We had an absolutely magical time camping here last weekend. The park itself is rather easy to get to as soon as you get to the coast coming from the Bay. The Rangers were lovely, the site host was very kind, we stayed at site 27 which was shielded from the wind, they had clean bathrooms and showers, a camp fire program on Friday night and sold wood onsite. We got to do a lovely hike, hang out at the beach, go to the Noyo fish Company in Fort Brag... it was great! We were also warned about a black bear who had been visiting recently. But alas did not have an encounter. However, we did find raccoon hand prints all over our table cloth and bear box. So do use your bear box!! read more

Van Damme State Park - Parks Near Me - Little River, California

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Returned to Van Damm State Park for a second time and already looking forward to future visits. I've yet camped at the upper campsites. Only experienced the two lower loops closest to the entrance as well as the beach across the highway. It's an overall great campground. The only concern would be your neighbors and the mosquitos at sites that are along the creek. Most if not all sites are RV friendly. Anything larger than a mid-sized travel trailer, you might want to be selective. For trailers that are low profiled, stick to the lower loops to avoid scraping. Opted to never pull a trailer here because I'm not a fan of towing on highway 1. Typically, the host would drive around the campground delivering firewood at 12 dollars a bundle. Otherwise, they are available at the host's designated site. read more

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Gorgeous easy to follow trail that takes you along the river, up through old growth and enormous trunks, then to a Pygmy forest. All well maintained with adorable bridges along the way! read more

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Van Damme is a perfect place to camp. The combination of so many natural features such as ocean/beach, Forrest, mountains, river, and proximity to Mendocino proper makes it a fantastic destination. The scenic hiking trails are awesome. read more

It is a nice campsite. We lucked into a fairly level site (#60) for our big tent. No electric hook-up at the site. No cell signal. The bathrooms and shower house are very clean and well maintained. There is an electric charging spot with 2 J1772 plugs and a 110 outlet at the main entrance to the park. It is by the ranger's hut. Very convenient. Across the street is a beach. Also there is a nice hiking trail we accessed within the park. We enjoyed our stay and will return. read more

Quality/Quantity - 10 miles of hiking trails along the Little River. It is considered one of the best for the west coast. Van Damme is a great place for hiking, biking, birding, jogging, kayaking, botanizing, and watching salmon spawn. Atmosphere - Public beach with approximately 1831 acres. Great place to take a break. Picnic tables, fire pits. Plenty of parking. Beautiful views and 2 outhouses. Service - Self service. Price - From free (to veterans) and annual passes of $195. Ocean side of the park also has free parking. Owner Suggestion - Thanks to Charles Van Damme (1881-1934), who made his $$ from the SF Ferry business, upon his death, the property became part of the CA state park system. read more

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Amazing getaway tucked off in the green canopy of the state parks lush forest. Camped one night and hiked for what felt like never-ending greenery! read more

Went camping here at the end of September. It wasn't as cold as we thought it would be during the day time. It gets pretty chilly at night, so I would recommend bringing some layers. We stayed at campsite 73 & 74. The parking for 74 was more flat and wider than 73. There was also a water spout between both sites. We were right across from the bathrooms/showers/camp host. Bathrooms and showers were both very clean and got cleaned daily. showers are advertised as $1 for 5 min but when I timed it we actually got 8 1/2 min. The only down side is the bathrooms don't have soap. The road up from the south had lots of curves. I would recommend taking motion sickness pills if you get car sick. read more

