G
Grace P.
Scout
ScoutUsal Beach Campground
4x4 needed but easy drive
Beautiful. Not too many people. I would only take a 4x4x
Tent Camping near Mendocino, CA
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Jackson Demonstration Forest, Usal Beach, and Jughandle Creek Farm offer tent camping options throughout the heavily forested coastal landscape of Mendocino County. Tent campsites near Mendocino range from primitive riverside sites along the Noyo River to sandy beach spots and secluded walk-in sites, giving campers a wide spectrum of settings along this rugged stretch of coast. Usal Beach provides dispersed tent camping on the sand or in wooded areas, accessible via a rough dirt road that requires vehicles with good clearance. Jughandle Creek Farm features secluded walk-in tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings, located between Mendocino and Fort Bragg near the beach. Jackson Demonstration Forest provides primitive tent sites along the Noyo River approximately 6 miles from Fort Bragg on Highway 20.
Most tent campgrounds in the Mendocino area have basic amenities with varying degrees of development. Sites typically include picnic tables and fire rings, though water availability differs significantly between locations. Vault toilets are common at established sites, while dispersed areas may lack facilities entirely. Usal Beach Campground provides only a single pit toilet near the entrance road. Road conditions vary dramatically - Jackson Forest sites require navigating 3 miles of dirt road, while Usal Beach demands high-clearance vehicles to traverse an extremely rough 30-minute drive on a mountain road shared with logging trucks. Seasonal considerations include potential winter closures at some locations.
Tent campers experience significant solitude at many Mendocino sites, particularly in more remote areas. Jackson Forest offers quiet camping with the Noyo River flowing through the center of the campground, providing both scenic beauty and recreation opportunities. Jughandle Creek Farm features a hiking path that leads directly to the beach and pygmy redwood forest. A visitor noted that "it was the perfect spot to set up two (or more) tents" with sites that remained "pretty quiet even when they were all full." At Usal Beach, campers can choose between tent campsites directly on the beach or more sheltered locations in the adjacent wooded areas, though the challenging access road keeps crowds relatively small despite its popularity.
Best Tent Campgrounds near Mendocino (14)
1. Jackson Demonstration Forest
"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."
"Each camp has a picnic table, fire pit and a bbq. Dump lap has 17 spots and a vaulted toilet. There was a small creek behind the campground which was nice."
2. Paul M. Dimmick Campground — Navarro River Redwoods State Park
"Shaded, peaceful and lovely. We arrived early afternoon in August on a Saturday and found a nice empty spot no problem. The remaining spots mostly filled up by Saturday evening."
"Nice campsite with around 27 ish spots. First come first serve at $35 as of 2025. I went tent camping but you can probably bring in a small RV."
from $10 - $35 / night
3. Dunlap Campground
"3 sites are currently closed due to COVID to encourage social distancing; sites fill up quickly on weekends; no on-site camp host, but Cal Fire does come through to write receipts and pick up trash."
4. Usal Beach Campground
"It’s a 6-mile 4x4 drive to get to the beach, but the beach itself is glorious, mystical, magical, and everything I could hope for."
"6 miles of potholes, rough dirt road and some deep puddles and you'll find a beautiful sandy beach with camping spots above the tide and some in the trees for privacy. Fire pits built all over."
5. COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground
"Upside: almost no one here, including security and onsite host (private and undisturbed), no road noise, great playground, bathrooms, showers and water views."
6. Red Mountain
"Set up tent from my cars headlights. Woke up to absolutely beautiful views. The dirt road up to this site is rough."
7. King Range Conservation Area
"A pay by the day and rangers will enforce. Dress in layers. Nestled in with large pieces of driftwood trees acting as berms between your campsite and the beach sand."
"When we were there a few years ago, there was no water available because illegal pot growers had "poached" the park's water for their crops, forcing the BLM to shut down the water system."
8. Old Train Caboose
"We're happy to welcome this property to our platform. This property is offering 2 lodging options, a Caboose & Tent camping under the Walnut trees."
from $39 - $175 / night
Check Availability9. Penny Pines Campground
10. Buckhorn Campground
Drive Time
- 1 hr 53 min from Santa Rosa, CA
- 2 hrs 38 min from Napa, CA
Recent Tent Camping Photos near Mendocino, CA
11 Photos of 14 Mendocino Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Tent Camping Reviews near Mendocino, CA
507 Reviews of 14 Mendocino Campgrounds
- MMATTHEW R.
