My friends and I were originally going to go to Pomo Canyon, until we realized they were closed, due to construction. Then we happened to come upon Willow Creek. We left on a Friday morning, around 10ish, and the drive, from the East Bay, to this place was about two hours. Getting there was a bit hard. There was no sign to tell you where it was. So we missed our entrance by a little bit. It's before driving over the bridge and a restaurant, and you would have to make a right turn. Then you drive along a one way road for another 5-10 minutes and you will see a sign, directing you to the campgrounds.
After arriving there, since this was our first time at Willow Creek, we had no idea where to pay/sign in, since it is a self-registration. We talked with a couple that stayed the night before and he was very helpful. There's a sign near the tree where you would have to take a slip, fill out that form, place the money inside and place it in a compartment where the ranger will then check it. It's $25/night and $8/vehicle. There are 11 campsites to choose from. Each, which are roughly a couple of feet from each other. Some are out near the walk-way, while a few others are in an enclosed area. The 11th campsite is about a mile from the parking area. We ended up with campsite 10, and it was such a hassle carrying all of our things over. We made about 4 trips, each, since we were staying for 3 days and 2 nights. We got all settled in, and explored the area. Each campsite has their own picnic table and a fire pit. There are only two pit toilets, which were less than 3 minutes walk from each other. Trees were every where, of course, and is close to a tree of mountains. You can find all kinds of creatures living there. Insects, amphibians, reptiles, deers, cows, coyotes, etc. It didn't seem like there were rangers there, so it felt as if you camped out with no authorities there. We chatted with a few other campers there, and they were really cool. Gave us some helpful information about things, on account of being first-time campers.
Overall, this is a pretty decent place for a last minute camping trip. I'm not sure if I will come back though. read more