Campgrounds | RV Parenting

RV camping with your family is a great way to spend some quality time. With so many great campgrounds, it can be hard to figure out which ones are worth visiting. So, what are the best locations for northern California RV camping? The best RV campsite in Northern California is Santa Cruz Redwoods RV resort. Campers are surrounded by giant redwoods. The San Lorenzo River offers spectacular water views and the park offers true resort amenities. The campsite is also very well-equipped for a comfortable vacation. Let’s have a look at other RV parks in northern California. There are some parks that are situated in forests, some at the beach, and some in the mountains. There is something for everyone in California. You'll find us where the wild things grow 🌲🌲Especially in #NorthernCalifornia amongst the mighty #Redwoods at one of our favorite places to camp, the Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort!#BeThereNow #CruiseAmerica ______________________ 📸 @xfranchize pic.twitter.com/MvNHL6QdvT — Cruise America RV (@CruiseAmerica) May 14, 2019 1. Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort This is a great RV resort that has flush toilets, hot showers, laundry facilities, and a dump station. There is basically everything you need to enjoy an RV vacation. In addition to that, it is right next to the Henry Cowell State Park and the San Lorenzo River. So, this is an excellent campsite for hikers and people that like fishing and watersports. Pricing: $80-125/night depending on view and amenities Contact: https://www.santacruzredwoodsrvresort.com/ 2. Angels Camp RV & Camping Resort This is one of the best RV campgrounds in northern California. It has full hookups, is very level and easy to drive on, and has showers and restrooms. This campsite also has quiet hours, so you don’t have to worry about noisy kids disturbing you at night. The main tourist destination in this area is the Coyote Creek Cave and the natural Bridges Trailhead. Pricing: $60-80/night, depending day of the week and season Contact: https://angelscamprv.com/home/ 3. Ghost Mountain RV Campground This RV site has a heated pool, hiking trails, and an ice cream parlor, all in close proximity to the RV site. There is also a playground if you have kids and an 18-hole disc golf course for teens. And they also have a stocked pond for fishing in too. Overall, this is one of the best campgrounds in Northern California if you are looking to relax and stay on the site. Pricing: $30-50/night Contact: https://www.ghostmountainrvcampground.com/ghost-mountain-ranch-rv-resort/ 4. Ponderosa RV Resort This is a beautiful place and has a clubhouse, swimming pool, and free Wi-Fi. This campsite also allows pets, so if you have a dog, this is a place you should seriously consider. They also have fishing facilities too. There is also a picnic and BBQ area, as well as volleyball courts and a playground for younger kids. Pricing: $61/night (30 amp only) Contact: https://thousandtrails.com/california/ponderosa-rv-resort/ 5. SacWest RV Park & Campground This is one of the most accessible RV campsites on this list. It is on the west of Sacramento, California, and has excellent transport routes. You have easy access to this site from all over the state. This is another site with full hookups. Wi-Fi is available at the site, and they do allow pets. Pricing: $86-94/night depending on 30 amp or 50 amp Contact: http://www.sacwestrvpark.com/ (website not secure, so do not pay online) 6. Vineyard RV Park This is a very well-equipped RV site. They have a laundry room, swimming pool, gym, showers, free Wi-Fi, and allow propane refills too. This campsite is a one-hour drive from the east coast of the United States. Here you will have sandy beaches to enjoy. Pricing: $87-97/night depending on regular or premium site Contact: https://www.vineyardrvpark.com/ 7. Lake Minden RV Resort This campsite is open year-round. It is very close to Lake of the Woods State Wildlife Area. Overall, it is a great place for hiking and watersports. There are not that many rivers in the area though, so if you want to do activities like whitewater kayaking, you will need to go somewhere else. Pricing: $60/night – 30 amp only Contact: https://thousandtrails.com/california/lake-minden-rv-resort/ Some of our week at Thousand Trails Russian River RV Campground. We've enjoyed a few days floating and sitting in the River to get out of the heat. The river is the highlight of the park. The park needs some upgrades and TLC. pic.twitter.com/GrxMIhwnGW — Art B 🇺🇸 (@ajboudreau24) July 16, 2022 8. Russian River RV Campground This campsite has facilities for fishing and welcomes pets. There is also a general store, as well as shower and toilet facilities. There are many miles of hiking trails for you to explore too. They also have laundry facilities