RangerWildwood RV Park & Campground
Tired from the drive over the mountains rolled in here for a secure night of sleep. Plenty of spots. Electric water, flushers, but bring your quarters for the shower.
Juliana J.RangerUsal Beach Campground
Beautiful Spot, fun drive, family/group friendly
Heck of a drive getting here, but worth the trek. I absolutely would not recommend hauling a camper up here. One way, winding road off of highway 1 that was actually pretty well marked. No service or amentities. Pack in and pack out! Both wide open spots near the beach or you can tuck your vehicle in by the trees with about a 1/4 mile walk to the beach. There was some group event going on and individuals who brought dirt bikes, so it was not quiet/peaceful, but the scenery made up for that. No marked sites, but plenty of fire pits to show where others have camped in the past. Lots of beautiful birds.
- LLeonard H.Ranger
Richardson Grove State Park Campground
Madonna Sites 37-76 Open FC-FS
Only Madrone loop sites 37-76 open now during winter. Can't reserve online... first-come first-served pay at site. Checks or cash in envelope. 20% occupancy on Wednesday night mid-October. Most sites paved... only a handful sufficiently level without blocks for RV. Flush toilets and hot-cold water sinks in clean restrooms. Showers take tokens. Very dark and quiet at night under beautiful redwood canopy. Would stay again.
- KKathryn T.
TravelerNavarro Beach Campground — Navarro River Redwoods State Park
Beach Front Campinh
These camp spots have the most epic view of the ocean and a massive rock arch. The spots are close to each other (I’d recommend grabbing spot #1 as it’s the most private). The porta potties were clean and the beach was nice.
This spot reminds me more of dispersed camping than a traditional campground. No fee tube and people saw some people camping on the beach in tents. Great spot, would definitely come back.
- KKate G.Scout
Navarro Beach Campground — Navarro River Redwoods State Park
Surprise bonus spot
There’s no campground sign at the turnoff, no envelopes to pay, and no ranger. So beach front camping for free. Nothing fancy, no running water, but clean portos. 8 sites
Whitney R.
GuideBushay Recreation Area
Needs TLC but Perfect Spot!
I was hesitant about booking this campground because the reviews said it was overgrown, unkempt, and dirty in spots. However, I had been driving all day and saw other reviews of the gorgeous lakeside campsites and did it. I stayed at 93 right next to the restrooms and a weird overgrown amphitheater. I'll add the photo 😀 When it says lake side- I am sure at one point it was when the water could fill the lake to the top! But it was still amazing. You can walk down to the beach below. And enjoy the lake. I was on a deadline and had to head out early the next morning. Many sites were overgrown so they should state that when booking- or have them unavailable.
Kylee R.RangerWestport Union Landing State Beach — Westport-Union Landing State Beach
West Union Beach
Bathrooms were terrible but views were awesome. Right off the US1 with picnic tables, bear boxes, and fire rings.
Ryan S.GuideUsal Beach Campground
I brought my rig here....
I read the reviews but decided to try it anyway, bringing my 42 foot rig, a 1960 Chevy C20 with a 21' Geo Pro camper that has a 3' cargo hitch on the back. I made it down and back, and if I could call my past self I would say not to do it at all. Aside from the aggressive bouncing that throws all your stuff everywhere (male sure to stow everything tight) the problem for a rig, even one with good ground clearance, is there are long very narrow sections of the road with no pull outs so if you happen to meet someone coming the other way, one of you needs to back up for a long way, either up or down very windy and rutted roads until you find one. And it does have very steep areas, and the pot holes are pretty dramatic at times. Near the end, the road grade was so steep that I cooked my brakes and was still sliding down the road with very little traction. Then I came upon two very deep pothole/ruts (would have been fun in a jeep), one in front of the other and offset so that there was a big hump to high center on, no mater which way you took it. Going down I was able to control my speed and get by ok but one the way up I had to hit it with some speed, and bent the hell out of one of my stabilizers which caught the dirt coming up and over. But if you do bring a rig, there are eventually good places to get turned around, but you'd better hope you don't break down along the road because you'll cause quite the traffic jam for both directions. I stayed at the site just before the bridge but there are many more sites down farther. And be sure to check out the Cathedral Trees, there is a trail that is marked there near that bridge. There is no cell service here.
