Looking to get away and reconnect with nature? Glamping near Gualala is the perfect choice. The Dyrt lets you enjoy a unique, rustic Gualala experience while glamping. You're sure to find glamping for your California camping excursion.
As of 9/7/22 the Manchester campground is closed to camping for the season. The environmental sites have been permanently closed to camping.
Day use remains open to the public.
Manchester State Park features a beach, sand dunes, and flat grasslands, with nearly 18,000 feet of ocean frontage. The beach line curves gently to form a "catch basin" for sea debris, which accounts for the volume of driftwood found here. Five miles of gentle, sandy beach stretches southward towards the Point Arena Lighthouse.
$35 / night
Since 1967, the Adams Family have been your hosts at the Bodega Bay RV Park. We are constantly trying to improve our park and its facilities for the benefit & enjoyment of our guests. The Bodega Bay campgrounds are great for whale watching (January - April), salmon sport fishing (February - September), abalone (April - November except July), crabbing, (mid November - June), clamming (year round), and rockcod sport fishing (year round). Guests can enjoy all of the Bodega Bay RV camping amenities, including: -Clean Restrooms with Hot Showers -Free WiFi -Two Group Clubhouses -RV Supplies -Laundry Facilities -Dump Station -Candy, Sodas, & Ice Cream -Ice -Free limited Cable TV -Free DVD library -Bocce ball court -Horseshoe pit -Restaurant -Fenced Dog Run -Putting Green -Outdoor Activity Area -RV storage -Fire Ring rentals
$50 - $100 / night
Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort is surrounded by natural beauty, from the rolling hills to lush greenery, and packed with activities everyone will enjoy, including the family pet. Whether you’re staying overnight or spending the day, we’re glad you chose Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort to spend quality time with your family.
Park Amenities
Waterfront RV sites available
Beach Access
Kayak/Canoe Rentals
Fast Wifi
Plenty of Shade
Boat Launch
Brand New Club House!
$22 - $75 / night
Existing Resources: This campground is located just west of Camp 20 off of Highway 20. There are a total of 17 campsites, (2) one stall outhouses, three trash can structures, camp host site, information board and an iron ranger pay station.
Traveler
Cool little camping spot outside of Willits. Has a western themed town that hold little dances and ice cream parlor parties for kids. This KOA also has a mini waterpark as well. We camped in a tent site and our number pole did have an outlet. Perfect place for glamping or kids!
Scout
We rented a camping yurt and we were so surprised how big it is! We received a key to our own bathroom and shower! They had a sink to was dishes in and a place to clean our fish. We rented a motor boat for a few hours to explore the beautiful lake. Pet friendly. Great little beach. A dock to fish from. Everything you need to have a great time! They also have bigger yurts and cabins to rent. Also, RV parking .We have already booked another visit.
Traveler
Second time I've been here. Five years ago, I thought it was pretty bare-bones but just what I wanted: first-come, first-serve tent spot within 3 hours of San Francisco and within a walk of the ocean. No city lights to speak of = incredible stargazing. Oceanside = fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves. Did I mention first-come, first-serve? Nearly all the other campgrounds on the CA coast require a reservation 6 months in advance for weekends, with weekday availability not much better. This small campground had a number of empty spots available at 8pm on a Saturday.
This year, it was nearly the same story. Park funding cut back, so no host = no firewood (KOA up the road sells bundles for $8). And it's only open on weekends until further notice. The vault toilets had plenty of TP, and the sites were well maintained so clearly someone is looking after the place. In fact, the overgrown grass and coastal scrub that previously lent some extra privacy to sites was cut down, a bit of a bummer. Go for the spots on the northern loop. The trees there offer some wind protection and the views over the valley toward Alder Creek are worthwhile. I wanted to set up my hammock, but tree-less sites closer to the road render that a non-option. For site variety, spaciousness, privacy, and amenities, I'd say Manchester is more like 2-2.5 stars. But last-minute availability bumps it up to 3.
There is still a pasture full of cows across the street and the Pt. Arena lighthouse just beyond to greet you in the morning, and the ocean still crashes within earshot. Salt Point and Gualala campgrounds are warmer and woodsier. Mackerricher and Russian Gulch offer much more to do. But in a pinch, Manchester will continue to be my impromptu coastal road trip stopover.
Traveler
In the coastal town of Bodega Bay California is a state/regional beach called Doran Beach. It is a beautiful place to go for a day trip or for overnight camping trips. Doran's campground is right on the beach with the bay on both sides of the road. There are several areas for RV's and also for tent camping. (This review is for the tent camping.)
