Stargazing

Outdoorsy Yosemite

141 RV Sites, 4 Cabins, 10 Tent Sites, 6 Glamping Sites

Outdoorsy Yosemite in Bass Lake, California, offers 141 full-hookup RV sites, four cabins, 10 tent sites, and six glamping sites in the Sierra foothills, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs accepted to 40 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout, open all year. Superior back-in, premium pull-through, and standard back-in categories join a pool, clubhouse, boat and kayak rentals, and lake access. One hundred forty-one sites run in standard back-in, superior back-in, and premium pull-thru categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV, sized to 40 feet, with picnic tables. Note the 40-foot cap before booking a larger rig. Four cabins, 10 tent sites, and six glamping sites round out the lodging. A general store, laundry, propane fills, restrooms, showers, and RV storage handle the practical side. Reservation holders must be at least 18, and guests of all ages are welcome. An outdoor pool anchors the summer, with boat rentals, kayak rentals, and bike rentals opening the lake for boating, paddle boats, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing. A clubhouse, game room, billiards, ping pong, basketball, horseshoes, sports courts, walking trails, hiking, mountain biking, a playground, community fire pit, dog park, and on-site dining fill the rest, with strong stargazing and birding. Eighteen miles from Yosemite's South Entrance with Bass Lake's warm water immediately adjacent, this works as both a park basecamp and a lake destination. Summer fills both Yosemite and Bass Lake. Reserve well ahead.

from $44 $38/night

Outdoorsy Yosemite National Park RV + Campsite Packages

5 RV Rental + Campsite Packages

Outdoorsy Yosemite National Park RV Campsite Packages in Bass Lake, California, provides a comprehensively equipped resort camping destination in Madera County's Sierra Nevada foothills, positioned on the shores of Bass Lake approximately 14 miles south of Yosemite National Park's South Gate entrance in a setting where the southern Sierra Nevada's forested mountain landscape delivers natural beauty fully competitive with the national park itself at substantially lower competition for campsites. The resort's full-service infrastructure—cabins, full hookup RV sites, pool, boat rentals, lake access, and a complete activity program—makes it one of the most capable family vacation bases on Yosemite's southern approaches. The resort's amenity scope reflects a self-contained destination designed for multi-night family stays: full hookup RV sites, cabin rentals, an outdoor pool, lake access with boat rentals and kayak rentals, paddle boats, a game room with billiards and ping pong, sports courts with basketball, a dog park, laundry, walking trails, general store, dining, propane fills, RV storage, a community fire pit, a clubhouse, and the stargazing enabled by the Sierra Nevada foothills' relatively dark skies. The combination of Bass Lake's recreational water access and Yosemite's proximity creates a two-resource camping vacation that families consistently cite as among the most productive outdoor experiences in California. Bass Lake is a PG&E hydroelectric reservoir at 3,400 feet elevation in the Sierra Nevada foothills south of Yosemite, known for warm summer water temperatures suitable for swimming and water skiing and a mountain shoreline of ponderosa pine and incense cedar that creates a dramatically scenic backdrop for water recreation. The lake's year-round warm-season accessibility—its lower elevation keeps it reliably swimmable from Memorial Day through Labor Day—distinguishes it from the higher-elevation Yosemite Valley lakes, which are accessible only in summer and often cold even then. Bass Lake's marina services, food and beverage operations, and the developed shoreline create a full lake recreation ecosystem. Yosemite National Park's South Gate, accessed via CA-41 through Wawona, provides entry to the park's southern tier including Mariposa Grove—home to over 500 giant sequoias including the famous Grizzly Giant—and the historic Wawona Hotel district before the road ascends to Yosemite Valley's iconic granite walls, Half Dome, and the Merced River corridor. The Wawona section of the park is considerably less crowded than Yosemite Valley during peak summer season, making it a more accessible introduction to Yosemite's superlative landscapes for guests who want genuine park immersion without the Valley's reservation-constrained entry logistics. Outdoorsy Yosemite operates year-round in Madera County's foothill climate, where the 3,400-foot elevation provides seasonal snow that occasionally closes CA-41 in winter but generally allows spring-through-fall outdoor recreation in conditions more moderate than Yosemite Valley's higher and more exposed position. Summer drives peak demand for both Bass Lake swimming and Yosemite National Park visitation, with the park's timed-entry permit system making early reservation planning essential for guests whose itinerary includes Yosemite Valley exploration. The resort's dining and lake infrastructure make it a genuinely self-contained option for guests who want equal parts mountain lake recreation and national park sightseeing.

