Lake Nacimiento Resort

We camped one night in the Pine Knoll campground and couldn’t get out of there fast enough. This place is extremely rundown and not maintained at all. The bathrooms were filthy and half the toilets were broken. Most of the showers were nonfunctional and the rest were too dirty to try. There were signs saying the water was unsafe to drink, due to harmful algae. We were not a told about this when we checked in, so I don’t know if the signs were old and just hadn’t been removed. We were car camping here in winter and most of the place was shut down and felt deserted. It was all sort of creepy. This is a huge campground with several sections so I can’t pass judgement on the other ones. This was very expensive for what we got and wins the prize for worst campground we’ve ever stayed in.

Came here in Feb and we had the site two ourselves one night. Other nights there were just a few other campers. So if you want privacy and nature, this place is awesome.

That said facilities are run down. Sites have hookups but many are not even and will require a lot of rigging to get you horizontal. Few campsites have fire pits though most seem to have grills.

Bathrooms are clean and the store is well stocked. Nice to have boat ramps, a 5k running trail, and lots of area to bike if you want.

Wifi and cell reception are really weak. We only found one place in the campground were we could get verizon. If you come plan to enjoy nature and not screen time.

REVIEW FOR THE OAK KNOLL LOOP ONLY
Stayed in the lower section of the Oak Knoll campground. I have a 26’ bumper tow with a Ram 1500. Anything bigger than that will not be able to get out without backing out the way you came in. The turnaround loop at the end of the campground is not big enough, and watched several toyhauler/5ers have to back out a very steep incline past several sites because the couldn’t make the loop. I had to drop into 4x4 low to back into my spot due to uneven, narrow, drop offs.

My site was on the side of a hill and mostly unusable except for a small area directly behind the trailer. Pad not level and had to place a storage box at the end of my steps t reach the ground.

Should have read the previous review, because it was party central all night. Loud music, yelling. This was the week after Labor Day, and mid-week.

Good points: full hook-ups.

Let's be clear, the Lake Nacimiento Resort is a MASSIVE campground. Or more accurately, a collection of campgrounds, all nestled around the northeast section of Lake Nacimiento. With over 330 sites in total, a slew of lodges, a restaurant, general store, and gigantic marina for launching boats into the lake, this place turns into a Zoo with a capital Z from Memorial Day through October. If you're looking for lake fun, games, and parties, then the summer time is for you. If however like us, you prefer the peace and quiet, then you should show up between Thanksgiving and Easter, and experience the flip side of this sprawling setup.

For our late-January visit, the campgrounds are empty. We have acres and acres of lake front, trails, and more all to ourselves. The amenities are sparse, and somewhat outdated, but workable. The off-season staff is very friendly and knowledgeable, and it's hard to beat the rates. We got full hookup for $185 a week. And no neighbors. Just us, our campground, and the Milky Way at night as we huddle around the fire. Bliss.

So in short, plan to be here off season for a nice tranquil stay. Just keep an eye on the weather, as it's the rainy season, and a good storm or two could certainly turn a good portion of the hills and inlets into mud.