Lightworks ranch

We had a great experience camping and would definitely come back. The spot itself is beautiful, surrounded by nature with the constant, relaxing sound of the creek in the background. Campsites are very spacious, so you don’t feel crowded, and the setup is convenient - the toilet is close by, and there’s a water spigot available (though we didn’t end up using it). One thing to note is that there’s no cell service, but that actually added to the experience for us. If you really need to reach someone, satellite messaging still works, which is a nice backup. There’s also access to the creek, and in certain areas you can get in and cool off, which is perfect on a warm day. We originally booked Creek Camp 1, which didn’t have much shade, but Creek Camp 2 was not booked up and had a large tree providing great coverage. We asked to switch, and the host was super responsive and accommodating, which we really appreciated. The only small thing to be aware of is that there’s another campsite on the other side of the bushes. If that one is occupied, you might hear neighbors more than you would at Creek Camp 1. Overall, it’s a peaceful, well-kept spot with a great host and a perfect balance of comfort and nature. Very good first time. Next time, I'm going to bring more friends.

Daniel K.

2 reviews

Recommends

· January 2026

16 ft car · With pets ·

Camping here was great! The directions were very clear and the site was easy to find. The site was pretty and quiet and the river was so cool!

Joseph Rockne S.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· November 2025

Tent · With pets ·

Peaceful spot, easy driving instructions and responsive host. Well groomed campsite areas (creekside 1/2) felt safe and comfortable. My cell service was spotty and needed to travel about 5-10min out to get all services available but that’s ok, it’s camping. The view of the stars and moon were clear, the fire pit and toilet were very nice to have. The care taker was pleasant and accommodating

Joey D.

5 reviews

Recommends

· October 2025

Private and Relaxing

Tent ·

Elderberry camp

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!

Kevin M.

5 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2025

Peaceful star gazing site

25 ft travel trailer ·

We loved our two nights at Stephen’s property. The stars at night were unmatched and even though the creek didn’t have water during this time of year, my pup and I still had fun walking it and checking for cool rocks. He directed us to Eel River and we had an amazing swim and picnic as well. 10/10

Nicole S.

2 reviews

Recommends

· September 2025

24 ft pop-up camper · With pets ·

Enjoyed the peace & stargazing. Will definitely come back soon during & after rainy season.

Abelardo I.

2 reviews

Recommends

· 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.

Laura O.

8 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· September 2025

Tent ·

This was our second time here and it’s always a wonderful time. Absolutely beautiful, perfect sun, wildlife and very relaxing. The outhouse is clean and being able to have a fire made all the difference for the full camping experience! Stephen was extremely prompt with his responses.

Emily D.

3 reviews

Mixed feelings

· July 2025

Creek was dry + hookup at diff site

32 ft Class C · With pets ·

Camped at Lightworks Ranch at Creekside Camp 1 on July 25 2025. The campsite itself was okay. Relatively flat. The creek was dry when my group of 8 went so that was a bummer. Beware of the season when you book the site, as the creek (which was a large part of the site's marketing and why chose this site) can be disappointing. The Creekside Camp 1 was pretty close to Creekside Camp 2, so privacy was limited. Also, be aware that only ONE site at Lightworks has the water/electricity hookup - that's Nature Camp. NOT Creekside. I wish that was made clear on the site, because it ended up splitting our group, which was an additional bummer. The owner refunded the additional $35/night fee for the RV electricity, so that was nice. Nature Camp had lumpier ground and was much smaller, which prevented us from moving to that site. Had we have known all these details, we probably would have chosen to camp elsewhere. So overall rating - ehhhh.

Brandon W.

10 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2025

Highly Recommend!

Tent ·

I loved this property! We stayed at creekside 2, and felt that location was the most isolated. This was important to us because we had a protective dog with us, so staying away from other people and/or other pets that may be there was very important. That said, it should be noted this is the furthest away from the drinkable water on site and the outhouse. The property was incredibly clean, maintained, beautiful, peaceful, and quiet. Stephen here on hip camp was incredibly attentive and responsive. At the ranch, Monica was very friendly and came by to check on each campsite and answer questions. This was a great place to be, and I would come here again. Highly recommend this campground, and this exact location on the grounds.

Josie J.

10 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2025

Tent · With pets ·

Nice spot, lots of room, friendly camp host. Go to the river, that’s fun.

Alex Y.

10 years on Hipcamp

Mixed feelings

· July 2025

Nice place!

Tent · With pets ·

Pretty open space with another site right in front. A bit of a mismatch of what was described and what we got (expected more private site). But overall we had a good stay. Stephen was helpful with directions and purchasing the wood on site. Should come when the creek is more full!

Ksenia V.

2 reviews

Recommends

· July 2025

Tent · With pets ·

We loved tent camping on Stephen’s land! His directions were easy to follow and everything about the camp was very well maintained. The creek was dried up but I was not surprised with the time of year. But we followed Stephen’s directions to Eel River and hung out on the bridge under Hearst Bridge all day and it was perfect! It was amazing being able to have a fire and a picnic table being provided. If I were to camp here again, I would camp in Creekside #2, it was a little more private and more morning shade! Our tents were so hot by 8am. We luckily had the space to ourselves but I think I would have been pretty disappointed if another group was in Creekside #2 as these spots are very close together, best choice would be to bring friends and book both #1 and #2! I’ll definitely return and maybe during spring and hope that the creek is running!

