We went on a family camping trip to Bodega Dunes in Bodega Bay, CA. Bodega Dunes is a California State Park. We stayed at site 36.
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The Campsite
Campsite 36 is a large site and it was no problem at all to park our 20 foot trailer. The site is covered in sand so having a rubber mat to place under the leveler is pretty helpful to keep things in place.
We were very happy with this campsite. It was large, felt private, and had so much for the kids to do right at camp. On the edge of our site was a giant sand dune. This helped with privacy but also gave the kids a fun area to go up and down a giant hill of sand. They had fun running down this dune, rolling down this dune, and driving RC cars down it.
The one bad side of having such an awesome campsite with a giant sand dune, is it does attract everyone else in the campground. Now, my kids love playing with other random kids at camp. And we always try to be friendly and kind to others. If you ever see us camping feel free to say hi. But, for some reason, no one attempted to play on the sand dune with our kids while they were out playing. Instead, they waited until our kids were going to bed and we were all in the trailer. Then several kids would come and play in the sand dune at our site.
This was super irritating. I completely understand the desire to play on the sand dune. But coming into someone else’s site when they have kids trying to sleep is ridiculously rude. Plus, it was dark at that time and we were concerned someone was going to run into our tow vehicle. If any of these kids had just asked during the daytime we would have gladly said yes, go ahead! But instead we were very unhappy with the situation.
So, this was an amazing campsite, probably the best one in the campground. Though that was clear to other campers and did attract a crowd.
The campsite did also have trails accessible from the back. We thought those trails were really cool. Especially since dogs aren’t technically allowed on the trails, but since these were literally at our campsite we figured it was okay. I’m not sure where the trails went since we didn’t go too far on them but every once in a while someone would be on the trail and end up walking through our site. That was really no big deal though, you could tell they were just trying to get back into the campground and weren’t sure which trail could get them there.
As mentioned earlier, this site is completely covered in sand. This was great for the kids. They played with their shovels and beach toys right at camp in front of the trailer.
There were also lots of trees. The trees were great because they gave the kids some nice places to climb, they provided some shade, and I suspect they blocked a lot of the wind because we really didn’t have much wind at camp.
This is a dry campground. There were no hook-ups, but there was a dump station available. And we had decent cell service through Verizon.
The Best Campsites
- Site 36
- This was by far the best campsite in the campground. The site was large, felt private, had some sun and some shade, and had a giant sand dune right at camp.
- Site 69
- This site felt very private and secluded and it had a nice view of the Bodega Harbour. The site has lots of trees and would be a great spot to relax and watch the water.
- Site 87
- This site isn’t near sand or water. It is on the back side of the campground. But it looked like a great site if you’d like some privacy. It looks to have a decent amount of space and be secluded from other sites.
The Activities
This campground has lots of trails and also has beach access. We did not experience any of them though because they aren’t dog-friendly.
This campground is also right next to the town of Bodega Bay. You can go into Bodega Bay and get some saltwater taffy at Patrick’s of Bodega Bay (the pink and white striped building), or you can grab some food or gifts at The Tides. The Tides has some interesting things to look at inside and some great views outside.
The Dog-Friendly Hiking
The trails in the campground are not dog-friendly, but there is a dog-friendly trail within walking distance. When you are driving to the campground, as soon as you turn off of highway 1 there is a trail that you drive right by as you’re going to the campground entrance. That is the Coastal Prairie Trail.
The Coastal Prairie Trail is dog friendly and you can walk on the road from the campground to the trailhead. We did not go on this trail during our visit but only because we ran out of time.
The Beer
We just brought beer from home for this trip. We haven’t found a good brewery in Bodega Bay yet. Lagunitas is brewed not too far away though and is a great choice that you can find almost anywhere around the area.
The Recap
Bodega Dunes was a fun campground to visit. There are lots of limitations for dogs but we were all able to have fun and relax without even leaving our campsite.
Campground Details:
Bodega Dunes Campground
Bodega Bay, CA 94923
Can reserve online at reservecalifornia.com. Reservations open 6 months ahead at 8am PST.
