Searching for the best camping near Lower Lake, CA? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Find the best campgrounds near Lower Lake, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"None the less, I still come here to enjoy the new growth, the impressive new trails and the new views of the valleys below.
It’s Labor Day weekend and I’m one of maybe a half dozen campers."
$25 - $210 / night
"It was so nice to work with Joe and get his listing up and running on our platform. These serene year round cabins are perfect for everyone. Come check them out and leave them some love!"
"We also had access to our own private bathroom and shower a short walk away which was great. Would stay here again, highly recommend!"
$30 / night
"We had just bought a motor home and wanted to go somewhere close to home to try it out. Nice clean camp sites close to restrooms and showers. Lots of places to fish, hike and bike."
$30 / night
$30 / night
"Loads of space, security driving around, noise limit is 10pm. Toilets are clean and trash cans are provided. They sell ice and propane on-site ."
"Lake Berryessa is a large lake that has many turnouts to fish or even stop for a quick stretching of the legs , even saw a few turnouts with picnic tables and clean bathrooms."
$48 / night
"He put us in a very level spot that was great for my rooftop tent situation. Can’t say enough good things about him and his staff. Everyone was very friendly."
"Location location location…. The Schoolhouse Canyon Campground is located about 400 yards off the Russian River / 1/2 mile down the road from the Korbel Winery (amazing deli!!!)"
"Right by Armstrong Redwoods State Park there is a steep winding road at the end of which there is literally a pond. "
"We had spot number 23 but I think 24 or 21 would have been the best for shade and privacy. THERE ARE NO SHOWERS HERE! we did not know this before hand."
LegendGeneral: 19 general and six walk-in campsites among giant redwood and Bay Laurel trees on the Gualala River. Sites 17 & 18 are a double site.
Site Quality: Level sites with bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. Site One’s camper pad fit our 18-foot camper van, but it would not accommodate anything much larger. Several other camper pads looked short as well. No hookups.
Bath/Shower house: Three individual units with toilet, sink, soap, and paper towels. One shower that takes quarters – three minutes for $2.00.
Activities: There is a trail that leads through the walk-in sites, under Highway One, and to the beach, approximately 1.5 miles. You can also drive to the day-use area for a shorter walk. We were there on a weekday but there were many activities scheduled for the upcoming weekend including kayaking on Bodega Bay, outside yoga, and healthy hustle circuit training – I was sad to miss all of these options.
This campground is beautiful and peaceful. But note that although we did not encounter any, several other campers experienced over-eager raccoons while eating dinner. There was also a sign warning of mountain lions but we did not encounter any. Shout-out to the ranger who shared a lot of good information about the area.
LegendSuper cool place to camp in Sequoia National Park. I drove in from the south and passed quite a few full campgrounds before I finally made it to Sunset and scored a spot that I thought was great- up high and dry, no neighbors, a nearby source of downed wood. It looks like the Park Service stays busy downing dead/dying trees, however there were lots of trees providing cover. The closest neighbors were even able to hammock (though I was not due to lack of trees). When noisy neighbors moved in at the adjoining site, I was able to move to a primo site the next day. The new site (52, I think) was right on the edge of the granite slope with an amazing view of the sunset (hence the name of the campground). All sites had the usual amenities of picnic table and fire ring (and the mandatory must use bear boxes), but you need to take a look around for a site that is level and has adequate space between the fire pit and the tent site (mine did not, so no fire for me). There is a visitor center across the road at Grant Grove Village with ranger station, grocery, post office, restaurant, gas station, and cabins. This is a good place to set up camp if you want to see big trees; the big sequoia tree General Grant is in a sequoia grove just up the road (you could easily hike there from the campground).
GuideBeautiful 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. There is potable water close to the campsites. Very quiet during the week, it did get noisier on the weekends, but everyone settled down for the evening.
