Searching for a tent camping spot near Petrolia? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Petrolia, including sites, reviews, and tips. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Four dispersed sites. Beautiful views, non-aggressive dogs welcome, with breed approval. Sites are widely spaced around a two-acre meadow edged by forests and a stream. Full property is 80 acres, most accessible t hiking. Location is one mile from Centerville Beach County Park. No ambient light or noise. Wooded site, fire pits (Cal Fire regulations may prohibit fires in wildfire season), free firewood, potable water available outside bathhouse. (All our water originates in an artesian well on the property.) Hot showers, flush toilets. Bathrooms are shared by 4 sites. Trash bins. Can drive to all sites. Family-friendly place. Field sites are: FOREST STREAM in the far corner bordering both the forest and the creek; FOREST EDGE, far right corner, borders the forest; HAZELWOOD, in alder grove along the creek; and BASE CAMP, under a spreading spruce near the bathrooms. Beautiful property, well-managed, friendly, safe, clean, and quiet. (Hundreds of reviews on Hipcamp and Airbnb.) You can hear the ocean roar all night. 30 minutes from southern redwood groves; 90 minutes from northern redwood parks. Four miles from Victorian Village of Ferndale. Homemade soup, cobbler, and bread is available for order/purchase when booking.
$58 - $70 / night
Baxter Environmental Camp
$20 / night
ROADS MAY BE IMPASSABLE IN WET WEATHER. RV'S & TRAILERS NOT RECOMMENDED.
Sinkyone Wilderness State Park lies on the southern portion of the Lost Coast, a 60-mile stretch of wilderness comprising the park and the King Range National Conservation Area.
For thousands of years before the first Europeans arrived, the Sinkyone Indians lived on this part of the coast. They occupied permanent villages beside streams and rivers, and moved out in family groups to hunt and forage in the hills during the summer. They fished, gathered seaweed and shellfish, hunted seals and sea lions, and harvested the occasional dead whale washed on shore. All kinds of fish were caught, but the seasonal salmon run was especially important.
Today, the Lost Coast Trail follows the whole length of the rugged Sinkyone coastline. Gray whales pass by during the winter and early spring. Roosevelt elk roam the grasslands. Sea lions and harbor seals hang out in rocky coves. It’s an arresting landscape, with canyons, arches, tide pools, sea stacks, seasonal wildflowers, waterfalls, and dark sand beaches. On a sunny day, the sea looks turquoise, giving the park tropical feeling.
Some aspects of the Sinkyone keep crowds away. Its trails are steep and its campgrounds are primitive. There’s no potable water, and you have to haul out your own trash. When wet, the park’s twisting dirt roads are impassable for passenger cars. More than a few visitors have had to stay an extra day or two because a mudslide or fallen tree closed their route home. “The Sinkyone lets you go when it wants to let you go,” a park ranger says. In other words, it’s a real wilderness.
Williams Grove Group Camp
$300 / night
Primitive camping area. No toilets, water, and hookups. No Use Fee. Picnic tables are on-site.ADA Access: No access
Facilities: 8 tent campsites with picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets. No hookups. Wheelchair accessible. Chemise Mtn. Trailhead. Entire campground may be reserved for overnight group use for $85 per night. Minimum number of people in group is 20, and maximum group number is 60. All applications and fees must be received 30 days prior to the first use day. To request a permit application please call the BLM King Range Visitor Center at 707-986-5400. NO group reservations are available Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend or Labor Day weekend. Use Fee: Camping - $8.00. If entire campground is not reserved than the campground sites are non-reservable and available on a first come first serve basis. No potable water (campground is near creek; treat water before drinking)
Cuneo Creek Horse Camp
$35 - $200 / night
Guide
Well let’s see where do I start? The coast”ocean” is about 500 yards away. There is absolutely nothing to do here. It’s being remodeled/renovated because it’s a new owner. The on property store has limited supplies. I asked for plasticware they didn’t have it. I asked for allergy pills, they didn’t have it. I asked for ice, guess what? Didn’t have it. I just left the store and drove into town which takes about seven minutes. Can’t go for a walk around the camp because somebody just murdered somebody today and he was seen behind this camp in the forest. Of all days right? Doesn’t matter if you could walk around there’s nothing to see but people that I’ve been here probably months on end and it’s just “boring“ and it’s overpriced for boring. I stayed at humbug in Oregon after 101 it was $18 a night it was the best place I’ve ever been, and I love tent camping. the website says Wi-Fi, let me tell you something there is No!!!!! WI-FI The bathrooms are locked and they give you a code to open them. What the heck is that about right? The tent sites are very odd it’s a strip of grass with a picnic bench every 5 yards. it’s not fenced. There’s no trees or shrubs separating anybody it’s just very “odd“ you’ll be camping 25 feet from the next guy. I had to turn my tent facing the fence because any other way people can look in. A little privacy would be nice in a place like this but you won’t get it. You better have unlimited data on your phone plan because you’re going be using all your data out here because there’s absolutely nothing to do. Sit in your tent or at the table and hopefully have somebody with you or you better love movies “a lot “
Scout
Love this whole state park, tent camp or trailer. So many easy hikes with gorgeous views.
