Searching for the best camping near Potter Valley, CA? There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Potter Valley, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
Wildcat Campground
$40 - $60 / night
This is the only campground with lakeside sites. Located in between the waters of Clear Lake and Kelsey Slough, these 65 sites offer easy access to trails and fishing with partial shade. Each site has a fire ring, a table, and a food storage box. Nearby restroom facilities offer pay showers and flushable toilets.
$30 / night
Nature trail directly across from campground. Boat launching ramp nearby.
Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort is surrounded by natural beauty, from the rolling hills to lush greenery, and packed with activities everyone will enjoy, including the family pet. Whether you’re staying overnight or spending the day, we’re glad you chose Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort to spend quality time with your family.
Van Damme State Park offers a scenic beach, a lush fern-filled forest, and year-round camping. The highway runs through the park, separating the campground and the Fern Canyon trail head to the east from the beach and parking lot to the west. Visitors can launch a kayak in a protected cove. They can explore a pygmy forest. They can hike, jog, or bicycle the splendid Fern Canyon Scenic Trail beside Little River.
$40 - $160 / night
The main feature of the area is a 35-acre lake for non-motorized vessels, trout fishing and swimming. A one-mile trail leads along the lake shore. There are accessible restrooms and a popular fully-accessible fishing pier.
Campground next to Fuller Boat Ramp. Accessible facilities include tables, fire rings, a food storage locker and restrooms.
$22 - $75 / night
The campground is situated along an inlet at the northwestern corner of the lake, a short distance back from the water. Lake Pillsbury, the largest lake in the Mendocino National Forest, is popular for fishing, swimming, and boating. Nearby is a boat launch ramp. There are 44 sites, best suited for tent camping, but also able to accommodate small RVs or trailers (up to 16 feet). A picnic area is adjacent to the campground. Campsites are well shaded by oaks and pines. Some sites are set back among the trees away from the water while others have nice views of the lake.
Wildcat Campground
$40 - $60 / night
This is the only campground with lakeside sites. Located in between the waters of Clear Lake and Kelsey Slough, these 65 sites offer easy access to trails and fishing with partial shade. Each site has a fire ring, a table, and a food storage box. Nearby restroom facilities offer pay showers and flushable toilets.
$30 / night
Nature trail directly across from campground. Boat launching ramp nearby.
Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort is surrounded by natural beauty, from the rolling hills to lush greenery, and packed with activities everyone will enjoy, including the family pet. Whether you’re staying overnight or spending the day, we’re glad you chose Mendocino Redwoods RV Resort to spend quality time with your family.
Van Damme State Park offers a scenic beach, a lush fern-filled forest, and year-round camping. The highway runs through the park, separating the campground and the Fern Canyon trail head to the east from the beach and parking lot to the west. Visitors can launch a kayak in a protected cove. They can explore a pygmy forest. They can hike, jog, or bicycle the splendid Fern Canyon Scenic Trail beside Little River.
$40 - $160 / night
$22 - $75 / night
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
Scout
we used to go hunting up there in the 8os, you should have seen the campground then. really nice, had picnic tables fire pits great place to camp. i was up there a few years ago still looks kind of the same but they took all that out of the campground years ago.. road going in still looks the same..there is an old tree in the campground, people who have neen there will know the tree i mean, looks old low hangin branches, thats where we used to camp..more trash atound now. in 1987 it was clean.. still nice place
Scout
Dry camping. There are dumpsters for trash, pit toilets that looked abandoned, so we just avoided and can’t comment. Four star review is for the view and the quiet, can’t beat it. This is about as remote as you can get on the 1 - the northernmost coastal terminus - and there aren’t a lot of options. Check in instructions are a little confusing as there are several camping areas and payment must be made at the office, which is in the middle section, from what we could tell. Once we figured out that location, park host was friendly and got us squared away. Will be five stars once the road construction just to the north is done - there’s currently a one-lane situation with traffic and alert lights that are on 24/7 and detract just a bit from the dark sky effect.
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!)
