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Campground
Reviews and Restaurant Suggestions
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Most
of our camping is "dry". We have 26 gallons of water in the
trailer, usually carry another 14 in jugs, 2 batteries and a generator in a pinch.
So if you like full hookups, most of these campgrounds are probably not for
you. We also have 2 kids that double
as fish, so we usually are by a lake.
We tend to stay away from rivers.
But read on and let me know what you think. Last updated June 2, 2003 |
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Black = Not written yet Yellow = Review written The table above will take you to the review. If the title of the CG review is underlined, then it will
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This is a great campground and lake. The sites are large and the crowds
were manageable even over the July 4th weekend 2002. Granted it is a
drive (or long bike) to the lake from the sites but the beach is nice and
they have boats to rent. There is good fishing and the scenery is
incredible (for a nice picture). There is a small store that sells the
required souvenirs ice and other oh man I forgot items. There is also a burger stand that has soft
serve ice cream. I just wish they
would stay open later for when the peach cobbler is done after dinner. Last
camped 7/4/2002. |
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This is one of those places that either people love or hate. The campground sits over the dunes from
Tomales Bay inlet. The campground is actually
a large pasture with a couple bathrooms and water piped in. There is sea grass and absolutely no
trees. The dunes do provide some
protection from the wind. There is
one rather large dune that when you are there it has to be conquered. But during crab season, there is no better
spot for a crab feed. Fresh crabs
caught in the morning and in the pot a couple hours later..yummm. The beach is really nice. Playing light tag in the dunes at night
was pretty cool also. The link is
pretty good and they now require reservations for busy weekends. Last
camped 1992. Last
visited Fall 1997 |
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A nice size lake 10 minutes off I-5 at Mt Shasta City. The fishing was
good and it was empty in September. The hook up sites were a little
close for my liking and if it was crowded you would definitely get to know
the neighbors. There are full
hookups, partial and dry sites. The
grounds are fairly flat so riding bikes is easy on the kids. We went
off-season and it was great.
There is a little store but it was closed. Lots of deer wander through the campground. There are quite a few lakes in the general
area for day trips and fishing. Well
drop in on a standard WE this summer and see how it is during the height of
the season. Stay tuned. Last
camped September 2001. |
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A
jewel on the North Coast. This is just north of Fort Bragg right on the
coast. If you have little ones that get car sick, you may want to pass on
this one. There is no straight way to get there. I would suggest 101 to 20 at Willets. Hwy 20 from Willets to Fort Bragg is
twisty but fairly wide and well paved. The drive around Clear Lake (Hwy 20
between I-5 and Hwy 101) is slow and curvy. Although pretty the first time
you see it, it gets old. Hwy 128
looks a little straighter but it gets narrow and twisty in spots. ( Two of my co-workers went up and they
would recommend 128 from 101 to 1.) The actual campground is in the coastal trees; so, you dont get hammered by the wind. Lots of things to do: 10 mile beach, skunk train, horseback riding (6 or older I think), bicycling along a nice abandoned road and tide pools just to name a few. Abalone diving is also an option but it is free diving only in the area. There may not be bears but the raccoons will sure empty an ice chest quick. There
is a very good Mexican Restaurant by the campground and ice is close at a
little store. Just
a note on roadside stops. In Cloverdale, take the north business route exit,
which is also the Hwy 128 exit, and at the corner of 128 and bus 101 is a
restaurant called Hamburger Ranch and Pasta Farm. This is a must stop.
