Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Point Arena? Find the best information on tent camping near Point Arena, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Point Arena campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Reported 8/2022 Paul Dimmick campground is open on a first-come, first-serve basis May 27, 2022 – September 7, 2022.
Navarro Beach Campground is OPEN
Visitors to the Navarro River Redwoods State Park can enjoy picnicking, swimming, and camping at the Paul M. Demmick campground. The park is popular with anglers, canoeists, and kayakers in the late winter and spring.
Second growth redwood groves stretch the length of the park. They are home for raccoons, black-tail deer, and river-oriented birds such as the belted kingfisher.
$10 - $35 / night
Existing Resources: This campground is located just west of Camp 20 off of Highway 20. There are a total of 17 campsites, (2) one stall outhouses, three trash can structures, camp host site, information board and an iron ranger pay station.
Camp One is accessed at mile marker 5.85 via JDSF Road 350, and also has a day use area that includes the popular “Egg Station” day use area. Camp One has a total of 19 campgrounds associated with this area.
Campgrounds associated with Camp One include Redtail (10 sites; 6-10 campsites are open to equestrian campers only), Wagon (5 sites), Roundhouse (3 sites), Tin Can (2 sites) and numerous one campsite campgrounds. Iron ranger is located at the Camp One Host site location.
Austin Creek State Recreation Area is currently under a complete closure at this time and will remain so until further notice.
There have been major impacts to the unit due to the 2020 Walbridge Fire. Due to significant hazards there is NO ACCESS ALLOWED by foot, bike, vehicle or any other means in Austin Creek SRA. If unauthorized vehicles and or people are found in Austin Creek SRA they will be subject to contact and citation. We need this time for clearing hazards and debris so that we can get Austin Creek SRA open at some point down the road. Thank you for your patience.
Bullfrog Pond Campground offers Twenty-three campsites. Campsites #1 through #8 (minus #4 our camp host site) are first-come, first-served campsites. Campsites #9 through #24 are on reservations through Hipcamp. Reserve a campsite by visiting www.hipcamp.com Each campsite has a picnic table and fire ring. There are two sets of bathrooms each with a flush toilet and sink. Unfortunately there are no shower facilities available.
Bullfrog Pond does not offer any group camping. The nearest State Park that offers group camping can be found at Salt Point State Park. None of the campsites at Bullfrog Pond will accommodate vehicles over 20 feet in length. We do not offer any hike and bike sites (reduced fees). The campground is subject to seasonal closure due to extreme weather or conditions. The pond itself almost always goes dry by mid-summer and when there IS water in the pond there may be mosquitos in the area. Ticks are also prevalent in the area so bring a good bug/tick repellant.
In warmer weather it is advisable to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes as they are in the area. If you would like a first-come first-served campsite you will need to register with staff at the Armstrong kiosk. If staff is not available at the kiosk, you can self-register at the entrance to Bullfrog Pond. Official check-in time is 2 o'clock pm. Pay the $35.00 camping fee and any extra vehicle fees ($8.00/vehicle) prior to occupying a campsite. Max occupancy per campsite is 8 people. You are allowed to bring two vehicles, but we do not guarantee both vehicles will fit on your parking spur. If any of your vehicles don't fit on your designated parking spur, please take it up to overflow parking area at Vista Point parking lot. Please ensure the day use parking areas are free from camper vehicles.
Please note that the campground is likely to go into a fire ban in the summer and autumn season. We will keep you up to date.
When available, a camp host will be occupying the camp host spot at campsite #4. Remember that quiet hours begin at 10 o'clock pm and noise significantly carries to other campsites in the campground. We are always looking for a good camp host. If interested check in with staff at the entrance station.
Camp fires, BBQ's, candles, tiki torches, etc. will be prohibited during periods of extreme fire danger. During fire bans, propane camp stoves may be used for cooking.
Dogs are permitted in your paid for campsite, picnic areas and on paved roads ONLY. Dogs are not allowed on dirt roads or on any trails. Dogs must remain leashed at all times.