Wow, what a hike! What was supposed to be an 8 mile hike, ended up being a 12 mile trek through the park. Definitely wasn't prepared for that long of a trek, so my legs felt like jello afterward and my poor lil' feet were on fire. Despite this, the hike was really beautiful. Van Damme State Park is a gorgeous park located in Little River off of highway 1 right before you reach Mendocino. It costs $8 to park inside of the park, but if you're just going for a day trip, you can park across the street in the beach parking lot for free. If you park in the beach parking lot and are planning on hiking the Fern Canyon Trail, it will add about 1.2 miles to your hike. Speaking of the Fern Canyon Trail, it's absolutely stunning! I had planned to do the 8 mile scenic loop trail but ended up doing the longer 12 mile route because I got a little lost. Would highly recommend that you bring a map or download the Alltrails map because there's no phone reception in many parts of the park and it's easy to end up on other trails by accident. I was also a bit nervous about hiking this scenic loop since there were signs posted about recent bear sightings. Luckily this is a pretty popular trail, so even if you're hiking solo, there will be other people around. The Fern Canyon Trail starts off on a flat dirt path that meanders through a beautifully green forest filled with tall old growth Redwoods, colorful wildflowers, vibrant berries, and lush foliage. The path also follows the rushing waters of Little River and Beal Creek. The trail remains flat for the first 2.5 miles until you reach a trail split. This was when I got lost and ended up doing the longer 12 mile loop. When you get to this trail intersection, go right and cross over the river to continue going clockwise on the 8 mile scenic loop trail. Otherwise, you'll be taken on the longer loop. You can also extend your hike by taking a short detour through the Pygmy Forest. The Pygmy Forest is quite... different. Not gonna like; it's not the prettiest forest that I've ever seen. The plants are very unusual but I still found it to be a pretty interesting stop. The best thing about hiking along the Fern Canyon trail besides all of the beautiful ferns is walking amongst those stunning Redwoods. They're just so amazing. Sooo many picture taking opportunities and so many places to wander off into the woods. Don't wander off too far though because this forest is pretty vast. There was quite a bit of people on the trails, but most were wearing masks. The heaviest amount of traffic was near the Pygmy Forest. This seems to be a popular attraction here at this park. Once you've finished your hike, I'd recommend spending some time at Van Damme Beach right across the highway. It's a nice place to wind down after your hike. The trails are mostly shaded, so visiting in the summertime wouldn't be a problem. Definitely looking forward to exploring more of this park next time. read more

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This park and its staff are first class! Sean at the front entrance and the female ranger were super-helpful and friendly. The sites are beautiful, clean and quiet. We also had a great time meeting most of our neighbors There is so much to do in this area. Take the left trail when you get to the "lollipop" section of the Fern Canyon Trail and then double back - the ranger told us this is prettier than the rough road to the right. Very special section! Also, a hike in Russian Gulch is recommended. read more

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This review is for the campground only. We planned on staying at Site 6 for 2 nights but only ended up staying 1 night due to the rainy weather. Overall I think this campground is good for tent camping if it's sunny but not great if it's rainy (muddy puddles and the sites are uneven). Our site had a small wooden box for storage as well as a fire ring. The restrooms were single occupancy with flush toilets and hot water in the sinks. There are also hot showers available which were single occupancy as well (4 quarters for a 5 minute shower). This campground was an ultra short walk to Van Damme State Beach and is a short drive to Mendocino and other nearby hiking trails. read more

my husband and i love hiking whenever we're in mendocino county, and this one was on our list, mainly b/c of the pygmy forest! my friend highly recommended the pygmy so we decided to go to van damme to start our journey. i thought it would be 4-5 miles roundtrip, but turns out it was closer to 7 miles (and i didn't have the energy to hike that far). so we hiked the fern canyon trailhead for 1.5mi, then turned around (3mi total). it was a nice flat trail suitable for beginners, but i didn't feel it was all that scenic. we also saw very few people there, maybe 1-2 on a late friday afternoon? so then we drove a few minutes southeast to the pygmy forest discovery trail to enjoy the little gem there. when i say little, i mean little, b/c it was really just 1/4 mi along the walking path, not even 10 minutes to slowly walk through and admire the pygmy trees. it was an interesting little forest, but given that i don't have the horticulture background, i probably wasn't able to appreciate it as much. there is free parking at the pygmy forest, however, for van damme state park, you need a golden poppy pass (valid at many ca state parks) or pay $8 for day use if you want to use their trails. read more

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Van Damme State Park is a huge state park (1,831 acres) peppered with lot of different views and terrain to enjoy. We only got a taste of it but it was a real stunner. From our hotel parking lot in Mendocino we could take an easy hike through some flat terrain full of wild flowers, cypress trees, and grasses to the coast. And omg what a view! It's full of jagged cliffs, deep blue waters, succulents and flowers growing along the rocks. We also saw a family of seals sunning themselves and taking periodic dips into the water. I could have sat there all day and stared out at them and the ocean. There area lots lots of trails that will take you to a beachy area, plus kayaking in the inland waters, woods for camping, and more. Unfortunately we didn't have much time to explore but I'm already clamoring to go back. There's really a little something for everyone here at the state park. read more