The burgers are big and fresh and the desserts are excellent. Great selection of local brews if you are
not the one driving. Last
camped September 2002 |
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The Giant Gap is the one to be at. ShirtTail Creek
sites are OK but tend to be close and sunny sites. There is a trail around
the lake that you can mountain bike. It's paved from the campgrounds to
the swim areas and only gets a little hairy in a couple spots on the other
side of the lake. Since it is relatively close to Sacramento and
Auburn, sometimes you get one-nighters that can get loud. There is a
designated swim area and a small island that the kids can swim to, parents
can walk in chest high water. Don't be scared off that there is an OHV
park nearby, you can't hear them most of the time. Last
camped Spring 2002. |
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This is a lake that I have been camping and picnicing at
as long as I can remember. We would spend a couple weeks here when I
was a kid. It is on the edge of Desolation Valley Wilderness Area and
has some very good hiking. The lake is shallow and no motors, not even
electric, are allowed on the lake. And even though the lake is at 7000+ ft
the water actually warms up a bit. It sits in a little valley so bike riding
is easy on the kids. The sites are large and for the most part under the
trees. The problem is finding a spot. The campground officially
opens the beginning of July. I tried booking a site in March for a
weekend in August and couldn't. The link is to a site that captures the
essence of the lake. Last
camped July 2000 |
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A nice size lake above Georgetown just above the Pine tree line. If you havent figured it out by reading the other reviews we either camp in the mountains (that means Pine trees) or along the ocean. Getting here takes us about 45 minutes without the trailer and with the Jeep and the trailer it took about 1 hour 15 minutes (Well see with the new truck). But a word of advice, DO NOT COME VIA Placerville if your TV is questionable. Going down the canyon and back up will do a number on a cooling system and brakes. Look for the historic town of Camino then Lotus Road on a map and work it back to Highway 50. If you use mapquest it will take you through Auburn. I havent been that way so no advice. Also avoid the Jeepers Jamboree weekends if you like it uncrowded. Georgetown is the stepping off point for the Famous bashing of metal on the Rubicon. The campground is pretty nice but a ways (1/4 mile or so) from the lake on a fairly sloped trail. We found ourselves going over to the day-use area so we didnt have to carry the kids back up to camp. But this will always be remembered as the place where my oldest caught the first fish. And yes it was bigger than any Dad caught all weekend. Last camped: Spring 2001. |
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One
of the clearest and some would say coldest lakes in the Tahoe area. This is a huge campground with 206
sites. The campground is pretty flat
and if you can get a site along the river, it is really nice. There is about a 100 yards walk from the
road to the lake. The hiking/biking
in the area is what this is all about.
There is the lake bike trail that you can catch that will take you to
Camp Richardson, Pope Beach or South Lake Tahoe. If you head north then it dumps off just before the Emerald Bay
climb. You can also follow the road
around the east shore of the lake and there is a little store on the southern
end of the lake that has the perfect reward for the ride, ice cream. This is also the start of the trail into
Desolation Wilderness and the trail to Mt Tallac. Mt Tallac is the quintessential must-do hike for all Lake Tahoe
lovers. At 9735, the view is
incredible. This site has some good pictures (http://kevingong.com/Hiking/TallacFromLilyLake.html
). And this site has a panorama view (www.hikinglasvegas.com/panoramas/Mt.Tallac.html
) that is pretty cool, although half of Tahoe is obscured by
boulders. Last
camped June 1994 Last
visited: August 2001 |
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Can
you say BEAR!!!! A buddy and I came
up to these lakes and had a great WE.
The fishing is excellent and the hiking is spectacular. A bear decided
to visit the 2 nights we were there.
This was pre-popup days and we were in a tent. The guy next to us had a couple dogs so
the bear didnt come to our campsite.
The road to the upper lake is gravel, so if you like the front of your
rig, drape a tarp across the front of it the last couple miles. Fishersnet has a layout of the lakes
in the area. Theres a couple ways to
get over to Hwy 88 and Hope Valley where the road to the lakes starts. Either go 50 to 89 south at Meyers, up
over Luther Pass then take a right on 88.
Take
50 to Pollack Pines/Sly Park exit then to Mormon Emigrant trail to 88 then
left. This drops you in between Bear
River Reservoir and Silver Lake.
Mormon Emigrant trail is a pretty nice road but heed the warnings if
this is closed due to snow. It
usually is open by June 1. Or go
through Jackson and take 88 all the way up. Last
camped Summer 1992 |
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This
is a very nice NFS campground on the west shore of Union Valley Reservoir.
Its 19 miles in from Hwy 50 to the turn off
to the camp ground. Then
another 2 miles, half of which is gravel, to the campground. (map of Union
Valley http://www.fishsniffer.com/maps/unionvalley.html
) Sites 24 34 are right next to the lake.
Site 33 is a multi-family site that pretty much backs into site
32. So if you have a crowd and a one
or two of the group is in tents, then I would reserve these 2 sites. A PU and 2 cars can fit in the 33
pad. I would avoid the sites along
the road coming in. Although spaced
well apart, they are a bit far from the lake for our liking. We
were there the first part of June so the lake was nice and full; versus what
the lake can be in late summer. http://comspark.com/gallery/unionvalley.htm
has some pictures of Union Valley in a drought year. (Thanks to Red neff
Barchetta for the link) There were a
few ski boats out but the fishing boats out numbered the fast ones. The
shoreline has some nice sandy areas for the kids to play. Last
camped: June 2003 |
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This
lake is in the Crystal Basin area (The Robbs Hut reservation page gives you
a good overview of the area) and is pretty close to the Sacramento Area. As such it gets a lot of use. I have camped in the main campground and
the one on the north side of the lake.
