Join the fun near Little River. With tons of outdoor activities and scenic camping, this is an excellent vacation spot for all kinds of travelers. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your California camping adventure.
$45 - $260 / night
"There are many sites next to the ocean."
"PROS
→ Campground is adjacent to the beach. You can hear the ocean and sometimes catch peeks of the ocean from the campground.
→ Campsites have bear lockers."
$45 - $140 / night
"Clean bathrooms, drinking water was right next to our site."
"While this campground is set off from the highway it is very busy on weekends from tourists out for the day. Lush setting with the hike and bike area located near showers and restrooms."
"There was a small creek behind the campground which was nice. It was about a 30 minute drive to fort Bragg made for an easy day trip. The campground is maintained by cal fire $20 a night."
"Jackson State Demonstration forest is about 6 miles from fort Bragg on hwy.20 Campground is about 3 miles down a dirt road down into the forest from the highway.
Beautiful, clean and peaceful."
"But make sure you only go during the week, because of the rowdiness, hell raising, dune driving doing donuts, drunken idiots that are there on the weekends."
"Some nice hikes close by."
$8 / night
"Beautiful location, campground was easily accessible going up Elk Mountain Road. Camped in Site 11, pull through, no hook ups, nice picnic table, grill and fire pit. Vault toilets, no showers."
"If it's in a beautiful location and if you're into four-wheeling or dirt bikes, you're going to have a blast."
$5 / night
"Was 0.75 miles away from water (we have been in a drought?) but beautiful spacious campsite. Even with annoying neighbors, you can have peace and quiet."
"The local store is about a 10 minute drive away and during the summer has ice beer and provides firewood for sale (during winter no ice but plenty of snow)."
LegendWe stayed one night here in early October, after exploring the Mendocino area on a campervan road trip. Campsite was quiet and secluded, lots of trees so was pretty quiet and private. Clean bathrooms, drinking water was right next to our site. There were hiking trails right nearby, but sadly we arrived fairly late and were leaving the next morning so we didn't get to do much exploring. Area was pretty damp so a little chilly because of that. there were giant yellow banana slugs all over, which was pretty neat to see. Site had a picnic table and fire ring. Lots of open sites when we arrived (mid week in early Fall), no reservation needed. Convenient to explore Mendocino/Fort Bragg area, we took a walk around Mendocino and visited the glass beach. I would like to go back and explore the hiking there!
http://adventuresneaker.com/2017/03/23/california-road-trip-days-7-8-9-bodie-historic-ghost-town-lake-tahoe-russian-gulch-state-park/
RangerWhile this campground is set off from the highway it is very busy on weekends from tourists out for the day. Lush setting with the hike and bike area located near showers and restrooms. Campsite includes a table and fire pit. Within walking distance of the beach and a short drive to coastal towns.
GuideI’ve been camping cross country for the last month with my husband. We’re from New York, and like to think we’re not easily rattled or intimidated. This was the first time on our trip that we were both scared.
The forest service website says this campground is not open for camping, just dirt bike and horse riding, so I had found a campground further into the National Forest to camp at. When we drove by Middle Creek, we could see the sites from the road and a few of them had tents and we could see some folks, the campground was pretty clearly operating to some extent. We just wanted somewhere to stay overnight on our way into SF so we doubled back and found a site, paid the $8 and had a snack. We explored our corner of the campground a little- pretty clean, a fine campground. No visible host.
Lots of wasps and flies, like standing right next to a dumpster. There was a woman who seemed to be experiencing homelessness and/or mental illness occupying multiple sites. She pretty clearly was stealing from sites people weren’t present at, right in front of us. She also had a dog that didn’t seem to be hers.
The man at the campsite next to us didn’t have a tent or anything, just paid then sat in his truck screaming and cackling and breaking stuff loudly and pounding beers.
We left without spending the night. The police need to go take a look out there.
RangerThis campground is a hidden jewel. There are many sites next to the ocean. This campground delivers a stay next to the beautiful coastal waters which allows the camper to view whale migration, sea lions swimming and a quick visit to glass beach and the adjacent lighthouse. Ft Bragg is a nice little town to visit have dinner and drinks.
Ranger[Internet. Verizon via iPhone 12: 5 mbps down and 0.16 mbps up with 56 ms ping. T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR-1100 - 3 mbps down and 0.05 up with 106 ms ping. Our booster marginally improved the speeds.]
PROS
→ Campground is adjacent to the beach. You can hear the ocean and sometimes catch peeks of the ocean from the campground.
