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100% of recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp felt private.
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River View
94%
(55)4WD recommended
Campfires allowed
Toilet
Pets allowed
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for 3 guests$75
/ nightReviews
94% Recommend68 ratings · 49 reviews
This was our second time here and honestly it was even better than the last. Heidi and Matt are so responsive and sweet and make the experience so wonderful and seamless every time. We had some first time campers with us and even they loved it. This property is just so amazing and perfect for having a beautiful weekend to share with friends in raw nature. I can’t recommend this stay enough! The site and spending time in the river is the absolute best although I HIGHLY recommend checking your tires before summitting the rough terrain and steep hills of the property. We got a little stuck but were able to maneuver our way out from the river. Despite that I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend in such a beautiful and serene location. We’ll definitely be back next year too!
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Olivia V.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2025
16 ft car ·
River View
We had a fabulous time at Jack Rabbit ranch. The site was breathtaking and we really had all the privacy we wanted. It was a great spot to just get away. Communication was clear and timely. All wheel or four wheel drive with some ground clearance will make getting to the site much easier. We hope to come back for another stay!
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Mike J.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
Tent ·
River View
Beautiful, spacious property. Definitely off the grid. You will want a car with all wheel drive for your commute.
Shane J.
4 reviews
Recommends
· July 2025
Tent · With pets ·
River View
My god. What can i say about heidi and matts little slice of heaven that they haven’t already covered. First. The view.. spectacular! The stars. Oh wow. The peace and quiet. Unmatched. We had a couple hickups there. One being my truck had just had a tom of work done and on our third day something happened, truck wouldn’t start. Matt(certified mechanic) was on it. Took him 30 minutes to get her running. Told me what issue was and what to get once i got off the mountain. He said no charge but he SAVED us and for that we took care of him(hopefully matt😂). We will be back again. Just not with a one ton truck with no 4wd. Kudos to Heidi and Matt. Your place is magical.
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Matt L.
2 reviews
Recommends
· June 2025
Tent · With kids ·
River View
We had a great time camping here! The place is exactly as described. We had the whole place to ourselves.
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Jipsy O.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· May 2025
25 ft pop-up camper · With pets ·
River View
We loved the spot! The views are amazing from there. Super nice host and conductor! The road to the river is really cool and be ready for some adventure. Would not recommend FWD or RWD. One of our friend had a hard time rolling the hills with FWD. So I agree with host regrading awd/4x4 recommendation.
We would love to come back one day 🤘
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Yauheni H.
11 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent · Group trip ·
River View
The views were beautiful. The group fire pit was perfect. Trip to the river was a little harder than expected. All in all we had a wonderful time. Heidi was a great host. Fire wood and toilet paper were very much appreciated.
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Mark C.
1 year on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2024
Tent · With kids ·
River View
For a couple with dogs who love to camp away from it all, River View was an amazing backcountry adventure. Communication with Matt was easy and we had no issue finding their gate; read their instructions and route via Google Maps. The camp sites were spacious and because it was only just us, we utilized a couple sites/views for a sleeping area (the most level), chill area (the most shaded), and then evening stargazing by the fire pit. We were given plenty of firewood and it was nice to have Matt check on us in the morning to ensure we had everything we needed. We preordered the smoked chicken - simply delicious and worth the splurge! For late summer, the river still had an impressive flow and lovely rock pools. We definitely could return here again and it’d be our top setting for a group camp out.
Joslyn T.
6 reviews
This is an incredible spot! The stargazing is unmatched and we had the whole river to ourselves. It feels very private so you get the true camping experience. We had an amazing weekend here and would definitely come back. Also, Heidi is super responsive very friendly.
Couple notes, there is a lot of driving on dirt roads to get here. The 4x4/AWD is very helpful for getting to the campsite, but one of our cars was a regular 2WD sedan and managed getting to the campsite (but not without bottoming out a bunch of times). Getting down the river is especially tricky and they're not kidding when they suggest a 4x4/AWD for getting there since the dirt roads are certainly steeper and trickier. We managed it just fine in our Kia Sportage. Also, Google maps had some suggestions that weren't correct - for starters, it suggested a clearly labeled private road to get to the school mentioned in the post, but the private road was very steep so we ended up going a different way which was much easier. Also, we passed the "lock gate" mentioned in the directions so pay attention to people waiting near gates for you since it's likely them picking you up! We knew we had probably passed them when Google, once again, suggested driving private land that looked like a dumping ground lol. It was certainly an adventure getting here, but totally worth it and part of the fun!
