Best Cabin Camping near St. Helena, CA

Jeanne and Robert’s Hipcamp is amazing. We had such fun there. Their treehouse site has a solar, heated pool, a sauna, and a hot tub! The Vancamp site has total privacy, and a hot tub in the redwoods. We could not have found a better place to hang out and chill! Our dogs even got to be off leash because it is all fenced!

Jeanne and Roberts treehouse is a luxurious Wonderland of a campground! We had total privacy, a pool, sauna and hot tub and a cool little treehouse to sleep in (with real stairs, leading up to it), Our dogs had a great time because they were off leash… The place is completely private and fenced! We highly recommend, the treehouse… You won’t be disappointed!

We stayed here for two nights. The campground is very large and very clean. Most spots are pull-through and ours was super clean and had a good amount of space. We stayed in row D but I’d recommend row A as the spots were a little more tucked away.

Pool and hot tub was super nice and they even have a food trailer open on the weekends

Nice, clean, well kept KOA. Bathrooms and clubhouse are a little dated. Clubhouse is closed (covid) as well as hot tub. I think the pool is open but it's been too chilly to go see. The small minor complaint is there are no off leash dog areas. There's plenty of space to walk the dogs and some doo doo bag stations. It's been pretty quiet but I'm sure it picks up during the summer.

Nice sites in Oak, Madrone and Manzanita forest. As many have mentioned, it’s also a Poison Oak farm, but if you keep to the trails and roads it’s fine. Many sites are not level. Road is narrow. Bathrooms clean, showers although clean were not inviting. ATT was a bar, occasionally two. Was able to make a call if I stood still. Minutes away from Calistoga and St. Helena. We imagine it’s a very busy place in peak season, but a nice quiet getaway in winter.

Great place to stay at when visiting the Napa wine valley that is halfway between St Helena and Calistoga, two nice tourist towns. There are nice hiking trails in the park though they are closed currently (Dec 2020) due to the fire in the area. There was no damage to the campground even though the fire burned into the grounds. The weekends usually are full, it clears out Sunday evening so during the weekdays it is really nice. Staff are really nice. Be careful of the poison oak, it is prevalent there as it is so anywhere in Northern California.

Great little place in the redwoods in beautiful majestic wine country. Campsites are clean, bathrooms are being renovated at the moment but the ones completed are nice. You need reservations but there are a few walk in campsites up at the end that go on first come first serve basis. Great hiking in the redwoods along a nice creek. Close to Calistoga and St Helena for all your needs.

Just stayed here for 3 nights over 4th July weekend. Sites are nicely spaced apart, amenities are great - very clean, new and well looked after. The location itself is fantastic, just a few miles from Calistoga and St Helena. There is a creek which the kids enjoyed playing in and some good hiking.

There was some poison oak in the campground, but this was easily cleared (and not as bad as have seen in other locations). We also had some wasps and bought a trap at the local hardware store which largely solved the problem. Think both these issues are a result of the campground having just reopened following COVID-19 as the Rangers seemed very helpful.

Overall we had a great stay, and would go back.

This KOA is pretty big with plenty of options for RV sites. Wide variety of full hook-ups or partial hook-ups. Like most (if not all) KOAs, you can also tent camp or tent cabins. Good size dog park for the pets to run and be free, as well as plenty of fun activities to entertain the kiddos. For us, this is a great spot to shoot down the highway and pull in for a few days to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal life! Close to downtown Petaluma with plenty of premium shops and restaurants.

How is it possible that I am the first to review this place, the number one most difficult to reserve spot in all of California (and therefore presumably all of America)?!

So the cabins are not only notoriously difficult to reserve -- you need to be ready to click "reserve" on the website at no less than 5 minutes before the window opens for your dates of interest, which was 6 months ahead of time when I reserved -- but kind of expensive for what they are, at $100/night plus reservation fee.

For that, you get your own seaside cabin with million dollar views just 30 minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Sleeping platforms for about 6 people split among 3 semi-private rooms. Flush toilets at the parking lot and an honor system for buying firewood bundles with kindling. A full-time host lives in the house at the parking lot. There are dish washing spigots scattered among the cabins. There are wheelbarrows for schlepping your stuff to the cabins and campsites; more on that later. And charcoal grills outside each cabin. A couple general use picnic tables scattered about. So those are the basics you can read anywhere.

