Paul M. Demmick Campground — Navarro River Redwoods State Park

Paul Dimmick is a nice little campground in the redwoods. Although Hwy 128 runs parallel to it (and not far away), there isn’t much traffic going by so road noise isn’t a bother. The campground doesn’t have a lot of sites, which I prefer, and is first come, first served so get there early if you’re going for the weekend (mid-week is wide open). Sites near the river are best. We stayed in #21 and had plenty of privacy. There’s a path down to the river near the Day Use area; the river was pretty tame, which is surprising for a campground that routinely floods in the wintertime. One strange thing about this campground: it appears to be mostly devoid of wildlife. We saw one Scrub jay and one ground squirrel while we were there and no bees, butterflies, or insects. And there was absolutely no birdsong. Very odd. (Pro tip: Don’t leave your food out overnight on the picnic table or that ground squirrel will spirit it away.) Only mark against the campground is for really stinky/gross pit toilets. No cell service with Verizon, you’ll have to drive into Mendocino for that.

This campgrounds is excellent if you like quiet beautiful scenery with no amenities. This is a self check in first come first serve campground. There are plenty of vaulted toilets available. There are flush bathrooms but they were closed. The vaulted ones were extremely clean no flies and didn't have a strong odor. Some sites overlook a creek. There is trash and recycling there but they ask that you pack it out. Tall fire pits with a section of wide grate attached. Rangers and cleaning staff drove through many times in a day and were friendly.

When this spot is open it's the best. Very quiet,except for the road . Great river and fun for kids