Best Tent Camping near Waterford, CA

The location and weekend was amazing and beautiful. The 105 daytime temps were quelled by dunking ourselves in the lake and taking excursions to some of the other local wonders. We had a great view of the lake and the stars overnight were amazing. It was extremely easy to socially distance from others at all times.

We spent the weekend camped out here but when we arrived, our location was filled with trash. The previous occupants had left garbage strewn everywhere and a garbage bag that was torn into by the wildlife. We cleaned for about half an hour and filled a large black yard waste bag with garbage before we could start to settle in.

The other big issue is that the site says “all facilities are open” but in reality all the restrooms are closed and locked with a solution of putting portable toilets in front of the restroom areas. This is in no way better for dealing with bathroom needs.

Also, the camp host location was marked but no host appeared or was available. The rangers drove by maybe 6 times total.

Be aware when coming here that many sites do not have shade or places to set up hammocks.

Don’t let my negative points turn you away, many of these things were going to be situational and we would love to go back (just not in the midst of a heatwave like that).

The sites were well maintained. We went early in the season (April) so the dust was not bad. I think later in the spring/summer you might find yourself faced with dust and foxtails. Lots of weeds in surrounding areas. 

Water was high, but looks like it would be great fishing. 

There are many site styles available- private riverside drive up, community river cul-de-sac walk-ins, and three drive in sites tucked up the hill away from everything. 

Porta-pottys and vault toilets available- no water. 

Lots a options here.

Great beach by the river- tag the shade early in the day to beat the heat.

We stayed here for the night prior to a Hetch Hetchy backpacking trip. We arrived in the dark. We had reserved a site with a small two person tent already set up for us. It was a bit hard to find in the dark, but the camping area is fenced in under an oak grove so eventually we found the stump with our name on it next to the tent. In the future, I think I’ll just bring my own tent and deal with the small hassle of setting it up—the tent provided was fine, but definitely would not have been a good choice if there had been rain. And you could tell it is essentially set up 24/7—some tiny insects living inside etc. The campsites themselves were sufficiently spacious and the host has nice fire pits with fire wood provided for each site, plus picnic tables. Basic portapotties plus some running water for bathrooms. Fellow campers were an interesting mix of folks from all over, though I wish the owner had quiet hours posted and communicated—our immediate tent neighbors sat out chatting and laughing until nearly 1am which was annoying. The coyotes and owls at night were lovely.

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!

There are actually two camp areas. There are two or three small sites at Frank Raines proper. As you turn into the park turn left and on the other side of the old softball field there are a few fire rings in the oak trees. I'm not sure where you go to pay for these but you occasionally see people camping there. There are porta johns in the area but the water is signed as not drinkable so bring your own.... or drive up to the Adobe Spring faucet at the 18 mile mark and fill your water jugs.

Just up the road is the OHV park with a large campground with bathrooms, tables, electrical hook ups, tables, flush toilets and fire rings. Lots of flat spots for rv and trailers and a hall you can rent out for events. It's also a popular OHV area so expect a lot of activity and noise at all times of the day.

Neither spot has drinkable water according to the signage, there is water, but you're not supposed to drink it.

Acorn campground https://www.recreation.gov/camping/acorn-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73494 is a great campground for boaters, or anyone looking to camp near a lake. Located on New Hogan Reservoir, there are multiple boat ramps, and large sites, many of them right on the lake. Each site has a firepit, grill, picnic table, and a pole to hang lanterns on. The lake level varies wildly throughout the year, sites that are right on the lake can end up being hundreds of feet from the lake if the water level is low. Early summer is the best time to go for high lake levels. There is boating, fishing, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming etc available in the lake. Not much in the way of hiking in the immediate area, but there are some good hikes nearby outside of the campground. The restrooms and showers were very clean, although some campsites are located quite a long walk from them. Since it is so close to the Central Valley and easy to get to, it can get crowded and noisy, but otherwise it is a great site. The gold rush towns in the foothills are close by too, so that opens up more day time activities. There is a great little store called the Zippy Mart, located just outside the campground that sells bait, food, beer, firewood, etc, so if you forget something its easy to run there and pick it up.