The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Oakdale. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Oakdale. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Oakdale. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Cole Ranch
16 min away
Riverpoint Landing Marina Resort
44 min away
$60 - $90 / night
"They also change the hand towel in the restrooms daily for everyone to use. The campsite is well taken care of as well as the kitchen which is communal use."
"The amenities were above and beyond anything we have seen at other locations. Complimentary watercraft for the river, stocked outdoor kitchen, and hot showers with shampoo/lotion etc. "
$50 / night
"Wicked August heat, BUT there’s the lake!
5 Stars — were it not for the SLOBS who preceded us!!"
"I come here with my family every year around 4th of July. I would book way ahead for busy holidays like that.
The water level really varies on the year."
$25 - $70 / night
"The campground we chose was kind of close to the road which would have been the only real negative."
"Beautiful site, hiking trails close by, well maintained grounds. Bear came through our camp one night hit the Bear box and walked off. Rangers were friendly and very informative about the area."
"About 50 tent only sites, some just feet from the lake. RV sites are farther from the lake on mostly level gravel pads with picnic table, fire rings, and a trash can at each site."
"I pitched a tent in site 43 right next to the lake. Excellent place."
$150 / night
$50 - $150 / night
"I was lucky to find Eagle Point this spring for a simple tent set up, and boy was it perfect."
$20 / night
"Some noise from chainsaws in the distance one day, and some target practice, but neither lasted long. 2 bars LTE of Verizon."
"There is sun for solar panels and enough shade to be fine mostly, I have a canopy so it helps make it more than fine. Only downside is the ground is basically dust dirt."
"It gets very busy on the weekends and hot days, so you will have daytime noise from swimming/river activities. During the earlier summer months there are rafters during the day."
"I visited in November, on the first days of rain after a long dry season. I arrived after dark and was unfamiliar with the layout, so I stayed at a pull-out near the McCabe Flat campground."
"There are mostly walk in sites and 2 drive in sites. We got here in off-season and had the whole campground to ourselves. So peaceful listening to the river all night. Not much car traffic either."
"I visited in November, on the first days of rain after a long dry season. I arrived after dark and was unfamiliar with the layout, so I stayed at a pull-out near the McCabe Flat campground."
TravelerMy brother and I hit the north grove campground for the first time this past weekend. My expectations weren’t high but this place was great.
The campground we chose was kind of close to the road which would have been the only real negative. The campground map makes it seem like the road was further away from the sites but I woke up a couple of times from road noise.
Our campsite had a fire ring, bbq, picnic table and bear box and still had a large flat spot for my huge tent as well as parking for my car.
The weather was great, no bugs to be found and plenty to do. I already want to go back next year but choose a site further from the road.
TravelerRed Cloud Rd offers few viable camping sites. The road becomes increasingly rough and eroded, with deep ruts and drainages. 4WD or AWD is necessary. Site offers scenic views, unobstructed night sky, and interesting exploration.
Leave no trace!
GuideWe (party of 4) were there primarily because we rented a boat from their Marina. That went well! This is an RV campground & full-complement resort on Bethel Island, San Joaquin River Delta. Many RVers appear to be long-term or full-time residents.
The tent-area was a clearing, fully backed up to the levee, with some shade and a water spigot. Appears to be only 4 “sites,” which are defined by picnic tables, GENEROUSLY spaced, no fire rings AND the Delta is h.o.t.! It’s also on the far edge of the property, so car traffic was MINIMUM — and NO generators were heard, even though the RV section is huge!!!
The rest rooms were in the Marina building, a short walk. We would DEFINITELY return for boating and tenting!!!
TravelerThe location and weekend was amazing and beautiful. The 105 daytime temps were quelled by dunking ourselves in the lake and taking excursions to some of the other local wonders. We had a great view of the lake and the stars overnight were amazing. It was extremely easy to socially distance from others at all times.
We spent the weekend camped out here but when we arrived, our location was filled with trash. The previous occupants had left garbage strewn everywhere and a garbage bag that was torn into by the wildlife. We cleaned for about half an hour and filled a large black yard waste bag with garbage before we could start to settle in.
The other big issue is that the site says “all facilities are open” but in reality all the restrooms are closed and locked with a solution of putting portable toilets in front of the restroom areas. This is in no way better for dealing with bathroom needs.
Also, the camp host location was marked but no host appeared or was available. The rangers drove by maybe 6 times total.
Be aware when coming here that many sites do not have shade or places to set up hammocks.
Don’t let my negative points turn you away, many of these things were going to be situational and we would love to go back (just not in the midst of a heatwave like that).