As with many sites in California there is a parking lot to park cars in and you walk in to the sites. There are restrooms, water and drinking fountains.
The sites themselves have tables, campfire pits and a lockable wooden storage box. There is a bird sanctuary nearby which is great for birdwatching.
The sunrise and sunsets are the most beautiful times of day and the beaches have emptied out. There is nothing like sleeping to the sound of rolling waves.
The only downside to this as a tent camping spot is the incredible wind that blasts in from the ocean.
I love this campground.
TravelerThe Mendocino redwoods RV resort just outside of Willits on CA-20 to Fort Bragg, California, was 3 years ago a KOA resort. The overall facility is still in fairly good shape but you can see the results of the pandemic and a little bit lack of effort on maintaining various things with inside the facility. Not to get me wrong, it's still a very nice resort but the new affiliation that they've decided to go with needs to step it up a little bit otherwise it will go into disrepair and short order. After traveling recently to a very high-end KOA resort, I can assess and compare between the two locations very quickly. I think it is a very wonderful location with a lot of wonderful things to do and activities within an hour's drive of it, I just wish they would do a little bit more to start bring it up to the level that it once was.
Guide
This KOA has large tent sites and a HUGE kitchen with 3 electric stoves and several sinks and microwaves for camper use. They have movies each night and have lots of trees for shade. No sprint cell signal but good WiFi.
GuideIt's a KOA. It's pretty much exactly what you might expect. It's beautiful hinder the trees, with an excellent location to make beach access pretty convient too. Being so close to the beach though, it gets COLD at night. We usually rent a cabin. The cabins have heaters with is definitely nice. They also have beds, but the beds are really uncomfortable, it's just a pad on top of a slat wood frame, remember to bring a foam topper. Store/pool/hot tub. Perfect location to set up and use as a base of operations while you explore up and down the mendocino coast.
Travelerwe enjoyed having a full kitchen available and the community entertainment like s’mores around the campfire. bocce ball courts definitely needed some TLC.
GuideNormally I wouldn't think of myself as a KOA sort of camper. This campground is enough to change my mind! There are some weekends you need to get away, but there's no time to pack the long list of stuff needed for camping. So we tried out one of these little cedar cabins. It was fantastic!!
We loved the quiet, laidback campground, with lovely old pines giving a sense of being in the forest -- even while being walking distance from the water. You're literally close enough to hear the surf, and see the Point Arena lighthouse.
It's dog friendly, with pool, hot tub, hot showers, full bathrooms, and also extensive Camp Kitchen facilities with sho-nuff gas grills.
We absolutely plan to return!
Guideit was decent when we went, but its been a while. its isolated and a little fistance from the beach. there are some smaller trees throughout. we enjoyed the disc golf course that had just been built back when we visited. its a fairly typical KOA setting.
GuideWe've spent most of our twenty years of camping together off the beaten path, avoiding the likes of anything KOA, but for our RV's maiden voyage we thought we'd start with the Machester Beach KOA, and we were very glad we did. We arrived early evening as camp activities were getting underway, setting up to the soundtrack of Beetlejuice showing nearby. The site was clean, KOA's office and service staff were very friendly, not that corporate-disengenuous-give-us-a-good-rating friendly, but real, authentic hospitality. Everything quieted down after 10:00p. We stayed for four days, enjoying everything the area has to offer from Mendocino to Point Arena and had one of the best camping experiences of our lives, and it wasn't just the RV that made it that way.
One little-known secret about this site is that the beach (a moderate walk away) is the home of the Manchester Cable Station, built by AT&T in 1954 on the United States’ closest point to the Hawaiian Islands, where the internet backbone starts its journey across the Pacific.
GuideThe beach is about a mile hike, you can ride your bike though on the road outside the KOA or drive and the beach is closer. Point Arena lighthouse is a close drive away. There is an Ace Hardware about a 2 mile drive so that’s convenient. The WiFi is super spotty and we honestly couldn’t join it. The pool is nice and heated, they do have a spa but it was closed because of Covid. Staff was super nice too. The closest town doesn’t really have anything open but a small grocery store.
ScoutKOA is awesome for campers who aren't ready to be completely off the grid, which most people in my group were. Their bathrooms are clean. Hot shower (!!) and hot tub (but you have to sign-up early or the spots run out quick, each party has 30 mins slot due to Covid restriction).
I took off a star because of the price. We ended up paying $66/night for 1 regular tent site (no electricity or water hook-up). Even though the site supposed to accommodate up to 6 people, there was a $5 extra charge per person after the first 2 guests.
