Best Glamping near Point Arena, CA

Manchester Beach/Mendocino Coast KOA houses deluxe glamping accommodations less than a mile from the Pacific Ocean, offering a luxury camping experience under the shade of old pines. The site features both rustic and upgraded cabins with comfortable beds, electric heating, and nearby hot showers. One guest shared, "The basic cabin was just that, but spacious and the heaters worked very well. Nice, well kept campground with plenty of activities and access to a coastal trail." Some glamping units include additional amenities like private bathrooms and kitchenettes, while all guests enjoy access to the heated swimming pool, hot tub, and camp kitchen facilities with gas grills. The location provides an excellent base for exploring the Mendocino coastline, with walking trails that lead to Manchester Beach where visitors can hear the surf.

At the glamping resorts near Point Arena, evenings feature organized activities including outdoor movies and community s'mores around campfires. The Manchester Beach KOA maintains a family-friendly atmosphere with a game room, disc golf course, and children's play areas, while still offering "no kids" hot tub hours for adults seeking relaxation. A recent visitor mentioned, "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." The Point Arena lighthouse is visible from some areas of the property and makes for a worthwhile day trip. During clear nights, the lack of city lights creates ideal conditions for stargazing. Most glamping accommodations remain open year-round, though coastal temperatures drop significantly at night even during summer months, making the heated cabins particularly valuable.

Best Glamping Sites Near Point Arena, California (14)

    1. Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA

    17 Reviews
    Manchester, CA
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 882-2375

    "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."

    2. Manchester State Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Manchester, CA
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 882-2463

    $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. Dunlap Campground

    5 Reviews
    Comptche, CA
    31 miles
    Website

    "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. Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort

    9 Reviews
    Willits, CA
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 459-6179

    "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."

    5. Jackson Demonstration Forest

    3 Reviews
    Caspar, CA
    34 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 964-5674

    "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."

    6. Narrows Lodge Resort

    4 Reviews
    Upper Lake, CA
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 275-2718

    "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."

    7. The Aurora RV Park & Marina

    7 Reviews
    Nice, CA
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 274-5531

    $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."

    8. Johnson's Beach

    6 Reviews
    Guerneville, CA
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 869-2022

    $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."

    9. Jug Handle Farm

    1 Review
    Caspar, CA
    33 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 357-0783

    $40 / night

    10. Middle Creek Campground

    4 Reviews
    Upper Lake, CA
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 275-2361

    $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."

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Glamping Reviews near Point Arena, CA

71 Reviews of 14 Point Arena Campgrounds


  • Rosina A.
    Oct. 8, 2020

    Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA

    Very Nice KOA

    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. 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.

  • Kade H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 25, 2018

    Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA

    Delightful, quiet campground in the pines not far from Mendocino

    Normally 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!

  • Donna M.
    Apr. 11, 2019

    Middle Creek Campground

    Oh heaven or peaceful tranquility

    Middle 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

  • H
    Jul. 5, 2025

    Johnson's Beach

    Good location but mediocre camping

    Just 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:

    • Camp sites too cramped/small, especially from 20 - 25. Hardly any breathing room.
    • Camp sites are right behind a bar (?) and homes so we heard a lot of partying, singing, dog barking well into the night
    • Road next to the camp sites used by cars to reach the beach. Cars would stir up dust. 
    • A lot of trees but frequented by crows. The crows can be very noisy and loved to poop all around the camp grounds.
  • D
    Aug. 7, 2020

    Jackson Demonstration Forest

    Secluded and peaceful

    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. 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!

  • L
    Aug. 27, 2020

    Dunlap Campground

    Great FCFS sites close to coast

    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. 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.

  • E
    Feb. 12, 2020

    Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA

    Mendocino's Secret

    We'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.

  • Cassidy Y.
    Aug. 2, 2021

    Jackson Demonstration Forest

    Pretty good spot

    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. 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

  • Mary L.
    Aug. 11, 2018

    Manchester Beach / Mendocino Coast KOA

    quick stop

    we enjoyed having a full kitchen available and the community entertainment like s’mores around the campfire. bocce ball courts definitely needed some TLC.


