Join the fun near Lathrop. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Lathrop camping trip.
$50 / night
"Wicked August heat, BUT there’s the lake!
5 Stars — were it not for the SLOBS who preceded us!!"
"I come here with my family every year around 4th of July. I would book way ahead for busy holidays like that.
The water level really varies on the year."
"About 50 tent only sites, some just feet from the lake. RV sites are farther from the lake on mostly level gravel pads with picnic table, fire rings, and a trash can at each site."
"I pitched a tent in site 43 right next to the lake. Excellent place."
"Great backpacking getway. Many day hikers here but you can backpack as well. I camped on a beautiful ridge."
"I have never camped here but hiked many trails."
$60 - $90 / night
"They also change the hand towel in the restrooms daily for everyone to use. The campsite is well taken care of as well as the kitchen which is communal use."
"The amenities were above and beyond anything we have seen at other locations. Complimentary watercraft for the river, stocked outdoor kitchen, and hot showers with shampoo/lotion etc. "
$30 / night
"We didn’t have a reservation, but got 1 upon arrival around 2pm. Our site had nearby bathrooms, showers & trash. It included picnic table, fire pit, food storage boxes, & is very spacious."
$75 / night
$15 - $400 / night
"Lotsa shaded oak spaces. Good trails."
"Hamilton and a lake up the road a way, there’s also a mansion & rose garden on the property, shower & bathroom are clean, there are nights to gather and stargaze.The tent spaces are sizable &"
"They also sell ice which was nice to grab for the cooler. Nice stay, saw a lot of bunnies and a bobcat on the way out."
"The bathrooms were a short walk down hill. They were clean with flushing toilets. There camp ground was quiet and it was mostly couples or small family groups."
Scoutgreat campsite! be careful driving up the windy road and watch for the many cyclists. going up/down with you.
driving in was very easy; parking is right next to the site. the campsite itself was beautiful - panoramic views of the east bay area. i could recognize walnut creek, lafayette, danville and san ramon through the binoculars. site was clean, but the ground itself was very rocky. irritating that there wasn't really any level spots to set up the tent, so sleeping on a slant was a real treat (sarcasm). weather was very mild during the day; not too hot, nor too cold. nights were bearable in the high 50s, and by late night (cuz i kept waking up because of slanted sleeping), but felt like low 40s and slightly windy. make sure you bring thermals and a warm sleeping bag. sleeping pad is a definite must on the sharp rocks; be careful when stepping around in the tent with just socks on.
drought meant that flushing toilets were all locked.. as were the showers.. but from what i heard the "chemical toilets" (aka porta-potties) were an adequate substitute. water access had been shut off as well, so make sure you bring plenty of your own for washing and drinking.
critters - we didn't encounter any during our stay. no racoons, bears, mice, rats.. nada. just a ton of pincher bugs everywhere. not even many flies! we had those spinning fly deterrent things, though. maybe those really DO work?
ALSO because of the drought - NO WOOD FIRES ALLOWED. total/complete bummer to camp without a campfire. gas stoves and lanterns were permitted, though.
GuideWe hiked up to Juniper campground from the Clayton side. The sites in the teens have less overhead shade but more privacy than those of higher numbers. The sites closest to the driving road/entrance/overlook will have the potential to be downwind of the bathroom, unfortunately.
The campground is a dry campground - as in no alcohol.
That said, we loved our site #15, and enjoyed the privacy it provided, plus the views (if you stand on the table or are tall). We didn't encounter critters. We had some trouble staking down on the rocky dirt.
This is a good campground to explore the rest of the summit areas, plus Rock City.
TravelerHenry Coe State Park is easily accessible from the San Francisco Bay Area for a weekend getaway or short camping trip.
The Coe Ranch campground has several tent-only campsites that can be reserved online ($8 transaction fee, $20/night), and the campground has parking for vehicles in a small parking area ~20-100 feet from the campsites. Campsites at this campground are aesthetically pleasing, with oak and pine trees around the perimeter of the campground, and there are scenic views of oak woodlands and the valley below. The picnic benches are conveniently located and provide a nice space for eating while camping at the site. Toilets are easily accessed from the campsites. Campfires are allowed in the fire rings only during non-fire season (no campfires during summer months). Dogs are allowed at the Coe Ranch Campground.