Bicycles are allowed on paved roads and fire roads. Bicycles are not allowed on any trails.
$48 / night
A non-profit organization providing Low Cost Accommodations, Nature Education, and Nature Stewardship, Restoration & Protection.
Our 33 acre property is located adjacent to Jug Handle Beach and Jug Handle Nature Preserve which includes miles of trails to the Pygmy Forest and many beautiful headlands walks just out your front door. Our property provides opportunities for walking, bird watching, star gazing and quite reflection.
We offer nature education and stewardship workshops for school groups and adults, find out more on our Nature page. We are located half way between Mendocino and Fort Bragg.
$45 / night
Old train Caboose for rent. New queen bamboo bed, hot plate, cold refrigerator. Outdoor hot shower and claw tub. Sweet deck open space. Star studded sky. Artesian well water, drink from the spigot and bring bottles to take some home. Glen Eden hiking trail abuts the land. Camp in a quiet field across the dry creek bed. We have 3 dogs that roam hills, will do our best to keep them away most of the time. Have rooster who does crow up the sun. We are 15 minutes to Safeway in Lakeport, 20 minutes to north side Ukiah and 10 minutes to Upper Lake. We are 2 miles from the pristine Blue Lakes, day pass there for swimming and boating rentals. Also Clear Lake State Park is not far and they also offer swimming and boating. Disney boat rentals will deliver craft to Clearlake for you. My personal favorite is Highland Springs Reservoir about 20 minute drive on country roads, and pass the small aircraft airport and restaurant. Boating, swimming, hiking and BBQ available at Highland Springs.. We are not ADA. Cell phone and wifi won't work in this canyon. Climb the hill maybe. We are not fancy, we are unique. Come for bird watching, the quiet and the stars. We have some coupons for wine tasting from a few of the nearby vineyards We offer a farm stand with fresh eggs and vegetables in season daily. Highland Springs Reservoir offers swimming, BBQ and Disk Golf, all free. Lakeport has a drive in theater, google Lakeport auto movies drive in. New Rule: if you are inviting guests they must be pre approved. PLEASE DRIVE SLOWLY AND NOT RAISE DUST IN OUR NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAY TO OUR PROPERTY. We also have two big private campsites and one long term area.
Please read reviews here: https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/dashboard/land/34844/listings
$39 - $175 / night
Guide
This campground is dry and built primarily for HOV people cuz the Elk mountain area is very much a dirt bike and four-wheel Haven.
It's got dropped toilets and it has potable water. Problem is that the spigots don't have any hose fittings, so you can't hook up, which I think is a good thing to keep people from taking over water for an extended period of time.
There's no other water anywhere else, no showers, no sinks or anything like that so prepare to come fully dry.
If you come with that in mind I would say this place is really really nice. It's very clean. If it's in a beautiful location and if you're into four-wheeling or dirt bikes, you're going to have a blast.
There there's a small town not far, 15 minutes or so, that has gas, a market, pizza places, and a few other stores. So there's plenty of access to food and gas when necessary.
This has nothing to do with the campground. Just keep in mind that Elk mountain road, especially the part leading up to the top of the mountain right as you leave the campground is an absolutely terrible road, it needs a lot of maintenance..
Scout
This was a nice place had a good time the site was a bit small. I would say you can’t really tell how big the site is the pictures are a bit hard to tell. They are taken sideways from the road not straight on for all the campsites. It was nice and quiet and beautiful area and not far from the beach. But if you aren’t careful you can really get a super small site.
ScoutOverall the campground was good. Close to the water and relatively quiet and not busy. However, when booking online they don’t do the best to describe how your site is set up. Based off the picture I was expecting the site to be fairly spacious, with a large driveway for parking and area for setting up tents. I was wrong. The parking for most spots is a small pullout alongside the road barely big enough for two relatively small vehicles. The usable space on the site was pretty limited as well. There was almost zero level area to set up a tent, and sites were really small. With that being said, if you do your research and know what to do expect/plan accordingly I’d say it’s worth staying.
