Point Arena is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Point Arena, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Point Arena camping trip.
"The beach is about a mile hike, you can ride your bike though on the road outside the KOA or drive and the beach is closer. Point Arena lighthouse is a close drive away."
"We loved the quiet, laidback campground, with lovely old pines giving a sense of being in the forest -- even while being walking distance from the water."
$35 / night
"Bathrooms were not usable in my opinion but I have a bathroom tent with potty so it didn’t bother us."
"I would recommend the sites in the high 30's as they are more secluded."
"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."
"We were just a few steps from the pool, which was clean, but pretty cold. It didn’t seem like it was heated. If it is, it’s not heated well."
"The Mendocino redwoods RV resort just outside of Willits on CA-20 to Fort Bragg, California, was 3 years ago a KOA resort."
"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."
"I’m bad about planning ahead and couldn’t reserve a campground at my usual spots also was trying to avoid the smoke in the valley from all the forest fires."
"It’s a short walk from anywhere in the campground down to the lake. The water is crystal clear and there’s a little dock for jumping off of."
"We received a key to our own bathroom and shower! They had a sink to was dishes in and a place to clean our fish. We rented a motor boat for a few hours to explore the beautiful lake. Pet friendly."
$22 - $75 / night
"She answered all our questions and showed us around. We feel in love with this place! 💕 You can fish right from your camp spot if you get a spot right on the water."
"This park has two parts: most is across the street from the lake but some spots are lakeside. The lakeside spots are very tight together-and require backing in."
$50 - $100 / night
"Great spot in the middle of town. walking distance from all shops and bars while still on the river. Friendly staff, friendly neighbors."
"There is an access to the river and few steps away from an old small town feel. Lots of local shops and bars right outside the campsite."
$8 / night
"Middle creek campground was as close as we could find to free camping in Upper Lake CA."
"Beautiful location, campground was easily accessible going up Elk Mountain Road. Camped in Site 11, pull through, no hook ups, nice picnic table, grill and fire pit. Vault toilets, no showers."
GuideThe beach is about a mile hike, you can ride your bike though on the road outside the KOA or drive and the beach is closer. Point Arena lighthouse is a close drive away. There is an Ace Hardware about a 2 mile drive so that’s convenient. The WiFi is super spotty and we honestly couldn’t join it. The pool is nice and heated, they do have a spa but it was closed because of Covid. Staff was super nice too. The closest town doesn’t really have anything open but a small grocery store.
GuideNormally I wouldn't think of myself as a KOA sort of camper. This campground is enough to change my mind! There are some weekends you need to get away, but there's no time to pack the long list of stuff needed for camping. So we tried out one of these little cedar cabins. It was fantastic!!
We loved the quiet, laidback campground, with lovely old pines giving a sense of being in the forest -- even while being walking distance from the water. You're literally close enough to hear the surf, and see the Point Arena lighthouse.
It's dog friendly, with pool, hot tub, hot showers, full bathrooms, and also extensive Camp Kitchen facilities with sho-nuff gas grills.
We absolutely plan to return!
TravelerMiddle 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
ScoutJust got back from a 2 night stay at Johnson's Beach campsite. We found the camp grounds to be so-so and not the most maintained. While we were there, we saw more than a few families come for a night and leave earlier than expected because of complaints of their sites.
If you are interested in Johnson's Beach, I'd rather do one of their glamping tents or bungalow instead.
Pros:
Good location to the beach; 2 minute walk from camp site to the beach.
Nice clean and well maintained bathrooms and showers.
5 minute walk to downtown / Safeway
Host (Chris) was nice and did his best.
Outlets at each site.
Well shaded by trees (although is also a con).
Cons:
ScoutJackson 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. Plenty of trails to explore and Noyo River meanders through the center. It was self pay upon arrival and the whole place was welcoming. Nice day use area with tables and creek for playing in. No water but fire pits and grills, and picnic tables in campsites. At the sites , Trash and pit toilet areas seemed cleaned regularly and cal fire was seen a few times through our stay so it’s out there but doesn’t feel far away.
There was a massive group site that would be gorgeous for a family gathering too!
Guide3 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. Not sure if there's water (we brought our own). Good option if needing first come first serve sites since all of the state parks are reservation-only currently. All sites have fire ring and picnic table, also some access to the creek/river bed below to explore. Really convenient to Fort Bragg (30 min away) or Willets (30 min away). No cell service. Only possible complaint would be that you can hear the road noise, but get used to it after awhile.
GuideWe've spent most of our twenty years of camping together off the beaten path, avoiding the likes of anything KOA, but for our RV's maiden voyage we thought we'd start with the Machester Beach KOA, and we were very glad we did. We arrived early evening as camp activities were getting underway, setting up to the soundtrack of Beetlejuice showing nearby. The site was clean, KOA's office and service staff were very friendly, not that corporate-disengenuous-give-us-a-good-rating friendly, but real, authentic hospitality. Everything quieted down after 10:00p. We stayed for four days, enjoying everything the area has to offer from Mendocino to Point Arena and had one of the best camping experiences of our lives, and it wasn't just the RV that made it that way.
One little-known secret about this site is that the beach (a moderate walk away) is the home of the Manchester Cable Station, built by AT&T in 1954 on the United States’ closest point to the Hawaiian Islands, where the internet backbone starts its journey across the Pacific.
LegendI’m bad about planning ahead and couldn’t reserve a campground at my usual spots also was trying to avoid the smoke in the valley from all the forest fires. This area was recommended because they are all first come first serve. I drove up on a Friday in July and was able to get a spot at Dunlap campground. The campground filled up by 5:00 Friday night and stayed full the rest of the weekend. 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. It was about a 30 minute drive to fort Bragg made for an easy day trip. The campground is maintained by cal fire $20 a night. No camp host on site, cal fire crew came in once a day to check the campground. Fellow campers weren’t too loud, the birds were worse in the morning. I’m
Travelerwe enjoyed having a full kitchen available and the community entertainment like s’mores around the campfire. bocce ball courts definitely needed some TLC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Point Arena, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Point Arena, CA is Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA with a 4.3-star rating from 17 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Point Arena, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 14 glamping camping locations near Point Arena, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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