Shade, Space And A Beautiful River
As Long As You Get A Spot
When traveling to a campground that is first come first serve, it’s always a good idea to have a back-up plan. Before we left we took a look at the iOverlander app to see what options we had if this campground was full. We found a couple of places that were not too far away in case we couldn’t get a spot.
As luck would have it though, we got the very last campsite. The first things we noticed were the size and privacy that the sites offered. The campsites are pretty big and spaced out more than any campground we have been too. The one feature that could be a pro or a con to different people is the amount of shade the redwoods provide. There is far less light at the campsites as compared to being on the river.
Once we got set up and paid the fee at the kiosk station (bring cash), it was time to check out the campground.
Walking The Campground
The campground truly is in an amazingly beautiful setting. The dense redwoods, ferns and various types of bushes really make you feel like you are deep in the forest. It did not take long to walk the entire campground, but given it’s smallish size, they really did a great job at spacing out the campsites.
Sites 6 and 7 are very secluded as are 21 and 22. If you are looking for more sun we would suggest looking for sites 24, 26, 27, 29, 31 and 33. Sites 1 and 2 seemed less desirable as they are near the day use parking area.
Day Use Area
The day use area is pretty small, but it is in a nice area of the river. From what I could tell, it looked like the day use parking area could really only accommodate 10 or so cars. There is a bathroom and a few picnic tables. There is also a nice, but somewhat shallow area that looked great for wading around and maybe taking a swim. To the left of that area is a much larger swimming area, but it was closed due to shifting rocks on the hillside.
Getting To The River
The river is on three sides of the campground, which makes getting to the river from any campsite just a short walk. It is probably only a 3 to 4 minute walk to the river from the furthest campsite. Once down on the river, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful green water and how low the river was compared to the levels it seemed to reach in the winter.
There are a lot of smooth river rocks all along the bank of the river. You wont find any sand areas to lay out, so bring your chairs. In most areas there was quite a bit of green algae on the rocks which gave the water a beautiful deep green color. Always check the campgrounds bulletin board to see if toxic blue-green algae has been detected in the water.
There are a large variety of colorful and oddly shaped rocks all around the river. We had fun looking at all of them and occasionally skipping a nice flat one across the river. The sides of the river varies from river rocks to huge rocks walls to hillsides filled with densly packed trees. All in all it is a very pretty setting.
Amenities And More
- First come first serve basis.
- Information 707-768-3898.
- 10 day maximum stay in any 30 day period.
- Check-out time is 1pm.
- Quiet hours 10pm to 8am.
- Fire rings.
- Picnic tables.
- Firewood can be purchased from the camp host.
- Flush toilets, cold water, soap, paper towels.
- Hot showers. Takes quarters. 3 minutes for each 50 cents.
- This campground is extremely shaded. Not solar or Star Link friendly unless you are in a campsite right along the river.
Fees
- $25 campsite (limit 10 people).
- $10 hike or bike in per person.
- $10 electric hookup extra.
- $5 for one extra vehicle per campsite.
- $1 dog.
- $5 day use. The day use area is very small.
Open Season
- Year round
Our Impression
This is a beautiful campground that’s for sure, but for us it is just a one day stop type of campground. Having the campsite in such a shaded area makes it feel like you are camping on a cloudy day. There are times during mid day with more light as seen in some of our pictures, but it often feels too shaded. With that said though, i’m sure it would be very welcome during hot summer days.
The river is nice, but during August it wasn’t flowing very quickly which made for a fair amount of algae buildup. While there was a great swimming hole near the entrance to the campground, it just didn’t offer enough for us to make it a multi day stay. We would still recommend this campground due to it’s beautiful setting.
If you enjoy river camping, check out these other reviews. Wawona Campground in Yosemite, Mineral Bar Campground in Colfax, Fernwood Park Campground in Big Sur, Big Sur Campground in Big Sur, Riverside Campground in Big Sur, Pfeiffer State Park in Big Sur, Ruck-A-Chucky Campground in Auburn and Granite Flat Campground in Truckee.