Traveler
Camp operator directed us to several sites that were not large enough for our 22 ft trailer. For a state park not very well maintained. Plus side very close to the ocean area and great boardwalk to the tidal pools
Traveler$40 for the night / $10 bundle of fire wood. Sites have a burn barrel and picnic table and parking spot. Nice that you can hear the waves crashing. Short walk to the beach. Bathrooms clean and showers were cheap. Only animals spotted were deer. Would stay again if in the area.
Traveler
Great camping, hiking, boating. Lots of nature trails. Super friendly staff
Legend
Along the forgotten coast of Central California along Hwy 1, this small state park offers a great way to explore the area.
The upper campground is relatively small and was still heavily impacted by 2023-24 winter storms, many downed trees still had some campsites closed in the spring of 2024. Most of these sites would accommodate smaller rigs and tents only. The campground is tucked in between the remaining coastal pines and live oak. The bathrooms were small but tidy with flush toilets and running water, no showers. We drove through here and then headed to the overflow lot...
If you are in a self-contained vehicle, the most stunning place to camp in this park is the “overflow” camping lot closer to the beach. Here you can camp with a 180 degree view of the ocean and the rolling hills leading to the beach. The lot is completely open to the sky, so solar and satellite internet work great. The only downside is that the closest bathroom and fresh water spigot is either in the day-use area down toward the water, or back uphill at the campground. But the view and scenery were more than worth the minor inconvenience.
If you’ve got a solar powered system, you could have the most inexpensive California beach vacation around. The rocky beach area is great for wildlife viewing, we saw sea lions, seals, and even the occasional spout from migrating gray whales. While not necessarily good for swimming, the beach area is great for fishing. Hiking is right from the campground and leads to the north or south from the headland area.
Come prepared with food and gas! Supplies will be difficult to come by, as there are only a few small convenience/ general stores and restaurants, in nearby Jenner. The larger grocery outlets will be inland in Santa Rosa about an hour away. This is the price you pay to have a stunning California beach vacation without the normal crowds.
Guide
We chose Pomo based on other reviews on TheDyrt. I picked site 47 out of the three that were left when I was searching for a place near Fort Bragg. Although it looks like the site is in the middle of the town, the sites are very private, many nestled between thick brush (blackberries!) and many back far enough from the road that it seems like you're boondocking. Our primary reason for choosing a coastal site was for comfort. It was still over 95 degrees inland, but a very comfortable 65 along the coast.
Almost all the RV sites are gravel, with the exception of a couple smaller ones, and the tent sites. There is a single bathroom complex, and the men's restroom was great...tiled with multiple stalls, large glass windows and CLEAN! I didn't check the showers out, but I'm assuming the same level of detail and finish also apply there.
It appears the sewer system doesn't cover all the sites, so the further back in the campground you go, there won't be any (an educated guess on my behalf). I walked through the campground, and most the RV sites have a power pedastal and water, a nice wooden picnic table and a fire ring. Internet access is available throughout, and when I ran speedtest I was getting 170Mbps down, which is incredible.
Make sure you look through the pictures of each site on the reservation page. They all are slightly different in size, privacy, and whatnot. There are several sites that "share" a common open space if you're in a group, and a large group area which looked to have 5 or 6 sites all comingled.
For tent camping, there is a large, open line of grass near the front of the campground, which doesn't really offer much protection from the sun. BUT...there is a loop at the back of the campground that has at least 10 grassy tent sites under a thick cover of pine trees. It's isolated by a path from the other RV sites, and I was really impressed by the area! If I were still tent camping, this would no doubt be my go-to tent site.
The nights were quiet and dark, and the staff friendly. They have 1 dump station, a fish cleaning station, propane and the office has a bunch of DVD movies available (not sure if for rent or free use).
Overall an excellent site and we were glad to find it, and will probably use this as a staging point for future treks further up the coast! I'll include some pictures of the site (I never include personal/family pictures because this is a campground review site, not a family album!)