The north campground can get a little breezy in the afternoon. The main campground is well sheltered and
fairly flat. The lake is stocked with
trout all year so the fishing can be good at times. The Ice
House Resort is only a couple miles away and has ice and
ice cream. Heres a link to the Reserve America site. The water level in this lake drops in the
late summer. There does tend to be a
lot of power/ski boats when the weather is hot. If you are looking for a little quieter experience try Loon
Lake or Wrights Lake. The St Pauli Inn is an excellent
restaurant just a mile up the hill on Hwy 50 from the Crystal Basin turn
off. They offer german food that is
very well done. Very tasty but a bit
pricey ($12-$15) now and they dont have a kids menu. Went on May 2, 2003 and were a little
disappointed in the service. Last
camped: 1995 Last
visited: 2002 |
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This is a beautiful high mountain lake on the edge of Desolation Wilderness Area and in addition, a trailhead into the Rubicon Trail. The Jeepers Jamboree weekends are to be avoided from a crowd stand-point. The fishing is pretty good. The lake is stocked regularly. The wind can come up in the afternoon. So if you are canoeing the lake, you may have to hug the shoreline to get back to camp. Water skiing is permitted on the lake but at 6500 ft and usually very refreshing (aka cold) water I havent seen a lot out there. There are some nice rocks to jump off into the lake. The bike ride from the campground around to the dam is pretty flat and easy. The sites are fairly large and some have great access to the lake. Last
camped: July 1996 |
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Very
cool place. We stayed in site 77,
which backs into a hill and the showers and facilities where right across the
road. The campground is pretty flat,
there is a gradual slope from the entrance up to the 2nd loop of
sites. Our 5 year old handled it
fine. The Big Sur River flows through the park and a river front site will
definitely be in order next time. We
were there the week prior to Memorial Day.
So the campground seemed to be just ramping up. A couple days there wasnt any water on
our loop since a tree limb took out a faucet. The
falls trail is worth the effort. Lots of BIG redwoods and some with burn-outs
(scars in the trees left from a fire yet the tree is still alive) that the
whole family could fit in. There 5-9
bridges that cross over the creek. Its .4 miles in under shady forest and .4
out along scrub oak and a lot more sun via the Valley view. Bring some water along especially if you
go back the Valley view way. Carmel
and Monterrey are about 35-40 minutes north.
We did go into Monterrey twice, one for the Aquarium and once for the
Wharf and riding along the walk. We
saw see otters, sea lions, crabs, anemone.
We love this place. Actually
sat and watched an otter eat a crab right by the Fishermans wharf marina. We
took the drive down to McWay falls and were a little disappointed that there
was no actual access to the beach. If
you look at the Big Sur
Chamber of Commerce site it is listed under beaches. It is pretty but kids want to play in
sand. If
you do not know what poison oak looks like, learn prior to going. It is all over in the campground and along
the trails. As long as you stay on
the roads and wider trails, not an issue.
However if you or you kids like running through the woods in shorts,
bring the calamine lotion. There
are some pretty cool critters also.
Banana slugs, black and yellow centipedes, your basic tree and ground
squirrels and stellar jays. The
squirrels and Jays are used to the campers.
Just start cooking and the Jays come around for handouts. If
your browser is java enabled try this slide show but right click on the link and
select Open in new window. Last
camped: May 2003 |
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Crater Lake, OR |
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Those
pesky bears again. Had one sniffing
at my feet in the middle of the night.
Must not have liked the smell because it wandered off. I have in-laws that live in Southern
Oregon and we have been up to the Lake during every season. The area is really spectacular. In winter, the snow can get 15-20 feet
deep. The lodge is open usually
year-round. My FIL states the fish are huge but I have yet to fish the
lake. When I did camp there, it was
just for 1 night. It was June and the water we left out was frozen in the
morning. The National Park Service site is pretty
dull and I couldnt find another site that had some really nice pics. Guess Ill have to post some of my own.
This link
has some really good info. Last
camped: June 1993 Last
visited: Summer 2002 |
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The
MUST SEE spot in my book. No picture I
have ever seen can capture the grandeur of the Canyon. Yellowstone has its canyon, Yosemite is
cool but the colors in the Grand Canyon and the size is breathtaking. My Dad used to live in Winslow so I have
been down there a couple times.
