One of the best parts of living in California is no matter where you're at, you're only a couple of hours at most away from the mountains, the beach, the dessert, or the city. Camping in the mountains was a summer tradition for my family when I was a kid and I have some of my best childhood memories sitting around a campfire.
But what if you don't want to travel quite that far? Maybe you're trying to stay close to home this summer. I've got you covered! We have 4 options for camping super close to home. All of these locations are a 30 minute drive (or less) away! Whether you have an RV or you want to tent camp, we've got a handful of locations close to home. If you're willing to drive an hour, there's lots more options, but let's start with the ones closest to home.
Tent AND RV Campsites
Sandy Beach County Park is located on the Sacramento River just south of the City of Rio Vista. It's open year-round, and has a 24-hour boat launch and RV and tent campsites.
It overlooks the Sacramento River and the picnic area is equipped with tables, barbecue grills and a sand volleyball court.
Most notably, there is a Sandy Beach (as you may have guessed from the name) along the Sacramento River however it is not recommended to swim as there's no lifeguard on duty and the currents can be strong.
When we visited a couple of years ago everyone was wading in the water but no one went far out to swim. So the kids still enjoyed the beach without going into deep water.
The campgrounds are close to the town of Rio Vista so you can drive into town to visit shops or grab something from the store if needed.
Brannan Island State Recreation Area
Brannan Island State Recreation Area is an RV and Tent Camping site along the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It's known for it's many islands and marshes with many wildlife habitats as well as boating and swimming.
It's a great place to explore as a family and the area offers great fishing, and Franks Tract, a protected wetland marsh, is home to beaver, muskrat, river otter, mink and 76 species of birds.
The park has a ten lane launch ramp, over 140 campsites and areas for picnicking and swimming.
RV only Campsites
Rio Viento Resort Campground in Rio Vista
Rio Viento is located on Sherman Island where the Delta meets the Bay. It's surrounded by open space and great views. It's known for being a great spot for windsports enthusiasts.
Many seasonal guests come for windsurfing or kiteboarding.
It's a quiet, clean and safe place for an RV camping experience.
Sugar Barge Resort & Marina in Bethel Island
The Sugar Barge is a well known family-friendly Marina and RV Park in the area. In addition to standard amenities, at Sugar Barge you can find a playground, a pool, a picnic area with BBQ's, rental boats and a clubhouse with kitchen facilities.
It's located on the Delta and would be a great place to rent a fishing boat, patio boat or kayaks from their rental center and spend a day on the water as a family.
The best part of local camping? When you're done and have to pack everything up and drive home, you only have to be in the car with tired, grumpy kids who desperately need a bath for under 30 minutes. That's a parenting win in my book.
See you at the campgrounds this summer!
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