Scout
$15 tent camping site when visiting humboldt redwooods state park. Lots of older folks and RVs, but pretty easy going and not that sketchy.
Traveler
Great spot with full hookups and tent sites. General store and cafe on premises. Can be windy.
Guide
Friendly staff, clean bathrooms and free showers, outdoor cook kitchen near the tent sites and cabins.
We come to fortuna every year for a Martial arts tournament. This will be our regular place from now on.
TravelerThis RV park was really nice. A little freeway noise but not enough to detract. Nice store. RV sites have trees and grass and picnic tables and aren’t super close together. Tent sites looked decent sized. Seemed like a lot of RVs but saw very few people. Grounds are very pretty.
Traveler
We paid $56 for a campsite that was super close to the river and the shower. There are only 2 tent sites and the others are RV and cabins. The cabins started at $150. It was a bit expensive but we’ve been on the road for couple weeks and needed a place with shower and flushing toilets. The bathrooms are really clean and have other services too.
Guide
Came here on a last minute trip. Everything else was booked up, but this was available. The campground opens up quite a few tent sites (probably over 50 sites) on first come first serve basis at 2:00 pm. Most sites did not fill up. Felt like we had hiked out to the woods with no one else around. Surrounded by redwoods and aspens. Clean bathroom and showers. Great location to explore the redwoods.
GuideThe campground is ok. The closest bathrooms near our site were closed due to renovation. The main bathrooms were good looking. The men’s bathroom kept running out of paper towels. One of the staff told me they can’t buy any toilet paper or paper towels anywhere. My wife had to keep bringing in toilet paper as they ran out. The pool was warm and spa hot. The most frustrating part was reservations. The website showed only tent sites with water and electricity. I then clicked on military discount and the website showed me a higher price. I called and left a message to get clarification. No one called me back. Turns out they apply the discount after you check in. Check in was another issue. The office was closed early and they gave me a tent site without electricity or water. So I had to call their after hours number to get them to change my site. Later in the office they told me that they aren’t responsible for their website. Campground is ok, but customer service needs work. Wish there were more options closer to Eureka. The WiFi worked good until the last day. The 15A outlet worked until the last day.
Guide
We stayed for one night as we were passing thru from Oregon to Central California.
Pros
Cons
Over all, I this campground would be a fun place for families, wanting to disconnect from technology for a weekend of tent camping.
GuideLarge state park campground that was completely sold out, but offered a small section of non-reservable tent campsites. We checked in on a Monday when there were only a few other sites around us occupied, but by the time we were leaving on Thursday most of the non-reservable sites were full.
The campground is very well maintained with bathrooms and showers that were cleaned every morning. They allow campfires in fire rings and sell firewood on site for $8 a bundle.
There is a redwood grove hiking trail behind the campsites that takes you from one end of the campground to the other. You can also walk across Avenue of the Giants from the entrance to a trail that leads you down to the South Fork Eel River. We stayed in July when the water was warm enough in which to swim and the fish are very playful. Bring a blanket or pad to sunbathe, the scenery is beautiful. Careful hiking around the area though, poison oak is abundant.
