Villanueva State Park Campground
Tiffany J.
Reviewed Aug. 2, 2021

Far better than we expected

This is an awesome campsite if you chose the right location. Every site is booked online and comes with an adobe-style pergola thing with a picnic table. All of the sites that you book online are pretty good. Although, what a lot of people don't know is that there are first come first serve free campgrounds up the hill that overlooks the reserved area of the park has very nice and new pergolas as well. These sites in our opinion are far better than the sites that you have to pay for at the bottom. We originally booked a site near the river at the bottom but the camp host showed us a free spot at the top of the hill and we immediately took it. They do not share the same toilets but it's an easy hundred-yard walk or so if you feel as though you need to use them. The reserved sites have access to nicer bathrooms, a playground for the kids, and some wifi if you are close enough to the information building across the road from the camp host site (who was extremely nice and informative). 

We did not have service from T-mobile while we were there but we were able to use the free wifi in the park. You can also hike to the top of the hill on the other side of the river to get a bar or two of service. 

The weather was nice for the one night that we stayed there in early July. About mid 60's at night and low 80's during the day. 

If you'd like to go to the free area, here's how to get there.

*We highly suggest campsite 36C

  • Follow the road into the campsite.
  • You will reach the camp host site on the right and a small building on the left (that's where the wifi is)
  • Take a sharp left up the steep narrow road to the top of the hill.
  • All of the little pergolas are free sites. 

We saw a small fox around dusk while we were hiking but still decided to leave our cooler of food out at night and didn't have a problem. Although we didn't see any, we heard a few reports of snakes so be careful as you hike around the site and on the trails.

Site36C
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
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  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021
  • Review photo of Villanueva State Park Campground by Tiffany J., August 2, 2021