The following review(s) are from campgrounds and/or RV resorts that we have visited during our travels. They will be listed in no particular order, yet will be listed with the nearest city first for those interested in stopping. I do not get anything from reviewing them, I am just doing it as a favor to fellow (and future) travelers.
The Peninsula is located in the heart of Northern Gold Country and a short trip to Sacramento or Reno, NV. If history, mining, casinos and wineries are your thing – you’ll love this region. It’s rich in gold rush history and beautiful scenery. I truly think you could spent a decade here and still never see all the area has to offer.
Several sights within an hour of the Peninsula to see are: Empire Mine SHP, North Star Powerhouse, South Yuba River SP and the historic Bridgeport covered bridge, Rough and Ready, Nevada City, Malakoff Diggins SHP, Yuba Buttes and much more. Again, one would need to spend a great deal of time here to enjoy all the area has to offer.
The campground is one of four located on Rollins Lake. Now we did not visit the other three campgrounds, but heard very bad things about them. Since they are right off the highway, apparently the others are “local hangouts”. The Peninsulas is privately-owned and family-operated.
The campground workers and owners are friendly. The owners and workers stay onsite and will be available incase of emergency. They have a gate that closes each night for the safety of the guests. This is something we prefer, as we are skeptical of leaving campgrounds that have a great deal of outside traffic.
Ask the owners or campground workers about some of the history in the area – especially the train (and train tunnel) and the old Emigrant Trail route (Donner Party).
The campground offers a free ice cream social every Saturday and a children’s craft hour each week.
Prices are very reasonable, considering you are in the Sierra Nevadas and on a lake. The campground has lakefront or wooded sites available, as well as double sites (for multiple families) and group coves.
For campers not on the lake, there is a day use beach with shade, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, outdoor (rinse) shower, volleyball court, horseshoes and boat rentals. Boat rentals are very reasonable with rates as low as $10 an hour.
Only registered guests are allowed in the park or on the day use beach. If you are staying elsewhere and would like to stop in, you can purchase a day pass for the beach or marina. They have a nice boat launch and reasonable boat fees for day use and campers.
They have very clean and well-stocked restrooms, a charming country store with food, fishing supplies (and bait), souvenirs and camping supplies. The campground offers areas of potable water and a dump station (small fee). RVers are allowed to run their generators during daylight hours, but must be respectful of other campers during designated quiet hours.
Not all sites are RV-friendly and the gate greeter will let you know which sites are better for your rig. All sites are back-in except those located in group coves or “The Meadow” area and include picnic tables and fire rings with grills.
Since they do not have full-hookups, the majority of campers have tents or vans. Pets are welcome (fee) for now (that may change in the future) and owners are asked to sign a Pet Agreement stating they will obey the California Leash Law and pickup after their pet(s).
The campground does get wildlife, even bears and mountain lions. They pickup trash regularly throughout the day until late-night hours and store it in a bear-proof trailer. They even supply you with garbage bags. There are recycle bins located at all the restrooms for those campers who like to stay green.
With the TV antenna we did manage to pick up a few stations. I did hear of one other RVer getting some signals from his dish. Cell phone reception can be spotty, but not a problem near the entrance.
This campground is a hidden gem among the gold hills of Gold Country. If you like family camping and don’t mind dry camping for a while, you should give them a call. Reservations are highly recommended, as they are usually very busy. They participate in several camper discount programs – just let know which one you belong to when making reservations.
They can be seen on the web at: http://www.penresort.com/
Peninsula Camping and Boating Resort
LAST VISIT: 2008
LENGTH OF STAY: Extended
WOULD WE RETURN? Yes
BIG RIG FRIENDLY? Yes/No
SLIDE FRIENDLY? Most Sites
EASY TO FIND? Yes, with directions
OROVILLE, Oroville/Feather Falls Casino KOA – If you love casinos and camping this is the spot for you. Quite honestly, this is the best designed Big Rig campground we have been to since we started Full-Timing! Whoever designed this park must have understood the needs of RVers.
