Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Williams, CA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Williams is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Williams. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$43 / night
"Then, after a day of riding and wine tasting, we retired back to our campsites for an evening of grilling and drinking of local wines (of which there are many, many excellent choices)."
"WE just stayed two nights camping and had a great time, site was good, bathrooms and showers were clean. Good access to wineries close by. "
"*pros: great little market, very nice staff, clean, great views *cons: rocky watch your step, especially at the beach and a long the shore."
"We’ve been to Collins Lake a few times and we love it! Lots of different camping spots and the lake is stocked with fish. Ice cream at the store is a must."
"We needed a place to camp for the night, and Parkway was in the right location. We booked through the Dyrt, but the campground's booking site was almost as easy. "
"We really appreciated the pool, the very friendly staff and clean restrooms."
$236 - $364 / night
"You can't ask for a more picturesque place to glamping, surrounded by the fields of the ranch & winery, while also within driving distance of San Francisco, this is a spot to check out!"
"The campground is next to the Truckee River but most sites do not have easy access to it.
There are only three pit toilets since one of them is permanently damaged and has been for quite some time."
"If you drive past all the OHV-filled camps, you’ll eventually get to this little gem."
$22 - $75 / night
"She answered all our questions and showed us around. We feel in love with this place! 💕 You can fish right from your camp spot if you get a spot right on the water."
"This park has two parts: most is across the street from the lake but some spots are lakeside. The lakeside spots are very tight together-and require backing in."
"This is such a beautiful piece of California."
"The trees are amazing and there are about 2 miles of walking trails. The campground is along Dry Creek, which isn't dry but is covered in some sort of green stuff (not algae)."
"Bathroom was clean. Peacocks are everywhere, so be prepared to a little noise. We were in campsite #17 and there was no shade."
"The better spots are near the water.
Contrary to other posts, they take walkups. It is just on the website it requires 2 weeks out."
"It’s definitely a place I’ll put on my list to camp at again, especially when they figure out their electrical issues."
"WiFi is very very limited- drive to top of hill or lodge( very sporadic) Great Lake for swimming, fishing and small boats. Store on site. Clean swimming pool. Ideal for Tent or RV."
TravelerMiddle creek campground was as close as we could find to free camping in Upper Lake CA. At the time of our visit 90% of the Mendocino National Forest was closed as a result of fires the past year as well as landslides due to rains.this is normally a ohv area but since all trails are closed it is quiet and peaceful.you can hear the creek running along the camp, as well as the wild turkeys . There must be over 15 different species of birds as well. Each campsite has a picnic table , fire pit as well as a bbq grill. They do have vault toilets and running water. It was $8.00 a nite but offered a discount with a America the beautiful pass
ScoutThe North Fork campground is about 30 minutes off of Interstate 80 along a 1-2 lane paved road. The campground is next to the Truckee River but most sites do not have easy access to it.
There are only three pit toilets since one of them is permanently damaged and has been for quite some time. There is no running water or access to any electricity.
It is is a small to medium size campground which is a plus and it’s in the trees.
GuideBeautiful location, campground was easily accessible going up Elk Mountain Road. Camped in Site 11, pull through, no hook ups, nice picnic table, grill and fire pit. Vault toilets, no showers. There is potable water close to the campsites. Very quiet during the week, it did get noisier on the weekends, but everyone settled down for the evening.
ScoutI have been camping here for 20 years and have always had a great time. Camp sites are spaced out, so you're not on top of one another like some of the other sites around the lake. Also has a nice beach and direct access to the lake. Campground hosts change from year to year and have been good people. Since Lake Pillsbury is more secluded compared to Lake Mendocino, it tends to get a lot less traffic from campers (except around holidays). People who come are generally experienced campers or families on vacation and not 20-somethings looking to party. Noise normally isn't an issue, even when all the sites are full. Bring your own seat gaskets and toilet paper though. No seat gaskets are provided in the vault toilets, and the toilet paper is sometimes just 1-ply.
TravelerDecent facilities, park rangers keep the bathrooms stocked with toilet paper and toilet seat covers. Need tokens for showers. Pick up tokens at boat launch bathrooms. Bring cash, small bills. $10 Firewood bundle cash only.