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We camped at Van Damme for two nights and had a great time. The campground is kept very clean (including the bathrooms!). One thing to note is a couple campsites on the upper loop have some trees that were chopped down (I think due to the storms this past year) so there is no longer shade as shown in the booking photos. We booked two of these sites but luckily had a canopy so it worked out. We stayed at sites 62 & 64. Site 64 has room for a small tent (nothing bigger). With the two sites combined we were able to fit two extra large family tents and two 4 person tents. We would definitely stay here again but would either book in the large meadow (if with a large group) or at another site with more shade. read more

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I love Van Damme! Everything is so beatiful! The sites can be very slanted, so be prepared. It also has a Fern Canyon that is about 12 miles in total. It also has very large sites, which allows plenty of room to roam. read more

First time camping here. Just did one night Friday to Saturday night. Had booked site 36. We're in a 4runner with a roof top tent. This campsite, you're unable to pull the suv into the site, you can only park it to the side against the road. Also, this is in the upper camping area, so if you want easy access to the beach, I would suggest getting something in the lower camping area. After walking around a bit in the lower area, I would suggest site 18 if you are tent camping or have a RTT like we did. Otherwise, nice campground, firewood is $10 a bundle, clean bathrooms, showers are $1 for a token for 5 minutes (we didn't use), nice fire ring/pit with a grill on half of it that we were able to grill some steaks, potatoes and corn on the cob. The town of Mendocino was only about a 5 minute drive away. Nice high end grocery store there that we were able to purchase a few snacks. Will definitely come back to this campground in the future read more

Van Damme State Park - Site 36. Good fire pit and good sized picnic table - Parks Near Me - Little River, California

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Vam Damme SP is a great campground in a beautiful area. The sites in the upper interior meadow are good for stargazing. As typical, the campground maps are not quite right. Despite what the map shows, campsite 55 is right across from the restroom. 54 is off to the side and up a bit (more like where they show 52 or 51 on the map). The dumpster is also kind of between 55 and 56. read more

Van Damme State Park - From campsite 54 looking towards bathroom (flush toilets and cold water) and campsite 55. Campsite 55 is directly across from bathroom. - Parks Near Me - Little River, California

Beautiful, beautiful campground. My campsite overlooks Little River, which is surrounded by lush green ferns and ivy. Towering overhead is a majestic redwood tree. Our site is not as private as I'd like; but a stroll through the campground revealed some sites that were quite private. Before I leave I plan to note which sites are to my liking, because I will definitely come back here. The ocean is just a short stroll from the campground, but you have to cross Highway 1 to get to it. There is no special pedestrian crossing, you just look both ways and move across quickly. So far it hasn't been a problem, though. The best part is that dogs are allowed on the beach as long as they are leashed. We hiked on the Fern Canyon Trail this morning. The trailhead starts at the end of the campground road. The 5-mile loop trail is fairly flat and well maintained, so it makes for an easy hike through a forested canyon. The path is mostly shaded, and crosses back and forth over Little River via foot bridges. We went as far as the environmental campground, which is 1.75 miles from the trailhead. We were very impressed with the nine rustic hike-in campsites. They were all empty, so we chose one and sat at the picnic table and ate our lunch. We debated hiking further, but decided to head back. Trail note: Bikes are allowed on the trail, dogs are not. We have a few more days to explore the area. The staff at the campground kiosk were friendly and informative. They told us about some dog-friendly hikes nearby that we will be sure to check out before we leave. read more

