Searching for the best camping near St. Helena, CA? St. Helena is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near St. Helena and user-submitted reviews.
$43 / night
"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."
"Great place to stay at when visiting the Napa wine valley that is halfway between St Helena and Calistoga, two nice tourist towns."
"This location is easily accessible for all. Biking, trails for hiking and the gardens are gorgeous. Rvs and horses welcome."
"We only stayed overnight the staff was very friendly,lots of stuff to do around the campsite from hiking,mtb,watch horses, frisbee golf and then you have napa where you can get wine,brewery,and restaurants"
$45 / night
"This campsite is centrally located on the peninsula. Access to several roadside dog friendly beaches within minutes. The bay and the beach are within walking distance to campground."
"There are also equestrian trails, so you can book a horseback ride from a local ranch as well!!"
"in an open meadow on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a short walk to the beach and a 3.2 kilometer (2.0 miles) round-trip walk to [Alamere Falls](https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/alamere_falls.htm"
"Really great site right next to the water and beach. The hike in is pretty easy and beautiful. We had fun making a fire on the beach at night. It's pretty windy, so be prepared."
$30 - $90 / night
"West Marin offers an incredibly picturesque location to explore, and Coast Camp is about as good as it gets."
"The beach offers tidepools close by as well as a great place for beach fire (permit needed). There are two routes to hike in."
$25 - $100 / night
"If you talk to the the ranger at the gate, most of the time they will let you drive around the grounds and pick any open site."
"The walk down to swim in the lake was a significant downhill but the dip was worth it! Funny dead trees sticking out of the lake were fun to climb on."
"Next to a stream and surrounded by hills. The only tough part is getting across the stream to some of the hikes."
$75 - $120 / night
"Tilden is great for anyone looking for a close park right outside of the Berkeley/San Fran area. It is a rather large park area that overlooks Berkeley."
"Tilden offers a lake in the middle to swim in and fish. The campsites have lots of fire pits. The weather is always great too!"
"The 31-mile East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail, part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail system, traverses"
GuideGreat 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.
TravelerGreat 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.
TravelerNice 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.
ScoutJust 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.
RangerThis campsite is centrally located on the peninsula. Access to several roadside dog friendly beaches within minutes. The bay and the beach are within walking distance to campground. The bathrooms are clean and the showers are coin operated. Sites are flat and semi private. The staff is friendly and campground is large.
TravelerGreat free campground! We've stayed here many times. It's open, grassy level and quiet. Next to a stream and surrounded by hills. The only tough part is getting across the stream to some of the hikes. It's a hot spot for horses which of course have no stream problems, so the only negative is fly's sometimes. But just keep your screen door closed (& fly swatter handy). We always manage to level out in our 23" Winnebago View. There is lots of open space so no crowding. There is a rural road near by but traffic noise isn't a problem. Perhaps I should say it's awful so fewer people come and it's not discovered.
GuideIt is always windy and therefore cold on the beach. That is why there are such big sand dunes.
Regardless, a beautiful place to visit and camp. There are also equestrian trails, so you can book a horseback ride from a local ranch as well!!
LegendSibley Regional Preserve
San Francisco East Bay residents actually have a volcano in their backyard at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. Originally called Round Top Park, Sibley shares with Temescal and Tilden Parks the distinction of being one of the East Bay Regional Park District's original parks.
The Sibley backpack camp is a small, primitive hike-in site for a maximum of 15 campers (although this would be super cramped in my opinion, unless it a bunch of small kids), a moderate 0.2 mile walk from the parking lot (NO VEHICLE ACCESS). The site has basically 360 degree views of Mount Diablo, Vollmer Peak and Tilden Park. There are only two tent pads - approximately 10'x25' and 10'x20'. Site has 2 picnic tables, 1 serving table, and a pit toilet close by which was very clean and well maintained.
During the day you’ll have lots of people walk semi/sorta by the campground, but there is no reason that anyone would walk through your area as if they did they’d tumble off and down the side of a nice steep hill…
No wood fires or BBQs are allowed; only camp stoves are allowed for cooking, your night time enjoyment.
Drinking water is 0.2 miles from camp at the trail head so keep that in mind before it gets too dark to hike back and forth for a drink.
There are several trails providing tons of access throughout the preserve. The 31-mile East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail, part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail system, traverses the preserve along the ridgeline between Wildcat Canyon and Anthony Chabot Parks. Round Top Road goes from the Sibley visitor center to the top of Round Top. Round Top Loop Trail circles Round Top peak. Volcanic Trail, once a quarry haul road, contains most of the stops on the self-guided volcanic tour.
Dogs are allowed throughout this section of the park and in camp on leash but are not allowed on the adjacent Huckleberry trails. Also, the EBRPD lists, dogs “must be under owner's control at all times” and must not disturb other animals or park visitors, but I definitely saw a lot of loose well behaved dogs running free.
Bikes are allowed on the fire trail, but there are lots of hikers and dog walkers in this park so be mindful. Also, Horses are allowed but there is no hitching rail and no water troughs in the park (or at least that I saw anywhere).
If you decide to try and bike be mindful that most trails are hiking and equestrian only. A few trails are multi-use. Bicycles are not allowed on narrow-gauge trails, except on the Skyline Trail between the Sibley visitor center and Old Tunnel Road. Bicycles are allowed on the wider-gauge fire trails and paved roads but are not allowed on Sibley Round Top from EBMUD water tank road junction to top of Round Top Peak.
Vehicles must be parked in the staging area and display a valid overnight parking permit: 3 parking permits are included in the reservation and will be mailed 5 days in advance. No additional parking permits are available. Otherwise, you can actually get here via public transport by Taking the AC Transit CB bus to the Mountain Blvd stop, them walk about 3 miles to the park.
While you can check if it’s already reserved online. Reservation must be completed at least 5 days in advance by calling 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757, press option 2.
RangerSkyline Wilderness County Park is a great little campground just outside of downtown Napa. There are always a lot of RVs there, but thankfully the tent section is separate from most of the RVs. The tent area leaves a little to be desired and is basically just a stretch of grass with picnic tables, BBQs and very little separation or cover from trees. Of course you don’t really think wilderness camping when you think of Napa Valley.
Despite being close to town there is actually quite a bit to do in the park and once you get back from the campground a bit you can really feel kind of far away from the congested Napa Valley. There are quite a few hiking trails and some offer beautiful views of the valley. By far the most popular is the Lake Marie Trail and Fire Road and Manzanita is popular with mountain bikers.
The River to Ridge Trail is nice and provides access to the Kennedy Park, the Napa River, and miles of bike paths, but check at the kiosk if the gate next to highway 221 (Soscol Ferry Road) is open and I have found it to not have a very consistent schedule.
According to a couple of friends that are pretty die-hard disk golfers, the course at Skyline is one of the best and most challenging in the area. I found it to be pretty fun, especially is your expectations are extremely low.
Being Napa Valley there is of course wine tasting and having a parking spot at the campground you have the perfect opportunity to take an Uber or car service to ensure your safety while enjoying Napa’s most famous export.
This is not a park that will provide you with memorable hikes or photos for your Instagram, but it is a decent place to stay in Napa if you’re the type that prefers to sleep in a tent or RV over a very pricey hotel.
Horse camping in California offers a unique way to explore the state's stunning landscapes while enjoying the company of your equine friends. With a variety of campgrounds catering to horse enthusiasts, you can find the perfect spot to saddle up and hit the trails.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near St. Helena, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near St. Helena, CA is Ritchey Creek Campground — Bothe-Napa Valley State Park with a 4-star rating from 26 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near St. Helena, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 equestrian camping locations near St. Helena, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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