Campgrounds and RV parks near Cleone, CA

The headland and dunes are the main draw. MacKerricher includes beach, bluff, headland, dune, forest, and wetland habitats, with tide pools along the shore, seals on offshore rocks, and abundant birdlife around Cleone Lake, a former tidal lagoon. Lake Cleone itself is stocked for trout, though fishing is best from a boat because the shore has many reeds. The paved Coastal Trail follows the old logging haul road north toward Ten Mile River and is well suited to family bike rides, with plenty of safe places for children to ride bikes or scooters. The Laguna Point boardwalk leads to a seal-watching platform. Day trips run easily to Glass Beach, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, the Skunk Train depot in Fort Bragg, and the village of Mendocino about fifteen miles south.

The Mendocino Coast has a cool maritime climate, and campground availability shifts with the season. West Pinewood typically takes reservations from late March through August and otherwise runs first come, first served. East Pinewood and Surfwood take reservations from early May through August and are otherwise closed. The East and West Cleone group sites only accept reservations from mid-June through early September, otherwise closed. During winter months when attendance is low, the Surfwood and East Pinewood loops generally close, leaving West Pinewood as the main option for off-season RV stays in the state park. Summer is peak season: sites book out weeks ahead, fog is common along the bluffs, and inland highs stay comfortable. Spring brings wildflowers and shoulder-season availability. During winter and spring, the nearby headland provides a good lookout for whale watching, with gray whales passing offshore. Winter is the wettest stretch, with Pacific storms bringing strong winds and heavy rain to exposed sites.

Inside the state park, sites are wooded and well spaced. The 75 campsites in West Pinewood and Surfwood accommodate RVs, trailers, and tents, with tables, food lockers, and fire rings, and many sites have nice shade under large trees. Restrooms and coin-operated hot showers are inside the campgrounds, and a dump station, amphitheater, and hiking trails around Lake Cleone are elsewhere in the park; bring quarters for the showers. Cell coverage is patchy and there are no hookups in the state park loops. At night raccoons come around to help themselves to unprotected food and will raid ice chests, so use the food lockers. Expect cool nights even in summer and pack layers; ocean fog can drop visibility quickly at the bluff.