Henry Coe SP has many great hiking opportunities, with beautiful wildflower displays in March and April, and also numerous opportunities for enjoying the beauty of the plants and wildlife seen along the hiking trails which are very accessible from the campground. Near the Coe Ranch campground there is a camp book store, which has some items for sale, including many field guides to wildlife and plants in the park. When the store is open, there is often a ranger available to answer questions about the park.
My only compliant is that at the site we stayed at (CR005) the ground is quite compacted, so if you do not have an adequately thick sleeping pad, the ground may be uncomfortably hard to sleep on. Normally I have no trouble sleeping on the bare ground at campsites with a thin sleeping pad, so this was surprising. Bringing an extra pad may be a good idea if you are prone to sleep problems when the ground is too hard.
GuideWe (party of 4) were there primarily because we rented a boat from their Marina. That went well! This is an RV campground & full-complement resort on Bethel Island, San Joaquin River Delta. Many RVers appear to be long-term or full-time residents.
The tent-area was a clearing, fully backed up to the levee, with some shade and a water spigot. Appears to be only 4 “sites,” which are defined by picnic tables, GENEROUSLY spaced, no fire rings AND the Delta is h.o.t.! It’s also on the far edge of the property, so car traffic was MINIMUM — and NO generators were heard, even though the RV section is huge!!!
The rest rooms were in the Marina building, a short walk. We would DEFINITELY return for boating and tenting!!!
TravelerA few low spots. Cleared 12' barely with minor scrapes. Good parking and turn around. Lots of opportunities for horse riders in area. Pets on leash.
TravelerThe location and weekend was amazing and beautiful. The 105 daytime temps were quelled by dunking ourselves in the lake and taking excursions to some of the other local wonders. We had a great view of the lake and the stars overnight were amazing. It was extremely easy to socially distance from others at all times.
We spent the weekend camped out here but when we arrived, our location was filled with trash. The previous occupants had left garbage strewn everywhere and a garbage bag that was torn into by the wildlife. We cleaned for about half an hour and filled a large black yard waste bag with garbage before we could start to settle in.
The other big issue is that the site says “all facilities are open” but in reality all the restrooms are closed and locked with a solution of putting portable toilets in front of the restroom areas. This is in no way better for dealing with bathroom needs.
Also, the camp host location was marked but no host appeared or was available. The rangers drove by maybe 6 times total.
Be aware when coming here that many sites do not have shade or places to set up hammocks.
Don’t let my negative points turn you away, many of these things were going to be situational and we would love to go back (just not in the midst of a heatwave like that).
LegendCame here from SF Bay for 2 nights on a weekend. Obtained permit from the ranger station and had to pick a district I would camp in the first night (to limit amount of campers in a region per night). Hiked about 8 miles southwest to a lake the first night and camped in my hammock by the lake. Second day backpacked about 12 miles northeast to another lake and was able to grab a spot to set up my hammock next to some picnic tables and a restroom. Saw plenty of wildlife (lizards, snakes, birds, fish). It was fairly hot in mid-spring, and there is not much shade on the trails, especially the dirt roads.
GuideHad a great 1 night stay at Juniper! We didn’t have a reservation, but got 1 upon arrival around 2pm. Our site had nearby bathrooms, showers & trash. It included picnic table, fire pit, food storage boxes, & is very spacious.
The weather in May was really nice imo. Not too cold at night with layers, & starts warming up quick in the morning. Bugs weren’t too bad. Heard coyotes howling night and day which was neat. No raccoons. Saw some lizards.
Just a heads up the drive is windy, I got carsick on the way down. Will be returning & hopefully trying some hikes next time!
RangerGetting there: Super easy, look for the tallest mountain in the area, drive towards it, boom you're there. It was expensive to enter the park... I think around $10 per vehicle, someone correct me if i'm wrong.
Campsites: The campsites are a decent size and fairly spaced out. All the campsites provide a old broken down picnic table, a bear box, a grill, and a fire pit. There are shared restrooms with plumbing to use.
The Park: Awesome. Big. Crowded. No dogs allowed.
What to do: Hike Diablo there are TONS of trails. Go rock climbing or bouldering in Rock City. Drive, hike to the top and check out the observation deck.
*will add my pics later.
Tent camping near Lathrop, California, offers a variety of scenic locations perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lathrop, CA is Lake Camanche with a 4.1-star rating from 18 reviews.
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