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!
Guide
Winding 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
Quiet stop, but I wouldn't call it the most beautiful stop I've ever stayed. Camping spots are to the left and the right I'd the day use. Pit toilets. No garbage.
Guide
Loved this campground!! Family friendly, tons of amenities, and very clean. Highly recommended!!
ScoutDrive up to the site all incline dirt road ~6 miles - we made it up without 4 wheel drive but some areas were a little sketchy. Overall pretty dusty too. Sites themselves were decently maintained, some trash from previous campers but nothing major. This area is a popular for target practice so if the sounds of gunshots throughout the day isn’t your vibe, then this spot might not be suitable. Overall beautiful sunrises and sunsets and starry night sky
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.
Traveler
On the positive side, the people that work there are very hospitable and friendly. We had reserved 2 days. But for $70 per day for 2 people (they charge by the person per day) there are not enough amenities and the grounds are not well kept. Check in is not until 4pm. First, there is no place to put garbage. You have to take it with you. Bathrooms are just blue porta-potties. There is a map of the property, but almost no signs on the property, so it's hard to know where you are in relation to the map. The campsites are numbered on the map, but not at the physical campsites. Although the property is in the mountains and there is a reservoir for swimming and boating, (a big plus), there are tools and equipment in various stages of disrepair at several places on the facility that are not screened from view of the camping areas. The RV hookup areas are too primitive compared to typical campsites. (again, the price is too much for what you get) There are canoes and kayaks available for use at the reservoir, (a very nice amenity) but various boating equipment litter the shores and spoil the views. I was told this facility caters mainly to group events, like weddings and there are nice glamping tents available. But it looked like they just didn't pick up after the last party. We left after one day.
Ranger
Cute but older and I mean really old RV camp on what's called a creek. I was told I could pick any Lakefront campsite but this is not the lake! They have a nice small pool and showers are included in the cost and there are full hookups available. Three Yurts available for rent. They offer kayak rentals and have plenty of boat ramps for guests but I didn't want to go into this nasty water, And I brought my own inflatable kayak. Decent for the price if you can't find anything on the lake itself but not what it is cut out to be.
Ranger
As soon as I started going up an extremely steep hill and saw a sign that said not a through street, I should have turned around but it was impossible with my 30-foot car and trailer. I am Bart Upon A frightening , rutted, unmaintained road that is only suitable for off-road vehicles for sick four wheel drives . Barely made it out of there with everything working as it should on car and trailer and actually got stuck at one point and had to use logs to get myself traction. Do not try this and there is nowhere to stop and set up a ten , at all!
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!!
Ranger
Lots of pics of the beach which is wonderful. Here is the campground when it's full up. Very close rigs
RangerThe sites are very close to each other and the camp is very busy In The summer. There is a trail down to a wonderful beach for tide pooling and sunrise/sunset walks. Camp has single clean pit toilet, over subscribed given thwre were many tent campers while we visited. Drinking water is available at a single spigot, and trash dumpsters are throuought camp. Bike trails or Hwy1 south to westport or north. The cliff edge and part of the road have eroded so be careful and abide warning signs.
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!
TravelerBeautiful spot with some views of the lake. No services, but had cell service (CC). I drove in from the south access to High Valley rd. The road was challenging. It was steep with loose dirt in spots. It was an adventure. I am going to try north access into Lucerne later. (See Google for more info)
ScoutBeautiful spot, was able to get a lake view. Easy to get to and relatively clean
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!
Camping near Potter Valley, California, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are several campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Potter Valley, California, provides a great mix of nature, fun activities, and family-friendly options. Just be prepared for the unique quirks of each campground!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Potter Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Potter Valley, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 153 campgrounds and RV parks near Potter Valley, CA and 11 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Potter Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Potter Valley, CA is Hendy Woods State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 26 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Potter Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 free dispersed camping spots near Potter Valley, CA.
What parks are near Potter Valley, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 15 parks near Potter Valley, CA that allow camping, notably Mendocino Lake and Mendocino National Forest.