Winter is especially pretty with the snow on the rim and nothing at
the bottom. We did a couple day hikes
but I have not gone to the bottom yet.
You cant ride the mules if you are over 200 lbs, so that means a walk
for me. Can you say helicopter
ride??? Here is a site that has some good
pictures. Compare the 2 Imperial
Point pictures and you get an idea of how the scenery changes in the course
of a day. Some people think that the
desert is all cactus and sand. If you
have the chance to go in the spring after a wet April, the colors of the
desert are amazing. Last
visited: May 1991 |
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Northern
Arizona has some pretty spectacular sites other than the Grand Canyon. My Dad was teacher on the Hopi and Navajo
reservations and learned as much as he taught. Parts of the Hopi reservation are incredible. My
Dad was accepted as a member of the Bear Clan and as such I was able to visit
some places that are traditionally off limits to visitors. My Dad originally taught in New Oraibi on
Third Mesa. Old Oraibi is off limits
to non-Hopi people but is fascinating to see, even from a distance. Established in 1100 A.D.,
Oraibi is considered the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North
America. Keep an open mind and respect their wishes
and customs when visiting the Hopi lands and you will not be
disappointed. Canyon
De Chelly is really cool (some pics) but out in the
middle of nowhere. If you have a 4X4,
you can hire a local Navajo guide to drive through the bottom of the
canyon. We did it in a Bronco II and
really didnt use 4WD except in one spot of sand, just for insurance. If you do the tour, I would recommend you
go to White House Ruins and Spider Rock. You can hike down to White House Ruins from the rim drive
but its 2.5 miles each way and 600 ft elevation change. Its one thing to say youve done it (when
I was 15 or 16) but another to do it pushing a stroller or horse-back/piggyback
riding a kid out.with you as the horse. In
1978, I helped lead a group of Navajo Boy Scouts on a trip through Utah,
Idaho, Wyoming, Western Colorado, and back to Arizona. We stopped at Zion, Cedar Breaks, Bryce
Canyon, Timpanogos Cave, Salt Lake City, Hill
AFB, Bear Lake, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Flaming Gorge, Dinosaur National
Monument, Black Canyon, Silverton, Mesa Verde then back. As time permits I will write individual
reviews of these places. But of note
are: Zion:
Very cool and different. Sheer cliffs
and canyons. Bryce:
Awesome rock and sandstone formations. Timpanogos Cave: This is fun. Going through the caves with a guide
without all the getting dirty part of spelunking. Tetons:
Awe inspiring and one of the most spectacular views I have seen yet. Dont skip on the way to Yellowstone. Yellowstone:
Smells of sulfur but beautiful. Lots
of books have been written for good reason. |
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One
upon a time, a scouter long ago, worked at Camp Winton on this lake for a
summer after he graduated from high school. This is a really nice lake and
the fishing is great. The
Bear River Lake Resort actually supplements the DFG
stocking of the lake. There are
actually 2 reservoirs, Upper and Lower.
The Upper is an easy portage and there are some cool islands to camp
on and/or explore. The Lower is about
twice the size of the Upper and is the one with vehicle access and
camping. The South Shore campground is set up from
the lake a little but is protected from the afternoon wind that the blows up
the canyon. It is a first come first
served campground, no reservations. There
is a road down to the lake just past the campground entrance. This is the loading and unloading point
for the scouts on Saturday and Sunday from Mid-June to Mid August. Mid-week you could camp along it and have
easier access to the lake but no facilities. The other camping option is on the dam itself. This is one of the few places I know of that lets people camp on the dam. I wouldnt suggest this for a PU but if you have a TT the afternoon wind wouldnt be such an issue. If
you have a sun fish, Hobie cat or other small sail boat, this is a great
lake. As mentioned earlier, the wind
comes up pretty consistently in the afternoon and is pretty steady. The water level does have a tendency drop
in late summer. The
Bear River Lake Resort has a little store and boat launch facilities. The ramp is pretty steep and if you dont
have a limited slip or locking differential or 4 wheel drive, I would let the
resort put the boat in, if is of any size.
There are some nice coves and camp sites along the shore for boat-in
camping. For a
topographic map of the area, try topozone.com ( link ). If using a dial up web service this link could take a while to
load. Last
camped: summer of 1983 probably Last
visited: April 1996 Last
worked: Im not saying!! |
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