→ Campsites have bear lockers. → Campground is pretty in the glow of sunlight. → There’s a trail to the beach and Laguna Point isn’t far.
→ The camp hosts are easy to approach in that they have an alert button you can press outside their rig and they will come outside. No wondering how to get their attention! We bought our shower tokens from the camp host.
→ This campground is protected by a buffer of coastal trees. It’s not nearly as windy at the campground as it is on the beach.
CONS
→ Showers require tokens. This seems pretty standard in California State Parks but it’s successful at deterring us from showering every night. One token gives 4 minutes of showering. Each token is $1. It’s not a lot for one-off trips but we are on a 6-week camping trip.
→ The dump station has a mandatory fee of $10. You pay with a credit card. When payment is approved, the cap to the dump hole unlocks. We didn’t use it. Again, it was successful at deterring us from using it. With pay showers we’d normal shower in the van and just run to the dump station daily to empty the tank but we didn’t. We paid for the showers. I know they are cost mitigating but it’s a factor when deciding on this campground especially if you camp a lot like us. (We are on a 6-week camping trip up the coast).
→ The shower water temperature is finicky in the women’s bathroom. When it’s just one person showering, it’s nice and hot. When two showers are going, the water temperature drops a bit. To me the temperature is important because it’s still 50° to 60° right now and I only get 8 minutes with the water. I need those 8 minutes to be comfortable not make me move faster than Speedy Gonzalez. For me this isn’t a huge concern but it is for my partner so that’s why I’m detailing it out.
→ Firewood is $10.
—————————— 4-stars - The campground is clean, enjoyable and has the camping vibe. Docking a star due to the extra fees and the water temperature. For weekend warriors I’d wager this is a 5-star campground!
[Rig. Mercedes Sprinter. 22 feet]
Dump station? - Yes, mandatory $10 Water fill? - Yes, free Clean site? - Yes Clean bathroom? - Yes Flush toilet? - Yes Showers? - Yes, token operated Laundry? - No Dish washing sink? - No
TravelerThis campground is very beautiful, located just north of Fort Bragg on the California coast. I witnessed the best sunset that I have ever seen in my life at this beach. However, I was unfortunate to get one campground with no trees or privacy. Additionally, this campground is more expensive than some other state parks and has limited things to explore. Also, the showers require more money to start, so if you run out of time during your shower you will need at least a dollar just to start it back up to finish rinsing off not like other State park showers. If you want to explore the area there are tons of other things too see... Including Fort Bragg, glass beach, the skunk train, Russian gulch, the town of Mendocino, Mendocino headlands, and a pigmy Forest
TravelerThis place is pretty cool. It’s worth a one night stay. The drive up 101 and then the couple mile “off road” drive to the beach was fun. There is a bunch of space for people to camp. Some on the beach and some in the tree line. There was about 5 other groups there. It got really cold at night and SUPER WINDY (December).
RangerThis is a large spread out campground with nice hiking paths near the beach. Good coastal marine viewing area and close to Ft. Bragg. Hike and bike area is small and across from one of the camp hosts who was very friendly and offered wine, watermellon, and her campfire.
LegendGeneral: Two campgrounds at this state park: Pinewood (closer to Route 1 and I did not explore) and Surfwood (closer to the ocean). No hookups (at least in Surfwood, I did not check in Pinewood). You can see beautiful sunsets from the road leading to the Surfwood campground.
Site Quality: A few had concrete pads, but most had sand driveways. Most sites were very spacious; sites 122-124 are located on a roundabout and were very large and more private than some of the others. Most sites had a utility box, and all had a picnic table and a fire ring. Some had trees separating them from other sites.
Bathhouse: An upgrade from other California state parks we've stayed in with hot water and tile floors. No dryer or towels so make sure you bring your own. Pay showers (beginning with$1.00 for five minutes; accepts up to 15 quarters). I did not use the shower so cannot comment on how well it worked.
Activities: Horseback riding, hiking, and biking. There is a multi-use trail that leads south from the campground. The reason I chose this campground is I wanted to see Glass Beach, however, it was fenced off with “no trespassing” signs which was disappointing.
Horse camping in California offers a unique way to explore the great outdoors while enjoying the companionship of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds that cater to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to set up camp and ride through stunning landscapes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Little River, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Little River, CA is Mackerricher State Park Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 1463 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Little River, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 7 equestrian camping locations near Little River, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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