The best camping in Portola Redwoods State Park, CA

Experience a sense of wonder as you swap Silicon Valley for a scenic valley with an ancient forest of coast redwoods. This 2,800-acre park features 18 miles of hiking trails. As you walk along, keep an eye out for bubbling brooks, notice the soft moss on the trees, and take in gorgeous green ferns and huckleberries. Stop and get your feet wet at one of the waterfalls along Fall Creek or Pescadero Creek. Settle into one of the park’s 55 family campsites with room for up to eight people, or select one of four group campsites.

• Best for large groups: Circle Group Camp can accommodate 50 people with tents only. 
• Best for day hikers: Huckleberry Campground offers four hike-and-bike campsites. 
• Best for backpackers: Slate Creek Trail Camp is part of a network of backcountry trails.

1. Online reservations are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reservations can be made six months in advance online or by phone.
2. Campsites at Huckleberry Campground are first-come, first-served.
3. Check-in begins at 2pm and check-out time is noon for all family and group sites. 
4. Reservations are required for Slate Creek Trail Camp’s six sites, each of which are limited to six backpackers. No dispersed camping is permitted in the backcountry.  
5. If the park closes due to inclement weather, campers may be relocated or have the option to receive a full refund from the day of evacuation.

Be prepared for coastal fog that feeds the redwoods, even during summer when leopard lilies are in bloom. Weather is changeable and often wet, as the park receives 40 to 60 inches of rain per year. Campsites can typically be reserved from late spring through mid-autumn, but during fall or winter, severe weather or drought can close the park, which is typically open for day use from 6am to sunset during this time.

• Only one family campsite is wheelchair accessible, and four require a short walk from parking. No family campsites have RV hookups.
• Fires are not permitted at Slate Creek Trail Camp, but backpacking stoves are allowed. Water must be packed in or purified from nearby Slate Creek.
• Showers and restrooms may close due to severe drought conditions.
• Dogs must be leashed and are only allowed in campsites and picnic areas and on paved roads.
• Maintain a “crumb clean” area to protect the marbled murrelet, an endangered seabird that nests in the forest canopy.