from $38/night

Camp Ikigai Animal Sanctuaruy 501c3

20 RV Sites, 3 Cabins, 100 Tent Sites, 1 Glamping Site, 1 Yurt

On 72 off-grid acres in Yokuts Valley in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County, Camp Ikigai Animal Sanctuary offers an entirely different kind of RV and camping destination—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit farm sanctuary where horses, sheep, dogs, and cats roam freely through the property and guests stay in tent sites, RV and van spots, hammock camping areas, or a tiny cabin on a private deck with sweeping valley views. At 40580 Ruth Hill Road, approximately 30 minutes from the entrances to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and 90 minutes from Yosemite Valley, the sanctuary provides an off-grid, animal-centered retreat that makes the Sierra Nevada's greatest parks accessible from a setting that's genuinely unlike any other campground in the region. Sites are primitive and the experience is intentionally off-grid—Camp Ikigai functions as a working animal sanctuary first and a campground second, and the accommodation reflects that priority. RV, van, car, skoolie, and tent sites are available alongside hammock camping and the small cabin, with each option providing a different relationship to the farm's natural and animal-centered environment. The private deck and valley views available from the cabin offer a sunset and sunrise experience that rewards those who plan ahead. Water and fire safety practices appropriate to the Sierra Nevada foothill environment apply throughout the property, and guests should arrive prepared for primitive conditions in a genuinely remote setting. Yokuts Valley sits in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada at elevations that transition between the valley floor's agricultural character and the higher-elevation conifer forest that begins above 4,000 feet. The property's 72 acres encompass oak woodland, chaparral-covered hillsides, and the private valley terrain that creates the views from the upper portion of the property. The sanctuary's animals—horses with established individual personalities, sheep, and a resident dog and cat community—move through the space freely, creating unexpected encounters and the kind of interspecies observation that's simply not available in any conventional camping environment. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, jointly administered and together encompassing more than 1,300 square miles, protect the world's largest trees by volume—the giant sequoias of the western Sierra Nevada—alongside the deepest canyon in North America, the High Sierra's most dramatic alpine terrain, and the headwaters of the Kings and Kaweah Rivers. General Sherman Tree, the world's largest living thing by volume, stands in Giant Forest. Kings Canyon's Canyon View Trail descends into one of North America's most spectacular river canyons. The parks receive far fewer visitors than Yosemite despite matching its scenic grandeur, making the experience measurably less crowded during peak summer season. Camp Ikigai operates year-round, with the foothill location providing milder winter temperatures than the high Sierra and a spring wildflower display on the hillsides that makes March and April particularly rewarding. Summer days are warm in the foothills but the higher elevation provides meaningful relief from the Central Valley heat. Advance reservations are required for all site types, and the nonprofit nature of the operation means that booking directly supports the animal sanctuary's ongoing work. Reserve your site at Camp Ikigai and let the Sierra Nevada foothills, the resident animals, and the valley views create a camping experience that no conventional RV park can approximate.

from $21/night

Placerville RV Resort & Campground

48 RV Sites, 3 Cabins, 20 Tent Sites

Placerville RV Resort & Campground in Shingle Springs, California, offers 48 RV sites, three cabins, and 20 tent sites in the Sierra Nevada foothills, with 20, 30, and 50-amp service and rigs accepted up to 121 feet on a big-rig-friendly layout — the most generous length allowance in this tranche. A water slide, pool, hot tub, and mini-golf serve Gold Country travelers. Forty-eight sites span 30/20-amp back-ins, water-and-electric back-ins, water-and-electric pull-ins, and pull-through categories, carrying water, sewer, and electric where noted, sized to 121 feet, with picnic tables, BBQ pits, cable TV, and site WiFi. Individual sites are listed by number in several categories, so you can pick your spot. Three cabins and 20 tent sites round out the accommodations. A general store, laundry, propane fills, dump station, restrooms, and showers handle the practical side. An outdoor pool with a water slide anchors the summer, with a hot tub and sauna, mini-golf, an arcade, and a recreation center besides. A pond supports fishing, with a playground, dog park, horseshoes, and strong stargazing across the foothill sky. Pets are welcome. Shingle Springs sits in El Dorado County on the US-50 corridor between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe, where Gold Rush heritage meets the Apple Hill agricultural district's orchards and wineries. The elevation trades the Sacramento Valley's summer heat for mountain air. Directions: from Placerville head west on Highway 50 about six miles — do not exit at Ponderosa Road — then take Exit 39, Shingle Springs Drive north. Summer and Apple Hill harvest season drive demand. Reserve ahead.

