Best Cabin Camping near Mendocino Lake

Cabins 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.

Normally 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!

It'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.

We 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.

KOA 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.

We rented a cabin here back in October. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, and their check-in area/shop had everything you needed if you forgot it. Our cabin was a five minute walk to the beach, with closer spots for RV’ers and tent campers.

The camp spots were all beautiful, flowery and grassy, with trees overhead.

I would definitely go again!

Senior 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.

The 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.

This 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.

The campground is your typical KOA. there's a store, pool, pond, bathrooms, cabins, disc golf etc. The electric scooters are pretty fun, and the paddle boats too. The ground themselves arent really anything special though. It's open, very little privacy. Honestly it's kinda like a massive group site. No real walking trails or anything. Getting to the campground is easier in the summer because there is a bridge that goes over the river, making it a shorter drive. In the winter, the bridge is removed, so you have to go through the town of Cloverdale and back track, adding about 15-20 minutes to your trip.

Location • 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

BEACH CAMPING!! It is awesome! Bring ear plugs because it is a popular campground. 

The store has everything you might need while out camping and it is literally across the street from a beautiful beach! 

This is a LARGE campground and can accommodate all types of campers. There are even tiny houses and cabins for those less willing to lose the comforts of home. 

The RV sites are right on top of each other in the entrance but they open up in the back field(we weren’t able to get back in there since we were just tent campers). 

They are high on security here. I LOVED the list of activities that were happening around the area. It really helped you get involved with the local ecology. 

There is a big gazebo for fish cleaning. Laundry room and propane for sale.

What a lovely peaceful campground right on Cache Creek. Great fishing! Lots of wildlife sightings across the creek in the state park reserve. Great birdwatching. Cute little store and boat rentals. Owners are super nice.  Especially loved kayaking on the creek.

The waves are loud, the cell service sucks and the Wi-Fi is very spotty…which makes it a perfect spot to get away! If you get a premium spot, you are almost right on the beach, which is pretty private since there’s no public access. This beats the crowded State Park system any day!

I was lucky enough to spend four nights here last winter. It was breezy and rained on and off. The walk in sites are secluded and this park has all the amenities including free showers. Dog friendly. I hear it gets very busy in the summertime. There are a few year round residents, and it’s fun to stroll through the RV section of the park, but also fun to go back into the trees and get away from it all.

Cute but older and I mean really old RV camp on what's called a creek. I was told I could pick any Lakefront campsite but this is not the lake! They have a nice small pool and showers are included in the cost and there are full hookups available. Three Yurts available for rent. They offer kayak rentals and have plenty of boat ramps for guests but I didn't want to go into this nasty water, And I brought my own inflatable kayak. Decent for the price if you can't find anything on the lake itself but not what it is cut out to be.

We were able to book one of the last sites at Hendy Woods for a last minute getaway. The camp sites were well maintained and well marked, the campground host (Shirley) was friendly and respectful. It is a short drive to Fort Bragg and other coastal attractions as well as a multitude of wineries. I highly recommend stopping by Gowans farm stand for some apple cider- they also have outdoor cider tasting in their orchard (while they did have a non-alcoholic cider slushy available at the time, this is a tasting of their alcoholic offerings). There is plenty of wildlife to see; however, the Navarro River is dried in many places at this time. Finding a place to fish will require some travel away from the campground and some of its surrounding areas.

We love this place. We've been here for 2 months now off and on. The site we are on is located between a marina and the Noyo River. It allows for easy access for paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming and seals, sea lions and other wildlife. Last night a 6 point deer walked past our site. The rates are pretty reasonable and the people that run the campgrounds are great to work with. There is a kayak/sup rental as well next door. If you're lucky the maintenance guy will sing or whistle while doing his work, and makes for a good show! It does close down except for long-term use in the winter time (November-??) due to coastal seasonal flooding. Internet can be occasionally spotty but we use AT&T and Verizon which work well. Cable is provided. Full hook ups. Due to Covid enquire about the bathroom situation when calling to book. Walking distance from the harbor and a quick bike ride to the bluffs overlooking the ocean.

Hendy woods is a sacred place I will always come back to. The old growth redwoods and rich diversity of plants and fungi really make this place stand out. I have stayed at this campground 5+ times and each time I am glad to come back. 

The two redwood groves are easily accessible from the campsite, and the campsite itself is pretty nice. Quiet, nicely located and I always have a little bit of service (Verizon) at the campground. Hendy woods is a perfect campground for a weekend getaway because of its prime location. There is a cute apple orchard with an honor system mini outdoor shop where they sell apples, cider, etc. They offer cider tastings every once and a while too! The state park is an hour away from Highway 1, so you can easily get to the beach from there. 

I always come to Hendy Woods with my camera, especially in the late winter, early spring to do some mushroom photography. So much to see here! Oh and not to mention the beautiful river about a 10 min walk from the campground :) ENJOY Hendy Woods!!

Pros: If you are a person who likes to either stay all day at your campsite or are a water sport/water toy type person this campground is for you. Cons: Bathroom near our campsite wasn’t working. Campsites were overgrown with foxtails, not good for my dogs. Trash in our fire pit. A few campsites away from ours had a huge poison oak plant at the back where you park your rig. A walkway near the campground popular for fishing had a tree fall on it, instead of clearing the tree, the park rangers closed it off. Not much hiking in the park, and if you decide to walk the couple short hikes, don’t bring your dogs, NO DOGS ALLOWED. For the number of workers this park employs you would think these things would be dealt with, but no. I guess this is typical of State Parks in California, so much potential but sadly California parks slowly deteriorate.