It's ridiculous because they assumed we all will be using every amenities every day for that extra charge (which we didn't since we arrived very late on the first night and were out for most of the following day). I'd rather be charged individually for each shower use or kitchen use, etc.
GuideNice escape. Kinda last minute reservations, but it turned out to be a nice spot. Roads were muddy, but it was January. Kinda pricy, but nice facilities even during COVID. One site had a NINJA setup for their kids. Pretty cool.
TravelerThe tent camping is full of roots, and low privacy, but it’s okay for a quick overnight stop
TravelerWe chose this campground for its amenities and full hookups. It was our first time camping with a little pop up tent trailer. The sites are shady and the campground it is only a short walk to the beach (not a swimming beach). The pool and hot tub are great, the bathrooms could have been cleaned better. It can be loud during the day since some of the campers are showing off their equipment but it gets very quiet at 10pm.
ScoutSenior camping at it's best. A heated cabin and pad on bed that was comfortable. Got showers and a family vibe. Great location for scouting Mendocino coastline and Pt Arena. No wifi though so don't bring work.
ScoutCabins are perfect. The location is surrounded by a lot of fun things to do. The site has 2 parks, trails, pool/hot tub, and so much more. You never have an opportunity to be bored even if you just stay at the camp grounds the entire time.
TravelerThis campground is only an hour from home for us, and it will be a regular frost. The prices are a little bit high, but that is to be expected with a KOA. The pool was so clean and warm, we were told it was 85°, and I believe it. The sites are all decent sizes. With walkways between so that people hopefully don’t walk through your site. The restrooms and showers were impeccably clean. There are RV, tent, and cabin sites. We will definitely go again. Highly recommend.
LegendNice amenities, warm pool, movie at night for the kids, big sites (dirt), full hookups, arcade (not many were working), fully stocked store onsite with cute extras. Great neighbors.
TravelerThe basic cabin was just that, but spacious and the heaters worked very well. Nice, well kept campground with plenty of activities and access to a coastal trail. The community fire pit was a nice place to hang out at night.
ScoutWent up the coast in June knowing it would be hard to find a spot. Just as I thought our chances were running thin we stumbled across this place. Mostly open sites, all were fairly secluded. Big spaces, clean area and ocean sounds abound. Kids loved it to ride their bikes around and I stressed less knowing there were few, if any, cars passing by. Site 6 had lots of Cypress trees for the kids to climb, too. We will be back!
LegendThis is a rustic but charming campground in a beautiful location. I visited on a weeknight in June and almost all of the campsites were vacant. The grounds were impeccably clean and freshly mown, and the camp host, Bob, was very friendly and helpful.
All bathrooms are vault toilets, and there are no sinks available. Water spigots are located throughout the campground, though, and the bathrooms were clean and almost odorless.
Incidentally, the larger bathrooms also have unbelievable acoustics. A better venue for singing the Halo theme would be difficult to find.
ScoutPlenty of sites to pick from on a Tuesday in June, about 5% occupancy. I would recommend the sites in the high 30's as they are more secluded.
TravelerThis was nice for our family. This was our kids first camping trip and it was indeed a low stress environment. Bathrooms were not usable in my opinion but I have a bathroom tent with potty so it didn’t bother us. Upon arrival you are responsible for having cash to place in a envelope with your vehicle info and it’s to be left in a box at the entrance. If your burning a wood fire stop prior at the KOA to get it as well as your cash if needed. Don’t expect to camp on the beach as the pictures will fool you as it did us! You will need a vehicle or bikes to get you to the beach. We went August 30th prior to Labor Day and the weather was ok, no stars expect cooling temps in the AM.
ScoutIt is so wonderful. The campground is just above the driftwood beach offering walks in solitude with the breaking waves in the background.
ScoutManchester is a delightful spot to stay for the night or the whole week. The campground is clean, has a nice layout, and has very friendly hosts. Some spots are more exposed to the wind so if you have a tent or tent trailer you may want to check in with the host to find a spot that is more sheltered. There is a nice mile long trail that leads down to the beach. If you would rather drive and park there is a nice lot right by the dunes and the day use fee is included with your camping pass. There are some great beaches north of the campground as well. We recommend jughandle for a nice secluded beach without the large crowds. There is a KOA campground just up the road with a small store that has some essentials. If you are looking for a nice quiet place to post up and chill this is it. The roads leading to Manchester are a bit winding so make sure to prepare for that!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Gualala, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Gualala, CA is Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Gualala, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Gualala, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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