and a basketball court. Pricing: $71/night – 30 amp only Contact: https://newbook.thousandtrails.com/russian-river-rv-campground/ 9. Bodega Bay RV Park This is one of the best RV parks for you to visit if you have a boat. This campsite is right next to the Porto Bodega Mariana and RV park, where they have a boat launch you can use. This is a beautiful place along the California Coast for you to explore. It is also a great place for hiking, with the Pinnacle Gulch Trail being just 3 miles away. If you want ocean views, this is the place to go. Pricing: $50-73/night, depending on no hookups or full hookups Contact: https://www.bodegabayrvpark.com/ You have to have great hiking shoes if you want to enjoy your hikes. In this recent article on my site, I talked about the best hiking shoes for boys. I go over what makes a great hiking shoe and give examples of what brands and shoes to buy. Just click that link to read it on my site. 10. Casini Ranch Family Campground This campsite is right next to the Russian River. They have a boat launch along the river and allow fishing. If you don't have your own watercraft, don't worry, they have an equipment rental that you can use too. This site also has a beach bonfire site, where you can have an open flame. Pricing: $54-74/night, depending on the season Contact: https://casiniranch.com/ 11. San Francisco RV Resort This is one of the best RV parks for relaxing. They have picnic tables, a hot tub, and other facilities. This campsite is just 10 miles from the jaw-dropping golden gate bridge. So, if you are interested in seeing some of the world's most amazing engineering, this is a place you must visit. Pricing: $69/night Contact: https://www.rvonthego.com/ 12. Salt Point State Park This state park has over 20 miles of hiking and equestrian trails. They also have bike camping and other facilities too. Pricing: $35/night Contact: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=453 13. Pioneer RV Park This is an amazing place, and it is set in a forest full of pine trees. It's a very quiet place and more of a location for relaxing, as opposed to adventure. Nevertheless, you can go on a short walk through the many acres of forests if you wish. Pricing: $50/night Contact: https://pioneerrvpark.com/ 14. Anchor Bay Campground The Anchor Bay Area is beautiful and is one of the best places along the Pacific Coast. This campground is just a short walk from the Pacific Ocean. Pricing: $45-60/night, depending on the season Contact: https://www.abcamp.com/ 15. Westport Beach RV Park and Campground This campsite offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. This is a great place to visit if you want to explore the tide pools and other coastal features. Pricing: $68/night Contact: https://www.westportbeachrvpark.com/home RV DESTINATIONS: Caspar Beach RV Park is located in Mendocino in Northern California, It's nestled within a beautiful canyon surrounded by cliffs, lush greenery, trees, and the ocean is steps away. It's rustic but seems charming and peaceful. pic.twitter.com/jHMgD76RA0 — OCRV Center (@ocrvcenter) May 3, 2021 16. Caspar Beach RV Park This is a great spot to enjoy some time at the beach. Caspar Beach is a sandy beach and is a great place to enjoy the natural beauty of the coast. There are a lot of outdoor activities you can do here as well, such as horseback riding on the beach. Pricing: $54-72/night depending on view and back-in/pull-through Contact: https://www.casparbeachrvpark.com/ 17. Giant Redwoods RV and Cabin Destination You will definitely have a great time here. This campsite is surrounded by national parks, making it an excellent place for outdoor recreation. This is the perfect spot to visit if you want to hike through imposing redwood trees. Pricing: $65-85/night depending on season and back-in/pull-through Contact: https://giantredwoodsrv.com/ 18. McCloud RV Resort This luxury RV resort is great. The best part is that you are very close to a number of golf courses in this area. Perhaps the most popular course is the McCloud Golf Club. To get to this campsite, you will undertake a very scenic drive through national forests. Pricing: $49-62/night depending on RV size and weekday/weekend/holiday Contact: https://mccloudrvpark.com/ 19. Klamath River RV Park This RV park has a wide range of amenities for you to benefit from. One of the best things about this location is that it is very close to Crescent City and Klamath National Forest. So you can enjoy being in nature, or spend time with other tourists in the city. Pricing: $55-65/night, depending on the view Contact: https://klamathriverrvpark.com/ 20. Kamp Klamath RV Park This site has full hookups and a dump station. It's a great RV park if you are going to be there for a while. They also have picnic areas and a nice spacious parking lot. Pricing: $48/night