Guide to Point Arena

The coastal area around Point Arena offers a mix of private and public camping options. Located on the Mendocino Coast at 39°N latitude, this region experiences cool maritime conditions year-round with average summer temperatures ranging from 50-70°F. Fog frequently rolls in during summer mornings, while winter brings significant rainfall averaging 40 inches annually. Campgrounds in the area range from basic sites with minimal facilities to full-service options with amenities for extended stays.

What to do

Beach exploration: 1-mile hike to Manchester Beach from Manchester State Park Campground. "It is so wonderful. The campground is just above the driftwood beach offering walks in solitude with the breaking waves in the background," reports camper Cindi B.

Lighthouse visit: 15-minute drive to Point Arena Lighthouse from most area campgrounds. "You're literally close enough to hear the surf, and see the Point Arena lighthouse," notes a visitor to the area.

Internet history walk: At Manchester Beach, find the historical cable station. "One little-known secret about this site is that the beach 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," explains Eric Y.

Stargazing sessions: Clear coastal nights provide excellent viewing conditions. "No city lights to speak of = incredible stargazing," writes Adam about Manchester State Park, adding that campers can "fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves."

What campers like

Clean facilities: regularly maintained bathrooms at Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort. "Nice facility and friendly staff. Definitely wouldn't come back for long term camping as we have older teenagers. The facility is definitely geared toward families with smaller kids," explains Melanie R.

Community kitchen access: Some campgrounds offer cooking facilities. "This KOA has large tent sites and a HUGE kitchen with 3 electric stoves and several sinks and microwaves for camper use," reports Kristen M.

Yurt camping options: For those seeking Point Arena yurt accommodations, several campgrounds offer these structures. At Narrows Lodge Resort, "We rented a camping yurt and we were so surprised how big it is! We received a key to our own bathroom and shower!" shares Jessica R.

Proximity to towns: Easy access to supplies. "There is an Ace Hardware about a 2 mile drive so that's convenient," notes Rosina A. about Manchester Beach area.

What you should know

Wind protection considerations: Sites vary in exposure to coastal winds. "Some spots are more exposed to the wind so if you have a tent or tent trailer you may want to check in with the host to find a spot that is more sheltered," advises Erik M. from Manchester State Park Campground.

Limited water access: Not all campgrounds have full facilities. At Jackson Demonstration Forest, facilities are minimal. "No water but fire pits and grills, and picnic tables in campsites," reports Danielle F.

Off-season advantages: Quieter experience with easier site selection. "Plenty of sites to pick from on a Tuesday in June, about 5% occupancy. I would recommend the sites in the high 30's as they are more secluded," says Kenneth L.

Self-registration systems: Many campgrounds use honor systems for payment. "Self-pay station $15 when I went. Expect a LOT of road noise. Access to the river. Went mid week and was the only one there," explains Carter B.

Tips for camping with families

Water play areas: heated pools available at several campgrounds. "The pool is so clean and warm, we were told it was 85°, and I believe it," shares Erika L. about Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort.

Entertainment options: Look for campgrounds with scheduled activities. "They had movie night for the kids and 'no kids' hot tub hours for the adults," mentions James W.

Beach access considerations: Not all beaches are easily accessible with children. "You will need a vehicle or bikes to get you to the beach," warns Tamika I., noting that pictures can be misleading about proximity.

Pet policies vary: Check rules before arriving with animals. At Johnson's Beach, "if you have a dog, they don't allow the dog on the beach or in the boat with you and they're not allowed to stay behind in the tent, so you're kind of stuck if you have a dog," cautions Leafe Z.

Tips from RVers

Road access challenges: Some routes have restrictions. "To get to clear lake from the west the road is very windy and only allows 34 feet and I think that is pushing it," warns Ann D. at The Aurora RV Park & Marina.

Site layout considerations: Check for space between sites. "The sites are all decent sizes. With walkways between so that people hopefully don't walk through your site," explains Erika L.

Utility connections: Availability varies by campground. "Each site has its own water sipget and two electrical outlets that work well," notes a visitor to the region.

Seasonal pricing fluctuations: Expect higher rates during peak season. "The prices are a little bit high, but that is to be expected with a KOA," explains one camper about regional pricing patterns.

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.