Hendy Woods State Park

I was a bit hesitant booking a state park campsite for $45 per night, but with limited camping options close(ish) to the cooler coastal-climate in the summer, I bit the bullet and reserved for a couple of nights. I wasn’t disappointed.

Essentially, you’re camping right next to and amongst redwood groves that aren’t too far off from what you might expect from a (much more crowded) visit to Marin County’s Muir Woods. The campsites are within easy walking distance to the most impressive areas of the forest. Most of these trails are of moderate difficulty at most, and the larger grove of trees includes around a mile or so of flat, unpaved, disability accessible trails with information kiosks and easily readable trail signage throughout.

As for the campground itself, close to 100 campsites arranged in two loops offer what I’d expect from a California State Park, with no electric or water hookups at any of the sites. However, water spigots providing potable water are conveniently placed along these loops. Campsite pull-ins are unpaved and inconsistently even (some sites are more flat than others), but nothing too steep that a leveling jack and/or a leveling block or two can’t compensate for. Just be prepared for either your ball-hitch or bumper to get a little close to the ground on either end. Although none of the sites have standard RV amenities, there is a dump station that includes a water hose which is conveniently located on its own looped drive between the park entrance and the campsite loops.

Side note - For those driving an EV while car camping or staying in one of the small rental cabins. The park also provides two charging stations for registered guest use.

The grounds don’t appear to be amenable to RVs or trailers much longer than 20 feet or so, but I did notice a class A at one of the few larger spots. I’d contact the park directly ahead of time if you’re considering camping with a larger vehicle/trailer. That said, the tall trees and well maintained, flat (but winding) campground road allows for lots of overhead space when driving through. Again, campsite pull-in length is the limiting factor here.

With so many lovely tall trees around, I wouldn’t expect to rely on solar charging unless you’re ok with spending the day chasing spots of sunlight with portable panels. The park does however allow small gas generators to be run between the hours of 10 am and 8 pm.

As for my experience with cellular coverage, the Verizon service I travel with picked up an average of two bars of LTE connection, which was adequate for making/receiving phone calls, texting and checking emails. I wouldn’t recommend anyone expect to stream video or do any extended web browsing, at least without a signal booster (on Verizon's network, anyway).

Each restroom has at least one coin-operated shower ($1 in quarters for 5 minutes). The facilities I used were quite clean and I would say better than average for a CA State Park. The toilets appear to be what you’d expect from a residential-quality flush system, even including a low-flow flush option. I wouldn’t expect these to suffer from the frequent clogging I’ve experienced at more remote and water-scarce campground locations.

All that said, I would give the campground five stars specifically for anyone expecting to dry camp in a smaller camper, that may have accessibility considerations, and/or is looking for a well-maintained campground. I will, however give the campground an overall rating of four out of five due to the size limitations of the campsite pull-ins (no pull-throughs) combined with a higher price-point that may be a significant barrier to those seeking an affordable option for the amenities that someone might expect from a local State Park.

We have stayed here a couple of times and absolutely loved it! Our dog did not like the nearby bird deterrent cannons going off though - she went into a meltdown and we had to leave a day early... the other time we were here we enjoyed wine tasting one day (husband drove) and a brewery another day (I drove). Awesome hiking, gorgeous redwoods, just perfection.

We stayed here in March/18 for a week while heading back up the coast, and while it rained nearly every day, it was a nice quiet place to work for the week, walk the beautiful Redwoods trails in the evening, and visit some local wineries. Be sure to visit the nearby Apple Farm stand for some amazing cider, dried fruit, and chutneys.

Sites are first-come first-serve early in the season, and the campground was nearly empty when we arrived, and remained mostly empty through the week. Excellent Verizon service!

This is a beautiful park located between two redwood groves on the Navarro River. You have a choice of finding that perfect camping site at the Azalea Campground or Wildcat Campground. As there are less than 50 sites at each campground, park rangers and camp hosts highly recommend reservations during the summer months. We visited the campground in mid May and there were less than a dozen campers staying within the park. Very nice and very private.

We camped in the Azalea Campground as sites seemed to be more level. Both campgrounds featured many sites that will easily accommodate rigs up to the maximum length allowed, 35 foot. Restrooms and showers were cleaned every morning, so facilities were excellent. Although the park was empty, the hosts still came by every evening to sell firewood. The trail systems within the park offers many choices, all pretty easy walking throughout the redwoods. The Discovery Trail is a very good first hike to explore and get a up close and personal with the park.

Although the campground is adjacent to the Navarro River, only swimming and kayaking is allowed. No fishing within Hendy Woods State Park as Department of Fish & Game has set aside a stretch of water designated as spawning habitat.