There’s a small town called Meyers Flat just south of the campground on Avenue of the Giants where you can get some last-minute camp supplies, beer and ice. The market does have some groceries, but not enough to do all your shopping there. I also recommend taking a drive North on Avenue of the Giants to Ferndale or Eureka for a day trip.
Definitely a great summer spot with the river, and a great anytime spot for a place in the Redwoods. You will hear traffic from the Highway 101 in the evening and morning, but it quiets down enough at night you wont even think about it.
Guide
We camp here as much as possible. Just good ol' pit toilets, but usually not crowded, and very quiet. As Humboldt locals, we like to be away from the crowds, in the most beautiful natural areas in California. This is the trail head to the famous Lost Coast Trail, and just a stunning beach campground. Dogs allowed on leash, pop your tent in the sand. Super nice.
No big stores nearby, so you should probably get groceries in Eureka or Fortuna before heading over the hill to Petrolia. There is a small store, but this is Humboldt so they could be closed at any given point, wouldn't depend on it.
Be careful in the summer, not really sandal appropriate. The native dune plants have lots of little prickers in the sand among the campsites.
Make sure to stroll along the beach north to where the Mattole river flows into the Pacific. You will almost always find a bunch of seals hanging out on the other side of the river spit and hunting in the estuary for fist.
ScoutIncredible area, so remote you gotta commit to it!
No water at the site but we got some on our way at the county park between Honeydew and the campground. Could probably get water in Petrolia too. Plan ahead for that!
Plan ahead for lots of sun — we camped in mid-July and had a full day of sun! The ocean water was super cold (and dangerous) but the river was just right. Nice to have options.
Most stunning was these massive cliffs that open into this wild California coast. You can hike to the (non-working) lighthouse and enjoy yourself with a driftwood fire at night. Camping on the side away from the very close by beach was smart as you get a little reprieve with some shade from the shrubs and hedges (with some wildlife running through).
Animal proof trash on site, recycling too. Toilets were fine (hand sanitizer in them!) and generally pretty quiet.
One of the best little hidden gems I’ve ever camped at.
Traveler
Calling this place a resort is a bit of a stretch. But that is to be expected in the Humbolt Redwoods area of Northern California. After stopping in Garberville after a long day's motorcycle ride up the coast on the Pacific Coast Highway, we stumbled upon Dean Creek Resort. The staff was very friendly and the rate for a tent spot was fair. The resort has Motel style rooms, cabins, RV and tent spots. Situated at just south of the southern end of the Avenue of the Giants, this campground makes for a great basecamp for adventuring through the Redwoods. There were hot showers, flush toilets, even a pool. Overall this is a great little spot to visit in Northern CA.
Traveler
Nice sites with plenty of room for tents, gets a little windy so make sure you have a wind break.
Scout12$ for tent 25$ for RV. Nice campground , a lot of space. Hot shower present . 5$ for the shower if u do not stay in the camp.
ScoutI tried along the 101 corridor in the area to no avail. This location had several sites available, tent, and cabins, as well.
ScoutMostly for RVs but to the left there’s a small area with small little campsites for tents and vans. Very clean nice showers bathrooms actually has cooking facilities and sinks to clean up… I believe there’s a laundry area as well.
Legend
The Campsite itself is closed due to Covid. However, 8am to 8PM it is a swimmer's Paradise. Really nice Camping spots and cannot wait to visit here when open. $25 a night to camp in tent and $1 per pet.
Scout
Nice campground for trailers and tents with relatively large sites interspersed in the redwood trees. The shared bathrooms have showers (25¢/minute for water) and are all clean and updated. There are fire pits and picnic tables in each site. The summer charge was $35/night.
