Mendocino National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 1,677 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 42
- Longest rig
- 70 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 42 campgrounds shown
- Atchison CampgroundSeason not published
- Bear Creek CampgroundSeason not published
- Camp Discovery Group CampgroundReservations accepted
- Cedar Camp CampgroundSeason not published
- Davis Flat Campground4 sitesSeason not published
- Deer Valley CampgroundSeason not published
- Dixie Glade Campground10 sitesSeason not published
- Eel River CampgroundMay 17, 2025
- Fouts Campground4 sitesSeason not published
- Fuller Grove Campground5/21/2024 · First-come, first-served
- Fuller Grove Group Campground5/21/2024
- Gray Pine Group Campgroundto 70 ft · 1 sitesSeason not published
- Grizzly Flat Dispersed CampingSeason not published
- Hammerhorn CampgroundSeason not published
- Howard Lake CampgroundSeason not published
- Howard Meadows CampgroundSeason not published
- Kingsley Glade CampgroundSeason not published
- Letts Lake Campground45 sitesFirst-come, first-served
- Little Doe CampgroundSeason not published
- Little Stony Campground4 sitesSeason not published
- Lower Nye CampgroundSeason not published
- Masterson Group Campgroundto 70 ft · 1 sites · Pull-throughSeason not published
- Middle Creek CampgroundSeason not published
- Mill Creek CampgroundSeason not published
- Mill Valley Campground4 sitesMay · First-come, first-served
- North Fork CampgroundSeason not published
- Oak Flat Campground5/21/24 · First-come, first-served
- Old Mill CampgroundSeason not published
- Penny Pines CampgroundSeason not published
- Pine Mountain Lookout1 sitesMay 1 · Reservations accepted
- Plaskett Meadows CampgroundSeason not published
- Pogie Point Campground5/21/24 · First-come, first-served
- South Fork CampgroundSeason not published
- Sugar Spring CampgroundSeason not published
- Sugarfoot Glade CampgroundSeason not published
- Sunset Campground5/21/24 · First-come, first-served
- Surveyors Camp CampgroundSeason not published
- Sycamore Grove CampgroundReservations accepted
- Three Prong CampgroundSeason not published
- Wells Cabin CampgroundSeason not published
- Whitlock CampgroundSeason not published
Mendocino National Forest
The Mendocino National Forest is located in the Coastal Mountain Range in northwestern California and comprises 913,306 acres (3,696.02 km2). It is the only national forest in the state of California without a major paved road entering it. There are a variety of recreational opportunities — camping, hiking, mountain biking, paragliding, backpacking, boating, fishing, hunting, nature study, photography, and off-highway vehicle travel.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Yolla Bolly-Middle Eel Wilderness184,419 acres
- Snow Mountain Wilderness60,495 acres
- Sanhedrin Wilderness10,666 acres
Drive to Mendocino the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.