from $64/night

Saddle Mountain

16 RV Sites

Saddle Mountain in Carmel, California, offers 16 full-hookup RV sites on 89 acres of wooded forestland off Carmel Valley Road, with 30 and 50-amp service, cable TV, and rigs sized to 30 feet. Popular, Popular XL, and Premium categories join cabins and luxury tents, with an outdoor pool, hot tub, and sports courts. Sixteen back-in sites carry water, sewer, and electric on 30 and 50-amp with cable TV, sized to 30 feet, with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits. The 30-foot cap is the key planning detail — this suits smaller trailers and vans rather than large coaches, and the three tiers let you match site to rig. Cabins and luxury tents round out the lodging, and both come with beds, linens, pillows, towels, and washcloths; cabins have central heating and air conditioning as standard. Restrooms, showers, and WiFi handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and hot tub and sauna anchor the property, with sports courts, basketball, ping pong, horseshoes, corn hole, walking trails, hiking, and a playground across the acreage. Stargazing is strong under the forest canopy, and wine tasting and a golf course are nearby. Pets are welcome. The 89 acres of private oak, Monterey pine, and coastal redwood sit five miles from Highway 1 and 30 miles up the coast from Big Sur. That distance from the highway is what makes the seclusion real rather than nominal, while Carmel-by-the-Sea, Point Lobos State Reserve, and the 17-Mile Drive stay within easy reach. Summer is peak on the Monterey Peninsula. With 16 sites, reserve well ahead.

from $102 $89/night

Vinyl Vineyards

4 RV Sites, 6 Vintage RV Rentals

Vinyl Vineyards in Paso Robles, California, offers six vintage Airstream trailers themed to legendary musicians — Billie, Bowie, Cash, Jagger, Janis, and Zeppelin — alongside dry camping sites including an ADA-accessible option, on 120 acres of working vineyard. Sites take rigs to 50 feet, with a pool, hot tub, and disc golf course on the property. The six themed Airstream trailers are the signature accommodation, each named for the musician it is styled after. Dry camping sites accommodate self-contained rigs to 50 feet with fire pits, picnic tables, and BBQ pits, including a dedicated ADA-accessible site — note these are dry sites without hookups, so plan water and power. A general store, laundry, restrooms, showers, and WiFi handle the practical side. You may receive SMS messages before, during, or after your stay; reply STOP to opt out. An outdoor pool and hot tub anchor the property, with a disc golf course and walking trails through the vineyard. The dark rural sky makes for strong stargazing, and birding is productive across the acreage. A golf course is nearby, and wine tasting is effectively on site. Pets are welcome. The vineyard sits on the Union Road Wine Trail in the Adelaida District of Paso Robles — the largest wine appellation in California by acreage, where calcareous limestone soils and marine-influenced temperature swings produce Rhône varietals, Zinfandel, and Tempranillo. The trail's boutique wineries built their identity in deliberate contrast to corporate wine tourism. Harvest season and warm-weather weekends drive demand. With six trailers, reserve well ahead.

Cloverdale/Healdsburg Campground

61 RV Sites, 18 Cabins, 46 Tent Sites, 14 Lodges

Cloverdale Healdsburg Campground in California's Alexander Valley offers 61 RV sites, 32 cabin and lodge units, and 46 tent sites on a ridge overlooking Sonoma County wine country, with 30 and 50-amp full hookups and rigs accepted up to 100 feet. Premium view, premium pull-through, and standard categories join a pool, spa, game room, and dark-sky stargazing. Sixty-one sites span 30/50-amp standard, 30/50-amp standard pull-thru, 30/50-amp premium, 30/50-amp premium pull-thru, and 30/50-amp premium view categories, all carrying water, sewer, and electric with site WiFi, sized to 100 feet, with fire pits and picnic tables. One hundred feet is exceptional and accommodates the longest coaches with a tow. The premium view category is the one to request. Thirty-two cabins and lodges and 46 tent sites round out an unusually deep lodging inventory. A general store, laundry, and restrooms handle the practical side. An outdoor pool and spa anchor the property, with a game room, pond, walking trails, and dog park filling the grounds. Fishing and swimming run on site. Pets are welcome. The dark-sky certification is the differentiator — this is one of the few certified campgrounds in Northern California, and on a clear night the ridge position delivers what that promises. The Alexander Valley appellation spreads below, with Healdsburg's tasting rooms and restaurants a short drive south. The campground has been operating for 34 years. Harvest season and summer drive the heaviest demand in Sonoma. Reserve well ahead for August through October.

from $63/night