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Best Tent Camping near Rio Linda, CA

544 Reviews

Tent campsites near Rio Linda, California offer several established campgrounds within a 1-2 hour drive. Lake Clementine Boat In at Auburn State Recreation Area provides tent camping along the North Fork of the American River, while Rancho Seco Recreation Area features approximately 50 tent-only sites, some just feet from the lake. Both locations maintain designated tent camping areas with basic amenities and access to water recreation.

Tent camping surfaces vary considerably across these areas. At Lake Clementine, many sites are positioned on sloped terrain with parking at the top of the hill and tent setup areas below. The campground access requires navigating approximately six miles of curvy, narrow roads that may challenge larger vehicles. Each site typically includes a fire pit/grill, concrete picnic table, and bear box, though seasonal fire bans may restrict use. A recent review noted, "Many of the sites are more suitable for tent campers. The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below." Most locations have vault toilets rather than running water, so tent campers should bring sufficient water supplies.

The tent-only experience in this region provides varied natural settings. Areas like Rancho Seco offer tent sites with lake access and tree cover for shade during hot summer months. During off-peak seasons, tent campers can enjoy greater solitude. According to a camper review, "We stayed in February. Summers would be very hot and I imagine the area would be packed with day use folks." Walk-in tent locations at Lake Clementine provide a more secluded experience with river proximity, though sites can fill quickly during peak season. Most walk-in tent sites feature minimal amenities but compensate with natural settings and water access. Tent campers should note that many areas have limited or no cell service, adding to the disconnected backcountry camping experience, though Lake Clementine surprisingly offers 1-2 bars of Verizon service according to visitor reports.

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Best Tent Sites Near Rio Linda, California (26)

    1. Rancho Seco Recreation Area

    15 Reviews
    Herald, CA
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (209) 748-2318

    "About 50 tent only sites, some just feet from the lake. RV sites are farther from the lake on mostly level gravel pads with picnic table, fire rings, and a trash can at each site."

    "I pitched a tent in site 43 right next to the lake. Excellent place."

    2. Lake Clementine Boat In — Auburn State Recreation Area

    7 Reviews
    Cool, CA
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 885-4527

    $38 / night

    "The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below. Most of the sites that have a “driveway” were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6."

    "Place the cash ($28 a night) in the envelope and put it in the post that’s on the parking entrance."

    3. Camp Far West North Shore

    3 Reviews
    Beale Air Force Base, CA
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 633-0803

    "I did feel the camping spots need some maintenance because the fire pits and bbqs are non functioning, we had to build our own fire ring. And the broken glass....... man it was everywhere!"

    "We visited Camp Far West for one night on a quick trip looking for somewhere remote, nearby, and slightly warmer during the winter months.  It was green and beautiful. "

    4. Lake Camanche

    18 Reviews
    Wallace, CA
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (209) 763-5121

    $50 / night

    "Wicked August heat, BUT there’s the lake!

    5 Stars — were it not for the SLOBS who preceded us!!"

    "I come here with my family every year around 4th of July. I would book way ahead for busy holidays like that. 

    The water level really varies on the year."

    5. OARS American River Outpost Campground (Rafting Guests Only)

    1 Review
    Coloma, CA
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 626-5600

    $30 - $99 / night

    "If you have some extra time, be sure to check out Marshall Gold Discovery Park, home of Sutter's Mill, and the nearby wine country."

    6. Camp Nauvoo

    3 Reviews
    Diamond Springs, CA
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (916) 207-9441

    $65 - $300 / night

    7. Sacred Valley Ranch Retreat

    Be the first to review!
    Gold Hill, CA
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (916) 284-8319

    $45 - $100 / night

    8. Steele Canyon (formerly Lupine Shores)

    6 Reviews
    Yountville, CA
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 966-9192

    $5 - $55 / night

    "It got really cold at night (32 degrees), but my fault for not checking the weather. Beautiful views. Nice landscape. Spacious sites. There was no one else in the cluster of 6 spots that I stayed at."

    "Our favorite spot to take the kids to the lake. If your looking for something calm this is the spot at Lake Berryessa."

