Campgrounds and RV parks near Lower Lake, CA

Clear Lake is the regional draw. Bass fishing is the headline activity, with launches, marinas, and shoreline access scattered around the lake. Visitors to Clear Lake State Park come for hiking, swimming, waterskiing, boating, and fishing, and the reedy shoreline and slough channels suit canoeing and kayaking. Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, on the south shore near Lower Lake, has flat birding trails through tule marsh and oak woodland. South of town, Boggs Mountain Demonstration State Forest offers roughly 14 miles of restored singletrack open to hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Kayak and pontoon rentals are easy to arrange on the lake, and the surrounding Lake County wine country adds tasting rooms within a short drive. Families typically combine a day on the water with a stop at a swim beach such as Austin Park in Clearlake.

Clearlake has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with hot, arid, mostly clear summers and cool, wet winters. Summer is peak RV season: water levels are stable, the lake is warm, and most campgrounds run at or near capacity from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Daytime highs frequently push into the 90s F, so shaded sites and hookups with air conditioning are worth booking early. Spring and fall are the most comfortable windows for touring. Spring brings green hills and migrating birds through Anderson Marsh; fall delivers warm days, cool nights, and harvest season in nearby vineyards. Kelsey Creek Campground at Clear Lake State Park is open year round, while Cole Creek and the two Bayview loops typically operate seasonally and may be closed in winter and early spring. Wildfire is a real planning factor. Lake County has lost thousands of homes to wildfire over the past decade, including the 2015 Valley Fire that burned through most of nearby Boggs Mountain. Travelers should check CAL FIRE incident maps and Red Flag Warnings before late-summer and early-fall trips.

Sites near Lower Lake range from rustic state park loops with flush toilets and pay showers to private parks with full hookups, Wi-Fi, and pools. Several of the private parks named above offer creek-side or lake-oriented sites with electric, water, and sewer connections, plus basic amenities such as restrooms and showers. Expect some highway noise at parks close to Highways 29 or 53. At Clear Lake State Park, generators may only be operated sparingly during posted daytime hours, and collecting wood is not allowed, including twigs and leaves, so purchase firewood locally to avoid bringing in invasive pests. Quagga mussel inspections apply to boats launching on Clear Lake. Cell coverage is generally good around the lake and patchy in the hills above Cobb. Pack for bright sun, warm water, and cool evenings.