Various thoughts and recommendations, based on my solo weekend visit in mid-March 2018, staying in Cabin 7 at the bottom of the hill closest to the little beach:

• It's a classic, twisty ride on Highway 1 to get to the entrance, and then another steep, curvy ride down to the campground. Campers sensitive to motion sickness or vertigo be warned.
• Mice. There were several brand new mouse traps provided at the entrance to my cabin. You'll need them. You'd think staying in a cabin would elevate the camping experience a bit, but frankly, this brought things down a couple notches. In two days, I caught three and actually had to buy more traps. Removing any hint of food every night might work, but that's a pain. Experienced cabin-stayers will probably have better advice than mine.
• Views. The campground and all cabins have incredible views. Bring binoculars and your good camera. Bolinas, Stinson, The Farallon Islands, fishing boats, the night sky, raptors, seals, all manner of water fowl…that's why you're here. The views. And…
• It's about a mile into Stinson Beach if you need provisions or restaurants, and you can hike right onto the Steep Ravine / Matt Davis trails and climb all over Mt. Tam from the campground. It's also a great base camp for exploring Bolinas and the Pt. Reyes area by vehicle.
• Wind! It's typically windy in this area most afternoons from May to September. Between those months, there's always a chance of rain, so being inside the cabin with the woodburning stove does have a major advantage over the campsites.
• Seating. Bring your camp chairs. The cabins have fixed sleeping platforms, a built-in table, and two hard wooden benches. If you want to sit close to the wood stove or just lounge comfortably inside or out, it's DIY.

My advice? If you're a small party that just wants a couple days with the gorgeous oceanfront views and location, stay at the tent sites, not the cabins. You won't sleep with one eye open waiting for the mousetraps to pop, and it's a flat, easy portage from the parking lot to the campsites. Easier to keep clean, and I find cooking outside to be less of a hassle and easier to clean up than doing it inside the cabin where there isn't any water, sink, or spillage containment solution. Cheaper and (barely) easier to reserve a tent site, too.

If you're intent on having the cabin experience, or if you're staying in winter, or staying for more than a couple days, or have kids and really want to set up house, then go for a cabin, and I'd recommend choosing a cabin close to the parking lot. They're actually more private and you can use the wheelbarrows to move your stuff from car to cabin. The cabins further away from the parking lot are further down the hill; wheelbarrows are not an option, and footing is iffy when carrying large, heavy items up and down from the parking lot. Views are the same from all cabins so you're not losing any benefits. I'll try for CB04 next time.

But take whatever cabin you can get, and check "Steep Ravine Cabins" off your camping bucket list.

Finally got lucky and got a semi weekend reservation in Cabin 5. Bring something to hang over windows if you need privacy. Wood is for sale to heat up the cabin in the wood burning stove which you need especially during the colder months. Other than that the cabin is basic. It had the main area with the stove and there is 1 single platform there for a shorter adult to sleep. A tiny room with 1 single platform for a kid to sleep (it’s short). And then a bedroom with a single platform for a shorter adult and a double platform for shorter adults. Tall people beware. You can probably get by sleeping diagonal or with your feet hanging off.

Views are epic and you can walk down past the cabins in front of you and down to the beach mostly during low tide. The windows in the main part of the cabin open up to let air in. Lots of flies too.

Make sure you get a gate code to get in and a cabin code to unlock your door.

They have wheelbarrows to haul your stuff to and from your cabin

We’ve been lucky enough to score one of these cabins twice by checking in every so often to see if someone cancelled a reservation.

wood burning fireplace (you can buy wood on site) keeps the cabin warm. Smoke detectors work too!

Unlike Big Basin or other cabins that neighbor tent camping, the SPT cabins are secluded. Here are my disorganized bullet points:

• Cabins are incredible. They have electricity, outlets, and heating. All you need are sheets, pillows, and blankets.
• Great for families.
• Drinkable water
• Dish washing station at the restrooms
• Showers!
• 15 mins from the nearest store, so you don't need to bring much (or can pick things up if you forgot)
• 45 mins from Pt Reyes

Be aware of the tons of poison oak, and bring a yellowjacket trap to hang. There's not a lot of flat ground in the campground for kids riding bikes, so you'll need to go hike the trails or go down to the other main area for that. But this is like 2% negative and everything else is 98% positive.

Overall I think these are perfect for the mini-vacation style "let's throw a few things in a bag, low effort" camping trips.

Camp staff is awesome and helpful! Josh checked us in late and took care of everything even though the store was closed. Pool/jacuzzi both warm, on-site fishing pond, many sites with full hook ups. Beautiful views of wine country and plenty to do at the campsite. Off the beaten path so if you plan to visit cities or wineries you need a tow vehicle.