    9. Delta Bay RV Resort

    2 Reviews
    Rio Vista, CA
    41 miles
    +1 (916) 777-5588

    10. Jenkinson Campground—Sly Park Recreation Area

    5 Reviews
    Pollock Pines, CA
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (530) 644-2545

    "The sites were mostly all at a slant so it was a bit uncomfortable in terms of the sleep situation."

    "We brought our paddle board and we’re walking distance to the lake front. Lake was quiet, trails well maintained and facilities were cleaned regularly. Will definitely stay here again."

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Rio Linda, CA

29 Photos of 26 Rio Linda Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Rio Linda, CA

544 Reviews of 26 Rio Linda Campgrounds

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 25, 2023

    Lake Clementine Boat In — Auburn State Recreation Area

    Off-season peaceful stay

    General: Normally, there are 18 designated sites that are reservable only from May 1– October 15. What we didn’t know until we arrived was that only Sites 1-7 were open after this date; fortunately, only two other sites were occupied when we arrived at 5:30 pm on a Monday in late October. The access road is about six miles of curvy, hilly, and narrow (sometimes only one lane) pavement. There is a sign prohibiting trailers; our 18-foot camper van did fine but anything much larger would definitely be challenged. 

    Site Quality: Many of the sites are more suitable for tent campers. The parking area is at the top of the hill, and you set up your tent below. Most of the sites that have a “driveway” were not level, except for Sites 5 and 6. We lucked out with Site 6 – it was large and level and directly across from the vault toilets. A fire pit/grill, large concrete picnic table, and bear box complete the site (although there was a fire ban in effect).

    Bath: Only one vault toilet was open, and it was very clean. It was cleaned again the next morning. 

    Activities: This campground is located on the North Fork of the American River. In season, this campground would be very popular with rafters; there is a raft launch and takeout area close to the campsites. The river was crystal clear and beautiful.

    This was a small but beautiful campground. We were surprised that we had a semi-decent cell signal ranging from 1 to 2 bars (Verizon).

  • Rosina A.
    Jun. 1, 2022

    Beals Point Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

    Folsom Lake Penninsula

    Beautiful sunsets. No showers. Bathrooms are clean. Some sites are rather small and have little flat ground. Pics on website are tough to see when booking. Lake to most sites is a drive, but there are a few campsites on the lake. Many sites are on hill, you walk up the hill or down a hill with stairs. Lake has day use area, but also a dock area for camping folks. Lots of mosquitoes. They have a fire are to cook, no fire ring, have a bear box and picnic table. Some sites have plenty of shade while others are just plain sun so be prepared.

    Water is nice temperature and super clean! Nice to kayak, paddle, boat (they have boat ramps), fish, swim. Beach areas are rocks with weeds, but pretty.

  • Larry W.
    Aug. 28, 2020

    Sugar Barge RV Resort & Marina

    Quiet, NO other tenters!

    We (party of 4) were there primarily because we rented a boat from their Marina. That went well! This is an RV campground & full-complement resort on Bethel Island, San Joaquin River Delta. Many RVers appear to be long-term or full-time residents.

    The tent-area was a clearing, fully backed up to the levee, with some shade and a water spigot. Appears to be only 4 “sites,” which are defined by picnic tables, GENEROUSLY spaced, no fire rings AND the Delta is h.o.t.! It’s also on the far edge of the property, so car traffic was MINIMUM — and NO generators were heard, even though the RV section is huge!!!

    The rest rooms were in the Marina building, a short walk. We would DEFINITELY return for boating and tenting!!!

  • Kate A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 20, 2021

    Thousand Trails Ponderosa

    Great location, but plan ahead

    This is a well maintained RV and tent camping resort. It’s great for kids that want to ride bikes around the sites- but be careful of the river, it’s swift. The RV and tent sites are in two separate areas, with more updated amenities available for RVs like hot showers. Shared pool site. Lots of great trails to weave through the campground on a mountain bike.

    One downside- it can be hot. Not a lot of tree cover for the RV sites- make sure you bring shade with you. Luckily, there’s a nice cool river to swim in!

    Fires are restricted sometimes in the summer. Some sites require a membership.