The campsites are actually concrete pads – extremely long so you don’t have to unhook (unless you really are long) and there is plenty of yard (actual grass!), lights and even picnic tables. Fancier sites with patio furniture and real barbeque grills are available at a higher price.
They have a wonderful camp store filled with camping supplies and souvenirs. The laundry, rest rooms, showers and rec room are kept in excellent condition. Inside the rec room is a large-screen TV as well as a book-lending shelf. They even have a nice display of tribal items. The rec hall and the office / camp store are designed as Concow-Maidu roundhouses.
They have a shuttle that takes you to the casino or a lighted-path is provided for those who don’t mind walking. Campers receive free slot play coupons during their stay – so don’t forget to ask when you register. The casino is small, but is planning on expanding. The have a great buffet and several other places to eat, such as Pizza Hut.
This casino has to have some of the loosest slots we’ve been to. They also have soda and coffee stations located in the casino for you to get as many free drinks you want.
This really is a nice place to stay and it is just a few miles from downtown Oroville. Oroville has all the modern amentities and plenty of sites to see, including Oroville Dam (don’t tow your rig there though) and many historic buildings (and murals) downtown.
You can view their website at: www.koafeatherfallscasino.com
LAST VISIT: 2008
LENGTH OF STAY: A Week
WOULD WE RETURN? Yes, Definately!
BIG RIG FRIENDLY? Yes
SLIDE FRIENDLY? Yes
EASY TO FIND? Yes
Crescent City, Crescent City / Redwoods KOA – This campground is only open seasonally so please contact them for opening dates. It is a charming KOA and considering your location, very quite.
It is situated on 11 acres of redwoods so you don’t have to drive far to experience these amazing trees. In fact, their Kamping Kabins are nestled among the redwoods.
The have a designated “Big Rig Row”, but quite honestly, this is a bit tight for “real” Big Rigs. We were concerned we would not be able to make the turn getting out and had to walk it several times first. We did have to unhook to fit in our spot.
You’ll want to unhook anyway to visit Redwood National and State Parks. You can not tow your rig to some areas, esp. through Smith’s Redwood Park. In fact, our truck (almost 20′ long) wouldn’t make it and we had to turn around in a very ackward spot.
The area has plenty to do, from visiting the beautiful coast along Crescent City to exploring lighthouses and playing the slots at nearby casinos.
We stayed there several days and kept so busy that I didn’t have a chance to explore the laundry facility or the restrooms. They are pet-friendly and have a new dog walk area, as well as a little farm area with goats and chickens.
The staff are extremely friendly and they do have special events during the peak season. Their store is well-stocked and they even sell Big Foot souvenirs and ice cream! 
You can visit them at: www.crescentcitykoa.com
LAST VISIT: 2008
LENGTH OF STAY: 3 Nights
WOULD WE RETURN? Yes
BIG RIG FRIENDLY? Not Really
SLIDE FRIENDLY? Yes/No
EASY TO FIND? Yes
BRIDGEPORT, Bridgeport Res. Marina & RV Park – This park is small but in a beautiful region of the country. The only problem is that because of the mountains, you have no cell or aircard signal. Fortunately the campground offers free WiFi (ask for the password) so you can stay in touch with the outside world.
The region is remote and fuel is quite high. We paid $5.29 a gallon for diesel (and this was when prices started dropping again) as there is only one place within the area that sells diesel.
The campground offers spectacular views, clean (but old) restrooms and a friendly staff. They also have boat rentals, slip rentals and horse boarding in season. It is about 20 miles to Bodie State Historical Park (a must see! But DO NOT take your rig!) and under an hour drive to Yosemite (Tioga Pass) and Mono Lake.
Bridgeport Res. Marina & RV Park
LAST VISIT:
2008
LENGTH OF STAY: Overnight
WOULD WE RETURN? Yes
BIG RIG FRIENDLY? Yes
SLIDE FRIENDLY? Yes
EASY TO FIND? Yes
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March 8, 2009 at 8:54 pm
H.S.
I wanted to add that the Bridgeport campground does rent boats in season and can board your horse(s).