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svjim's avatar
svjim
Explorer
Jun 01, 2014

Prairie Creek State Park question

We are planning to meet with our family this August at the Prarie Creek State Park in California. There are a number of sites there listed as tent camping only. Does anyone know if they allow TC Camping in one of these sites. Are they possibly tent camping only because of their drive ways? We are traveling with just our Adventurer TC. The rest of the family will be tent camping.

Thanks Jim

7 Replies

  • iwon415 wrote:
    California is anal about its park restrictions...so probably not. (Heaven forbid you park with one wheel off the pavement either)


    Only an ******* would make this whiny statement. Since the 1980's California state parks have provided separate campsites for those in tents or walk or bike in campers from those for people with trailers or motorhomes. In the 1970's my friend and I would be traveling the state on our bicycles and have to be camped in a space next to some clown with his generator running so there was power to the electric rotisserie on their barbeque or to run their TV. It was no fun and we started sleeping elsewhere on our travels.

    Tent spaces also have room for a car only so they can fit into a location where a vehicle with a 35' trailer or a motorhome with a toad cannot fit. Of course they could bring in a bulldozer and knock down some trees and add more asphalt but fortunately those proposals have never made it into reality.

    Prairie Creek SP has two campgrounds and the one at Gold Bluff Beach has a length restriction of 22 feet which allows anyone with a truck and camper rig enough space - this is a truck camper forum, right? The beach is as wild a beach as you can find anywhere in the world.

    Best time to be in this neck of the woods is late April or early May if you want the best chance at blue skies.
  • anutami wrote:

    I would recommend the Gold Bluff campground area we just got back and oh man it is amazing! one of the best camp spots you can ever get with your TC!! It is for tents and TC's, no reservations though. I will try and post a TR when I get some time.


    Gold Bluff looks great. I will have to check it out this August. Since we are meeting family, it won't work this time because of the lack of reservations. One of my daughters did talk with the reservation site and it turns out that the availability was not correctly displayed on the site. There were more sites available then indicated that were not tent only and she made reservations. I will check with the park rangers on what their policy is about TCs in tent only sites.
  • look on reserve america, they usually post standard sites (can put rv and tents) and the parking spot usually 30ft plus. tent only sites the parking is usually 20 ft or so and less. that will give you a idea and maybe u can get a mix of both when making reservations.
  • iwon415 wrote:
    California is anal about its park restrictions...so probably not. (Heaven forbid you park with one wheel off the pavement either)


    And some parks will get you for parking one wheel on the pavement!!!!!

    I would recommend the Gold Bluff campground area we just got back and oh man it is amazing! one of the best camp spots you can ever get with your TC!! It is for tents and TC's, no reservations though. I will try and post a TR when I get some time.
  • California is anal about its park restrictions...so probably not. (Heaven forbid you park with one wheel off the pavement either)
  • Maybe you could just carry a tent with you and set it up and act like your sleeping in it.
  • You might try calling the park and asking. (707) 465-7347

    Not at this park and not quite your exact situation but I'll add it as food for thought: I've had bad experiences trying to camp with a tent group in California state parks when I have my RV. They get a group site and they all camp there together and all of the group events are there, but the rangers make me get another site for my little TC-sized RV even though it would fit in one of the parking spaces at the group site. I make a lot of trips back and forth and/or feel rather isolated.