Taylor B.

5 reviews

Mixed feelings

· July 2025

Not private, great swimming hole

Tent · With kids ·

Elderberry camp

The space is well maintained with plenty of space. The swimming holes are super cool. My kids (2yo, 4yo) loved them. My only thing was proximity to the other campsites and to the road. If you don’t mind that, then it’s a great site. Would recommend.

Erin G.

4 reviews

Recommends

· 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!

Jenny W.

19 reviews

Recommends

· July 2025

Camp Meadow

Tent · With pets ·

Meadow camp

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.

Joel M.

11 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· July 2025

13 ft travel trailer ·

What a lovely place on the planet. Understated at first but it didn’t take long to wander a short distance and find the lovely creek, which in early July still held cool water, fish, the biggest tadpoles I’ve ever seen and a few deeper pools to dunk into. Evening echoed with straggling bullfrog songs which gave way to quail, owl, crickets and then the best part - quiet. Some occasional street noise during the day but none at night. No visible electric lights and a fantastic theater for the stars. The campsite viewed a long meadow surrounded by oak and madrone hills. There is one nearish neighbouring site, but other than that it felt private. Oh, except for a midnight raccoon visit. I was impressed by the tidy and quaint outhouse, clean fire pit and nice picnic table. Directions were easy to follow. Wish I had stayed longer.

Kerry M.

3 reviews

Recommends

· July 2025

Off the Grid!

32 ft travel trailer ·

It was nice to disconnect for a while! We camped in Creekside #1, but any of the other sites looked great! We were the only campers for the 2 nights we were there. Thanks for sharing your beautiful property!

Wendy P.

4 reviews

Recommends

· July 2025

Tent · With pets ·

We needed a quiet place to take our dogs for the 4th of July weekend and were very happy to find Lightworks Ranch. It was peaceful and our pups loved exploring the creek, then we spent the hot hours of the day at the Eel River up the road. Tip: pay close attention to Stephen’s directions to camp - we got there fine but our friends used GPS and didn’t catch our reminder to follow the written directions. It’s really easy to get there from Willits, though!

Jennifer W.

8 reviews

Recommends

· July 2025

Tent ·

Creekside 1 was the perfect spot if you want a peaceful and quiet stay. Plenty of land to walk around and it was also close to a little creek.

Frances R.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· 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!

Shay G.

11 months on Hipcamp

Recommends

· June 2025

14 ft travel trailer · With kids ·

Nature camp

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!

Kelly B.

4 reviews

Recommends

· June 2025

Tent ·

We really enjoyed our stay here, it was good for the whole family. We look foward to hopefully staying in the future.

Irma R.

4 reviews

Recommends

· June 2025

15 ft travel trailer · With kids ·

Nature camp

Very nice campsite, the whole family enjoyed it! The water was perfect.

Irma R.

4 reviews

Mixed feelings

· May 2025

Needed mowing, otherwise good

Tent · With pets ·

Plateau camp

The Plateau Camp was mostly as described, except that on Memorial weekend it needed mowing (maybe we were the first guests of the season?). The grass and weeds were knee to chest high, including some foxtail, so not suitable for brachycephalic dogs like our pug (he previously inhaled some foxtail and couldn't stop sneezing, which cost $1000 under anaesthesia to remove so we were a bit anxious!) and we also found a tick in our tent the first morning. There was a fenced off bush near the car parking area which was handy for tying the dog leash to, as the ground was too hard to put a stake in (also bent a lot of tent pegs!). The outhouse was fantastic, and all the campers were good at following instructions to put a scoop of ash down the hole after use so it didn't smell at all -way better than NPS toilets, but bring a headlamp so you can see! Water supply came from a hosepipe but tasted fine. Firepit was the type that's meant for sitting around with a mesh lid on top. You're supposed to provide your own grille for cooking (that wasn't made quite clear in the details) in addition to the expected tongs, gloves etc. Between Plateau camp and the other sites (which were down by the path to the river) was a big empty field of brown grass, which was being used as an ATV track, so the grass got flattened over the weekend and ended up less overgrown than the campsite. Campsite was in a quiet area with little traffic and directions were excellent.

Suzie S.

2 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

Amazing stay

16 ft travel trailer · With kids ·

Another amazing stay for our 6th annual birthday celebration at Lightworks Ranch! It’s so peaceful and beautiful - we will return for a 7th year :). Thanks so much for hosting us again. Chia

Chia O.

18 reviews

Recommends

· May 2025

Will camp here again!

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.

Mimi C.

1 year on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

Great camping spot

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! 🥰

Diana S.

3 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· May 2025

30 ft travel trailer · Group trip ·

Elderberry camp

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

Curtis L.

2 years on Hipcamp

Recommends

· April 2025

Quiet location. Seasonal creek.

20 ft travel trailer · With pets ·