Best Campgrounds near Petrolia, CA

I talked to the host at the Clam Beach Campground. They told me that the State had shut down all the camping north of their campground because of “rowdiness.” I drove the frontage road from Clam Beach exit to the Crannell exit on 101 north. Everywhere one could pull off to the side and camp there were multiple signs saying no camping. I think this particular dispersed camping location should be taken off the Dyrt site.

Arcata, CA. Quiet, clean campground. Bathrooms fair (men’s stall floor flooded with about 3” water👀). Women’s ok. SUPER great Mexican restaurant at entrance of RV park-chicken tinga out of this world good. Online booking does not work after 3pm for same day booking so we called to make the reservation. Staff said they would leave us paperwork since they leave around 5pm with bathroom code and WiFi. We got paperwork but no bathroom code or WiFi so we asked neighbors. We would stay at this place again if we were passing through.

Great views — and often less soggy than down below on the water and beach. Only drawback is proximity to the access road and a bit exposed.

Plus side is that it’s very close to downtown & camp host was great. Lots of old rundown RVs and junk lying around. Good for an overnight stop but would not stay long term.

I camped there one night. Bathrooms are clean and well maintained.

This was the only place in shelter cove to stay for the night on our multi day lost coast trip and it was fine for what it is A camp ground with hookups for rvs The general store had great burgers The sunset was amazing

I’ve heard that this place can get crowded during the summer months I’m glad we waited until fall Definitely off the beaten path We were here on a Thursday night on our way to shelter cove via Usal rd

We stopped here intending to stay the night on our way north but just couldn’t justify spending $30 for a literal parking spot (for RVs). I’m not even sure if there would have been room for our slides without going over into the next spot, and if we’d wanted the awning out there definitely wouldn’t have been room. There were no other RVs there and so I’m sure it would have been fine, but still. 

The tent spots weren’t as bad, they were off the parking lot in a sandy area. You’re right off the highway too, so there’s a lot of noise. I could see this place being fine for an overnight spot, maybe for $10 or something, but to market it as a campground is just crazy. 

There are pit toilets here and trash bins, host across the street. We thought about staying here just for the dog friendly beach access but the trail to the beach was narrow, overgrown, muddy, and overall unpleasant. About 10 miles north there is a lovely rest stop where you can stay for 8 hours for free if you just need a place to sleep (and there’s a free dump station there too!) We didn’t stay. Don’t recommend.

We stayed here for half price with the Passport America discount - we paid $25 for a pull through E/ W site (normally$50), and refreshingly there were no taxes or fees added on to the price. We almost didn’t stay here, as on the Passport America site they state that they do not allow certain breeds of dogs, and we generally try to not support places that discriminate against certain breeds, even though our large dog is mixed breed dog who could pass for any number of breeds. But nobody mentioned anything about dogs when we arrived, and we saw no mention of it anywhere on their website or other signage, so we ended up staying. 

It’s one of those run down, but in a comfortable kind of way, places. There’s a cute tree house and cute cabins (tiny), as well as a tent-only area for $30. There’s also a dump station (free for campers), a laundry room, and free showers. The showers were run down but clean. We ended up not using the laundry- they are $2 each for washer and dryer (they take quarters, and there’s no change machine), with a sign saying that your clothes may stain due to the iron in the water, and that you need to shake out the sawdust from your clothes before washing them (I guess a lot of loggers stay here?). Also, the water jug we had filled with their water was full of rusty red residue at the bottom, ick. And that water is what we used to fill our onboard RV tank (and that’s with using a filter). The RV park seems to be mostly long-termers or seasonal campers, it was very quiet and devoid of people when we stayed here after a holiday weekend. 

Staff was very friendly and welcoming. We forgot to ask about wifi, but cell reception was good for Verizon and ATT. The park is nicely situated among the trees with an easy access from the highway, right near the entrance to the Avenue of the Giants. Would stay here again.

pretty basic good after a long night of driving

It was our first time dispersed camping. We fell in LOVE!! The 45 min dirt road was filled with amazing views early morning. Will definitely be coming back here more often.

The location it’s not what it says on this map. It’s about a mile heading to eureka. It’s okay it’s small camp site it’s right next 101 it’s bit noisy

The road was a bit rougher than expected (took us roughly 45 min from the paved road to camp). People made it down in mini vans but I personally wouldn’t try it. We stayed over a weekend and there was several groups but still plenty of areas to camp. T-Mobile had 0 service.

Very long road but absolutely wonderful site. It’s literally your own private beach for the night.

Best camping spot of our trip. The road in is a long and windy road but the site is worth the drive. We got there at night but the windy road did not deter us. 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. The morning drive out was gorgeous.

It was easy to find the access road by the mile marker on Hwy. 1.

The road itself is rough and could be very unsettling for anyone trying to do this trip in a vehicle without good off-road clearance. The ruts can be big and cause bottoming out of street cars. For the most part, the road is easy, but challenging in some spots and skinny. You may have to make way or room for oncoming vehicles.

The area has plenty of campsites and fires are allowed. You can choose to shelter in the wooded areas or setup right on the beach. Beware of the deep sand. Lots of folks get stuck here, so drive carefully.

I loved this place, but so many people know about it. Prepare for neighbors sharing the area. Still it was secluded enough to really enjoy.

What do I have to say about it further? Dude! It's Northern CA. It's the Pacific Ocean. It's a dream combo you can only experience by being there. Love this place and keep it clean!

We phoned and immediately got a spot, the park was pretty empty on arrival but showed “no availabilities”. Hookups and amenities were good and clean. Laundry available. It would be a little improvement to provide a Picknick bench and something for the kids (playground?) and also some more redwood specific things to do in the area such as hikes.

We were there at first with just a couple rvs there. By the end of the four days - it was filling up and was still quiet. The showers were nice. Ferndale is a gorgeous old Victorian town and you are still close to eureka and don’t underestimate the safety factor.

Definitely an underdog beach campground! It is very hard to find anything online. But this spot is amazing. Its as close to a dispersed spot as you can find with just a few amenities. I guess I was the first one who wanted to share the spot, I added it to the app for you all!