With the arrival of fall weather after a wonderful summer, many RVers park their rigs after pulling winter maintenance. I wanted to point out other options that one may want to consider.
The worst thing we can do to an RV is let it sit. They are high-maintenance for sure, but considering how close we are to the California coastline, consider keeping things up and running for some great opportunities to enjoy perfect coastal weather. Your RV will appreciate it!
Less fog, more campsite availability, and reduced gas prices can be tempting. There are dozens of great sites from
Here is a short list of recommended destinations:
Porto Bodega is situated right at the harbor and within walking distance to town. The campground recently improved all their sites with new stone fire pits, tree planting and gravel (the roads are paved). The sites are spacious, with full hook-up including cable TV but no wi-fi. However, the Verizon cell signal is quite strong. www.portobodega.com
Timbercove Inn is not a campground. However, they will allow you to park your RV (free) across the street from their facilities and spend a night if you want to enjoy their fine dining and great lobby/bar area. They obviously don’t advertise the RV parking as they are in the business of renting rooms but if you ask permission first, you’ll find they are willing to please. www.timbercoveinn.com
Ocean Cove is a private campground just one mile north of the Timbercove. $20.00 a night, no hook-up, no dump station and no cell service or wi-fi. All you get is a table and fire pit, but the trade off is in the fantastic views (see their website for some great photos). There is no dump station, but water is available, and hot showers. There is a small general store with just about anything you might need. They close for the season on November 30 and do not take reservations, but that is not a problem this time of year. We like the option of getting to the Timbercove for a nice dinner, spend the night, then travel the short distance to Ocean Cove the following morning, fresh and ready for the day. www.oceancove.org
Westport KOA is situated 17 miles north of Ft. Bragg
Go two miles north of this KOA campground and you’ll discover a few State parks that usually have openings even on a 3-day holiday weekend. They offer camping right on the 60-80 foot bluffs overlooking the ocean and go for $25.00 a night. Cell service is available.
There are many options in between these destinations I’ve mentioned, such as Van Dammne State Park, 2 miles south of Mendocino. Unfortunately, they charge $35.00 per night. State campgrounds used to be a bargain but now the State thinks they can raise revenue by raising prices, yet they have probably experienced a net loss. I arrived there last March and there were no other campers in sight. But this particular park is situated close to Mendocino, which everyone needs to experience at least once in their life. Several movies have been filmed there, it is truly a beautiful town with excellent restaurants and many high quality B&Bs.
Fall and winter camping along the coast can spoil you, the weather is often-times perfect, there is less traffic and your RV will thank you for keeping things running!
Porto Bodega RV Park
click photo to enlarge
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