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Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort

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Howonquet Village and Resort, near Smith River, California, is a unique campground that offers a blend of rustic charm and coastal beauty. With a mix of RV and tent sites, it’s a place where you can kick back and enjoy the fresh ocean air while being close to the mouth of the Smith River.

The campground features clean facilities, including bathrooms and showers, which visitors have appreciated. Many campers have enjoyed the waterfront sites, where you can soak in stunning views and even grill up some fresh salmon caught nearby. As one happy camper noted, “Camping right above the water was pretty damn nice.”

For those who love a bit of adventure, the area is perfect for exploring the beach and river, with plenty of wildlife to spot, including otters and sea lions. The campground has a friendly vibe, and the staff is known for being helpful, making it a welcoming place for both families and solo travelers.

While some areas may feel a bit worn, the unique character of Howonquet Village and Resort, with its quirky surroundings and peaceful atmosphere, makes it a memorable spot for your next camping trip.

Description

Tribal Lands

Howonquet Village and Resort formerly (Ship Ashore and Salmon Harbor Resorts) Is proud to announce the commencement of a visioning process to restore this beautiful destination resort.

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Location

Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort is located in California

Detail location of campground

Directions

12420 Hwy 101 N Smith River, California

Address

200 Salmon Harbor Rd
Smith River, CA 95567

Coordinates

41.94614157 N
124.20019882 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.
  • Hike-In
    Backcountry sites.
  • Boat-In
    Sites accessible by watercraft.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Fair
  • AT&T
    Good
  • T-Mobile
    Available

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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13%

3.5

out of 5

8 Reviews

Reviewed Sep. 16, 2023

Didn’t stay. Did a drive by. 3 stars might be high

Based on the roadside views, this park looks more like an old mobile home park then an RVpark or campground. Glad we didn’t book at this time as it looked sketchy at best to us. Here’s hoping they do a little upgrading at some point to make it more roadside appealing. This is why I won’t book campgrounds that don’t have pics on this app.

Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by shelly K., September 16, 2023
  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by shelly K., September 16, 2023
  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by shelly K., September 16, 2023
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Aug. 9, 2022

Desolate beach

Cute desolate campground close to river. Abandoned hotel and shipwreck. Quaint walk along shore through blackberry bushes to harvest driftwood for fire, they do not sell firewood. Bathroom shower code 1120

SiteA4
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by Alyssa J., August 9, 2022
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  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by Alyssa J., August 9, 2022
Reviewed Sep. 7, 2021

Old and tired with surprisingly nice sites by the water

Some friends of ours stay here a couple of months each summer to fish and enjoy the ocean weather.

Despite new ownership supposedly going through a renovation process, this is a very old and tired looking rv park. You have to drive through permanent trailers and mobile homes to get to the over night areas. Spaces are tight and crowded when we were there. Bathrooms and showers however were surprisingly clean and well maintained.

The light at the end of the tunnel is about a half dozen still usable spots at the very end, away from the main rv area, and right along the mouth of Smith River. Rough. Ours was not level at all and was tricky to get ourselves situated even with our little 16’ travel trailer. No sewer hook ups on these sites but the electricity and water worked. Also lots of foot traffic as many people make their way down from the main rv sites (and mobile home park?) to enjoy fishing and walking on the beach. But camping right above the water was pretty damn nice. Fresh ocean air, river otters, seals, birds, and we grilled fresh salmon our buddy caught just a couple hundred away from our campsite. Turned out to be a nice 3 days and as long as we can get the spot on the water again, we would come back.

SiteB3
Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Sep. 4, 2021

Hidden Gem / Not For Everyone

This run down little campground is one of our favorites. It’s split into two sides: 1 side is the regular tightly packed RV park with full hookups and an age limitation of 20 years for your RV. Next to the RV park is a small cute mobile home community, as well as some rental units that were under construction when we were there in the summer. On the other side of the mobile homes is the boondock/ tent side. There are water spigots at each site, some dilapidated wobbly picnic tables that are barely standing, and some rocks formed into a small makeshift fire pit. There are also showers and toilets on this side. The whole boondock side looks like an abandoned drive-in movie theater. Add to that the super friendly staff and the old hotel and restaurant that are closed and abandoned and look haunted, and you have such a unique and oddly charming place to stay. 

Smaller RVs have the option of staying in one of several waterfront sites, which are tucked away from the main areas and are out almost on the beach. Sadly, our 26ft Class C is too big to camp in one of those sites. 

The RV park side is expensive, at approx $55/night, but they offer a Passport America discount at 50% off for one night. The laundry and showers are clean. There is a community room with a great water view and there’s also a book exchange in the room. The boondock side is around $27/night, not cheap, especially considering the lack of amenities, but we love it anyway. We love the boondock side much more than the RV park side. It’s generally deserted, plenty of space all around you, and it’s so quiet and peaceful. The beach is a short walk away, and you can walk all the way along the beach along the Smith River to where it meets the ocean. There is an amazing amount of wildlife and tide pools here. We saw so many otters, sea lions, osprey, pelicans, and even a herd of elk one early morning. 

Cell service is good here, and the park’s wifi (on the RV park side) wasn’t bad. There are trash dumpsters throughout the park and one large mixed recycling bin near the entrance.  You can also get propane here.

  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by Laura M., September 4, 2021
  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by Laura M., September 4, 2021
  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by Laura M., September 4, 2021
  • (15) View All
Reviewed May. 31, 2021

20 year old RV Rule! Can't stay here. :-E

I have a beautiful, fully remodeled 1991 Winnebago Micro-Minnie Warrior. This site has a 20 year old RV rule. Any site that won't let my RV book gets a 1 Star review.

SiteNone. Not allowed.
Month of VisitMay
Reviewed Oct. 4, 2020

Worth the stay

A little worn but worth the stop. The front desk went out of their way to be helpful

  • Review photo of Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort by Tom , October 4, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 4, 2020

Last minute stop

Friendly staff and super dog friendly. $25 without hookups. Don’t book online, just show up. Tons of space. Office open until 8. Security there until 10. Had entire boondock area to ourselves. Place is old and probably used to be really cool back in the day...dilapidated and abandoned 1950s hotel and restaurant on site. Other side of park is a trailer park. Area’s seen better days but they maintain the grounds and keep things clean.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort has water hookups.

  • Are fires allowed at Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Is there cell phone reception at Howonquet (Xaa-wan'-k'wvt) Village and Resort?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is fair, AT&T is good, and T-Mobile is available.