Best Tent Camping near Whitethorn, CA

We came here in early October 2020 for a Friday - Monday trip. The campsite is large and spots are spaced out. Due to COVID a lot of sites were closed, which made everything feel very spaced out.

The area is beautiful. The campsite it self has tons of beautiful redwoods and ferns on the property. It was beautiful to just sit and admire the scenery.

Bathrooms and showers were clean and the campsites were across the street from some short but beautiful hikes.

The visitor center was closed but right next door. The area to check in did sell wood and we noticed a lot of staff throughout our trip.

The campsite was super quite and very peaceful.

We brought our dog which was great. Lots of trees and lots of shade. I think almost every site was shaded. Bring your hammocks because there was plenty of locations on each site to set them up. I would be aware that many of the upper sites are on a slope.

Each site came equipped with a fire ring/grill, picnic table and bear box.

We had the best time and went a little ways up north to go fishing outside of Fortuna. We actually caught a fish this time :) Fishing near the campsite was not recommended due to the low water level. However, their were plenty of options just a short drive away.

We stayed at site #35 which was large but had a slope. However, we were able to find two kind of flat spots to put tents and it was totally fine.

I like this a little better than Van Damm down the road because of the small private beach which never appears crowded. You do have road noise but it really is not bad.

Great little tent camping spots and a fabulous group tent camping spot.  From the small beach you can play in the waves and launch protected kayaks into the small bay.  On the right day there are some tidepools (not a lot).  A stream runs through camp and empties on to the beach.

Great Fern Canyon trail and waterfall trail back in the gorge.

You can explore all the Mendoconio Coast from here.

Sites are well spaced and protected. Tables, fire rings and food storage.  Nice rest rooms with showers.  I like the lower loop along the creek and thes sites at the end, near the beginning of the fern canyon trail are choice.

• Sites are well spaced apart and have great privacy
• The Stellar Jays are so fun to watch here — they are very confident and brave birds, they come into your camp and squawk all day
• It’s so lush and green here. Plenty of shade under the bug trees, and lots of nature to see
• Restrooms and showers are clean and big
• Each site has a bear box, picnic table, and fire ring

• Not great for parking trailers
• TONS of mosquitoes. The children and I were eaten alive
• Be careful of the poison oak everywhere! Watch your kids. They are all around the campsite.
• While sites are private and secluded, they are a little small. You can probably fit 2 small tents

The campgrounds are pretty open, with little privacy, but that’s not what you’re there for.

The drive is intense, but manageable in good weather in a fwd Mazda 3. Mattole Rd from Weott is far better in terms of the road condition, but Mattole Rd to Ferndale is absolutely breathtaking. I wouldn’t attempt either with a large rig or trailer.

The lost coast is absolutely breathtaking. You’ll get 4 seasons of weather in a day, so plan accordingly. A short walk outside of the campground reveals incredible scenes.

The campgrounds are first come first serve. We snagged the last spot around 3PM on a Tuesday afternoon.

THERE IS NO WATER. Pack in what you need.

We chose Pomo based on other reviews on TheDyrt. I picked site 47 out of the three that were left when I was searching for a place near Fort Bragg. Although it looks like the site is in the middle of the town, the sites are very private, many nestled between thick brush (blackberries!) and many back far enough from the road that it seems like you're boondocking. Our primary reason for choosing a coastal site was for comfort. It was still over 95 degrees inland, but a very comfortable 65 along the coast. 

Almost all the RV sites are gravel, with the exception of a couple smaller ones, and the tent sites. There is a single bathroom complex, and the men's restroom was great...tiled with multiple stalls, large glass windows and CLEAN! I didn't check the showers out, but I'm assuming the same level of detail and finish also apply there.

It appears the sewer system doesn't cover all the sites, so the further back in the campground you go, there won't be any (an educated guess on my behalf). I walked through the campground, and most the RV sites have a power pedastal and water, a nice wooden picnic table and a fire ring. Internet access is available throughout, and when I ran speedtest I was getting 170Mbps down, which is incredible.

Make sure you look through the pictures of each site on the reservation page. They all are slightly different in size, privacy, and whatnot. There are several sites that "share" a common open space if you're in a group, and a large group area which looked to have 5 or 6 sites all comingled.

For tent camping, there is a large, open line of grass near the front of the campground, which doesn't really offer much protection from the sun. BUT...there is a loop at the back of the campground that has at least 10 grassy tent sites under a thick cover of pine trees. It's isolated by a path from the other RV sites, and I was really impressed by the area! If I were still tent camping, this would no doubt be my go-to tent site.

The nights were quiet and dark, and the staff friendly. They have 1 dump station, a fish cleaning station, propane and the office has a bunch of DVD movies available (not sure if for rent or free use).

Overall an excellent site and we were glad to find it, and will probably use this as a staging point for future treks further up the coast! I'll include some pictures of the site (I never include personal/family pictures because this is a campground review site, not a family album!)