LegendSalt Point State Park has 3 separate camping areas: Woodside Campground, Gerstle Cove Campground, and Gerstle Cove Overflow. The overflow is a lot that overlooks the ocean, and you don’t have to wait for the campground to be full to be able to camp here. You can ask to stay here when you arrive at the ranger station at the entrance.
The overflow is for self contained RVs only. No tents or car camping allowed. There is a trash bin in the center of the lot but no other amenities. It seems to be mellow during the week and busy on weekends. We’re glad we were just paying day by day because it got too crowded for us when the weekend hit, so we decided to leave.
There are beautiful hikes in this area, and a trail straight from the lot to the ocean. You can also see whales from the lot!
Dogs ok, cell service is good, the lot isn’t very level but it isn’t too bad. No designated spots so just come down and figure out a good place to set up once you get there. This is a beautiful place to camp and we do love it, even at $30.
Scout
This campground lives up to all the other positive comments BUT the raccoons were extremely aggressive and even ate its way into a tent at 2AM. It would have been nice if the host had warned of them when he visited to check reservation and sell us wood!
Traveler
I tent camped here on a September weeknight. The campground is very spacious on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Very few other campers so I had plenty of options for sites. It was cool, sunny, and no wind-perfect weather! Stunning views all around, with a trailhead to Stillwater Cove. Very quiet and relaxing stay here!
TravelerThe views are worth the drive! The cliffs are just spectacular and there are places to walk and explore the coast, albeit it can be windy. We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and there were plenty of spots to choose from. Most campsites are fairly spacious, the general store is well stocked and prices are reasonable. The outdoor showers are a win, as we stayed 4 nights and it was so quite once the weekend passed. If the guy with the BBQ oysters is set up on the weekend - they are fabulous! Cafe Aquatica in Jenner has amazing chowda and quaint outdoor seating. Sunsets for days...
GuideWinding downhill road in a valley to get there only to find basically a trailer park. Restroom in need of repair and not very sanitary. There was only one site available when we arrived and the rest were mostly permanent/long term residents. The host was very friendly and helpful in getting us settled in and other guests were very friendly. Overall I’d say avoid unless you’re very weary of driving
Guide
Loved this campground!! Family friendly, tons of amenities, and very clean. Highly recommended!!
Traveler
This is the worst campground I’ve ever seen. There was trash throughout the campground - including a used condom and condom wrappers in our campsite - bathrooms were dirty and had no soap, and there were several loud groups well after the posted quiet hours. We stayed one night and left early. If you’re into obnoxious parties, then this place is for you. The “potable” water is brown out of the tap.
Scout
Full Disclosure: I know the owner of the property and stayed at La Bohemia for free.
Nevertheless, this is an amazing spot. The owner and his young daughter have done an amazing job restoring the forest and making a special place over the past few years. It is a great getaway from everything. No sign of any building insight.
I must admit, my favorite part was watching football on the large outdoor screen and eating BBQ by the campfire. It was an amazing experience in an amazing place.
Guide
Nice place. Friendly people. Well maintained. WiFi not reaching our campsite.
Guide
Easy access and great store, with access to fire rings, tables, showers, potable water, dump station and trash receptacles. The tent sites are beautiful, but a bit too close to each other when there are dogs involved.
GuideHot weather looking for a cool, on lake CG. We didn’t camp there. Thought we might but, instead just drove through. Day-use area close. Parking lot for boaters open. CG host said full; grounds not well maintained. Open sites with expired occupancy dates on them. Large groups with extra vehicles. Some sites looked like long term occupancy. Pleased there was no room. Don’t think would’ve been comfortable experience.
TravelerWe were here for 3 nights and enjoyed the summer concert series on the grass and the close location to a private beach across from the Rv park.
The spaces for Rv’s are tight, but we made it work. Tent camping is much more spacious.
The weather was humid and cool. It felt wonderful for July!!
Scout
The dozens of 1 star google reviews over the years are 100000 percent accurate.
If you’re thinking of staying here, don’t! This place is a DUMP! You walk into a literal mushroom shop. The photos online are extremely misleading. They charge double what other parks in the area charge.
