Best Equestrian Camping near Mendocino Lake

This 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

We 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/

General: 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.

[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

We had a great time when we stayed a night here in October.  The campground is nice and has a lot of availability- even on weekends!

The camp facilities are fine.  The sites are spacious and there are a mix of shady and sunny sites.  The flush bathrooms are fine, and there are free showers.  Our young kids had a great time playing on the playground which was an unexpected bonus. 

We stayed on a Saturday night and there weren't that many other people in the campground.  I'm not sure why it's not busier, as it's just as nice as the state park campgrounds we've stayed in.  The town of Ukiah is pretty close as well, so you can get food or supplies easily.

We had OK cell coverage with Verizon- we could usually browse the internet but streaming videos were difficult (you could download and watch them pretty quickly, but just streaming was hit and miss).

Middle creek campground was as close as we could find to free camping in Upper Lake CA. At the time of our visit 90% of the Mendocino National Forest was closed as a result of fires the past year as well as landslides due to rains.this is normally a ohv area but since all trails are closed it is quiet and peaceful.you can hear the creek running along the camp, as well as the wild turkeys . There must be over 15 different species of birds as well. Each campsite has a picnic table , fire pit as well as a bbq grill. They do have vault toilets and running water. It was $8.00 a nite but offered a discount with a America the beautiful pass

Been here a couple of times.. the campsites are so beautiful and surrounded by trees. We couldn’t even see our neighbor, it was private and secluded. The view from the top of the hill was breathtaking.

This small campground has a wonderful host, clean amenities, a wonderful smell, and a fabulous beach to play on.

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. Campsite includes a table and fire pit.  Within walking distance of the beach and a short drive to coastal towns.

Got Lucky and got a spot without a reservation for a night, I was impressed. Awesome spot, beautiful area; lots of trees with a creek running through the campsites! Short walk to a beach that’s under a bridge. Restrooms are very clean with flushing toilets.

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.

This is a lovely, peaceful campsite with so many positives. Great hiking trails, a small protected beach, helpful camp host, and well-maintained showers and flush toilets. Larger beaches and the postcard town of Mendocino are just a couple miles away if you want a change of scenery.

There are a couple things I wish I’d known in advance. The sites are on the small side, and most don’t have two trees large enough to string a hammock or a run line for a dog. Some of the sites aren’t as private, so it’s worth checking a map before booking. I stayed in 27, which was a beautiful spot, but the sites on that side of the creek get almost no sun during the day, so everything was a little damp all the time.

Those were all small things I can work around the next time I visit, which I absolutely plan to do again.

Location is great but $45 for no hookups is a bit much. Not sure why Dyrt is saying there are any hookups, only one I saw was at the camp host. I agree with other reviews that state some sites are super close together with little privacy. Lucky I got #22, it was perfect for an 18’ van. There is NO cell service, bathrooms are clean but you have to pay for showers. Hiking trails along the coast are really nice.

Serene, Beautiful, clean bathrooms, spacious Tucked away off the hwy we were surprised by the sound of babbling creek and the little bridges that meanders through this campground

Site 15 was a gem! We felt it was quite secluded compared to others sites at CA state parks we have encountered and there was a nice creek running near the site as well. The hiking at this park is stellar. If heading to the northern CA coast again this will definitely deserve more nights- peaceful, clean, and lots of explore in the park/area.

Camped here Sept 2014 with a large group of friends in the group site. The bathrooms were close and clean. The group site was near the road used to reach the beach but traffic wasn’t a problem. The beach was really close which was nice for an evening stroll. The group site was large enough with multiple picnic tables and a large square fire ring/bbq. Beautiful spot in a beautiful part of the coast.

The campground is really nice. Sites were nicely bushed in so as to have a bit of privacy. The walk down to swim in the lake was a significant downhill but the dip was worth it! Funny dead trees sticking out of the lake were fun to climb on. We statyed mostly in smaller sites, but attended a wedding at the group site (D), which was LOVELY- there was a roofed area with picnic table seating for ~50- and another roofed area for the dance party. All infrastructure at that site looked fresh and new.