We were looking for a place to camp this year and since we no longer want to camp in a tent, I was looking for a cabin. There are very few within a 3-4 hour distance from where I live and most go quickly. I was fortunate to find a cabin at Clear Lake and we booked for two nights in the middle of the week. That is easier to find than the weekends. We went in early July and the weather was perfect, traffic getting there was clear as well since it was midweek, the last 10 miles winding into the mountains was a bit scary and tiresome but well worth the drive. Someone from the park called that day to check when we would be arriving so they could arrange check in. We got there around 3:30 and check in, which was easy. Note that if you are going to a cabin, make that clear, the attendant assumed that it was a tent site and told us that the particular site was reserved for employees. As I was getting to the point that I was getting upset, he realized that I was talking about a cabin. I didn't realize that I had to clarify that. They gave me a map to the park, which is quite large and very beautiful. Lots of tent camping sites but only one area for the cabins. The only downside was that the cabins, about 10 of them, are very close to each other. Each cabin has 2 bunk beds, a picnic table, a counter top and open closet. They also have electricity and A/C, all on timers. I love that the cabins have Dutch doors! Bathrooms are very close to the cabins and the parking. You have to pay for the showers and buy the tokens from the camp host who lives right by the cabins. You are not allowed to put up a tent in the cabin area. All the cabins have picnic tables and fire pits and they all face a beautiful meadow that is private to the cabins. The park has lots of hiking trails, dogs are welcome, an area for swimming and for fishing. I believe you can rent boats but since we did not do that, I am not 100% positive. The water was not clear but we had a great time swimming and trying to catch fish, we did not succeed but it was one of the best camping trips in memory. I can write pages but in summary, it was a fantastic experience with many wineries within 15-30 minutes from the entrance of the park. I would highly recommend. read more

Not sure why this place has only 3.2 stars on average. We spent one night at one of the cabins to get away from city lights to see the Perseid meteor shower. The cabin was clean and roomy. It even had AC, which we didn't need to use. But what surprised me the most was the amount of wildlife we saw in less than 24 hours. We saw deer families on two occasions, a gray fox, osprey, great blue herons, black crowned herons, Asian bullfrogs (invasive) and their tadpoles, grebes, quail, scrub jays, ducks, squirrels (of course), etc. (We did not see any otters of beavers- maybe next time.) The campsites looked clean and serene. The beach area likewise. And all the people who worked there were friendly (entrance booth, site host, rangers). Overall, one of the best "camping" experiences ever in my 65 years. read more

See all

This campsite is really beautiful! We had such a great time and really enjoyed our 2-night camping trip. We'll definitely come back! read more

Clear Lake State Park - Trail - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

very nice view & peaceful relax area. Would recommend this park to everyone. Dog friendly too read more

Clear Lake State Park - My son & Molly - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

My family and I have spent our second summer in a row here in Clear Lake at Cole Creek! Love our spacious campsite and friendly Parker rangers! We went fore Juneteenth and it was pretty cold, last year we went in August and it was so hot. We love the stars, the warm lake, fishing, s'mores by the fire. Can't wait to go back. read more

Clear Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

Great place entrance is $8 but worth it beautiful place to camp fish eat or walk on trails read more

Clear Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

When I made reservations for this campground, it was nearly sold out. When I pulled in, I saw the Campground Full sign. Yet, somehow (this isn't a complaint), it was almost entirely empty. After a hectic few days at Hendy Woods, I was relieved to see almost nobody else here. Kinda weird, kinda made me wonder wtf is going on with reservecalifornia.com, but nice. There are three campgrounds in this park, which are really more like three levels of the same campground. Each one has its own camp host. I was in the Upper Bayview site, which has a view of the lake, but is maybe a half mile walk away. These sites had some shade, but much less than the lower ones. The bathrooms were surprisingly clean and well maintained, with decent electric outlets. Showers were available for a fee. There are some really pretty trails within the park, including a gorgeous boardwalk through wetlands around the lake. I saw birds I've never seen before. The creek was full of turtles, birds, and red algae. The cotton trees made some areas look almost like they were covered in snow. At night, I heard a little commotion, which I assumed to be squirrels. When I woke up, I found that racoons had physically broken into the racoon box. They literally pulled pieces of wood from the box to get into it. I wish I had taken a picture, but my instinct was to clean up the mess, which crows were starting to notice. The next night, I could hear racoons crawling around the perimeter of my tent. So creepy. Literally. I thought about it, and I'm not even sure what a campground could do about a racoon problem. Maybe truck in some bobcats? And what is going on with the reservation system? As much as I love my privacy, I still feel pretty strongly that people should be able to book empty spots. Other than those minor issues, I liked staying here, and would stay here again. As a bonus, there was so much good food nearby, due to the campground proximity to Napa and St Helena. I ended up making a whole new Yelp collection of places to try in this area. read more

