Damme Good Camping

Camp at the environmental campground in Van Damme State Park in Mendocino

07.27.2022

Greater California

Overnight Escapes, Relaxing, Hikes

River otters and redwoods blend smoothly in the charming hamlet of Mendocino. And while many visitors head for convenient drive-in campgrounds, just a few miles south of town is one of the best hike-in (or bike-in) campgrounds on the California coast. Van Damme State Park follows Little River inland from the ocean, and the nine first-come, first-served environmental campsites can be reached only via the partially paved and mostly flat Fern Canyon Trail.

kids on the beach van damme state park

cliffs at van damme state park

redwood forest trail van damme state park

You can hike to the campsites but we recommend bringing your bike to ride the 2 miles in. Each site has a picnic table and all are nestled among coastal redwoods in a fern canyon along the Little River. Beautiful. Spend some time exploring.

Hike a couple of miles from camp to a pygmy cypress forest where 100-year-old trees reach just one foot in height. Or hang out on the large and delightful beach at the mouth of Little River (a popular entry point for scuba and abalone divers). Damme good time!

TIP: Van Damme has plenty of drive-in campsites and you'll need a reservation if you're booking anytime in spring through autumn.

More information on Van Damme State Park’s hike-in (environmental) campsites. No dogs at the environmental campsites.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

From Beach to Summit
No need to decide between a beach and a mountaintop—this hike includes both! Explore the stunning coastal scenery on this 6-mile out-and-back up Montara Mountain and into Rancho Corral de Tierra.
View
Picnic and a Pedal
West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.
View
Most Peaceful Hike of All
Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.
View
Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll
One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure.
View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

Canal Contemplations
With its incense-scented boardwalk, bohemian shops, skateparks, and abundance of body builders, Venice is happily eccentric, and artistic. Exhibit A: Its network of European-style canals with charming bridges, offering a tranquil tour of the town’s history.
View
Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan
The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.
View
What's Up, Winthrop!
It’s not just its location close to Washington State’s spectacular and less visited national park (North Cascades) that makes Winthrop such a winsome mountain town. This lively enclave in the Methow Valley bristles with a whimsical blend of Wild West charms, contemporary culture, and a mosaic of outdoor adventures—from river to lake to waterfalls, and beyond.
View
Planet of the Oaks
Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.
View