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Roque M.
4 reviews
Recommends
· August 2024
Tent · With pets ·
River View
Heidi’s land is amazing! Yes it’s back country and an adventure to get down to the river but that’s what makes her place unique. The river is wild and beautiful. We even got to see a bear run up the side of the hill. You’ll need to bring your own shade to the river as there’s no trees. Be prepared to walk a bit on the train tracks to the steep steps down to the river. There’s lots of animal noises including array of birds. Heidi was super friendly and hilarious! She led us to the site and gave us all the info we needed and let us be duration of our stay.
Mihyun J.
8 reviews
Recommends
· August 2024
Tent · With kids ·
River View
This hipcamp is otherworldly. I couldn’t recommend it more. We came with two young kids and they had the weekend to remember! The views and nature are incredible . The hosts are so unbelievably generous and kind. The smoked chicken was to die for! Thanks for a magical weekend and escape from the busy city life.
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Rachel Y.
5 years on Hipcamp
Had a blast on Heidi's property! It's true that you will need an AWD or 4WD vehicle to make it to the camp, or at least to the river, but I would say it was worth it for our group. We went on a 100 plus degree weekend and were grateful for having the entire beautiful river to ourselves. It was also deeper than I was expecting, which was great, maybe 5.5 feet high in the deepest parts and around knee-waist high in others. The campsite was also very nice- great view, some bees and other bugs but not terrible, and very secluded. Heidi was also incredibly nice and helpful. Would recommend for those who won't mind the drive in!
Sam C.
4 reviews
Recommends
· June 2024
Tent · Group trip ·
River View
Beautiful and remote campsite! Google maps took us on a bit of a detour on the drive in, but we made it to River View in time to catch the sunset. The river and natural pools were perfect on a hot day. Can’t wait to visit Heidi’s land again soon!
Connor B.
2 reviews
Recommends
· May 2024
Tent · With kids ·
River View
Heidi’s river view camp was peaceful, private and had beautiful views of the surrounding hilly landscape and a glimpse of the river. It was a bit tricky to get to but Heidi was able to find us and guide us to our site once we found signal. We camped under an old tree for shade and for cooking and hanging out there is an open space with a fire pit. The scenic gravel/dirt road was fun to drive down and no problem for our AWD vehicle. Exploring and hanging out at river was magical and totally worth the drive. There were beaches and natural pools for the kids to safely play in and around. We even arranged a smoked chicken for dinner one night at it was so delicious! Thank you for the special memories.
Jonathan I.
3 reviews
We tent camped and it was awesome! perfect weather ! great visibility of sunrise. Very quiet , only saw a few people driving by the entire time. Large area all to ourselves. The river is beautiful and nice to take a dip in. Perfect private camping spot
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Mackenzie B.
1 year on Hipcamp
What an incredible stay! The road in definitely has some pretty rough spots between rock and erosion so be sure that everything is strapped down really well. My truck is only RWD but I have some decent all-terrains on it with 350-400lbs over the rear axel and had no problem getting there. Other than that… it’s a beautiful and rowdy ride to the campsite. I can’t even describe how incredible the stargazing is up there… you have to see it for yourself. The river was also such an incredible part of the trip. Up stream from the clearing you walk down from is a killer little 8 ft. Rock jump. The campsite was very clean with plenty of room to set up tables, cooking areas, cornhole, etc. I will definitely be coming back here.
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Trevor C.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2023
16 ft car ·
River View
Heidi's land was absolutely amazing. When you're here, you're committed - bring what you need including lots of water & ice. We stayed here for two nights and it was amazing. The views are beautiful and it's so peaceful. The "peepee teepee" was super clean and well stocked. She left us with plenty of firewood and the firepit was really nice. Stargazing was stupendous. Really, I cannot say enough good about camping here. We were there when it was particularly hot and we didn't find swimming on the river to be ideal. We were very grateful that we brought a shade with us while we hung out at the campsite. There were also several nice shade trees.