TravelerLocation • state park located north of Sonoma and an hour south of Mendocino • in the Virgina redwood forest • closest town: about 6 miles away
Facilities • Bathrooms & showers easily accesible for all sites - cleaned regularly • some bathrooms updated very recently • Spigots every few sites with good draining • campfire theatre • firewood sold on premises • about 70 campsites • some cabins • day use picnic area • wheelchair accesible trails
Ambiance • quiet hours 10pm - 8am • mostly families • dogs allowed on leash
Sites • Small to medium, close together • More open than private; good for groups who need multiple sites • Most hace at least part shade throughout the day • ring fire pits with grill • wooden food locker at each site • wooden picnic table at each site • enough space for 3-4 cars
Things to do • Variety of easy hikes/walks • drive to Mendocino • wine tasting in town
Beware • Poison oak
LegendGeneral: Located between Bodega Bay and Bodega Harbor, this county park has over 140 sites in four campgrounds: Shell, Gull, Cove, and Jetty. There is also tent camping, a group campsite, and a hiker/biker camping area. No hookups in any site.
Site Quality: Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Sites all appeared to be level. Depending on your site, you may have more privacy/separation than in others. Site 21 (in Shell) was nicely positioned, however, the sites on either side of us were not occupied during our stay so we had more privacy.
Bath/Shower: Self-contained units with a toilet and sink with soap, HOT water, and air dryer. One coin-operated shower house for Shell, Gull, and Cove campgrounds, located between Gull and Cove. Additional showers in the tent-only section and the Jetty campground. Generally clean.
Activities: Hiking, fishing, birding, beachcombing, wading, and water sports. There was a very short boardwalk and sandy walking paths, although some of these were very overgrown.
One thing I appreciated was propane cylinder recycling. We learned there is a program where select vendors will refill the small cylinders and we hope this becomes more readily available. This is a much larger county park campground than we have been in before and it was very busy when we were there on a weekday in late October. Nice but I prefer the smaller and quieter campgrounds.
GuideFirst, you stay here for the views. Great views from the first two rows closest to the water. There are very few plantings between spaces. No hook ups at all, but water is available if you fill before you park. Seven dollar dump station. Each campsite has a fire ring and a wooden picnic table and grass. Since there’s no hook ups between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM, you will always be listening to somebody’s generator running. Always. No privacy at this campground. I did not check out the bathrooms for the campground, but I did look at the bathrooms for the large boat launch area next-door. No showers in that bathroom, but it was clean. A bit spendy for no hookups. Safe. Zero long term campers when I was here. There are no first come first served campsites at this location. All camping spaces had a reserve sign on them, even though the place was about 40% full. Completely dark at night, which was great.
TravelerSince my friend and I decided to plan a last minute camping trip, reservations were hard to find anywhere. I'm from Santa Cruz and hardly ever make it north of San Francisco so Bushay Campground sounded like a nice getaway. However I was a little hesitant since there were so many open sites here and no reviews anywhere but it really was just too perfect.
We stayed Sat-Mon and it was pretty much empty by Sun (workweek + predicted rain). Everyone else staying the weekend was very friendly and helpful. The rain only made the campsite so much more lush and beautiful and luckily we were prepared for the rain. The sound of frogs and turkeys added a nice touch and we also saw tons of fascinating birds (including a bald eagle!!). I'm used to camping on hard dirt so the cushion of the grassy campsites was really nice, plus the dead grass served as decent tinder.
Also, I accidentally left my camping chairs behind :( and an employee reached out to me to let me know! I wish it wasn't a 3+ hour drive for me because I would love to already head back lol.
Anyway, here are the takeaways:
LegendMany people do not not know this gem is here. Right by Armstrong Redwoods State Park there is a steep winding road at the end of which there is literally a pond. The campsites are aound the pond - some actually on the pond and some in the woods around. So depending on your sun tolerance pick your site accordingly.
You feel you are so far from the world when you are not.
Also there are at least two hike in campsites in this wilderness area - primitive - that we have backpacked into. They have tables, fire rings and pit toilets in the back country sites. So we have used the campground at the pond to start and finish our backpacking. Remember you will need a permit for the backpacking sites but they are first come first served sites.
The pond sites are again first come and first served. Well maintained facilities - nothing fancy - no showers.
GuideThis was a quiet park with large sites. No showers, but wellaintained bathrooms, food storage, etc. it was fogged in when we arrived at 5 and still foggy when we left at 8am, but peaceful and nice neighbors. Did not get a chance to hike to the beach due to the fog. Would definitely like to go back.
Tent camping near Lower Lake, California, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With well-reviewed campgrounds featuring essential amenities, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Lower Lake, CA is Calso - Boggs Mountain Demo Forest - TEMPORARILY CLOSED with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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