    Local grocery and pizza, frozen yogurt available within walking distance.

    Lots of great fishing, floating, and kayak accessibly. Bring tubes and life vests. Poles and bait.

  • Jordie G.
    May. 23, 2023

    Pine Cone - Sly Park Recreation Area

    Excellent campsite, terrible booking website

    Beautiful view of the lake, level plot, toilets, picnic table, potable water, fire ring, grill, recycling stations and large dumpsters. Dog friendly too. This campsite has everything you need to enjoy a nice evening by the lake. However, booking online or by phone is a pain in the ass. If you toussle around with the website, you'll see what I mean. We were also unable to reach anyone by phone.

    They do not do walk-ins for campsites on Fridays or Saturdays. We came on a Sunday and were able to set up camp and leave our stuff to hit the grocery store in Pollock Pines. I think it was $45 for the night but very well worth camping in an established zone for the first time in a week! We drove into our site in a Ford E-350 and next to us was a converted schoolbus. Many SUVs as well. The camp host was on premises as well.

    At the time of this review, the store across the check-in gate, Sly Park Resort, was closed until further notice.

  • Gina C.
    Jul. 26, 2019

    Lake Francis Resort

    Fun cabin rental

    Some of my family has camped here in the past at one of the tent sites. We decided this time around to reserve one of their cabins. We stayed at the Diamond P cabin which has the best view of the lake within this group of cabins. You can walk to the lake (it’s about 100 yards) from this location. Though it does fill up fast (by 11am it was pretty full). They have a large portable toilet there for use. We spent our time at the pool which is near the flushable toilets and the ice cream parlor, restaurant, and camp store. The pool goes from 3.5’ ft to 5’ back to 3.5’ ft.

    The cabin was great. Two bedrooms, each with twin bunk beds and a full bottom bunk and twin above. Small bathroom with shower, mini fridge, hot plates, microwave, and dishes. Dining table and futon in the living area. Nice wide front porch to sit on and enjoy the view, communal tables and bbq for all the cabins. This unit also had a swamp cooler to help manage the heat.

    Check in is 4pm and check out is 11am. There is also a small game room with a pool table, a baseball field, paddle boats, and kayaks to rent.

    The down side is how quickly the easiest access to the lake fills up. Everyone has to drive over from the tent RV site to access the water. There are other places you can drive and park to get to the water, but there it a drop off into the water from there vs a gradual walk in.

  • R D.
    Jul. 3, 2025

    Peninsula Campground — Folsom Lake State Recreation Area

    Spacious unique sunny sites

    To be real, if you're unhoused but well-behaved with an income, this might be a much better option than Beals Point. Peninsula is about 45 minutes to an hour from Folsom depending on traffic. You have to drive down a long windy narrow road to get here, which is the worst part, so it's best to come prepared to stay put for as long as possible once you're here. There is plenty to do since you can go swimming in the lake most months (except early Spring), and there is an 8 mile hiking trail (Darrington) that ends at the campground. Darrington is mountain bike accessible but nowhere near road bike accessible. A shorter accessible trail (Oaks Nature Trail) is entirely contained within the campground and takes you through some great examples and educational signs regarding the riparian ecosystem. Wildlife is off the chain here. As others have said, if you don't love being surrounded by wild animals, this will probably be a bit much for you. Bears have been seen on occasion, cougars, Bobcats, and coyotes all stop by from time to time, and there are so many skunks it can get annoying. One night I was woken up by a deer walking right into my tent which scared the crap out of us both. On the flip side I've seen some of the most beautiful emerald and sapphire colored lizards. They breed here in late spring. It's kind of hilarious to watch the males do push-ups then chase the females down like 80 times in a row. Some of the females fight back and make it a lizard wrestling match. Owls, eagles, salmon, beavers... if it lives in this area, there's a good chance you'll see it here. The boat noise can be annoying on busy days but is not so bad from the higher up sites, which tend to have more amenities due to being further from the lake. The camp hosts here are some of the best I've encountered. Since this campground is so huge there are usually sites available first come first serve, if you come in late at night you can self register at the kiosk. Others are correct that there isn't much shade and the sites aren't very flat. I got around the latter problem by folding a sleeping bag under one side of my sleeping pad to keep that side elevated. Overall one of the best places to Camp near Folsom lake.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 9, 2022

    Acorn Campground

    Peaceful stay on a weekday in May!

