Best Tent Camping near Mendocino National Forest, CA

The entrance to this campground is behind a store so it technically is hidden. 

What it lacks in privacy of sites it definitely makes up for in amenities. There are firewood bundles stacked up alongside the store for pick up. There is a pool and shower room open from 10 am to 10 pm. 

The tent sites are right along a fence without much privacy. I would suggest this place for RV camping over tent camping. 

There are showerhouses and bathrooms in the middle of the campground with a fish cleaning station. 

It’s an expensive campground $45-69 per night depending on where you want to be.

We chose Pomo based on other reviews on TheDyrt. I picked site 47 out of the three that were left when I was searching for a place near Fort Bragg. Although it looks like the site is in the middle of the town, the sites are very private, many nestled between thick brush (blackberries!) and many back far enough from the road that it seems like you're boondocking. Our primary reason for choosing a coastal site was for comfort. It was still over 95 degrees inland, but a very comfortable 65 along the coast. 

Almost all the RV sites are gravel, with the exception of a couple smaller ones, and the tent sites. There is a single bathroom complex, and the men's restroom was great...tiled with multiple stalls, large glass windows and CLEAN! I didn't check the showers out, but I'm assuming the same level of detail and finish also apply there.

It appears the sewer system doesn't cover all the sites, so the further back in the campground you go, there won't be any (an educated guess on my behalf). I walked through the campground, and most the RV sites have a power pedastal and water, a nice wooden picnic table and a fire ring. Internet access is available throughout, and when I ran speedtest I was getting 170Mbps down, which is incredible.

Make sure you look through the pictures of each site on the reservation page. They all are slightly different in size, privacy, and whatnot. There are several sites that "share" a common open space if you're in a group, and a large group area which looked to have 5 or 6 sites all comingled.

For tent camping, there is a large, open line of grass near the front of the campground, which doesn't really offer much protection from the sun. BUT...there is a loop at the back of the campground that has at least 10 grassy tent sites under a thick cover of pine trees. It's isolated by a path from the other RV sites, and I was really impressed by the area! If I were still tent camping, this would no doubt be my go-to tent site.

The nights were quiet and dark, and the staff friendly. They have 1 dump station, a fish cleaning station, propane and the office has a bunch of DVD movies available (not sure if for rent or free use).

Overall an excellent site and we were glad to find it, and will probably use this as a staging point for future treks further up the coast! I'll include some pictures of the site (I never include personal/family pictures because this is a campground review site, not a family album!)

Wasn't very private, but is good for tent camping in a safe family environment.

We love this campground and have been coming for years. We have tent camped and trailer camped and love both. The tent spots are nicely divided by coastal trees and shrubs which provide ample privacy. You can walk to the beach, bathrooms with quarter showers, clean.

At $30 per night for a tent, this campground is a bit intense. 

This is a drive up site. The online source for it is outdated but the site is a good place to stop if you just need a space for the night. 

It is a combo trailer park, RV sites, and Tents sites so the navigation might be a little tricky in parts. There are power sites and water sources placed around the area. 

There is a bath house in the middle of the park but if you are camped in the tent sites, it is pretty far away. 

There are a couple porta potties set up that are closer to the tent sites. 

Cash or check only here. No cards taken. 

Make sure you check the pet rules too, they are very strict on them. We were lucky enough to not have our dogs with us this trip. 

The sites are pretty secluded by shrubs so you do get a sense of privacy in places. The turns driving around might make RV camping a little tricky.

Family park, nice and quite. Tent sites to full hookups. Older park facilitys very old. Some sites have an ocean view everyone can listen to the waves at night.

Just a short drive from the main road into the Mendocino National Forest. You don’t need four-wheel-drive to get here. Clean camping that’s paved as well there nice stream next to the campground full of turtles, crawfish and ducks. Be aware that this campground is mainly used by dirtbike riders but not much of a bother. All around a great place to camp as well there are no water or trash services here so be sure to pack in and pack out

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.

Easy access and great store, with access to fire rings, tables, showers, potable water, dump station and trash receptacles. The tent sites are beautiful, but a bit too close to each other when there are dogs involved.

We were here for 3 nights and enjoyed the summer concert series on the grass and the close location to a private beach across from the Rv park. 

The spaces for Rv’s are tight, but we made it work. Tent camping is much more spacious. 