Van Damme State Park - Parks Near Me - Little River, California

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This campground is just 2 miles south of Mendocino, CA - and provides great forest/meadow campsites. The meadow sites are a little less private than the "outer ring" sites which provides better/integral forest experiences. As others stated, the numerous hiking trails and the Pacific Ocean so close by makes this a GREAT place to spend a vacation. In addition, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Special shout-out to MIke (Camp Host) as well as two rangers - Keith and Anna. We had an issue with a large tree limb hanging over our site. They suggested we plan to move to another site, but we really liked the site we had (#58), so we were reluctant to pack up and move. After a brief discussion among themselves, Keith, Mike and Anna thought they could get the high-limb down. Mike is a fly-fisherman thought perhaps casting a 30# line over the limb and attaching a rope to it - then easing the rope up and over the limb might enable them to pull the limb down. Well - they actually did it. All three deserve a raise!!! read more

This park is amazing! It's huge and my boyfriend and I only did the 5 mile round trip through the fern trail. We didn't pay for admission since we weren't camping there -- we parked across the street at the beach and walked to the Fern Trailhead through several campgrounds. There are 3 bathrooms that you pass through when walking to the Fern Trail. Water fountains appear to be broken, so come prepared with water! It was a gorgeous walk, but I wouldn't say it's much of a hike; it's a little hidden gem along the highway that not too many people seem to traffic through. The Fern Trail goes along the creek and there are plenty of trees and neat plants to look at as you go further through the trail. Across the way is a beautiful beach (Van Damme Beach), which is small, but has a beautiful view of the sunset. This park has it all, and I would love to come back and camp here one day -- it seems like the best place to come for a mixture of beach and forest. read more

This is only a review of the Pygmy forest, since that is all we had time to see on our recent trip. You can get to the pygmy forest from the hiking trails, but you can also drive right up to the interpretive loop and park next to the pygmy forest. There is a short loop, raised trail consisting of wooden boards. To be honest, the pygmy forest is not very scenic. I would recommend reading the plaques that help to explain what you are seeing to better appreciate how special these little trees are. Great place for a short walk with kids. There was no charge to park. read more

My family camp here annually. At first the draw was abalone diving but with the closure of abalone we have grown to love the area. We typically stay i spaces 1-5 they are great sizes, close proximity to the bathrooms and less thorough traffic which less noisy and more relaxing when we have smaller kids camping. Clean hot showers, that are coin operated, are such a +++!!! Each site has a pantry (which are well maintained) large picnic table and fire ring. The part i love is the access to the beach each day. The lower camp site area has less trough traffic and is next to the visitor center and a very large grass area. we've played football, catch and hit whiffle balls in. read more

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Gorgeous little state park that goes from the rocky coast (with a few small sandy beaches) all the way inland to a lovely redwood forest with some streams and rivers and a short nice hike on a wooden boardwalk through a pygmy forest. read more

Probably one of the best camping spots along the Mendocino/Sonoma coast! My family and I camped here at the end of June and we are awaiting our return for an end of summer camping trip!!! Bathrooms were EXTREMELY clean, washing faucet at every corner for dishes/teeth brushing, all staff was very polite and helpful with daily tips and information. Camp site is across from a super cute beach site and about 5 miles from downtown Mendocino. It's the perfect location! I will say, our campsite was on a slope, but it was also a VERY busy weekend for the campgrounds and we booked last minute, we will try to plan for a more evened campsite next trip, but even then, we still had an amazing time!! read more

Hands down my favorite park in Mendo. This State park is beautifully kept, clean and staffed with friendly hassle free people. I was so glad to be camping, having a good time and NOT being "babysat" by staff. We were respectful, followed the rules BUT we had fun with our music, beer n dogs! We are already planning our next trip. The campsites are well appointed spaces with a table, fire put and food locker. I think racoons are the main predator here, but we did not make friends with any....this trip. The beach is a short walk through the park and across the single lane highway...access is free to campers and yes...pups allowed on the beach. The little historic district of Mendocino is worth a trip down the highway....like 3 miles. A little further up you will find Casper Beach and Fort Bragg wich is a larger little town with a Safeway and Rite Aid that has all the supplies you forgot . read more

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A jewel! there's something incredible about the site of this park, but it's the people that make it special. Always happy smiles from the staff. Traveling up and down the coast they have a wild me access to drinking water even if I did not have a reservation or was spending the night. As traveler in an RV, the biggest challenge is finding water. I appreciate being able to get water at this location because it's halfway for me on my trips! As usual, I struck up a conversation with Vince, on gatehouse duty. He was knowledgeable and kind! So refreshing. read more