We checked in and immediately left on a holiday weekend. It’s dirty, cramped, and unkempt. We called around to find another spot in town and all the other park owners confirmed that the owner (Mike) at Hidden Pines is basically a crook. He overcharges, misleads, and mismanages the park. We were placed in a grass lot, there were no views, no ocean access. Nothing. The lot was so bad our auto leveling trailer couldn’t level.
I was going to just let it go but the owner, Mike, called me five times after leaving and screamed at me. I didn’t even ask for my money back and told him he could give the space away. He kept screaming at me and told me he was going to write a report so I could never go there again - no problem Mike, we WILL NOT be back.
Now this is the point I decided to write a negative review. After screaming at me on the phone, he gave my phone number to a random person to have that person ask me if I would call HP to allow them to buy my spot. I never consented to my information being shared.
I would rate this place negative stars if I could. It’s atrocious and crooked, and other park owners jump to help you find a space when you call and ask, because it’s THAT BAD!
Stealing this bit from another review, because it’s absolutely accurate -
Also, this is for Mike, DO NOT WRITE THAT WE VIOLATED POLICIES OR DID NOT STAY AT YOUR PARK. YOU ARE A SCUMBAG AND OVERCHARGE FOR SOMETHING THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE ATROCITY.
Scout
Woodside RV Park in Fort Bragg may not be the most luxurious but it’s quiet and clean. I rated 5 star due to the kindness and hospitality of the hosts - Dan and his daughter, Phyllis. They will give you local history and treat you like family, even if you’re there for just a few nights!
Woodside was able to make a last minute accommodation for us on 4th of July weekend. I’m glad they did. They are clean, kind, quiet and hospitable. They are right by the Botanical Gardens. I would absolutely stay here again.
Other reviews. Ore and are correct, there do seem to be a number of permanent residents but that has not impacted my review as they’ve all been very nice or kept to themselves - as have we!
Traveler
Beautiful campground nestled among the trees. Drive to campground (we came from the south and departed same way) is true Highway 1 spectacular scenery with narrow road along some cliffs with some hair-pin turns. (Parts of road were under repair in June 2024 creating some delays.) Individual camp sites were perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 mile from both entrance gate and camp host site. Individual sites were good size with picnic table and cleared-out area surrounding it. RV parking was on good asphalt surface. Restrooms were clean and had flush toilets. Unfortunately no showers, no RV dump station, no threaded connections to refill RV potable water tank. Did have portable water spigots in campground to fill personal water bottles. Coastal fog rolled in at night and cleared by mid-morning. We would have loved to hike trails to beach; however, we did not have time. We will save that for next time we are passing through.
Traveler
Serene, Beautiful, clean bathrooms, spacious Tucked away off the hwy we were surprised by the sound of babbling creek and the little bridges that meanders through this campground
Scout
Went up the coast in June knowing it would be hard to find a spot. Just as I thought our chances were running thin we stumbled across this place. Mostly open sites, all were fairly secluded. Big spaces, clean area and ocean sounds abound. Kids loved it to ride their bikes around and I stressed less knowing there were few, if any, cars passing by. Site 6 had lots of Cypress trees for the kids to climb, too. We will be back!
Ranger
It was a good place with lots of trees. Nice trails down to the river. I didn’t live this place because there were so many large groups. It was a Saturday night and I was pretty tired at the end of my trip.
The shower was $1 for 5 minutes. The hot water felt amazing!
RangerThere were several felled trees behind my site and the camp host said they were told not to process it due to labor costs. Just a few branches gave me a huge bonfire.
My site had a shared pad and the campsite was sold out. I was dreading when they would pull in, but they never showed up. There is a wonderful trail through redwoods down to the beach.
The campers were friendly and invited me for breakfast.
Tent camping near Point Arena, California, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Point Arena, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Point Arena, CA is Paul M. Demmick Campground — Navarro River Redwoods State Park with a 3.4-star rating from 5 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Point Arena, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Point Arena, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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