Tammy W.
5 reviews
Heidi is a great host! The property was as advertised.... a solid one hour drive on a dusty and wash boarded dirt road, east of 101. Once you drive up to the peak and drop down on to the other side into the Eel River valley, you feel like you are a long way from civilization. It was incredibly quite and peaceful. The property is completely off-grid as are the other homesteads and "farms" in the area. The camp site was large with plenty of room for our three families to spread out. It was really hot so the big oak trees were our saviors! The view from camp was incredible. The pit toilet was in great shape. The ride down to the river is about 15 minutes as you drop about 2,000 feet. You're not getting your full-size truck all the way to the bottom unless you want some new pinstripes! Otherwise, the road was in great shape. The river was fantastic, especially for our young kids. Getting to the water involves a little trek along the rail-road tracks and down the embankment. We had 4x4 jeeps so we could get as close as possible. As I mentioned at the beginning, Heidi is a great host. The campsite is private and you are welcome to make as little or as much noise as possible. It was great learning about the history, trials and tribulations of "farming" in the area and everything that comes with full-time off-grid living. This is a rough and ready part of the world. Not for camping beginners! Plan accordingly, bring a lot of water (or beer!) and you'll have a great time!
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Will M.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2023
Tent ·
River View
Heidi is not only an amazing host, but an amazing person for sharing her pristine land with the public. Be mindful that you have to come prepared to be in remote land - bring plenty of water, limit your trash because your packing it out, make sure your car can handle off road for some miles, and plan to enjoy nature in its fullest. We loved the views, hearing the coyotes at night, stargazing, the solitude at camp and being at the river by ourselves! Seriously, no one around for miles!! Thanks Heidi for sharing your land and we hope to come back next year.
Tara B.
3 reviews
Recommends
· April 2023
Tent · Group trip ·
River View
Amazing spot! Definitely need a 4x4 with clearance to get in and out but my Subaru handled it fine. A friend with FWD struggled and almost didn't make it out. Besides that, AMAZING VIEWS and river access after a short hike. Heidi was very welcoming and made sure we had our privacy. We made a ton of noise and it was no problem. Would definitely recommend it.
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Jackson M.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· April 2023
Tent · Group trip ·
River View
Heidi is such a great host! The space is beautiful, clean, and a great private piece of land. If you are looking for a remote camping spot for a large group, this is it.
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Rebekah J.
2 reviews
This HipCamp was awesome. A group of 16 of us came up from San Francisco for 2 nights and had a lovely time. The river was beautiful and a great place to spend the day. This is the perfect place for a private getaway - we had so much land and the whole river to ourselves! Everyone was super friendly and helpful with directions. We saw so much wildlife - quail, deer, and even a bear (from a distance)!
Zoe B.
2 reviews
Wow, I cannot say enough about how much fun we had on Heidi's ranch!!
17 of us drove up from the Bay Area to celebrate a birthday and were so pleased to have an absolutely beautiful campsite with a stunning view all to ourselves. If you've ever wanted a campsite with a lot of capacity, incredible scenery, an amazing host, and enough privacy to be as loud as you want, look no further.
We spent our one full day swimming in the Eel River and hanging out on the bank before heading back up to the campsite for sunset and a dinner that Heidi had prepared — we highly recommend the smoked chickens that she raises herself.
Heidi was so communicative, so generous, and a hilarious, warm and interesting person. We will be back (hopefully with enough people to justify a pig roast).
Our one note on getting there — would recommend that everyone has a 4x4 vehicle and is either crystal clear on the directions or is organized enough to caravan and arrive together. A couple of folks found the gate code rather confusing because it was to a locked box with a key in it that we had to hop over the gate to access (there is another road with a keypad gate immediately to the right that a few of us thought was the way to go).
