Are you planning a camping trip to Upper Lake with your dog? We've got you covered. Find the best information on pet-friendly campsites and dispersed camping near Upper Lake, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby campgrounds that allow pets or find top-rated spots from other campers.
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
Wildcat Campground
$45 - $70 / night
Dispersed Camping. No services.
$22 - $75 / night
Nature trail directly across from campground. Boat launching ramp nearby.
Sheldon Creek is an isolated, primitive recreation site located 8 miles east of Hopland, south of Highway 175.
These 1700 acres of public land provide opportunities for camping, picnicking, hiking, hunting and equestrian use. Vehicle use is limited to the designated access road and OHVs are not permitted. The campground currently has three campsites and a vault toilet. There is no potable water at this site.
Dry camp, bring water. No garbage service provided.
Situated right on the banks of the Russian River and surrounded by Northern California wine country's natural beauty, Russian River RV Resort is a popular place for kayaking, canoeing, rafting, trout fishing, swimming, or enjoying a quiet time in a Santa Rosa RV campground. Within minutes from Thousand Trails' Russian River RV Resort you can taste wines at the local wineries. Enjoy the outdoors with a vast selection of destinations close to this Santa Rosa RV campground : Lake Sonoma and the fish hatchery, the natural "Geysers", the Petrified Forest, and the Safari West animal preserve. Take a walk on ocean beaches or stroll under giant redwoods. Nearby visit one of our two local casinos, walk the Golden Gate Bridge or enjoy world class dining in San Francisco and the Bay Area. Santa Rosa RV campground in Northern California's wine country Whether you're planning a retreat for the whole family, a group of friends or a getaway for two, there's no shortage of unique activities to explore at Russian River RV Campground. Plan activities upon arrival or visit this page before your departure to plan ahead. Looking for more? Our friendly staff can fill you in on all of the great ways to make your stay a memorable experience.
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
Visit was for 11/19/2024 found the gates locked, no entry. Seasonal? No signage to tell.
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
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.
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...
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
GuideQuiet 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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Explore the beauty of Upper Lake, California, while enjoying the company of your furry friends at various pet-friendly campgrounds. Here’s a look at some great options for camping with pets in the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Upper Lake, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Upper Lake, CA is Kelsey Creek Campground — Clear Lake State Park with a 3.7-star rating from 19 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Upper Lake, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 107 dog-friendly camping locations near Upper Lake, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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