Been going here for over 50 years! Our favorite campground in CA. The water can be hit or miss each year, but this year it was absolutely fantastic!!! So clear and clean (no smelly algae). It reminded me of earlier years. Will be going again in August and hoping the algae holds back so we can enjoy again. Bathrooms were clean and showers hot. Speaking of showers, $1 will get you 2 shower tokens. Each token will give you 2 minutes. Not mad at this because we all have to save water somehow or another. read more

I went camping this weekend and I absolutely loved it! We stayed in the upper bay view and it was like our own little paradise. Bathrooms are very clean. The lake is nice and cold. It was a mile walk from our campsite but it was nice. We loved the fact that we could have our car pretty close to our tent. The hikes are nice and easy. Overall an amazing experience. read more

Went camping last weekend at clear lake The camping site was nice we camped next to the beach it was a very nice day wasn't too hot and wasn't too cold perfect weather for camping read more

Clear Lake State Park - The view from the camp site - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

Parking is limited, ricks are rough and pretty big to call it a "beach". Rick's are 1-2 inches in the "beach". Not much space to set up and only has 4 benches/canopies. Shade is also limited. No life guard but a rope is tied to ensure swimmers don't go out too far. There is a nice hike pathway right before you hit the parking lot. Has a beach swimming area at the end but it takes about 10 min walk to get there. read more

Nice clean campground. It can get pretty busy with a lot of people around. If you are looking for a remote place, this is not for you. But it has clean showers and toilets. A lake within walking distance that you can wade in the water if you choose. read more

Clear Lake State Park - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

This is a small, but really nice state park. Karen, the park ranger was so friendly and informative. We hiked the Dorn Nature Trail, which is listed as moderate, but if you're experienced, you will find it easy. There were just a few uphill sections, but not a lot of climbing over rocks. You can easily hike this in an hour or so. We saw beautiful views, scenery and quite a lot of wildlife. Highly recommend this park, and the hike. read more

See all

Beautiful park, cabins were lovely - clean, comfortable, and had everything we needed. The bathrooms were clean and stocked. We loved the visitor center and the hiking trails were great. Already planning another trip to return in May. read more

We were in town in Nice for a weekend getaway. Thought we'd dodo a few trails nearby. We really liked this park. It's quite large with nice nature scenic views. Here are some pics of some camping spots we saw and liked. Very pretty and shady area. We were there in September 2022 read more

Clear Lake State Park - Camp site - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

5 stars for the wonderful park staff at Clear Lake. We came on an off day, and they saw me with my kid and allowed us into the visitor center when they absolutely did not have to. I really appreciated it, and it was a highlight of our visit. Thank you! read more

A Huge Shout out To Karen, Sara and Travis You guys make this Park ... Amazing and clean. A great Day spent here ...12 days all. Together amazing.. Thanks keep up the great job read more

Great park with camping, trails, cabins, boat launch and cleanbathrooms and showers. Launch your kayak and explore for miles along the shore. So much to see here. read more