GuideThe sites were well maintained. We went early in the season (April) so the dust was not bad. I think later in the spring/summer you might find yourself faced with dust and foxtails. Lots of weeds in surrounding areas.
Water was high, but looks like it would be great fishing.
There are many site styles available- private riverside drive up, community river cul-de-sac walk-ins, and three drive in sites tucked up the hill away from everything.
Porta-pottys and vault toilets available- no water.
Lots a options here.
Great beach by the river- tag the shade early in the day to beat the heat.
ScoutWe stayed here for the night prior to a Hetch Hetchy backpacking trip. We arrived in the dark. We had reserved a site with a small two person tent already set up for us. It was a bit hard to find in the dark, but the camping area is fenced in under an oak grove so eventually we found the stump with our name on it next to the tent. In the future, I think I’ll just bring my own tent and deal with the small hassle of setting it up—the tent provided was fine, but definitely would not have been a good choice if there had been rain. And you could tell it is essentially set up 24/7—some tiny insects living inside etc. The campsites themselves were sufficiently spacious and the host has nice fire pits with fire wood provided for each site, plus picnic tables. Basic portapotties plus some running water for bathrooms. Fellow campers were an interesting mix of folks from all over, though I wish the owner had quiet hours posted and communicated—our immediate tent neighbors sat out chatting and laughing until nearly 1am which was annoying. The coyotes and owls at night were lovely.
LegendGeneral: 132-site Corps of Engineers campground on New Hogan Lake. No hookups.
Site Quality: Varies. Most are back-in, but some are pull-through. Most sites are generous in size, providing some privacy. More than a few are not level (do not pick Site 107 if you need anything close to level!). We had reserved Site 80 but ended up taking Site 100. Pads are all paved but narrow; large RVs might be challenged navigating these driveways. A picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and grill complete the site.
Bathhouse: They really could use some TLC. No soap or towels and not all the showers were functional. I chose not to try the functional one as it had seen better days!
Activities: We saw several boats on the lake and there is fishing. Not sure about other activities as we just enjoyed relaxing at our campsite by the lake!
We were there on a Thursday in early May, and it was fairly quiet. No ranger or other camp host that we saw. However, on the weekends and in the summer, it looks like it would be a much different story (but we prefer the off-season!). Yes, the bathrooms may have been janky, but who are we to complain when it costs just$10 (with the Golden Access Pass). Beware of goose poop– it is everywhere! And while you definitely won’t hear road-noise, you will hear honking geese!
GuideWe tent camped in this state campground for two nights. The campground is well shaded (good luck with solar). It's small with only 23 sites. Perfect weekend getaway for Northern California families, about 3 hours from Bay Area.
Next to a beautiful state operated historical park with lots of open space, tall ancient oak trees and two easy trails. Open space great for games, frisbee, soccer, or setup a volleyball net. Grass is mowed. Many shaded picnic tables. We enjoyed hiking the South trail, which is about 1/2 a mile with nature markers matching to an information guide. Kids will enjoy going inside the roundhouses (teepee like structures). Stop by the free museum. The ranger was very knowledgeable and engaged the kids well covering the history of artifacts.
Pros
- Very clean bathrooms. They were cleaned and sterilized twice a day according to the ranger. Flush toilets. Hot water showers, requiring coins (change machine).
- Campsite host on site. There are also rangers nearby at the park.
- Sites reservable
- Very close to Black Chasm Cavern, which is a paid guided tour cavern. Kids can search for fossils and minerals in the water trough next to gift shop. Just buy a bag of dirt.
- Two trails: a short South trail near the campsite and a longer North trail.
- ADA site and many accessible areas & bathroom
- Campfire rings and tables at campsites. Each site appeared to have a flat tent spot available.
Cons
- You can hear cars and trucks going by at night on nearby Pine Grove Volcano Rd. Not too bad, but does take away the ambiance of being in the outdoors. This is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.
- Some of the sites are close together. They are closer than appear on camp map. Another reason for 4 out of 5 stars.
- Dogs cannot go on trails. They can only go to open fields at historical park and campground, which is plenty for dog walking.
- Water spigots are shared among multiple sites (not one per site). No hookups.
Our family would definitely go again.
ScoutSite was H-30. Pad was 8”+ low on rear tires of Class A motorhome. Fire pit was installed to close to picnic table, and no level ground to put chairs around. View was great!
Oakdale, California, offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts looking for beautiful scenery and unique experiences.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Oakdale, CA is Cole Ranch with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.
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