- Waterside Camping
The best waterside camping near Manchester
94% (5.4K) • 10 campsites
Top-rated campgrounds near Manchester
Lightworks ranch
1. Lightworks ranch
89%
(237)
41mi from Manchester · 8 sites · Tents, RVs
The peace, quiet and beauty of nature is the theme at our property.
This land is dedicated to the re-sacralization of culture. The spot was an ancient Native American camping area.
People have found arrowheads, stone beads and grinding stones on the land.
We offer various types of camping sites, as well as a teepee - so please read each listing for specific amenity and location information.
We sell firewood on site.
The amount and variety of wildlife is astonishing, with bear, deer, turkeys, fox, coyote, bobcat, Eagles, River otter, salmon and steelhead, with a wide variety of songbirds during migration.
Easy access from road, close to town, tall oak trees, privacy, creek with salmon within a five minute walk, mountains, wildlife, barn owl nest box. Please note that during late summer, creek does not flow on surface but always has swimming holes where the salmon and steelhead wait for Fall rains to carry them down to the Eel river and eventually to the ocean, until they return as adults to spawn again.
Guests love staying here: "Elderberry camp was really great! It was a large site, plenty of space, shade, and parking. Very peaceful and good distance between other sites although we were pretty much the only campers out there. Outhouse was clean and there was drinking water. We spent most of our Saturday in Eel River which was great. The water was perfect for swimming and fishing, our husbands caught some big ones. Stephen was very nice and accommodating, the honey and eggs we asked for were a nice addition too!"
Helpful0
Report
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
from
$55
/ night
Mendocino National Forest
2. Mendocino National Forest
91%
(34)
National forest 68mi from Manchester · 463 sites
Minimal pavement and plenty of forest and wilderness ensure a rugged and wild outdoor experience.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Clear Lake State Park
3. Clear Lake State Park
77%
(13)
State park 47mi from Manchester · 273 sites
California’s largest natural lake is a water recreation, fishing, and birdwatching hot spot.
94% (5.4K) • 10 campsites
Top-rated campgrounds near Manchester
Lightworks ranch
1. Lightworks ranch
89%
(237)
41mi from Manchester · 8 sites · Tents, RVs
The peace, quiet and beauty of nature is the theme at our property.
This land is dedicated to the re-sacralization of culture. The spot was an ancient Native American camping area.
People have found arrowheads, stone beads and grinding stones on the land.
We offer various types of camping sites, as well as a teepee - so please read each listing for specific amenity and location information.
We sell firewood on site.
The amount and variety of wildlife is astonishing, with bear, deer, turkeys, fox, coyote, bobcat, Eagles, River otter, salmon and steelhead, with a wide variety of songbirds during migration.
Easy access from road, close to town, tall oak trees, privacy, creek with salmon within a five minute walk, mountains, wildlife, barn owl nest box. Please note that during late summer, creek does not flow on surface but always has swimming holes where the salmon and steelhead wait for Fall rains to carry them down to the Eel river and eventually to the ocean, until they return as adults to spawn again.
Guests love staying here: "Elderberry camp was really great! It was a large site, plenty of space, shade, and parking. Very peaceful and good distance between other sites although we were pretty much the only campers out there. Outhouse was clean and there was drinking water. We spent most of our Saturday in Eel River which was great. The water was perfect for swimming and fishing, our husbands caught some big ones. Stephen was very nice and accommodating, the honey and eggs we asked for were a nice addition too!"
Helpful0
Report
Pets
Electrical hookup
Toilets
from
$55
/ night
Mendocino National Forest
2. Mendocino National Forest
91%
(34)
National forest 68mi from Manchester · 463 sites
Minimal pavement and plenty of forest and wilderness ensure a rugged and wild outdoor experience.
Pets
Toilets
Campfires
Clear Lake State Park
3. Clear Lake State Park
77%
(13)
State park 47mi from Manchester · 273 sites
California’s largest natural lake is a water recreation, fishing, and birdwatching hot spot.
Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community
K
Kevin
October 2025
Tent
Elderberry Camp was a nice and secluded stay. We essentially had the entire place to ourselves. Elderberry camp is the furthest away from the other 2 sites on that side of the property, but also note that it is the closest to the road. There isn’t enough traffic for it to be a problem in my opinion but if you are a light sleeper, it may affect you. Unfortunately, the creek was also dry during our stay. However, the foggy nights brought in nice moisture/frost that burned off by 11am. Another plus was the clean outhouse. Thanks, Stephen!
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Laura
September 2025
Tent
Stephen was a good host, and we appreciated his hospitality during our Labor Day weekend stay. The property was comfortable, and he was very responsive whenever we reached out. There was a large group staying nearby with three small dogs that barked throughout the day, which made it a little less peaceful than we had hoped. However, Stephen promptly addressed the situation on our behalf, which was appreciated but did little to quiet the dogs unfortunately. He also provided firewood and helpful directions to the nearby river, which—even with the lower summer water levels—was a nice spot to enjoy.
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Alex
July 2025
Tent
With pets
Nice spot, lots of room, friendly camp host. Go to the river, that’s fun.
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J
Joel
July 2025
Tent
With pets
Camp Meadow was a great experience, this has been the first time I have been camping in years and it was great. The creek was such a nice place to swim while it was hot during the day and the fire pit was perfect place to get warm in the early morning and late night when it got cold.
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J
Jenny
July 2025
Tent
With pets
We camped for two nights over the 4th of July weekend. One of the nights, it was only me, my boyfriend and our dog and it was so nice and quiet, besides the occasional passing vehicle.
We loved having access to the creek. Our dog loved swimming and taking dips, the water was very clear and clean. We took walks along the creek a few times a day.
Loved our site! Having shade was nice and the weather was perfect during our stay.
Reminder to campers: Noise does travel. Some folks are here to enjoy the silence of nature. But other than that, the fellow campers were respectful.
Overall, we enjoyed our experience. Thanks Stephen for being responsive and helpful. We'll be back!
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S
Shay
June 2025
Tent
Was a great spot! Shady Oaks is true to the name and offered a great spot for a late June camp. The creek is not even a 3 min walk away which we then hiked a couple miles down with our dog. The area is very clean and a hose for water is nearby. Very peaceful and the stars at night are great due to close to zero light pollution. Absolutely recommend!
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kelly
June 2025
14 ft travel trailer
With kids
We stayed at Nature Camp and had a great time. This site had the most shade of the sites and was still only a few minutes walk to the river. It also had water and electricity on site. It was next door to where the camp host was staying but because of a large privacy fence, it felt very private. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend it!
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I
Irma
June 2025
15 ft travel trailer
With kids
Very nice campsite, the whole family enjoyed it! The water was perfect.
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m
mimi
May 2025
Tent
This was a beautiful spot and we loved how easy it was to get to the river. Stephen’s step-by-step directions were clear and the entrance and campsite are well marked.
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Diana
May 2025
Tent
With pets
We had such a great time. We loved that there was a creek just behind the campsite; our kids spent hours playing. The outhouse was also very clean!
We recommend this campsite! 🥰
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Curtis
May 2025
30 ft travel trailer
Group trip
Stephen is a very accommodating host as we have had to reschedule due to the forecast that weekend. Having infants, it was a bit cold for the evening. We still hope to stay soon
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