Contact: https://www.kampklamath.com/ 21. Mystic Forest RV Park This RV park is not too far from Hidden Beach. This is a very small sandy beach and is very quiet. There are not many tourists there as you would expect at a more popular beach. So, this is a great place to go if you want to relax. Pricing: $40/night Contact: https://mysticforestrv.com/ 22. Ramblin’ Redwoods Campground and RV Park This campground is just north of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. This is a popular destination for RV camping and is one of the best-ran RV sites in California. You will have a similar scenery to that in Redwood National Park. Pricing: $15/night for up to 7 people Contact: https://ramblinredwoodsrv.com/ 23. Manzanita Lake Campground This site is in Lassen Volcanic National Park. There is a dump station at this site, but no RV hookups. Popular activities at this site include hiking and fishing. There are also many trails that you can use for mountain biking too. Pricing: $26/night, no hookups Contact: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/manzanita-lake-campground.htm I camped in Redwood National and State Parks in March, and I couldn't recommend it more. Absolutely incredible place, the highlight of my trip up the West Coast. The aptly-named Elk Prairie campground is pictured here. Credit to u/Erathresh on Reddit #travel #travelwriting pic.twitter.com/OiZQYqgAR7 — TravelStoriesBook (@madtravelstory) July 31, 2020 24. Elk Prairie Campground This campground is inside Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park and is just 8 miles from Redwood National Park. This popular spot for RV camping attracts thousands of visitors every year, and who doesn’t want to camp surrounded by giant redwoods? Pricing: $35/night for RVs up to 27’ Contact: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=415 25. Yosemite Lakes RV Resort This campground has lots of full hookup sites and can support large RVs. So, if you have a big rig, you don’t have to worry about that here. At this site, there is potable water, showers, laundry facilities, and sports courts. This campground is in Yosemite National Park. Pricing: $74/night – 30 amp service Contact: https://thousandtrails.com/california/yosemite-lakes-rv-resort/ 26. Yosemite Pines RV Resort and Campground This site is very close to Yosemite Valley. They have a swimming pool here and many hiking trails for you to explore. You won’t get bored at this site. Yosemite National Park is known for its amazing scenery and diverse wildlife. Pricing: $40-77/night depending on premium/regular and back-in/pull-through Contact: https://yosemitepinesrv.com/ 27. Napa Valley Expo RV Park Just north of San Francisco lies the magical Napa Valley and the wine country of the west coast. Don’t just stay here because of the amenities in the park. Instead, stay here because of all the amazing things you are close to. Nearby attractions include everything from wineries to Six Flags. Pricing: $60/night Contact: https://www.napavalleyexpo.com/rv-park.php 28. Steel Canyon RV Resort This is a great campsite to visit. They have day passes available, allow pets, and are open year-round. Steel Canyon is a place where there are lots of docks. So if you have a boat, you can go there, and perhaps find a boat launch if you have a watercraft you want to use. Pricing: $55/night Contact: https://www.sunoutdoors.com/california/steele-canyon 29. Lighthouse Cove RV Park This RV Park is right next to Crescent City. Nearby you have giant Coastal Redwoods, the Pacific Ocean, rocky tide pools and sandy beaches, and the Klamath Rivers. The park itself is flat and level, with very few trees so as not to obscure the view. Pricing: $45-50/night depending on regular or premium site Contact: https://lhcoverv.crescentcity.org/ 30. Shady Bend RV & Mobile Home Park This RV Park is very close to the Smith River and is an excellent place to visit if you want to go fishing. The surrounding area is full of redwood trees that will blow your mind. This is a very quiet and small RV park. Not some large, overcrowded park where you will struggle to enjoy yourself. Pricing: $35/night Contact: (707) 458-5627 (seemingly no website) Magnificent Mount Shasta, as seen from Weed, California returning from Noranda, North of Happy Camp California audit Jan 6, 20 #leafelectricalsafety pic.twitter.com/sovSjOnHrP — Sonsu Controls Inc (@sonsucontrols) January 7, 2020 31. Cedar Pines RV Resort This RV Park is very close to Mount Shasta. Mount Shasta is a very popular place for mountaineers and attracts thousands of visitors from all over California. Beautiful surroundings and activities range from fishing to foraging wild mushrooms. Pricing: $35-48/night Contact: https://cedar-pines-rv-resort.business.site/ 32. Sonoma County Fairgrounds RV Park This campground is in the city of Santa