Surprised to have read many complaints on the park rangers. Never came across anything like it. That doesn't mean to say these incidents never happened, but if you follow the rules and keep a low profile you have nothing to worry about. Follow the speed limit throughout the campgrounds. It's 15 mph. Seen someone pulled over. Don't be that person. It happened to be a 100 degree weekend. The heat was brutal. We tried our best to avoid using our generator, but my dogs could not bear it. Generators are allowed from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Quiet hours are 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. We stayed at Kelsey Creek lot 64. Behind our lot was a lake view with some brush. Folks were able to dock their boat within a few steps from their campsite. Overall, I enjoyed our stay. However, a visit during the cooler season is a personal preference. In case you are wondering, we were able to catch a cellular signal out here. read more

See all

The friendliest people you'll ever meet. Extremely helpful. Campground was just great. Restrooms were all clean and well maintained. Boat ramp was easy to use with ample parking for vehicle and trailer. We would highly recommend this facility! Thank you all for a wonderful experience! read more

We reserved a camping site right on water and kayaked from there -- volcanic vents, eagles, and the beautiful mountain added to our stay. Although the weather was beautiful there was only a handful of campers. The grounds and showers were clean. The staff were friendly and helpful. Everything was perfect. read more

Clear Lake State Park - Campsite view - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

I wish I could give a review, but I wasn't allowed in without paying for a parking place. Since driving by I thought I would check the place out for a future stay and asked the ranger at the entrance if I could just drive in for 5 minutes and then leave. She adamantly said I wasn't allowed to enter without paying the parking fee. I take lots of road trips and check the parks out all the time for 5 minutes without paying to see if I want to stay. The same as checking out a motel room before staying. Most rangers that I meet have a real mellow attitude because of the nature of their work, and are glad to help you. This ranger reminded me Nurse Ratchet, with a terrible attitude. This took place last summer, and I haven't been back. read more

I'm always one to give places the benefit of the doubt and second chances, but this place was absolutely one and done! When we first got there, our campsite (54) looked nothing like the website and had absolutely no shade. Thankfully no one booked the site across from us and it was well shaded. The only reason I'm giving one star. There were speed limits (15mph) posted everywhere, however, many cars, trucks, RVs, some of which were towing boats were driving way faster (more like 25 - 30). There were these cottonwood trees that made it seem like it was snowing constantly. It was literally inches thick all over the ground. If there was a noise ordinance, you couldn't tell. One guys dog barked until like 2am, another campsite ran their generator for hours at a time, and a couple sites near by that were obnoxiously partying well into the night. On the website it states that you can use quarters for the showers. So I grabbed $20 (2rolls) in quarters prior to our arrival. When I got there, it stated that the showers only use "tokens" and you have to use bills (1's, 5's, 10's, 20's) to get them. I got $5 worth of quarters because it was lowest bill I had. When I was leaving I informed the young lady at the front about the website and to see if I could get my money back for the tokens I had left... "Yeah, the website is outdated and we don't do refunds... The tokens work at other parks too, but not all... Sorry!" WTF?!? Lastly, the stench from the lake was nauseating. I've worked on an ambulance for 15yrs and have smelled many disgusting things, few smells are able to turn my stomach the way this lake did. There were dozens of large sized fish washed ashore rotting, with their stench permeating the entire area. At one point my child asked why is it called "Clear Lake" ?, it should be called Shreks Swamp. Overall my experience was pretty bad and I most certainly will be looking elsewhere to take my family... read more

See all

Clear Lake? The lake's name should be changed to Algae Lake. Amenities are great, but the lake is gross. Trees have cob webs all over them, and when the wind blows, cob webs and spiders fly everywhere. You can't help Mother Nature so those are the only things you have to be aware of when you go there. Other than that, the park is clean and the amenities are great so you can still have a good time. read more

This state park is a nice place for camping or leisurely walks. Parking/day pass is $7. Ample parking and lots of signage throughout. I'd say this place is probably geared more towards camping as each space is clearly marked by #s, last name, and dates of occupancy. The park is a circle so pretty much keep walking and you'll be where you started, perhaps not the fastest, but still worked. Restrooms are very clean. My favorite part about this state park is the visitor's center. However, the operating hours are limited. The volunteers there were genuinely nice and knowledgeable. Kids can even earn a junior badge inside the center. Small assortment of souvenirs, but very affordable. I got a really cute bear magnet for $2. read more

