Tent Camping with a River View

Had fun as always, nice and quiet in and love the view as always

Great convenient spot to auburn. I seriously just needed an easy place to put up my tent and sleep, and this fit the bill.

Regarding the entrance, it wasn’t too bad. Getting in and out was no issue in my Subaru. If you want to go further down the hill you’d need high clearance/4WD, but most normal cars could get down to the first area. Anything sporty or lowered would be an absolute no go.

I appreciate the kind and positive responsiveness the owner had from the day of booking forward.

Upon arriving at the site, we decided not to stay and instead drove back home to the bay area that night after a quick stop at the river. Here's why:

The sites weren't numbered, so we weren't sure which was ours. What I think was ours was very small, had no flat surface for tents (very chunky rocky dirt that needs serious grading), was hard to get to in a car and not walkable with supplies (rough, narrow road), too close to road noise, and much too far from the porta potty.

The large, flat area with shade down below would have been impossible to get to, even with my truck. It was not worth the possibility of getting stuck and having to deal with getting towed out when we only had one day there.

The large flat area with the great view of the river has zero shade. We would have cooked in the sun (take a large sunshade in case this is the only spot you can get in with your car to camp). There is also no privacy at this spot, it is completely exposed from above.

We feel that the land needs to first be improved to be comfortable to stay, particularly needing road grading, tree/bush pruning, and new planting.

You DEFINITELY need a 4-wheel drive to navigate the land. I had a 2-wheel drive truck that has good ground clearance but was still sliding around on the sandy rock to get out.

With more work, this land has potential.

When I read a bad review I like to give the benefit of the doubt. It could of been a bad day or just one of those days.
Well, I think I was too trusting when I chose this location. First, I had a difficult time finding the place. After 20 minutes of driving back and fourth I pulled over - texted the host at the 909 number provided, I asked for some sort of direction or help. Well, as expected he did not reply. So after waiting for 15 minutes I tried again.
When I found the place, I ran into other campers who said they also never heard from the host, they kinda just chose a spot where ever. Well, the road down to the site was steep and rutted. I would not advise this if you do not have 4 wheel or a top heavy vehicle (rooftop tent). I spent 15 mins trying to get back up - stuck.
What I'm saying is, a simple reply, a warning, a description, just make an effort to actually care about the customers who are looking for a place. Be a good host and care or pretend too. Be honest about your property, groom the road and care (even a little).

The site feels unmaintained and the terrain isn’t very friendly for tent camping.

The host instructs to call him upon arrival to guide you to your spot but wasn’t reachable the whole day and we actually never heard from him.

If you do come here pay attention to his arrival instructions because the place is unmarked and easy to miss (at least in the dark).

Response from Brian, the Host, on June 23rd, 2022

Hi Arik I am so sorry there was a mixup! Your message must have slipped through the cracks on a busy day. I am always trying to improve the property and just switched over to a new phone service. This will make sure that me and my staff are notified of any texts or calls from Hipcampers. There will now be multiple people available to handle any questions that arise. As stated in our overview, we do caution visitors to arrive before sundown as the property (like most raw land) can be quite difficult to navigate for the first time in the dark. We have many tent-friendly campsites but they can be difficult to find when you can't see them so we understand your frustration. I would love to see you back out at the property so we can a second chance at impressing you.

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The campsite was as advertised. I would stay here again. It's located so close to town and for that reason alone it's worth staying here. Thanks for allowing my pup and I to camp.

Response from Brian, the Host, on June 23rd, 2022

Hi Spencer I am so glad you and your pup enjoyed camping on the property! We are always upgrading and improving the camping experience (for both humans and pets) so I hope to see you back soon!

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The appeal of this new Hipcamp spot is its location, its views and the host. What is unappealing is the steep downhill/uphill into/out-of the property. At the moment, it is veryy difficult for any non four-wheel-drive car to handle.

The view overlooked two parts of the River which was exceptional. The host is kind and responsive. And the porta-potty was very clean as well as the water hose for campers.

I have a small car (without 4WD) so I stayed on the main level but the lower spots looked interesting. And even though close the road, the car sounds were never an issue. With a low and small car, it was very hard to get my car out of the property because there is a very steep road into the property with big gravel rocks (maybe 2-3" in diameter). My wheels kept spinning out and I didn't feel confident when I heard the big gravel rocks spin up to my car when trying to drive out. I eventually got out both days after a few tries. I will wait until I have a 4WD vehicle to reserve the site again.

I really did enjoy this spot a ton! This is a great spot for those looking to bike/hike Auburn or raft the American River.

Response from Brian, the Host, on June 23rd, 2022

Hi Brooke, thank you so much for the feedback! We are always improving the camping area and have been improving the road each season with more upgrades planned soon. Myself and my staff routinely inspect and groom all roads to make sure there are no large rocks or logs that will impede vehicles. My staff and I have 2wd vehicles and get in and out of the property without issue but we know all vehicles are different so I hear your frustration. As mentioned above, we are constantly upgrading and improving the camping experience so hopefully, by your next visit, the road won't distract you from the amazing views! We do advise to bring a 4wd vehicle if possible and to avoid any small low slung cars.

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This campsite is situated in a lovely area with breathtaking views. Coloma is super nice and it’s definitely a quaint little destination spot. The site itself was a bit underdeveloped—hard to drive on and the tent sites could be more even and well-maintained. Overall though, would recommend.

Response from Brian, the Host, on June 23rd, 2022

Hi Collin thank you so much for staying on the property! We are always improving the camping experience so I appreciate your feedback and look forward to having you back out soon!

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Great view!

Response from Brian, the Host, on June 23rd, 2022

Hi Sarah thank you so much for staying with us! We look forward to having you out again soon!

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