Casini Ranch Family Campground

We loved this campsite. It was over a holiday weekend and some "neighbors" were louder than others but it was a happy loud and their music was tasteful so we enjoyed it with them. Everyone respected the rules tuning it all down at a decent hour. The staff and fellow campers were really nice. Everything was easy and fun. We stayed overnight on Sunday choosing to leave early Monday morning to get to work in San Francisco. Everyone left by noon on Sunday and we had the whole site to ourselves. That was cool We want to come back in the summer.

We stayed at Casini Ranch for three midweek nights just before Easter, 2023. The campground was not in full swing so it was minimally occupied. It started filling up the day before we left.

We booked two Premium Sites in advance and were overlooking the Russian River. Surprisingly, our premium sites didn’t include sewer hookup (elect & water only) so if you need that, make sure to check your site choice carefully. For three days it was fine for us. They have a Honey Truck that can come to any site and pump out your tanks for $20 fee; very reasonable. The roads aren’t paved so they strictly enforce the 7 mph rule for safety and keeping the dust down.

This is a place that’s perfect for families. Even though there weren’t many people when we were there, lots of kids were happily out riding their bikes and skooters all around the very large campground. I’d imagine that when the weather is really warm the river beach is super popular.
There’s lots to do at the park and surrounding areas so if your goal is to have fun then this is the place. If you’re looking for quiet and solitude, then best to look elsewhere. We had a great time as our 5 year old grandson found another 5 yr old next door and they had the very best time together; we and his parents couldn’t have been happier.

The Ranch offers free WiFi, which was helpful, but we tried to stay off our devices as much as possible. We had cell coverage too, but that’s the extent of my knowledge about that.

We were assigned our site which turned out to be just across from the dump station and in an area that has no privacy. Open grassy area. I think if we had been offered a choice, we could have had a nicer experience.
Only big plus is they have great fast internet.
Oh ya, lots of families and children and dogs. If you’re a big family group, you will fit right in. If retired like us, not so much.

This is a great place to camp in the off-season. I'm sure it is great in the summer also, but very crowded. We camped here in October as well as again this February. The nights are brisk but the days are lovely, especially in the sun. We have camped in the middle of the park with full hook-ups, but there is very little privacy in that part of the park. This time we camped in the "Premium RV Sites" down by the river. It was lovely and quiet, with only a few other trailers. These sites are shaded most of the day, so the trailer stayed a little on the chilly side. The general store is well stocked and laundryroom/restrooms are clean and functioning. The campground is easy to maneuver around. Hwy 116 can be a bit winding and tight, but experienced drivers won't have an issue. I highly recommend this campground to anyone, but especially families with youngsters.

So disappointed! I’m a Sonoma County local and I’ve been coming to Casini for 10 years with friends and family. The prices seem to go up each year and they always find a way to tack on a new fee. For these reasons I’ve had reservations about supporting this place, and after my most recent experience, I won’t be coming back. We had a trip planned in October, and then unexpected changes in the weather called for storm conditions with flood warnings and 2-4 inches of rain. The thought of camping in pouring down rain with kids, being confined to stay in to keep dry, and then packing up in the rain started to sound like a disaster. Shame on me for not cancelling at the 8-day cutoff, however at the time rain was not in the forecast and was unheard of considering we’ve been experiencing a drought for several years. I called Casini to see if they’d be willing to work with our group, and they stood firm on their policy and would do nothing. I would suggest that they take a look at their cancellation policy. Other local spots for camping provide some sort of credit for a future stay; or share in the burden where the customer gets a portion of their camping fee refunded. I would have appreciated something to create a win win situation, and instead as a customer I’m left feeling unwelcomed and undervalued. Again, such a bummer to write this review especially after many fun trips.

Other than the drought which made the river not so nice, we had fun. The sites are pretty basic but definitely clean, with a fire pit, concrete slab. But they are generally 3x bigger than other more popular places like Tahoe where we were barely 6 ft from the next trailer. Also there is a kid activity program (our kids are grown) but it got the kids’ energy out which made for a quiet adult night! There was a dog park and places to take your dog to do it’s business. Everything was clean, trash was manageable with dumpsters for recycling and trash.

What this place has going for it is the weather: it’s close enough to the ocean that there are cool breezes most of the time, and not so close that you get blown away. With most of the rest of California either on fire or near 100 degrees, this is a good place to be.
It is a very well run, family-oriented park, with masses of kids having a really good time. The river is quite low after several years of drought, but that doesn’t seem to stop a parade of floaty toys headed for the fairly grungy beach.
We found the staff to be kind, professional, and a bit overworked. The store has the basics and some dusty t-shirts.
Campsites vary quite a bit. Most RV spots are quite exposed to sun, wind, and foot/vehicle traffic. All the ones with full hook-ups are very exposed with few trees and full sun. Register way head and carefully, and read the fine print. We thought #97 had sewer but it didn’t—our mistake. Tent sites, most of them, are tucked into the woods.
It’s very quiet at night—families tend to go to bed at a reasonable hour, and we saw absolutely no loud parties. Such a blessing.
WiFi is awesome at some spots, not so good at others, as you can tell from the reviews. Site 97 had excellent WiFi using the Casini Ranch WiFi.