We had planned on six nights at Van Damme. Our first two nights were great. Campground was quiet, sites are spacious and nice. Unfortunately things changed when a large group of around 20 people moved into two sites across the street. They basically turned their area into a group site. They were loud and vulgar from arrival. Regulations at the campground say max of 8 people and 3 vehicles per site. They had 18 people in 12 tents, 3-5 cars per site. We asked the camp host why this was being permitted and we were told unless they were violating quiet hours there was basically nothing they could do. We left after one night with them. We did get a refund from the front gate, who agreed this was against the rules. For family camping, I would avoid the upper loop area because it allows for big groups to abuse the space and the staff is apparently going to allow it even though it's obviously not permitted. It's unfortunate the state parks are not willing to enforce their own rules so that families can camp in peace. The area is great, we'd camp here again other than the upper loop, but would probably aim for another campground if possible. If you are a large group who likes this campground, please be considerate of others and follow the rules. Your trip isn't the only one that matters. read more

The pigmy forest is beautiful but the park could use some updates. The board walk has some loose boards and some were pretty soft.

I hope this place is open year-round. I really do. It's a great coastal camping destination. The ocean is a six minute walk away on the other side of Hwy 1. In the other direction, there's an incredible trail that goes 6ish miles inland through an incredibly fern-covered, redwood-laden canyon along a beautiful creek. The trees...THE TREES. There is a huge amount of gigantic, ancient, and totally fascinating redwood stumps. The history of our coast is amazing. The bathrooms have running water and were clean enough for what they were. Bugs were hanging out everywhere, but that's what bugs do. There is all sorts of life growing all around this place. Tons of different birds, big yellow banana slugs everywhere, big black beetles, and we saw a black salamander with a fluorescent orange undercarriage. So presh. You can tell this place is old, but it's maintained just fine. Everything is covered in moss. Everything. There's so much. I can't wait to camp here again! 35 bucks a night is not bad at all. read more

My family and I camped at Van Damme this past summer and we had a great time. I recommend camping here if you want to camp by the coast in the Mendocino area. BOOK WAY IN ADVANCE as the camping sites are reserved and book way in advance. It was our first real camping experience and it was a great way to go. It's car camping and there are nearby bathroom / shower facilities along with water. You can also have a campfire and easily buy wood. I didn't do it, but you can rent kayaks at the local beach down the street. Warning - the beach isn't very nice. My 5-yo son loved all of the banana slugs and made a few friends with other kids in nearby campsites. From the Website: Van Damme State Park consists of beach and upland on the Mendocino Coast. Of all the park system's units along the Mendocino coast, Van Damme is perhaps the richest in terms of historical resources connected with the redwood lumber industry. Its story is a prime example of the struggles and eventual failures of a small, independent lumber operation. Location/Directions The park is located three miles south of the town of Mendocino on Highway 1. The highway runs through the park separating the campground and the Fern Canyon trail head to the east and the beach and parking lot to the west. Seasons/Climate - Recommended clothing The weather can be changeable; layered clothing is recommended. Facilities - Activities The park features the lush Fern Canyon scenic trail system; the Pygmy Forest where mature, cone-bearing cypress and pine trees stand six inches to eight feet tall; and the bog, or Cabbage Patch, where skunk cabbage grows in abundance. The park's ten miles of trail go along the fern-carpeted canyon of Little River. A paved road is used by joggers and bicyclists. The beach is popular with abalone divers. Kayak Tours Visitors can get a unique perspective of the coast line by taking the kayak tours, available through a concession agreement, at the Van Damme beach parking lot. ABOUT THE PARK Van Damme State Park was named for Charles Van Damme who was born at Little River in 1881, son of John and Louise Van Damme, early settlers of the region. John Van Damme and his wife were a Flemish couple. The patriarch of the family was born in Bredene, Belgium on May 22, 1832. New research indicates that John Van Damme was born in Bredene, Belgium, not Ostend. "Following the sea" for some years, Van Damme, upon his arrival in Mendocino County, later worked in the lumber mill at Little River. In this settlement all of his children were born, including Charles, whose love for the area prompted his acquiring, after some years as a successful operator of the Richmond-San Rafael ferry line, a plot of ground along the redwood coast. Upon his demise this area became a part of the State Park System in 1934. In those early days lumbering was a major economic factor in the development of the northern coastline. Little River was built as a mill town in 1864 by Ruel Stickney, Silas Coombs and Tapping Reeves after the property, formally called Kents Cove, was purchased from W. H. Kent in 1862. Before long it had attained fame, not only as a lumber port, but as a shipyard as well. Alas, a stand of timber, if logged, does not last forever and by the end of the century, even though logging was periodically moved back into the headwaters of Little River, the mill was forced to close in 1893. What was left of Little River soon deteriorated; the shipyard, the wharf, the town, several chutes for loading lumber and the lumber mill itself. Activity at the port, which once hummed with activity, declined. Little River's school, once attended by nearly 100 students, closed; its weekly steamship service ended, and a shipyard where, in 1874, Captain Thomas Peterson turned out full-size lumber schooners for the coast wide trade, phased out. Only the schooner Little River returned, to be wrecked on the very beach from which it originally departed. Plagued by a lack of sufficient timber reserves, fires, substantial loss of business and trade, deterioration of the port's chutes and wharf, the end of coast wide shipping and the attendant decline in population, Little River reverted to a natural state. Its acquisition by the State Park System in 1934, and the subsequent addition of peripheral lands has preserved some of California's most interesting natural resources. read more

