Family-friendly beach camping near Willows

A Sacramento Valley town near wildlife, lakes, and rugged wilderness.

95% (95 reviews)

United States
—
California
—
Willows

95% (95 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Willows

Top beach campgrounds near willows

95%

(138)

Lake Concow Campground

99 sites · RVs, TentsOroville, CA

Ancestors of Maidu people lived here long ago. European settlers arrived and took control of the area. In recent history, a multi-cultural group of community members formed the Konkow Partnership to attempt to hold, steward, and preserve the wilderness that survives here. We look forward to your post fire visit.Learn more about this land:Congratulations Campers! The campground is reopened after the last couple of years of wild fires and tough winters. We are reopened even as repairs and upgrades are being made. Thank you to all visitors who love this place for your patience as we continue to improve the features of the Campground. Stay tuned for progress reports. We hope to see you real soon. Visit, fish, or camp in a rare jewel forest, hidden in the Sierra/Cascade foothills, less than an hour's drive to Chico, Oroville, or Paradise. Surviving forests of mature cedars, pines, oaks, and madrones provide shady camping, fishing along the lake shore, or picnicing along the banks of the creek that runs through a recovering creekside area. Stargaze or fly kites in our Great Meadow or admire copious wildflowers and other native plants on over 80 acres of wilderness. We provide a variety of recovering wilderness areas near water faucets, pit toilets and an RV dump station. Our site features mature forests, grassy meadows, a year-round creek in a fire recovery zone. The site also features lakefront shoreline access for bank fishing, a central fire pit and lots of space for group camping. Fires are permitted in the central pit when weather allows. The Lake Concow/Konkow Campground is a wilderness sanctuary and houses many variety of rare and endangered plants, animals, and insects. Please be aware of and give respectful space to all of the residents of the park. The list of year round residents may include poison oak, thorny berry vines, mosquitoes, ticks, spiders, deer, eagles, osprey, owls, squirrels, skunks, foxes, bears, mountain lions, snakes, bats, and more. Please be responsible for personal camp supplies and trash. The Campground is a Pack In/Pack Out location and garbage cans are supplied near the office house near the entrance. Good hiking shoes, protective clothing, and hats are recommended. All Campground faucets supply delicious, potable water tested regularly. The modern listings spell the name Concow, Ancestors spelled it Konkow. Both are correct, though may give different search results. There is plenty of room for parking large vehicles and for turning around. TOW VEHICLES MUST STAY THE DURATION OF THE CAMPING VISIT. Sorry, we DO NOT allow towed-in-and-dropped-off campers or 5th wheel trailers at this time. This may change as clean up work progresses through the year. Stay tuned for updates. Thank you.

Family-friendly beach camping near Willows guide

Overview

Between Sacramento and Redding, Willows was once a watering hole for cattle farmers. Today, it’s still an agricultural hub, with services for travelers along Interstate 5 and access to several nearby lakes and reservoirs for water recreation. Willows camping options include RV parks, campsites in Mendocino National Forest prime for hiking, and tent sites at additional nearby recreation areas, lakes, and forests.

Where to go

Near Willows

West of Willows, the Stony Gorge Reservoir offers fishing, boating, swimming, and camping, while Black Butte Lake is known for fishing and two US Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds. For easy access to the Sacramento River and boat-in camping (plus tent and RV camping), head to the Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area. South of Willows, the Colusa-Sacramento River State Recreation Area is home to fishing, wildlife viewing, and one campground.

Lake Oroville

East of Willows, Lake Oroville is the largest reservoir in Northern California with numerous ways to enjoy the outdoors, including boating, sailing, swimming, water sports, and lake fishing, along with surrounding trails. More than 20 campgrounds circle the lake, including tent, RV, and equestrian sites, boat-in campsites, and floating campsites.

Mendocino National Forest

Head west to the Mendocino National Forest for rugged and wild adventures, with hundreds of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-roading, with a choice of developed and primitive camps. Several campgrounds can be found near water, including on Plaskett Lakes, Letts Lake, Mill Creek, and Bear Creek. For solitude, head into the backcountry in the Snow Mountain Wilderness.

When to go

Summer is the best time for water and outdoor recreation around Willows, including at Lake Oroville. It’s also the most popular time for camping. Shad fishing in the Sacramento River is best in the Sacramento River in June, while salmon fishing starts in August. Many campgrounds in the Mendocino National Forest are also seasonal. The waterfowl hunting season in the Sacramento NWR Complex runs from October to January.