Nice state park north of Napa, the few car tent sites are nicely situated near a creek. Good space between sites. Easy and fun camping.

Yurts and cabins available. Close to road so a little noisy. Great for a less expensive stay. Saves money for wine tastings...

These cabins are well worth the cost. There is a separate bedroom, you could sleep 2 couples on beds easily with extra floor space and a small individual bunk for larger families. No electricity but the wood burning stove provides some light. Bring candles and lanterns and some fabric for curtains for privacy.

This is a big campground with everything you need for boating and fishing. They have a big boat launch for easy launching. They closed their boat berths because they were rotting. They have one cabin with electricity. It has a bunk bed And a queen. Bring air mattresses cause they are just wooden frames. Very close to the Sacramento River for a nice cruise.

Incredible views, hiking, and hot springs, BUT:

bring layers of functional clothes since the weather on the coast of the SF bay can be anything from roasting to foggy frigid cold during the day and night year round. Don't just look at weather online and go.

Be ready to ACTUALLY camp, not just clamping drive in, unless you have one of the cabins. Many people have less than stellar experiences due to being underprepared.

Do this. “Hike in” means a paved lot with wheelbarrows to help you get your gear to your site which is less than a mile.

Yes these can be hard to get but the new “rolling reservation “ means dates are released 6months to the day not a whole month at a time. Be flexible and you can get a site. We have also stayed in the cabins which are a fantasy experience but the tent sites are cheaper and easier to get.

Tent sites have raccoons and are $25/night Cabins have mice and are $100/night

Site 2 is on the edge of the world. Several trees had been chopped down and there was little shelter but an unbelievable view! We camped for two nights in November and it was sunny and chilly.

Raccoons are abundant and brazen. They got into my lock top storage container but didn’t even try the flimsy food locker. Our bandit made off with a loaf of bread and the marshmallows.

Other tips: Site 1 is very exposed. Site 2 is ample for two tents if needed Site 3 ample for two tents with just a cedar fence between site 2 and 3 Site 4 is tucked down on the hillside with a great view south.

Beach access is via larger boulders. Have good shoes.

Firewood is available onsite for $7. Clean outhouse near tent sites. Clean bathrooms near parking lot- no soap or showers.

Playgrounds, swimming pool, lots of space to run and scream. We stay when visiting the area and endure the screaming kids. The kids do have fun, I give them that. But this is not wilderness camping. It's camping among giant caravans and lots of families. On one visit, the campground was filled with vintage camp trailers It was fun to walk around and see the oldies.

Petaluma is a cute town with lots of good food and things to do. I recommend the area, and recommend KOA if you're driving a big caravan. There are some tent spaces and cabins too. Something for everyone.

The campground is your typical KOA. there's a store, pool, pond, bathrooms, cabins, disc golf etc. The electric scooters are pretty fun, and the paddle boats too. The ground themselves arent really anything special though. It's open, very little privacy. Honestly it's kinda like a massive group site. No real walking trails or anything. Getting to the campground is easier in the summer because there is a bridge that goes over the river, making it a shorter drive. In the winter, the bridge is removed, so you have to go through the town of Cloverdale and back track, adding about 15-20 minutes to your trip.

We just stayed here for 2 nights, great location very close to Calistoga and not to far from Saint Helena! Next time i would love to try out a cabin or yurt. Cons are lots of poison oak and lots and lots of wasps! Bring a trap and be prepared to constantly tell the kids to stay away from the bushes. Great creek near by (we spent most of our time stacking rocks) and great hiking trails i believe it’s a 5 mile loop up ritchy creek. Very cool to see hundreds of frogs everywhere at night. Overall had a great time. Pool was awesome, staff was friendly, facilities were clean! Wood was overpriced but hey that’s the Napa Valley for you!

The good: The private beach is great for kids (and adults). Easy swimming without a strong current. Lots of shallows but a deep swimming hole are for adults too. The camp store is cute and there’s a brewery next door if you want a meal out. There are several playgrounds which are fun for kids. And an arcade.

The bad: super expensive and the actual sites aren’t great. We camped in our van in the rv area and it’s really just a big parking lot right by the highway. I think the tent sites are a bit better.

Other info: there are cabins and camper vans to rent so could be a good place to go with friends or family who aren’t campers and want a nice river day but again it’s $$$.