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This review is simply about the Fern Canyon hike. I'm not the least bit inclined to do any camping, so probably read one of the other reviews if you're coming here to camp. After checking in to our comfy hotel in Mendocino, we drove down here for a pre-dinner hike on Thanksgiving day. We entered through the gates which weren't manned, probably because of the holiday and parked near the visitor center. There were a number of people there in RV's camping for the holiday, it seemed. We realized that to get to the hiking trail there is actually a paved road that goes further up to the trail head. Do yourself a favor and if you plan on going on a long hike, pull up the road and park by the trail head. There were two other cars there. I have to say, it was a little eerie, probably because it was late afternoon on Thanksgiving. But the trail itself was beautiful. The Fern Canyon trail is quiet and filled with, you guessed it, ferns! Beautiful redwood canyon. Not a challenging hike-the path is wide and pretty flat most of the way. It was definitely lovely though-the sun filtering through the trees and the cute little bridges crossing the little river every now and then. I think the trails were very well signed. Once we hiked the length of Fern Canyon, there is a two-way split. To the right is about 1.2 miles to the Pgymy forest and to the left is signage also for the Pgymy forest but it's a longer trail-I think about 2-3 miles to the Pgymy forest. We knew that with it getting late, that there was no time to take even the short trail and make it back before dark so we skipped it. However we did take the lefthand trail for a bit and winded our way through a narrower switchback trail. It was a bit more of what I consider "hiking" since the grade changed and it was deeper in to the forest. We did about another 20 minutes of that, then headed back the way we came in towards the trailhead All in all, a very nice walk (not exactly a "hike")-but still very scenic and peaceful. Creepiness of the silent forest aside and lack of other folks, a great way to spend Thanksgiving afternoon. read more

We were in town for a day or two hanging out with the 'rents...brought our bikes and went wherever the wind took us. We ended up at van damme state park and thought it was absolutely beautiful. Parking had a minimal cost of $8...lots of camping grounds, packed camping grounds. Drive all the way to the back and your bike trail begins. Our time was limited so we made it about 2 miles in and had to head back. The 2 miles we did see were amazing...I felt like I was in the movie, ferngully. The trails were friendly...minimal hills, paved, room to stop and look around. Can't wait to come back and bike further in! read more

On our way out of Mendocino, we stopped off at this park for the pygmy discovery trail. The area has a unique geology which has led to the growth of "stu.ted pines and other flora that, in many cases, are unique to just this park. Lovely boardwalk trail with good and interesting signage. read more

I've been coming here, literally before I could remember - it's a family tradition and I absolutely look forward to annual camping trip here every year! Great hiking/biking trails! Beautiful, quiet and peaceful campsites. Beach across the way and a quick ride into Mendocino! read more