Traveler
this is a large campground with large sites. We had three tents and a car and still had space. Conveniently located in the Redwoods. Nice river stream is across the road. Rangers at information center a must to visit! Has showers but bring quarters. Facility was very clean
TravelerThere is something truly humbling camping under such big trees. This camp site was beautiful. We were in site 9 and it felt pretty private because it was up further from the two neighboring sites. Downsides are that it was across from the bathroom (I was traveling with a 1 and 2 year old so that was done on purpose) so it was car traffic from people too lazy to walk there. I didn't expect that. I'm also a tent camper and tents are mixed in with rv's so you get the rv buzz to until generator shut off time. The bathrooms were nice running water and flush toilets. Showers are pay showers too. Half the campground was closed when we went for renovations so it was not as busy as it probably usually is. The highway was close so you could hear some car noise but it wasn't as bad as the other reviews have implied. Nice amphitheater and trails around the site!
Ranger[Internet. Verizon via iPhone 12: 16 mbps down and 0.20 mbps up with 38 ms ping. T-Mobile via Nighthawk MR-1100 - 6 mbps down and 0.69 up with 97 ms ping.]
I just love this campground. It’s an immersive experience. We were so glad to extend our trip from 2 to 4 days. There’s these birds that sing at dawn and dusk (springtime at least). It’s a kind of sound that starts strong and drops off like they they gave up singing halfway. Such a wonderful sound to wake up to. The bird is called a varied thrush. ❤️
PROS
→ You are camping in the redwood forest. → Next door to visitor center. You can get quarters for the showers here. → Has cell signal which I normally wouldn’t care to have in a place like this. Since there was signal, we could stay in this beautiful place and I could work on the two additional add-on days instead of having to move on to Eureka right away in search of signal. → It has a woodsy camping experience. RV sizes are limited to 25 feet so there’s mostly tent campers. → Sites are spaced apart. There’s no privacy trees but I mean redwoods aren’t good privacy trees. They are good at absorbing sound though so it’s quieter. They won’t save you from running, screaming kids though.
CONS - low level cons at that
→ Right off Avenue of the Giants so there’s some car noise but not bad at night. → Showers are quarter operated which is par for the course in California. Here it’s 25¢/minute. The water is mostly warm but pressure and temperature drop when toilets are flushing. I highly recommend showering midday since there’s less people in the campground thereby less people using the bathroom facilities. → Firewood is $10 but burns well. Standard bundle size.
4.5-stars — It’s near perfect except for the pay showers which gets me every time. For weekend warriors it’s likely a 5-star campground!
FYI ON RESERVE CALIFORNIA: The website doesn’t allow online reservations within 48 hours of your intended camping start date. I kept checking online to see if there was a last minute cancellation. Online kept showing 0 sites available. I went to the camp office and their system showed our site being free for two more days. You can only pay for the site one day at a time FCFS. They take credit card. When the office window is closed, then I believe it’s cash only envelope style.
—————————— [Rig. Mercedes Sprinter. 22 feet]
Dump station? - No Water fill? - No but there are water spigots throughout Clean site? - Yes Clean bathroom? - Yes (even has soap!) Flush toilet? - Yes Showers? - Yes, quarter operated Laundry? - No Dish washing sink? - Yes
TravelerQuiet place with only tents and small trailers. Lots of shade (not great for solar, we did get some) No pesky critters. Clean private bathrooms and showers. Limited trials for dogs. Very limited. A small amount of poison oak. Close town for restaurants and stores. An 45 minutes to Eureka
Traveler
Small campground for rvs and tents. 2 handicapped spots. Pit toilets, no hookups. 2minutes from highway. Nearby airport with a few passenger flights during our 18hr stay. Great beach walking.
TravelerOur spot was pretty good. We could see some other tents, but for the most part the trees and bushes gave us tons of privacy. Wood was for sale at the gate for 10 bucks a bundle. Plenty of bathrooms. Showers were warm and was 25 cents a minute. I was pretty happy. Plus huge sequoias everywhere!!
Scout
The spots are best suited for trailers, with little dirt area to pitch a tent. The spaces are cramped if the area is full. There are two indoor single showers and men's and women's bathrooms (two stalls in the latter) in a facility on site. $25/night. Camp host was friendly and informative.
Petrolia, California, offers a fantastic backdrop for tent camping enthusiasts, with a variety of well-reviewed campgrounds that cater to different needs and preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Petrolia, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Petrolia, CA is Wuss Camp with a 5-star rating from 4 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Petrolia, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Petrolia, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