    General: 132-site Corps of Engineers campground on New Hogan Lake. No hookups. 

    Site Quality: Varies. Most are back-in, but some are pull-through. Most sites are generous in size, providing some privacy. More than a few are not level (do not pick Site 107 if you need anything close to level!). We had reserved Site 80 but ended up taking Site 100. Pads are all paved but narrow; large RVs might be challenged navigating these driveways. A picnic table, lantern hook, fire ring, and grill complete the site. 

    Bathhouse: They really could use some TLC. No soap or towels and not all the showers were functional. I chose not to try the functional one as it had seen better days!

    Activities: We saw several boats on the lake and there is fishing. Not sure about other activities as we just enjoyed relaxing at our campsite by the lake! 

    We were there on a Thursday in early May, and it was fairly quiet. No ranger or other camp host that we saw. However, on the weekends and in the summer, it looks like it would be a much different story (but we prefer the off-season!). Yes, the bathrooms may have been janky, but who are we to complain when it costs just$10 (with the Golden Access Pass). Beware of goose poop– it is everywhere! And while you definitely won’t hear road-noise, you will hear honking geese!

  • Steve E.
    Apr. 12, 2021

    Indian Grinding Rock State Historical Park Campground

    Bring your frisbee, beware of the roadside noise

    We tent camped in this state campground for two nights. The campground is well shaded (good luck with solar).  It's small with only 23 sites. Perfect weekend getaway for Northern California families, about 3 hours from Bay Area.

    Next to a beautiful state operated historical park with lots of open space, tall ancient oak trees and two easy trails. Open space great for games, frisbee, soccer, or setup a volleyball net. Grass is mowed. Many shaded picnic tables. We enjoyed hiking the South trail, which is about 1/2 a mile with nature markers matching to an information guide. Kids will enjoy going inside the roundhouses (teepee like structures). Stop by the free museum. The ranger was very knowledgeable and engaged the kids well covering the history of artifacts.

    Pros

    - Very clean bathrooms. They were cleaned and sterilized twice a day according to the ranger. Flush toilets. Hot water showers, requiring coins (change machine).  

    - Campsite host on site. There are also rangers nearby at the park. 

    - Sites reservable

    - Very close to Black Chasm Cavern, which is a paid guided tour cavern. Kids can search for fossils and minerals in the water trough next to gift shop. Just buy a bag of dirt. 

    - Two trails: a short South trail near the campsite and a longer North trail.

    - ADA site and many accessible areas & bathroom 

    - Campfire rings and tables at campsites. Each site appeared to have a flat tent spot available. 

    Cons

    - You can hear cars and trucks going by at night on nearby Pine Grove Volcano Rd. Not too bad, but does take away the ambiance of being in the outdoors. This is why I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

    - Some of the sites are close together. They are closer than appear on camp map.  Another reason for 4 out of 5 stars. 

    - Dogs cannot go on trails. They can only go to open fields at historical park and campground, which is plenty for dog walking. 

    - Water spigots are shared among multiple sites (not one per site). No hookups. 

    Our family would definitely go again.

Guide to Rio Linda

Tent camping near Rio Linda, California, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from serene lakeside retreats to family-friendly sites, there's something for everyone.

Local Attractions and Activities

Tent Camping Prices

Tent Camper Amenities

  • Sacred Valley Ranch Retreat allows pets and offers amenities like drinking water, showers, and picnic tables, making it a comfortable choice for families.
  • Camp Nauvoo features glamping options along with traditional tent sites, providing a mix of comfort and outdoor adventure.
  • Delta Bay RV Resort is known for its friendly staff and good fishing opportunities, ensuring a pleasant stay for all campers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Rio Linda, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Rio Linda, CA is Rancho Seco Recreation Area with a 4.3-star rating from 15 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Rio Linda, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Rio Linda, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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