Van Damme State Park - Campsite 28-ish? (Back where it's nice & quiet, tents only) - Parks Near Me - Little River, California

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Van Damme State Park is four miles south of Mendocino on the northern California Coast. Half of the campsites sit along Little River Creek in a lush fern canyon and the other half are on the top of a hill, circling a large grassy meadow. Just across Highway One is Little River beach. This beach is very protected from the wind and high surf, which makes it a great place to take small children. The setting at Van Damme is beautiful. The canyon is lush and green year round. You can hear the sound of Little River creek in all of the lower campsites. The redwood trees tower all around you. Kids can ride their bikes or walk up Fern Canyon. You can walk to the beach. There are ranger led campfires on the weekends during the summer and a nice little visitor's center. The Little River store is just up the hill and Mendocino is just a few miles away. For more information visit my campground review website: http://www.waterbottleweekends.com/camping%20mendocino.htm read more

Van Damme State Park - Ferns on Little River - Parks Near Me - Little River, California

Just got home from having our first camping trip at Van Damme! Wow!! This place was perfect in every way. Lots of campsites, close to the ocean, clean as can be (bathrooms/showers are cleaned daily), garbage service, fire rings, picnic tables, lockable pantry, no very "buggy". read more

A wonderful getaway. The fern trail alone is worth the price of admission. An easy walk with one or two moderate inclines. The pigmy forest is an interesting example of local adaptation. Blackberries along the trail are a delicious treat at the right time of the year. Enjoy this park as a part of a day of walking/hiking. read more

Wow, what an incredible place! I visited with my girlfriend a few weeks ago when we were on vacation in California. An absolute highlight of the entire trip. The park is huge (over 1,000 acres), and is packed with the most gorgeous redwoods. We walked along "Fern Canyon" right next to a lovely stream. The farther we walked on this path, the colder and fresher the air got. Beams of light shine through the huge trees in the mid-afternoon. Plenty of trails to chose from, and they all seem very well kept. Walked for two hours in this magical place. So amazing! Loved Mendicino and Van Damme. read more

Beautiful park in a perfect location. Hard to go wrong getting to camp right across the street from the beach. All the camp sites have a fire pit a picnic table and a racoon food storage cabinet. Most sites back up to the creek and it's very pretty with the trees and ferns. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because some of the camp sites are very exposed and don't have a lot of privacy. You definitely need to do your homework on which spot you select. There are a few sets of bathrooms one set is definitely nicer then the others. But overall it's beautiful and with a more private site, I would absolutely stay again! read more

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This was a Van Damme excellent choice for my recent car glamping/wine tasting Anderson Valley excursion. Barring any forthcoming park closures owing to the need to purge all of those pesky excess overpaid state employees, I will surely be glamping here again. I loved this campground for the following reasons: - It has a BOG! Campgrounds always have their interesting little features, and this one has a bog. The hike to and around the bog is super easy. It's full of big ferns and mossy trees. It was something different, which I appreciated. Miraculously, our site (Site 11 in August) was quite near the bog and the insects weren't too out of control. Also, it's a bog. - The beach is across the street. We dragged our camp chairs down there at night to look at the stars. We walked down with our coffee in the morning. It's very fancy. - The wacky abalone hunter subculture is fascinating to behold. - The ranger told me the water was straight from the river. Mountain spring water...count me in! - It's a pretty thing surrounded by pretty things...and about half an hour from the first of the Hwy 128 wineries. Some things that could be better: - Some of the sites are a bit small. We had site 11 which is decent sized and in the trees. Not sure I'd want that site if there were any chance of rain, but it worked great for us. We also had site 8 which was good sized, with no cover and kind of in some dry grass. - The fire pits could be better maintained. I realize there's salt water across the street so it's hard to stop corrosion, but there was a hole in one of our fire pits and the other one was altogether missing the grate that goes across the top. Luckily, we had 2 camp stoves and 2 boys that were all about figuring out how to get a grill situation to work. If you notice something annoying like the lack of fire pit grate, I suggest you contact your favorite republican and thank him/her for so diligently opposing wasteful government spending on things like research and state parks. read more