Guide to Mendocino
Mendocino County features a rugged coastline with dramatic cliffs alongside dense redwood forests that extend inland. The area's Mediterranean climate brings mild temperatures year-round, with summer highs rarely exceeding 70°F and winter lows seldom below 40°F. Tent campsites near Mendocino, California often require navigating unpaved roads and can fill quickly during summer weekends.
What to do
Beach exploration: Usal Beach Campground offers campers direct beach access for tidepooling, beachcombing, and wildlife watching. "We camped on the beach with the woods to our backs. Saw some coyotes when setting up camp, but they didn't mind us. Most beautiful sunrise in the morning and saw mama and baby bear prints on the sand," notes Matthew S.
River swimming: Jackson Demonstration Forest provides access to the Noyo River for swimming and wading during warmer months. "Beautiful, clean and peaceful. Plenty of trails to explore and Noyo River meanders through the center... Nice day use area with tables and creek for playing in," shares Danielle F.
Hiking to pygmy forest: Several camping areas connect to unique pygmy forest trails where stunted trees grow in acidic soil conditions. "There is a hiking path that takes you down to Jughandle Beach where you will find all kinds of tourists, animals, and great sand to play in or up to the pygmy redwood forest," reports Hayley K. from Jughandle Creek Farm.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Many Mendocino tent campsites offer good separation between camping areas. At Jughandle Creek Farm, "we were able to score a site that was very secluded at the end of the road before the private property line... The sites were pretty quiet even when they were all full and you were able to get to your site without distracting others too much."
Clean facilities: Despite their rustic nature, many campgrounds maintain clean bathrooms. At Paul M. Demmick Campground, "the vaulted ones were extremely clean no flies and didn't have a strong odor," according to Susan W., who appreciated the maintenance level despite limited amenities.
Wildlife viewing: The remote location means frequent wildlife encounters. "We saw one Scrub jay and one ground squirrel while we were there... (Pro tip: Don't leave your food out overnight on the picnic table or that ground squirrel will spirit it away)," warns L. from Paul M. Demmick Campground.
What you should know
Road conditions vary dramatically: Access to many tent camping areas requires careful driving. For Usal Beach Campground, Ryan T. advises, "The road coming into Usal is a pretty messed up mountain road thanks to the fact that it's also used by logging trucks. I would really only recommend this road if you have AWD or 4WD."
Seasonal closures: Many campgrounds close during winter months. "They were closed!" reports avery R. about Paul M. Demmick Campground in September, with another reviewer noting it "Closes sept 2 until May."
Limited amenities: Most sites lack running water and electrical hookups. "No water but fire pits and grills, and picnic tables in campsites," explains Danielle F. about Jackson Demonstration Forest, while Usal Beach has "a single pit toilet that's sort of hidden by the entrance road."
Tips for camping with families
Playground access: Some campgrounds offer unexpected play areas for children. At COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground, Joshua H. notes "Our young kids had a great time playing on the playground which was an unexpected bonus."
River play areas: Look for campgrounds with gentle water access. "Nice day use area with tables and creek for playing in," recommends Danielle F. about Jackson Demonstration Forest.
Cell service considerations: Connectivity varies significantly between campgrounds. Joshua H. reports "We had OK cell coverage with Verizon - we could usually browse the internet but streaming videos were difficult," at COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground, while another camper notes "No cell service with Verizon, you'll have to drive into Mendocino for that" at Paul M. Demmick Campground.
Tips from RVers
Length restrictions: Most primitive camping areas near Mendocino have limited space for larger vehicles. At Red Mountain Campground, justin notes it was "Ultimate seclusion, with normal camping accommodations," but requires driving "6 miles from civilization down a windy road, then up a mountain side."
Dump station availability: Few campgrounds offer sanitary facilities for RVs. COE Mendocino Lake Bu-Shay Campground provides dump stations, though campers should note the campground's seasonal operation from May 1 to September 29.
Getting stuck risk: RV campers should exercise caution when choosing campsites near beaches. At Usal Beach, campers warn "Beware of the deep sand. Lots of folks get stuck here, so drive carefully" and recommend bringing recovery gear during wet seasons when trail conditions deteriorate.
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Which is the most popular tent campsite near Mendocino, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Mendocino, CA is Jackson Demonstration Forest with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
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