The weather was humid and cool. It felt wonderful for July!!

Here's another promise NOT gonna happen. If you have any trailer at all, you must turn around at the bottom of the hill, then go UP the steep hill to your promised site. Yeah...that site...shorter than you need and SO unlevel, you can't level out. All this for dry camping. BTW, if you are tent camping, it's wonderful. You're welcome.

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

This camp ground exceeds expectations with its natural beauty! Tent camping gets closed for the winter season but plenty of RV spaces($40 honor system) with lots of options to choose from. There are not many people in the off season so we were able to get a spot with direct access to the beach! Each spot has a picnic table and firepit. This place has lots of wildlife (raccoons) so be careful what you leave out! **dog friendly

This was a nice campground very close to the beach. Great place to take kids. The RV spaces were very tight and close together. We were concerned about getting our 36 foot motor home out but with some maneuvering and backing up, my husband was able to get us out. We explored the tent camping area and it is beautiful, secluded, and spacious. The staff are very friendly, helpful, and the store is well stocked with good prices.

Fuller grove was a nice little campground on Lake Pillsbury (our rented minivan just weathered the dirt road in from the 101). It’s a small loop with great options for multi-tent camping. Some of the sites far from the entrance and along the water are very nice with multiple pads and tables. The campground beach is beautiful, definitely recommend some late-night stargazing. There’s only outhouses in decent condition. We were there with only a few other campers, so it was a peaceful stay.

Tent camped here a few nights ago. A little spendy at $37 for a single night but it is super close to I5 and a few gas stations. Nice property with some grass to throw the tent on, none of the other residents were super loud. Restrooms and showers onsite and they were both clean. Didn't get to talk to any of the  property managers in person due to COVID-19, but the woman on the phone who did the booking was super helpful. Seems like a better for RV camping as there are many more spots for that.

Talk about secluded. Even though you are so close to town this is off the beaten path and you can’t even get into this campground unless you have a reservation. The front building shows all the sites available and even has maps ready for pick up when you arrive to the campground. 

There is a shower house and Laundry building in the center of the campground. 

Sites are a bit tight together but have adequate privacy utilizing trees and shrubs. 

The loops are well laid out but would be tight for a longer RV to come into. 

Ideal for couples since tent camping is $35 per night for 2 people, and extra adult is $17.50. And $1 per pet per night.

My family decided on this spot for our anual camping trip. There were 6 adults one late teen and two children. We tent camp. Our spot was nice and clean and next to the creek. Large enough for our three cars three tents and extra table and plenty of room to set up chairs around the fire for us. The beach across the street is on an inlet so the surf wasn't bad. Porta potties we're every few spots and the bathrooms with flush toilets and showers were just a short walk. The staff and camp store were great. They even had a band on Saturday for entertainment. The only negative and this is not their fault we're our night visitors. Beware the skunks are plentiful and used to human interaction as with the raccoons. Keep your food secure and don't get yourself sprayed and you'll be fine

My husband and I stumbled across this campsite by chance while on our way to another one of our favorite Fort Bragg area campgrounds. It’s an open campground split into two sides with, i’d estimate about 20-30 spots total. It looks like there is a primarily RV side and a primarily car or tent camping side. Regardless, you pay your fee (if I remember correctly only about $20) into the box with your filled out slip, and you have a front row view to the ocean. It’s as if you’re on the edge of the cliff, and there’s absolutely nothing between you and those beautiful sunsets. The beach is a short walk from there, too, and we were able to have privacy up until later hours when some other campers joined us. Though even still, it wasn’t invasive or rowdy.

Caspar Beach RV Park was a beautiful place to stay. I truly enjoyed my time there. A forest of trees right across the street from the crashing surf. Lovely! It has a wonderful tent camping area back away from RV's in the Redwoods and many other trees. RV parking was neck to neck but I enjoyed the sense of community and friendliness.

The thing that keeps me from giving this a 5 star rating is the fact that they charge for showers. There was no mention of this in any literature I read so it was a surprise when I went for a shower and saw the coin box. For $5 you should get a good shower but you won't here. When my quarters ran out and I put more in, all I got was cold water. Also, beware as the sizing on their hoodies is incorrect!

Nice valley with great campsites - tent camping for me, but great for RVs as well. They are spaced well and have good tree canapy. The facilites are good and well maintained and even have showers scattered thoughout. At the moment I am referring tot eh site in the two lower loops along the creek.