Oisín R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· September 2020
First time at this Jackrabbit location and really enjoyed it. Great spots for multiple campers/tents, some under trees and shaded. Sweet fire pit area for the crew, and they supplied a good supply of wood. The out-house facility is about as good as it gets in such a remote location and they keep it clean for you while your there. Heidi, as always, is a wonderful host a treat to connect with.
Scot B.
25 reviews
We had a nice time at River View. Host provided clear directions and met us at gate to escort us to site. Private with amazing vista and access to the Eel River. Would do it again.
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Trevor H.
7 reviews
This is an absolutely stunning campsite with amazing views of the surrounding mountains! About a 10 minute drive down to the river (we could do it fine in our Subaru). We were the only ones camping here at the time, so we had a whole mile of the Eel river to ourselves. Warm water, little/no currents, and shallow water - perfect for kids! I recommend bringing an umbrella or tent for shade to the river, as there is little shade near the river.
Beth N.
4 reviews
Recommends
· August 2020
Beautiful host and beautiful place!
Hannah L.
5 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2020
Group trip ·
River View
This is as remote and private as it gets when it comes to car camping. It is a primitive, spacious campsite tucked away in the corner of private land overlooking a stunning valley that drops off to the river. We loved it. The host's description is very accurate. We spotted a beautiful skilton's skink, red-tailed hawks, and even a bobcat. Wildlife abounds!
Heidi was a very responsive and helpful host. We all got there easily and while not every vehicle in our group had AWD, we all got to the site without a problem. (Definitely leave yourself plenty of time and daylight to navigate the dirt roads.) We forgot to ask about the check-out process, but other than that, everything went smoothly.
It was a very hot summer weekend while we stayed there, so bring plenty of water and remember to practice good fire safety -- which goes without saying here in California. I can't say enough how tremendous the stargazing and sunrises were, so thank you for sharing this gem with us, Heidi!
Becky L.
5 years on Hipcamp
River View at Jackrabbit Ranch was exactly what we were looking for in our two night camping trip: secluded, remote, quiet, wild... and all the other words that describe a beautiful campsite tucked into a river-filled valley.
Heidi was helpful and communicative in our messages and gave great instructions to get there. The road to get to Heidis gate is pretty fun and wild. We had some concerns about our small rear-wheel drive sedan, but it did totally fine and I think most other cars with somewhat reasonable ground clearance will as well. As for the road down to the river that others have mentioned: it’s a bumpy and windy road from the campsite, but no worse than the road to get to the ranch itself. It was maybe a mile or two (at least it felt that short), after two metal gates there is a pull off with a sign for “small car parking” and enough room for one or two tandem cars to park. This parking is for any car with two wheel drive as the grade at parts gets steeper on the final road down to the river and only recommended for 4WD. The walk from the small car parking down to the river itself felt very short, maybe 1/2 mile if that, with a few hundred feet of gain, and very manageable even in high 80’s weather. Once down the road there are the railroad tracks where we took a right to find the stairs on the left after a few hundred feet. We encountered exactly zero other people for the entire afternoon. The water is mostly shallow and clear. The day we went it got quite windy so keep that in mind, also bring shade (that won’t fly away two times like ours did).
The campsite itself is huge. We were only two people but Heidi is not kidding when she says it can fit 30. There are several pads that are relatively flat to pitch a tent and park a car. The center of the site has the fire pit with ring and metal grate that fits inside. The PPTP was clean and tidy and stocked with TP. The views from all of the sites are really lovely, mainly looking at the opposite mountain from the river.
This site felt super special and very much worth the tiny trek to get there. If you are looking for remote and quiet, this is it. We look forward to our return.
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Ben A.
5 reviews
This site is so magnificent. Heidi was very nice and gave us great tips to enjoy our weekend. You will absolutely need awd or 4w to drive to it. The funky road was definitely an adventure to drive on. Very nice stream to cool down in nearby and really amazing views. We parked close to the peak of the site and camped at the peak. Will be coming back!
Alec K.
5 years on Hipcamp
Location
Laytonville, Mendocino, California, United StatesTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
Hosted by Heidi W.
Joined in February 2018Things to do nearby
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