Get Outside
Camping within an hour of Sac
Real campgrounds within about an hour of Sacramento: Folsom Lake, Sly Park, Rancho Seco, the Delta and more, with fees, seasons, and directions.
Beals Point Campground (Folsom Lake State Recreation Area)
State park campground on the southwest shore of Folsom Lake with 69 sites for tents and RVs, including some full hookup sites. The campground sits next to a sandy swim beach and the paved American River Bike Trail. Reservations run through ReserveCalifornia and summer weekends fill early.
Fees: $28-33 per night standard sites, $48-58 with hookups; $12 per vehicle day use
Best: Spring through fall
Has: restrooms · showers · picnic tables · fire rings · more
Rancho Seco Recreation Area
SMUD-run 400-acre park around a 160-acre lake near Herald, about 25 miles southeast of downtown Sacramento. Tent and RV camping is open year round, and the lake bans gas motors, which keeps the campground quiet. Sites include fire pits, barbecues, and picnic tables near the water.
Fees: Tent sites $28-38 and RV sites $38-48 per night; $12 per vehicle day use
Best: Year round
Has: restrooms · picnic tables · fire pits · boat launch · more
Brannan Island State Recreation Area
State park campground in the heart of the Delta near Rio Vista with more than 140 campsites among sloughs and marshes. It is a gateway for Delta boating, with a ten-lane launch ramp and picnic and swim areas. Reservations run through ReserveCalifornia, with some first-come sites in the off season.
Fees: Check current fees; state park day use and per-night camping fees apply, reserve at ReserveCalifornia
Best: Spring through fall
Has: restrooms · showers · boat launch · picnic tables · more
Lake Solano County Park
Shaded campground on Putah Creek below Monticello Dam, a few miles west of Winters. The narrow lake bans gas motors, so it stays calm for canoes and kayaks, and the cold creek water draws trout anglers. The campground has both standard and waterfront sites with showers and flush toilets.
Fees: Camping $30 per night standard, $40 waterfront; day use parking fee charged, check current rates
Best: Spring through fall
Has: restrooms · showers · picnic tables · fire rings · more
Camp Far West Lake, North Shore Campground
Lakeside campground on the Bear River northeast of Wheatland with about 137 sites across two shores. The North Shore stays open year round while the South Shore runs seasonally. The warm foothill lake is popular for waterskiing, bass fishing, and shoreline camping.
Fees: Camping $20 per night dry, $30 with full hookups; day use fee charged, check current rates
Best: Spring through early fall
Has: restrooms · boat launch · RV hookups (some sites) · picnic tables · more
Sandy Beach County Park
Solano County campground on the Sacramento River just south of Rio Vista with 42 sites, many with water and electric hookups. The park has a long sandy riverfront beach and is a popular base for Delta fishing and windsurfing. Hot showers and flush restrooms are on site.
Fees: Check current fees; camping and day use parking fees charged, second vehicle $10 per night
Best: Year round
Has: restrooms · showers · RV hookups · fire rings · more
Lake Camanche North Shore Campground
Large EBMUD reservoir campground in the low foothills near Ione with hundreds of tent and RV sites plus cottages. The lake has 54 miles of shoreline, a marina, a store, and year-round boating and fishing. It is one of the closest full-service lake campgrounds to Sacramento that stays open all year.
Fees: Day use $15 per vehicle ($17.50 towing a boat); camping rates vary by site, check current fees
Best: Year round
Has: restrooms · showers · boat launch · marina · more
Sly Park Recreation Area (Jenkinson Lake)
El Dorado Irrigation District campground on 640-acre Jenkinson Lake in the pines near Pollock Pines at about 3,500 feet. Nearly 200 family sites sit in several loops along the lake, with boating, swimming, and an 8-mile shoreline trail. Reservations open six months ahead and summer weekends sell out fast.
Fees: Check current fees with EID; day use charged per vehicle and campsites per night (equestrian sites $55 per night)
Best: Late spring through early fall
Has: restrooms · picnic tables · fire rings · boat launch · more
Collins Lake Recreation Area
Campground on a 1,000-acre foothill reservoir near Browns Valley, run as a public recreation area under the Browns Valley Irrigation District. It offers lakefront tent and RV sites, cabins, a marina, and a large sandy swim beach. More than 50,000 trout are planted each spring, so many campers come to fish.
Fees: Check current fees at collinslake.com; camping, day use and boat launch fees charged, second vehicle $15 per night
Best: Spring through fall
Has: restrooms · showers · RV hookups · boat launch · more
Mineral Bar Campground (Auburn State Recreation Area)
Small primitive campground on the North Fork American River at the end of Iowa Hill Road near Colfax. Sites sit close to the river in a steep canyon reached by a narrow one-lane road. It is first come, first served, with vault toilets and no hookups.
Fees: Check current fees; primitive first-come sites, roughly $25-30 per night
Best: Late spring through fall
Has: vault toilets · picnic tables · fire rings · river access
Peninsula Campground (Folsom Lake State Recreation Area)
Quiet 100-site campground on the east side of Folsom Lake between the north and south forks of the American River. It is reached by a narrow, winding 11-mile drive down Rattlesnake Bar Road from Pilot Hill, which keeps crowds smaller than at Beals Point. Sites sit close to the shoreline with lake access for swimming and boating.
Fees: $28-33 per night; $12 per vehicle day use
Best: Late spring through early fall
Has: restrooms · showers · picnic tables · fire rings · more
Cache Creek Regional Park Campground (Middle Site)
Yolo County campground in Cache Creek Canyon about 6 miles north of Rumsey on Highway 16, with 45 individual sites plus group sites. The creek is a popular spring whitewater run and the canyon offers hiking and wildlife viewing. There is no potable water, and the campground closes Monday and Tuesday nights.
Fees: Check current fees; camping plus day use parking, $5 shower tokens and $5 per dog per night
Best: Spring and fall
Has: restrooms · showers (token fee) · picnic tables · playground · more