See all

Definitely wasn't the experience I had here a couple years back :( I was super excited to bring the family back here and for my toddler to experience his first camping trip but with the water levels being so low and it being extremely hot, it wasn't worth it. Temperatures rose above 110° and the swim beach wasn't even suitable for swimming... Only one corner of the beach seemed decent but once getting closer it was disgusting and wreaked... The park rangers were great and the camping spot was nice but I'd definitely have to try again once water levels rise and temperatures drop.. Driving 30 minutes just to swim at Highland Springs wasn't ideal but at least we had that option to cool off. Our Fri-Sun camping trip turned into a 24 hour Fri-Sat trip and we checked out by 7pm Saturday; I've been camping several times and never experienced this. Overall, not the campgrounds fault I'm sure if the water levels were different it would have been better but I did a lot of searching before reserving this to see if I found anything regarding the water levels and swimming but had no luck, so I'm just wanting to save the next person from disappointment if their going there mainly to swim. Hope I can update this in the future with a better review! If you can handle the heat and don't mind not swimming 5/5 stars - if you're looking to keep fresh in the heat, don't bother right now. read more

It's a concrete park. Not much nature. The hike was good and scenic but the actual areas along the water were dirty and pretty gross. Lots of camping areas. Dogs need to be on a leash at all times and no dog areas available. Other areas are not maintained. read more

Great place to be a full time H2O baby: Kayaking the Lake is tranquil, peaceful, chill. The best campsites are right on the shoreline, but the campsites are quite small and lack privacy. There is a funky smell at the marsh and creeks, so don't camp near the creek or marsh. read more

Clear Lake State Park - Clear Lake - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

We camped here for the weekend and the facilities were great: lots of water spouts for cooking and cleaning, clean bathrooms, and nice tree-lines sites. Remember to bring quarters for the showers!!! Note about the beach: if you are enjoying the hot sunny weather, so is the algae in the lake. Don't take "clear lake" literally. Site 102 had gorgeous views but no morning shad. read more

First of all we booked a campsite 59 which is premium.. tell me why they called us on the day we suppose to check in while we were an hour away just to tell us site 59 is closed due to flooding!!! They rebooked us near a bathroom which they say the only spot left.. it's so NOISY! Ppl in an out of that bathroom slamming door all night.. how pathetic and annoying that is! Then my husband played music from his phone with low volume and was harassed by the rangers at 10:30pm.. They told him to turn it off. Which he politely did and I'm inside my tent and can barley hear his music. Here's the people across from us at 2am talking and shouting, laughing loudly like it's their house and no rangers to be found. I'm Asian and the people across from us are whites.. racist and Yes this some bullshit.. read more

#124 I love the great outdoors. I love hiking, swimming in lakes, climbing trees--all that. Clear Lake State Park had tons of stuff for me to enjoy. There were so many camping sites replete with fire pits and grills for cooking during your stay. They had picnic areas in case you are not into sitting on the grass and eating, you can easily set up at one of the large tables. The views were phenomenal. Everywhere you looked there was a photo op. We wanted a little beach area to swim and play. I guess the beach is why I am deducting one star. It was pretty lacking. Lots of algae and bugs. It wasn't at all like the other lakes we had enjoyed in the area. They could do a little to fix the beach area up for the tourists I think. All in all, I would return, just not for a swimming excursion. Stephani Smiles for Clear Lake State Park ;) #lakeisnotactuallyclear read more

