Best Campgrounds within 1.5 hours of Sacramento

[jgr]

Before realizing there was a northern California forum, I asked for some similar advice in the general thread and didn't get much of a response.  So I'm hopeful that I get more of a response by asking the experts.

I'm easing my family into camping and would like suggestions regarding your favorite places to camp within 1.5 hours of Sacramento.  We'll be renting a pop up so my DW can determine if she really likes camping, so I want to make it close to Sacramento, but make it such a great experience that she'll want to go again (and so I can feel safe that if I bought one (used) we'd use it).  

Please pepper me with your responses and reasons why you think it would be a good candidate.

Thanks!

[The Flyer Crew]

A lot depends on the time of year and what kind of weather you like, and what kind of amenities you like.  

There's a jillion (OK maybe not quite a jillion) places around here.  Some I have enjoyed are Rollins Lake, Collins Lake, Yellowjacket (at Union Valley reservoir past Ice House), 49'er (at Plymouth, kinda pricey but way nice), and Snug Harbor.  My ex-wife and her pals enjoy a place called Delta Bay and go there often, so its probably nice.

If you expand the radius to 2.5 hours, both the coast and the Lake Tahoe area become available as camping destinations too.  Then, there's another jillion possibilites.

As for a camping "audition" trip, to one single spot where a great experience can be assured, good luck on that one.  Hmmmm...  The magic perfect campground...  If you find it, please tell me so I can take my wife there!

[harleywolf]

As I mentioned in your other thread I

[OC Campers]

One of our favorite quick weekend spots is Francis Lake (near Collins Lake).  It is just outside of Marysville.  Sites are nice and shady, water/electric and sewer if you want.  A small lake that you can rent kayaks or fish.  We also enjoy Indian Grinding Rock SP outside of Jackson.  No reservations but nice and shady, clean restrooms and showers.  Both places are HOT in the summer.  Our favorite cooler spot is on the Eastern side of the Sierras (Bridgeport).  A little far for a weekend though.
 
The best way to get your wife hooked is to let us know when you are going, we will have a small rally, the kids will make tons of new friends and you will consume an obsene amount of potlluck food.  That is what camping is all about.  We like camping as a family but love to camp with a group of friends.  (even ones that we have met online:yikes: ).
 
Jacqui

[Calstate361]

Welcome to Nor-Cal group (as you see we are in the process of changing our name).  Sincwe belong to NACO/Thousand Trails (NACO/TT) we usually go to those places and we have several real close.  Join us for our Russian River rally.  It is a bit farther, but you have most of the amenities.   There are also alot of SMUD and PG&E campgrounds.  Just go to their websites (//www.pge.com and //www.smud.org) then do a serch for campgrounds.  I also have an old number for PG&E Recreation Desk:  (916) 386-5164.  I just checked it and it is still a good number.  Of course there are all the state parks, but you don't get the amenities you would want for your first trip.  On our shake down first trip we went to Beal's Poinit at Folsom Lake.  It was nice, but again, no hookups.  I think you would need all that in order to get her interested.

As for meals, I usually prepare spagetti, chili, etc. that all I have to do is reheat it.  Barbquing is alway nice and we do that alot while camping.  You just have to make it the best you can for your family.

I agree with Jacqui that it is a lot more fun with a group.   Hope to have you join us soon.

Joan

[zamboni]

As has been mentioned, we like Icehouse area (Jones Fork; Union Valley Reservoir - up Hwy 50 past Placerville).  We've also enjoyed places down Highway 16, like Indian Grinding Rock SHP, Big Tree State Park, and 49-er Village (expensive, but nice - more an RV park than camping).  Lake Francis is nice as well.

A bit farther, is Dillon Beach - about 2.5 hours from Sacramento.  I would be hesitant to recommend this as a "first place" with a new camper, because it is a large, open field where you can camp anywhere on it.  You may end up next to loud, drunk fools - but not normally.  We can generally tell what sorts of people our neighbors will be from experience (looking at their camp - if they have boats, they may wake up VERY early, loading gear for fishing, etc).

Further, you'd probably want your first campout to be a place with utilities - the last thing you want is to be on battery (in a rental) and have the battery die and ruin your trip.

Our first trip in our new hybrid was a campground a couple of miles down the road from Big Tree.  I forgot what it was called (it had hookups).

[The Flyer Crew]

I've never been to Lake Francis, but I've heard only good things from many people.  That might be a good pick for the first time out.

If you can go a bit further, consider the Russian River rally coming up like Joan suggested.  The Thousand Trails parks are usually nice, and camping with the group is fun and there's alway a huge pot-luck feast.  It turns out to be on a bad weekend for me or I would probably be going to that one.