GuideSmall, cozy campground located in the heart of wine country. Site contains fire pit, picnic tables, and bear locker. Several prominent wineries located near by as well as a charming town called Calistoga. Sites and bathrooms were well maintained. Good option if you're doing Napa on a budget!
ScoutThis place is clean. We were greeted by the camp host with a smile! Very friendly! She answered all our questions and showed us around. We feel in love with this place! 💕 You can fish right from your camp spot if you get a spot right on the water. Clean bathrooms, club house with games and a kitchen. Fire pits and BBQ's. Green grass in the BBQ area with a beautiful gazebo that has grapes growing on it! Felt very nice and cool since it was very hot in Aug. I highly recommend this place! 😉😎
GuideThe Aurora RV Park & Marina is a work in progress. I can see what they want to make this campground into, but the reality of what it’s currently status is makes it difficult to stay there. I did get to try a couple of the different blends of Nature’s Coffee Kettle while I was there. Unfortunately I did have to cut my trip short as there was a mandatory evacuation order put into place due to wild fires.
Campground Review
First off this park is designed for RV use, but the owners have converted a few spaces for tent camping. During my visit I stayed in a tent. I booked the site through booking.com and paid $22.00 a night.
The Good
Each site has its own water sipget and two electrical outlets that work well. There was plenty of space at the site to setup two 4-person tents. The site is at the North end of Clearlake and you have some pretty spectacular views all day long. There is a beautiful public BBQ sitting area right next to the private beach. You can use the canoes, kayaks, or paddle boat all free of charge and they provide life jackets. There park does provide WiFi at no additional cost and it worked reasonably well. The mangers there are very friendly and approachable. They checked on me multiple times to make sure everything was okay.
The Bad
At the time of my visit the campground was undergoing renovations. The office area where the bathrooms/showers, laundry room, and community lounge were all at some stage of construction. THe bathrooms were clean, but only one shower and toilet worked. There was no mirror in the bathroom during my stay. I could not for the life of me get the shower to spray warm water at all so I had a week of cold showers, which wasn’t too bad given how hot it was. I did report this to the mangers, but the issue never got resolved. For tent camping the site were too close together and no picnic table was provided at the space I was at. If I had booked through AirB&B I would have been in a different area that had a picnic table.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products in the field. At The Aurora RV Park & Marina, I tested two different blends of Nature’s Coffee Kettle. I tried the Colombian and Sumatra blend. Overall I would give this product a 4 out a 5 stars.
What I liked about camping with the Nature’s Coffee Kettle:
THings to be aware of
GuideI've camped here more times than I can count. I remember camping here during several wine-soaked weekends with large groups of friends, back in my younger days. We rode our bikes through the Napa valley, stopping at multiple wineries along the way. Then, after a day of riding and wine tasting, we retired back to our campsites for an evening of grilling and drinking of local wines (of which there are many, many excellent choices). I've only tent camped here; I've not brought my Airstream because I don't think there are spots that are large enough for it. However, I do recall seeing trailers and RV's here in the past, so it can accomodate rigs of smaller sizes.
There's nothing dramatically beautiful about this park, but if you like California country living - oaks, madrone, rolling hills, and lots of sunshine - than you'll enjoy it here. It's a short drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, and is quite literally in the Napa valley, on its northern end, near Calistoga. You'll easily be able to get to all the restaurants and wineries in the valley. You won't be disappointed with a couple of nights camping at Bothe-Napa.
One important note: I have not been here since the fires that have ravaged Napa and Sonoma every year since 2017. There has been at least one fire that burned very near this park, causing it to close temporarily. I don't know how bad the impact to the park has been, as I've not seen it first hand. As I write this in summer 2021, the campground is open, so hopefully the fire and smoke damage was minimal. As I've mentioned in many of my other posts, the sad reality of the ongoing drought in California is that summer camping is not the experience it used to be. It's still fun, but I would argue winter or early spring is now the best time to visit places like Bothe-Napa. The creeks will be flowing, you'll be allowed to have a campfire, and the vegetation will be greener and lusher.
Per my rating system, I give this 4 stars as it's not a place you'd plan a trip to from out of state, but it is a place you should consider visiting as part of a larger trip to Napa/Sonoma. For locals, this is a top tier spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Williams, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Williams, CA is Clear Lake Campground with a 3.2-star rating from 6 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Williams, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Williams, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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