Mendocino Lake

1160 Lake Mendocino Drive
Ukiah, CA 95482-9404

Lake Mendocino is located in the midst of wine country and near the gateway to the Redwoods. It is two hours north of the Bay area in central Mendocino County, near the city of Ukiah. The lake was created by a dam in 1958.

Lake Mendocino offers many recreational opportunities including over 300 campsites, with boat-in camping and 15 miles of hiking and biking trails. Some of the trails are in the 700-acre wilderness area, where native wildlife can be viewed. There are five large day-use areas with covered picnic shelters and barbeques. For on-the-water fun, there is boating, swimming and water skiing Fishing for large and small mouth bass, strippers, crappie, blue gill and three varieties of catfish is a popular activity.

Directions

From Ukiah, 3 miles north on US 101, then east on Lake Mendocino Drive.

Reviews

Mendocino Lake campgrounds are appreciated for their spacious sites, beautiful lake views, clean bathroom facilities with hot showers, and a generally peaceful atmosphere that is ideal for hiking, fishing, and water activities. Friendly and helpful staff contribute positively to the camping experience. However, recurring concerns include campground maintenance issues such as overgrown grounds and inconsistent cleanliness, noise disturbances from other campers and lake activities, presence of pests like flies and mosquitoes, limited ranger presence and rule enforcement, safety concerns near certain areas, and occasional rude behavior or littering. Some sites face challenges like uneven terrain, limited parking, lack of privacy, and absence of electrical or water hookups. Overall, the natural beauty and recreational opportunities are highly valued, though better upkeep and management would enhance the experience.

Spacious campsites with beautiful lake views

Clean bathrooms and hot showers

Peaceful and quiet atmosphere especially on weekdays

Helpful and friendly staff and camp hosts

Various recreational opportunities such as fishing, kayaking, and hiking

Lack of consistent campground maintenance and overgrown grounds

Noise disturbances from other campers, generators, and motorized lake activities

Limited ranger presence and enforcement of quiet hours

Presence of pests like flies, mosquitoes, and poison oak

Some sites lack privacy, have uneven terrain, or limited parking

227 reviews

5 stars

113

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 stars

Vickie R

Campground:Bushay Recreation Area

Loop:Bushay

Site:

Reviewed 20 days ago

Nice Campground. No beach access.

Heather P

Campground:Bushay Recreation Area

Loop:Bushay

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Stay elsewhere or bring security

Peter F

Campground:Kyen Campground And Oak Grove Day Use Area

Loop:Kyen

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

Many of the tweekers came at night without paying for a reservation and made noise all night. One lady camped across from us with two dogs. The dogs barked all night and even got away from her at 1:30am. She yelled at them to get back for the longest time. The next morning, my friends 8 year old son was eating his breakfast burrito. The dog ran to him at the table and snatched his food away from the child. Even though the lady apologized for not having her dog leashed and under control, she later asked to purchase something to drink so she could take her medication. All we wanted was peace and quiet. As soon as she saw the park ranger, she left in a hurry without paying. The ranger stated she did recognize the car.

Michelle N

Campground:Bushay Recreation Area

Loop:Bushay

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

So peaceful

Mary Beth B

Campground:Kyen Campground And Oak Grove Day Use Area

Loop:Kyen

Site:

Reviewed a month ago

The campground itself was quite open and did not have much privacy for each site. I never met a staff person during my time there. Mainly, the experience was less pleasant due to the other campers. One family apparently comes every weekend and has yapping dogs that can get free. The young girl didn't speak in a normal voice but was always screetching. Both kids used their scooters and twirling flags on the shared road just by my camp site and kept my dog on alert and upset (usually a pretty calm dog.) I couldn't wait to leave.

Megan B

Campground:Kyen Campground And Oak Grove Day Use Area

Loop:Kyen

Site:

Reviewed 2 months ago

Really beautiful campground! A few downsides is that I had to rush to get there with the gates closing (this is partly on me as I do long travel days). And there was no soap.... So make sure to bring some! But very nice campground with a good view of the lake on one side. Also they have recycling as well as trash which I always am happy to see!

Keep your options open

Watch for a matching campsite across monitored campgrounds in Mendocino Lake.

Popularity: Very quiet