The beach is great for sunsets and if you are a diver.  Can do some limited tidepooling if the tides are right. Great place to explore the Mendocino Coast from.

There are great forest trails, a stream throughout, a waterfall to find and some choice hike-in sites back in the canyon.

Just was there again (9/2020) stayed in upper loop for the first time.  These sites are very different  Some are open in a meadow with no shade.  Some are also not very private. They have recently done some tree work thee is thin things out which effect privacy and shade. Choose wisely.

My family and I stayed here once on a road trip to California. We like to play each day by ear which can sometimes become challenging when it’s time to find a place to stay for the night, relying on last minute availability. The night we stayed here was the most difficult we ever had finding a campsite, but we got lucky with a well-timed, last minute cancellation just as we were checking to see if they had any openings. The car just before us had checked for openings and had just been turned away. When we pulled up the ranger took a call canceling one of their best tent sites for the night. So lucky!

The campground is incredibly beautiful, wooded, cool and fresh. The campground sits in a deep narrow valley of trees with a stream running through just across highway 1 from a beach. The bathrooms are good and clean. There’s an amphitheater where we were able to see a ranger/scientist presentation on sea birds of California. Lucky, lucky, lucky.

We had dinner in nearby Mendocino - which is a cute, small town on the coast which attracts many tourists. The town has a rich history and some mystique with the local freemasonry statue “Time and the Maiden” statue which looks down over the town.

The next morning the Ranger suggested we check out a nearby Pygmy Tree Forest as a point of interest it was pretty cool and definitely worth checking out.

I would stay here again in a heartbeat. It’s like an oasis of cool and fresh in the hot August of California. The coast is breathtaking and the local sights are not to be missed.

The Aurora RV Park & Marina is a work in progress. I can see what they want to make this campground into, but the reality of what it’s currently status is makes it difficult to stay there. I did get to try a couple of the different blends of Nature’s Coffee Kettle while I was there. Unfortunately I did have to cut my trip short as there was a mandatory evacuation order put into place due to wild fires.

Campground Review

First off this park is designed for RV use, but the owners have converted a few spaces for tent camping. During my visit I stayed in a tent. I booked the site through booking.com and paid $22.00 a night.

The Good

Each site has its own water sipget and two electrical outlets that work well. There was plenty of space at the site to setup two 4-person tents. The site is at the North end of Clearlake and you have some pretty spectacular views all day long. There is a beautiful public BBQ sitting area right next to the private beach. You can use the canoes, kayaks, or paddle boat all free of charge and they provide life jackets. There park does provide WiFi at no additional cost and it worked reasonably well. The mangers there are very friendly and approachable. They checked on me multiple times to make sure everything was okay.

The Bad

At the time of my visit the campground was undergoing renovations. The office area where the bathrooms/showers, laundry room, and community lounge were all at some stage of construction. THe bathrooms were clean, but only one shower and toilet worked. There was no mirror in the bathroom during my stay. I could not for the life of me get the shower to spray warm water at all so I had a week of cold showers, which wasn’t too bad given how hot it was. I did report this to the mangers, but the issue never got resolved. For tent camping the site were too close together and no picnic table was provided at the space I was at. If I had booked through AirB&B I would have been in a different area that had a picnic table.

Product Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products in the field. At The Aurora RV Park & Marina, I tested two different blends of Nature’s Coffee Kettle. I tried the Colombian and Sumatra blend. Overall I would give this product a 4 out a 5 stars.

What I liked about camping with the Nature’s Coffee Kettle:

• Portable and easy to pack. It takes almost no space at all as it is completely flat when empty.
• Easy to make. Boil water and pour into the kettle and wait. That’s it!
• Easy to clean. Once you’ve had your coffee take out the coffee pod and dispose of it. Rinse out the kettle and your done.
• The kettle is reusable! You can re-order new pods and keep using the kettle
• Many different things you can brew. Currently they have variety of coffee blends and tea blends. They also have Hot Chocolate, but that comes in its own kettle.
• Some of the best coffee I have had while camping. The coffee was really good! Way batter than my normal percolated stuff.

THings to be aware of

• You have to be really careful when pouting the boiling water into the kettle. It is easy to still some of that water on yourself (I did this).
• The pouch is not insulated so if you want to drink hot/warm coffee you got to drink quickly.