Camping in Navarro River Redwoods State Park

A recent summer camping trip aimed at escaping the 100+ degree temperatures of California’s Central Valley took us to Mendocino County on the northern coast. Weekend camping reservations at the state parks here fill up months in advance, so we took our chances at getting a first-come, first-served spot. Navarro River Redwoods State Park is one of the few that offers these sites, and we were told our chances of snagging one weren’t high. We were very pleasantly surprised to find a few open spots when we arrived mid-day on a Friday.

The Paul Dimmick Campground at Navarro runs parallel to the road and the Navarro River. We grabbed a spot near the entrance, which meant fewer people around and a longer walk to the well-kept restrooms. Being in such close proximity to the road, the campground didn’t feel particularly secluded, but we felt quite at peace in nature all the same.

When we weren’t reading by the campfire, we ventured into nearby Mendocino to explore the town and other state parks. Mendocino Headlands, Russian Gulch, and Van Damme are all nearby. It’s about a 20-minute drive from the campground to the town of Mendocino or to the general store in Navarro. Either way, you’re driving through beautiful, towering redwoods. Cell signal was non-existent for us (which we were giddy about), but in either direction you go from the campground, you’ll quickly run into one of those locations.

Overall, we would definitely recommend camping at Navarro River Redwoods State Park. It was quaint, easy, and peaceful.