See all

This review is for Group Camping in September. The group camping site was very large and spacious. We fit 8 tents spaced out comfortably. During the day time, the bees are everywhere! Bring foil or plastic food covers. During the night time, mosquitoes come out and they are attracted to all types of lights. Lanterns, flashlights, etc. Bring citronella candles and mosquito repellent. There have plenty of picnic tables to use. The water hose was kind of annoying because you have to hold the faucet handle twisted to keep the water running. It's hard to wash dishes with one hand. It became a two-person duty just to have one person keep the water on. The bathrooms near the group site has showers but only had cold water. Bathrooms have auto-flusher and NO soap!!! Bring your own Soap to wash your hands (or hand sanitizer at your campsite). You have to walk/drive to get to the warm showers. Showers use tokens. One token = 2 minutes. In order to buy tokens, you need paper bills. Each shower room was pretty big; a mother can bathe her two kids in the shower easily. Because of the CA wildfires, wood burning and charcoal burning are NOT allowed. Propane only. Group campsite does not have a trash bin on the group camp itself, you have to walk a short distance to the big dumpsters. Don't leave any food out because raccoons and other wildlife will get your food. They have two pantry cabinets so you can store your food. During a pandemic, no masks required since we were outdoors. Educational presentation Saturday night. Kids enjoyed and got stickers!! read more

Clear Lake State Park - No wood burning allowed!!! - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

Wasted two hours trying to look up back up campgrounds because of a poor review listed here. That particular individual must have come at a different time of year and camped very close to the water in a slightly different campground than ours which was the upper Bayview campground inside of clear Lake State Park. We decided to check it out anyway since we had a back up plan and ended up absolutely loving it! Great place for families bathrooms were very clean and there are showers but you need to get tokens from down by the boat dock which we did not end up doing. It felt like fall though it was the height of summer and the only wildlife we saw were very cool birds of prey and a medium sized raccoon that did his nightly circuit after the sun went down. There is an awesome nature trail that goes from the top of the hill down to the bottom. We got to see a fledgling Osprey just hanging out after getting tired from trying to learn to fly according to the park ranger who was very educational and friendly to explain it to us. He was also very kind the evening we entered since no one was there to check in with and they had our spot all reserved with a name tag and the dates posted right on our campsite. We were the only family there aside from a trailer they keep there probably for a campground host to live in the following day several people showed up but it still did not feel packed and we did not have to interact with anyone unless we wanted to. Very peaceful and beautiful with all the autumn colored oak trees. It wasn't super easy to find it first because we were going by GPS and hadn't really looked at the whole route before arriving which was our mistake. Once you make it to clear Lake State Park there are signs to lead you to your campground. The local towns nearby are very convenient and pleasant as well. We brought fishing poles but just ended up not fishing since it was the end of our vacation but found an amazing little swimming beach that sometimes has a lifeguard and does not allow boating or fishing in that area. We are very excited to return possibly in the fall! I can't speak for the lower campgrounds but upper Bayview was like our own private paradise!! Check it out for yourself there are also amazing group campsites where it looks like a youth camp was happening while we were there lots of tents all together near a few different bathrooms and a visitor center. LOVED IT! Kirk the peace officer/park ranger is the BEST! read more

This is my first review here. I was worried about going to this campground after reading so many negative reviews! That is why I felt compelled to add my two cents. We camped here Friday to Monday. It was the weekend so there were a lot of campers. We never witnessed or encountered any type of ranger harassment that people have spoke about in the reviews. All the workers and rangers that we encountered were friendly and informative. The water is not good for swimming but we had our boat and fished the entire time..it's great fishing! There are a lot of places to explore and the wildlife walks freely through the campground. The restrooms and showers were adequate and cleaned and stocked daily. read more

See all

If a picture is worth 1,000 words, here is a picture of the lakeside premium sites taken July 2009. We were assured by the rangers it was not a sewage spill, but a natural occurrence during July and August. For $45 a night (Aug 17, 2009 rates), you too can get a lakeside premium camp site and experience the algae, smell and all! When the weather is hot the algae bloom is worse. The only way the kids could cool off was to take a 4 minute shower for $.50 read more

Clear Lake State Park - Clear Lake State Park, Lakeside Premium Site - Parks Near Me - Kelseyville, California

See all

Not much to do here unless you know how to fish. A few nice but short hikes in Cabins in Kelsey campground were very nice. Includes electricity, lighting, and AC. Water faucets were cut off after our first night for whatever reason. Overall a very peaceful, relaxing experience, albeit smoggy due to wildfires. Thankfully we did not run into any mean rangers. read more

