out, so try and make sure you have a trap for them…they can get aggressive! Would most definitely come back to this spot!!

  • L
    Sep. 3, 2025

    Alfred A. Loeb State Park Campground

    happy campground right on the chetco

    Wow! I had heard some mixed reviews of Loeb; lack of privacy, loud partying. That wasn't my experience. Maybe I got lucky but I had super chill neighbors and it was dead quiet once the sun went down. There are options up the river for more private dispersed camping I checked out the next day, but solo camping as a woman I prefer to have some lowkey families or older couples camping nearby, which is what I got. Gigantic trees swallowed my site which was a 3 minute walk to the riverbank. Chetco is the most gorgeous river I have ever been lucky enough to swim in. Honestly the campground could have been a dump and I might not have even noticed due to how dazzled I was by the river, which flowed gently behind my site. I swam for hours, walked into camp for a hot shower & dinner, stared up at the stars before bed. I heard barred owls at night. So hard to leave this special place. I will be back as soon as I can.

  • Sarah S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    middle fork smith river

    Middle Fork Smith River

    This is a cute spot and we stayed here for 3 nights. Plenty of space between the other campers (up to 5 one night). There is an overlook to the river at the dead end of the road and you can hear people enjoying that view but nothing that would really disturb you. There is a trail that leads straight down to the river! Plenty of room for swimming and fishing. Would definitely stay here again. It’s about a 15 min. drive to the Jedediah Redwoods, which if you haven’t seen…IT’S A MUST!! We dropped our trailer at the information center for the Redwoowds, visited in the forest for a few hours, picked up the trailer and came right back to this spot with no problems.

  • laura U.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 2, 2025

    Panther Flat Campground

    Lovely and Well Maintained

    Ihave an access pass bc I'm disabled and the very helpful host helped me get settled. Sites are level, clean, and close to bathrooms and showers. Though other campers are close, it feels private and safe.

  • Sarah S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 29, 2025

    Patrick Creek Dispersed Camping

    Beautiful creek camping

    This little spot is such a gem. The reviews are correct in the fact that it can be a tight fit. My husband and I were the only camper here when we stayed so we didn’t experience that as a problem. It is a bit steep coming down but since we were the only ones we had plenty of room to back the camper where we wanted. The creek is absolutely clear, a bit chilly but stunning. I would definitely recommend this spot and would absolutely come back for another stay. If you miss this spot or it’s too full there are plenty of other dispersed campsites farther up. Might not be as much room for campers or splashing around in the river but you’ll still access to the river. We came late August.

  • Tine H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 25, 2025

    Heart of the Redwoods Cottages & RV

    Heart of the redwoods base camp

    Easy in and out. Small number of sites. Right off the 101. Full hook ups. Numerous trails located within 5 miles of site. Took our dog.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Elk Country RV Resort & Campground

    Cool spot for a night

    Not bad for an RV park! It’s super close to everything you wanna see on the 101 and the area is beautiful.

  • Ashley A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 23, 2025

    Laughing Alpaca Campground

    Quirky and cute

    This place is definitely charming. It has its own alpaca pasture and management is very nice! Everyone here was nice and our spot on the river was cool. We saw river otters! Only thing I didn’t love about this place is there was no change machine for laundry and there were no locks on the stalls in the bathroom which was a little weird to me.


Guide to Fort Dick

Camping near Fort Dick, California, offers a fantastic mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to pitch a tent or park your RV, there are plenty of options to enjoy the great outdoors.

What to do:

  • Explore the Redwoods: The area is home to stunning redwood trees. Many campers love the proximity to trails that lead through these majestic giants. One visitor at Jedidiah Smith Campground said, "The campground is awesome... a breathtaking stand of redwoods that are enormous and thousands of years old."
  • Beach Access: Enjoy the beautiful coastline. Campers at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground rave about the beach, with one saying, "Right on the beach, beautiful campground, very simple."
  • Wildlife Watching: Keep an eye out for local wildlife. A camper at Mill Creek Campground mentioned, "We saw deer... bears do roam the area and we never saw any but they were spotted two days before we checked in."

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Many campers appreciate well-maintained restrooms and showers. A visitor at Kamp Klamath RV Park noted, "Great showers and satisfactory restrooms."
  • Friendly Staff: Campers often mention the helpfulness of the staff. One reviewer at Klamath River RV Park said, "Owner is a great host. They show you right to your space."
  • Spacious Campsites: Many campgrounds offer roomy sites. A camper at Harris Beach State Park Campground appreciated the "well spaced" RV sites, which provided some privacy.

What you should know:

  • Reservation Fees: Some campgrounds have additional fees for reservations. A camper at Harris Beach State Park Campground mentioned, "The out of state booking fee and $8 online convenience fee to book online was annoying."
  • Noise Levels: Be prepared for some noise from nearby highways. A visitor at Harris Beach State Park Campground noted, "Extremely loud highway noise... diminished the otherwise very nice campground."
  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds may lack certain amenities. A camper at Elk Prairie Campground pointed out, "The facilities are showing their ages... the bathrooms could use some work."

Tips for camping with families:

  • Playgrounds: Look for campgrounds with kid-friendly amenities. One family at Harris Beach State Park Campground loved the "playground right around the bend that the kids could enjoy."
  • Safety Precautions: Be aware of wildlife. A camper at Elk Prairie Campground mentioned, "There were bear and cougar sightings while we stayed, but had no issues."
  • Plan for Activities: Bring games and outdoor gear. A visitor at Mill Creek Campground enjoyed the ranger talks and movies, which are great for families.

Tips from RVers:

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A camper at Kamp Klamath RV Park mentioned, "Campsites are incredibly beautiful and well spaced out."
  • Bring Your Own Firewood: Some campgrounds don’t provide firewood. A visitor at Gold Bluffs Beach Campground advised, "Bring your own firewood."
  • Be Prepared for Tight Spaces: Some RV parks can be cramped. A reviewer at Klamath River RV Park noted, "Very tightly packed spaces on a grass lot."

Camping near Fort Dick, California, is a great way to enjoy nature, relax, and create lasting memories. Whether you're with family or friends, there's something for everyone in this beautiful area.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Fort Dick, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, Fort Dick, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 174 campgrounds and RV parks near Fort Dick, CA and 19 free dispersed camping spots.

Which is the most popular campground near Fort Dick, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Fort Dick, CA is Jedidiah Smith Campground — Redwood National Park with a 4.8-star rating from 55 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Fort Dick, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 19 free dispersed camping spots near Fort Dick, CA.