Rosa. This is one of the nicest small towns in California and a great place to visit if you want to stay close to civilization. Nearby activities include wineries, Lake Sonoma, the Russian River, and lots of hiking and biking. And if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of nearby resident (and elusive singer) Tom Waits. Pricing: $50-55/night depending on 30 amp or 50 amp Contact: http://www.sonomacountyfair.com/rv-park.php (website not secure, so do not pay online) 33. Mid River RV Park This RV Park is close to the Pacific Crest Trail. This hiking trail is over 2500 miles long! You are probably not going to explore all of it. But if you want an adventure that seems never-ending, this is a great place to visit. Pricing: About $25/night for 30 amp Contact: https://mid-river-rv-park.hub.biz/ 34. Woodside Campground This campground is inside Salt Point State Park. You’re right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean here, so enjoy the sounds of the pounding surf, explore nearby pygmy forests, or even explore an underwater park! And you’re in the heart of the Sonoma County wine country. Pricing: $35/night Contact: https://www.sonomacounty.com/lodging/woodside-campground 35. Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Resort This RV site is in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but you’ll also be surrounded by giant redwood trees. The mountain range has some very challenging trails for you to explore. There are also many easier trails if you want to immerse yourself in nature while remaining relaxed. The campgrounds also offer large community decks overlooking the San Lorenzo River. Pricing: $80-125/night, depending on the view Contact: https://www.santacruzredwoodsrvresort.com/ 36. Sequoia RV Ranch This campsite is in Sequoia National Park. They have tent camping facilities nearby and free parking. Sequoia National Park is very large, and you are not going to bump into too many tourists here. It is a great place to visit if you want to disconnect from society for a few days. Pricing: $140-152/night depending on regular/premium and 30/50 amps Contact: https://www.sequoiarvranch.com/ 37. Meeks Bay Campground This campsite is very close to the South of Lake Tahoe, and some of the campsites have amazing lake views. It is a very popular place for jet ski owners and kayakers. It is also close to a handful of mountains that you can climb if you wish. Pricing: $33-35/night for regular/holiday – no hookups Contact: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232876 Forest Light Rays, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California | Photography by ©@danielpeckham pic.twitter.com/EfRODUcy2I — Piclogy (@Piclogy) August 18, 2016 38. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park This is one of the most popular state parks in California. There is so much to do here, from hiking, fishing, and tent camping, to kayaking, and more. While the ocean is nearby, there is no beach access from within the park. Pricing: $35/night – no hookups Contact: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570 39. Sun Outdoors Paso Robles This site was formerly known as Cava Robles RV Resort and is admittedly a little more central California than northern. Enjoy swimming pools, hot tub, and nearby wineries, or eat at the on-site bistro. Pricing: $85-114/night depending on back-in/pull-through and regular/premium Contact: https://pasowine.com/member/cava-robles-rv-resort/ Conclusion Overall, the golden state of California has hundreds of RV sites that you can explore in the Northern half. If you are more into beaches and watersports, you may want to pick a site along the East Coast. These sites include Ramblin Redwoods Campground and Mid River RV Park. If you are looking to do some mountaineering and tough hiking, pick something in the mountains. Such as a site like Santa Cruz Redwoods RV Park. If you want to do boating and fishing, pick an RV park near a lake. Some popular lake RV parks include Shady Bend RV Park and Meeks Bay Campground. There is something for everyone in California. If you want, you could even go up north even more into the state of Oregon. There are some beautiful forests for you to explore in Northern California along the Oregon border. There are some excellent RV sites in the North of the United States too. In this recent article on my site, I talk about the best RV sites in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is totally different from California in terms of its geography and what the state has to offer. Just click that link to read it on my site. Check Out All My Top Campground Recommendations Redwood National Park Hilton Head, South Carolina Port Aransas, Texas Oregon Coast Family-friendly Northern California Wisconsin Sedona, Arizona Eastern Washington Image by David Mark from Pixabay