I am not an adventurous person. I like TV. I like having all my limbs. But there was something about Clear Lake that made me risk getting strangled by a tow rope while I'm dragged -- sorry, *pulled* -- behind a boat. Besides, the cabin had no TV. What else was I supposed to do? We came up here with some friends whose family has a cabin/house right on the lake. I can now say Clear Lake is some seriously good times. I was apprehensive about coming up here, but I would go back. The scenery is pretty, the lake water was warm and I did a buncha shit for the first time. Kneeboarding (OK, belly boarding), wakeboarding (OK, halfway-up wakeboarding), tubing (I tubed hard core) and jet-skiing. I even got to drive the boat. All I needed was P. Diddy and some bikini-clad mamas with champagne. Instead we had two small children and some bottled water, but hey, I'll take what I can get. I would not recommend coming up here if you aren't going to have access to a boat. There ain't much to do otherwise -- a few places to eat and a casino (http://www.yelp.com/biz/UYTBGrbwzWSJ8mAVHL1efA#hrid:w_3ORvcz4D2fGX-fCKIZCQ/query:robinson%20rancheria). But if you're going with friends and have some activities planned, it is sweetness. I was going to subtract a star because occasionally the lake water had some gunk in it, but overall it was not a problem. Just steer clear. read more

See all

Clear Lake is unknown - I am yet to hear anything other than "Where is that ?" when I mention it to friends. At times I hope it stays that way. The largest lake in California (Tahoe is shared with Nevada) seems also to be the least known! The Clear Lake area, and this park, are a treat as long as you plan ahead (finding good places to stay and eat is hard around here). Would recommend doing the scenic route (Route 29, 281, 20, 53) to see the lake from every angle. The park itself is small, but with friendly staff. The beach is tiny and even with a small crowd looks jampacked. There will probably be a few open jeeps/convertibles with music blaring out loud. A lot of "bodies" on the beach, but none that you can watch without cursing yourself (reminds me of that other watery saying - water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!). The locals may not like you if you look/act like an outsider. Even with what seems like a list of bad things, this park is still worth a visit. There are a few trails going up from the beach, and they provide great vistas. Take your binocs. Watch out for raptors, and swifts. read more

See all

Clear Lake State Park is one of the best parks in the world for boating fishing camping and being with your kids. UNFORTUNATELY, I can't give it a full five stars because of the Rangers that work this place. If you come to this state park, expect to be harassed by the park rangers, specifically Ranger Conner. Over the past decade, he has been there from a Lackey, to now he's the head guy. My family and I have been jumped in the dark, by him creeping around, threatened with arrest for not liking that he was creeping around, threatened because our dog got off the leash, and then he popped up out of the weeds and threatened me with arrest again. My wife & I have been compared to loud drinking campers, when we were sitting quietly looking at birds, threatened with being handcuffed for not having a driver's license in my pocket while wearing swim shorts, threatened with being kicked out, etc etc. If you say anything to him at all other than "yes sir", he stares at you like he is psycho, while he has his hand on his gun. So don't mess with him, because I have been watching this guy over the years, and I think one day he's going to kill someone. I have learned to expect him during my visit, and then hopefully I don't see him anymore. This park is this awesome - where I will put up with this Schmuck. Last weekend we went there just for the swim beach only, and I think we were the only people at the beach, and as soon as I put my car in park, he pulled up behind me and told me I was speeding, which I was not. Even when trying your best to avoid Ranger Connor, you get Ranger Connor! And then the usual threats etcetera etcetera. I was with 4 young girls and my son, and they were totally creeped out by the way he just sat there watching us. If they got rid of Connor and replaced him with a more family-friendly Ranger, this would be a five star Campground all year long definitely. read more

Camped here with a large group for memorial weekend. Staff are very kind. Gave us a list of activities taking place throughout the weekend which I thought was really cool. It was clean in the bathrooms and showers as well as the campground in general. I'm giving it 3 stars because I don't think the lake is safe to swim in unfortunately. Tons and tons of dead, decaying fish along the water however many spots to walk around/hike at. Be careful for ticks and make sure to bring $1 bills to be able to get coins for the showers. read more