Best Tent Camping near Gualala, CA

The entrance to this campground is behind a store so it technically is hidden. 

What it lacks in privacy of sites it definitely makes up for in amenities. There are firewood bundles stacked up alongside the store for pick up. There is a pool and shower room open from 10 am to 10 pm. 

The tent sites are right along a fence without much privacy. I would suggest this place for RV camping over tent camping. 

There are showerhouses and bathrooms in the middle of the campground with a fish cleaning station. 

It’s an expensive campground $45-69 per night depending on where you want to be.

We chose Pomo based on other reviews on TheDyrt. I picked site 47 out of the three that were left when I was searching for a place near Fort Bragg. Although it looks like the site is in the middle of the town, the sites are very private, many nestled between thick brush (blackberries!) and many back far enough from the road that it seems like you're boondocking. Our primary reason for choosing a coastal site was for comfort. It was still over 95 degrees inland, but a very comfortable 65 along the coast. 

Almost all the RV sites are gravel, with the exception of a couple smaller ones, and the tent sites. There is a single bathroom complex, and the men's restroom was great...tiled with multiple stalls, large glass windows and CLEAN! I didn't check the showers out, but I'm assuming the same level of detail and finish also apply there.

It appears the sewer system doesn't cover all the sites, so the further back in the campground you go, there won't be any (an educated guess on my behalf). I walked through the campground, and most the RV sites have a power pedastal and water, a nice wooden picnic table and a fire ring. Internet access is available throughout, and when I ran speedtest I was getting 170Mbps down, which is incredible.

Make sure you look through the pictures of each site on the reservation page. They all are slightly different in size, privacy, and whatnot. There are several sites that "share" a common open space if you're in a group, and a large group area which looked to have 5 or 6 sites all comingled.

For tent camping, there is a large, open line of grass near the front of the campground, which doesn't really offer much protection from the sun. BUT...there is a loop at the back of the campground that has at least 10 grassy tent sites under a thick cover of pine trees. It's isolated by a path from the other RV sites, and I was really impressed by the area! If I were still tent camping, this would no doubt be my go-to tent site.

The nights were quiet and dark, and the staff friendly. They have 1 dump station, a fish cleaning station, propane and the office has a bunch of DVD movies available (not sure if for rent or free use).

Overall an excellent site and we were glad to find it, and will probably use this as a staging point for future treks further up the coast! I'll include some pictures of the site (I never include personal/family pictures because this is a campground review site, not a family album!)

We’ve been travel trailer camping twice to this campground and love it! Beautiful, large sites under the redwoods and along the Gualala River. The campground offers partial hook-ups with a dump service for a fee (dump station on site as well). There is a little camp store for basic camping / RV needs as well as bathrooms, showers, and laundry. The camp is great for RV and tent camping. We’ll definitely be returning many more times.

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.

Brought my trailer her for the first time as an adult after many times tent camping at nearby Gerstle Cove as a child. Had a FANTASTIC time. Woodside campground is BY FAR the more beautiful of the two Salt Point campgrounds. Plenty of flat parking pads for rv campers, yet sites are thickly wooded and appropriately spaced to have an awesome tent camping experience as well. Take note that many of the nearby beaches have dangerous rip currents and aren’t exactly great for swimming or water play.

Wasn't very private, but is good for tent camping in a safe family environment.

The tent camping is full of roots, and low privacy, but it’s okay for a quick overnight stop

Not much privacy for tent camping. Fog horn goes continuously. Good hwy 1 access. Affordable. Walking distance to awesome beach.

Always windy. Great scenery, and many of the tent sites are tucked away in little nooks and crannies for privacy if you don’t want the more open outer ring sites.

At $30 per night for a tent, this campground is a bit intense. 

This is a drive up site. The online source for it is outdated but the site is a good place to stop if you just need a space for the night. 

It is a combo trailer park, RV sites, and Tents sites so the navigation might be a little tricky in parts. There are power sites and water sources placed around the area. 

There is a bath house in the middle of the park but if you are camped in the tent sites, it is pretty far away. 

There are a couple porta potties set up that are closer to the tent sites. 

Cash or check only here. No cards taken. 

Make sure you check the pet rules too, they are very strict on them. We were lucky enough to not have our dogs with us this trip. 

The sites are pretty secluded by shrubs so you do get a sense of privacy in places. The turns driving around might make RV camping a little tricky.

Family park, nice and quite. Tent sites to full hookups. Older park facilitys very old. Some sites have an ocean view everyone can listen to the waves at night.

I like this a little better than Van Damm down the road because of the small private beach which never appears crowded. You do have road noise but it really is not bad.

Great little tent camping spots and a fabulous group tent camping spot.  From the small beach you can play in the waves and launch protected kayaks into the small bay.  On the right day there are some tidepools (not a lot).  A stream runs through camp and empties on to the beach.

Great Fern Canyon trail and waterfall trail back in the gorge.

You can explore all the Mendoconio Coast from here.

Sites are well spaced and protected. Tables, fire rings and food storage.  Nice rest rooms with showers.  I like the lower loop along the creek and thes sites at the end, near the beginning of the fern canyon trail are choice.

Easy access and great store, with access to fire rings, tables, showers, potable water, dump station and trash receptacles. The tent sites are beautiful, but a bit too close to each other when there are dogs involved.

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.

I tent camped here on a September weeknight. The campground is very spacious on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Very few other campers so I had plenty of options for sites. It was cool, sunny, and no wind-perfect weather! Stunning views all around, with a trailhead to Stillwater Cove. Very quiet and relaxing stay here!

We were here for 3 nights and enjoyed the summer concert series on the grass and the close location to a private beach across from the Rv park. 

The spaces for Rv’s are tight, but we made it work. Tent camping is much more spacious. 

The weather was humid and cool. It felt wonderful for July!!

Here's another promise NOT gonna happen. If you have any trailer at all, you must turn around at the bottom of the hill, then go UP the steep hill to your promised site. Yeah...that site...shorter than you need and SO unlevel, you can't level out. All this for dry camping. BTW, if you are tent camping, it's wonderful. You're welcome.

This was a nice campground very close to the beach. Great place to take kids. The RV spaces were very tight and close together. We were concerned about getting our 36 foot motor home out but with some maneuvering and backing up, my husband was able to get us out. We explored the tent camping area and it is beautiful, secluded, and spacious. The staff are very friendly, helpful, and the store is well stocked with good prices.