Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

Stopped here after wine tasting, and walked up to Canyon Peak via Redwood Trail. Little bit further than we realized (took us about 2 hours round trip) but a fun hike. View is OK at the top.

We enjoyed our stay at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. We are bay area locals so were looking to have a nearby place to spend a long weekend without having to travel too far, yet have the opportunity to wine taste at the local vineyards. We had zero expectations given the prime location, and it exceeded those expectations.

Word of warning, the website when you book on reserve america does not accurately portray the size of the spaces. There are large boulders placed in each spot that significantly shrink the total length available. We had booked a spot that said 35ft, and we wouldn't have fit with our 27ft trailer. With that said, we arrived early on a friday and the man at the front gate said he thought we would be better off in a different spot and he would do what he could to find us a better space. It was much appreciated and we ended up with a creek side spot that we fit in just fine. For all trailers around the 27ft+ marks, definitely stay on the ritchey creek side of the park, spots 7-17. The best spot in the park is hands down spot 41 where you would get privacy and direct stream access. The other spots on the "loop" portion are pretty un level and meant for smaller vehicles/trailers/self contained units. We wouldn't have felt comfortable in most on the main loop and /or a ton of leveling would have been required.

Do check out the Bale Grist Mill, a roughly 2 mile hike from the campground. You can watch an original mill from the 1800s come to life by the help of local volunteers who put their heart into providing these demonstrations. $5 well spent.

A few things we noted of importance: no hookups anywhere, no dump station, and lots of poison oak. With that said, hiking trails depart from the camp ground, and world class wineries exist within minutes of the campground entrance. There are also restrooms, showers, and sinks to do your dishes though so you don't fill your tank. Also, staff and campground hosts were some of the nicest we have ever experienced.

We will definitely return, as a local, the space is very relaxing and also suburban in its access to Calistoga, St. Helena, and Napa and is a prime spot for checking out whatever wineries, restaurants, or hikes.

Campgrounds with a lot of napa valley history around it. Next to Bothe-Napa operating grist mill which was social center of Napa valley in the late 1800. Campgrounds are pretty rustic. Everyone enjoys there stay here. Reservations recommended.

My best friend and I visited some of the Calistoga wineries to celebrate our 21st birthdays and staying at the Ritchey Creek Campground in Bothe-Napa Valley State Park was an amazing choice.

The Good: This location is impossible to beat. Calistoga has no airbnbs or hostels, so if you're traveling on a tight budget (as people our age often are!), this is by far the cheapest place available. The facilities were quite well-maintained: spaces are set up with a large picnic table, fire pit, and recycling bin, and the bathrooms were well-lit and easy to find, equipped with sinks, and pay showers. The staff were extremely accommodating and helpful as well. Best of all was the easy and CHEAP transport from the campground to the wineries and downtown area. An on-call shuttle is available from http://www.ridethevine.com/calistoga-shuttle for $1 cash per ride. We went up here expecting to have to Uber around and were thrilled to find a cheaper, more convenient option.

The Bad: Nothing about the *campsite* gave us troubles, but trying to book a site through ReserveCalifornia was a nightmare. The website enforces a 3-night minimum stay that the State Park does not. We ended up doing a walk-in self-registration instead without any trouble, but we were here during November–I doubt that we'd have gotten a space so easily in the peak season.

Overall, nothing about the campground disappointed. I wish we could have stayed longer to check out some of the hiking trails and the historical pieces in the park itself. I highly recommend this campground to anybody looking for a cheap way to see some of the coolest vineyards in wine country.

8-21-18 update. I was there for an upcoming job and to pre run the road for access. It was clean. Staff lives on site.
Visitors center.
Pool $5. Open on weekends.
Showers $1 for 3 minutes.
$35 per space. Looks to have some hookups but not all.
NO Fires June - October.
Yurts from $55 M-Th $70 F-Sun.
Cabins $150 - $225.
Firewood $10 for some unknown amount. I would guess not much.
Day use $8 per car
Extra cars at your spot add $8 ea.
I uploaded a picture of current prices and the trail we will be working on replacing an underground pipe. It’s a fish thing. Even though you can’t access the creek. The creek is plugged with dead trees and debris. While it might be nice for a night or two if going to the vineyards the hole place is overgrown with manzanita and scrub oaks.
Don’t take this the wrong way but It’s ripe for a major California fire. No guns allowed.

We really liked our campsite, however, the favorite site was theoretically booked. That would have been nice to have, so I should have asked because no one was there that night. We were there in April so the Ranger Station was not occupied, otherwise I would have asked.
We were still backing up to the river; it was also the time for poison oak so be careful to wipe off your shoes and not touch them- it would be challenging with kids or pets.

Even so, we would return again as it is fairly secluded with nice showers and restrooms. Potable water is available too. This park is most likely not appropriate for motorhomes and large trailers. Our trailer is 22 foot and backing into many of the spaces could be challenging, let alone going down the narrow main road to the different sites.

The Rangers were very congenial and informative. There is a shuttle that can take you into Calistoga, but we drove in.

I'll definitely be back to this park for a weekend getaway to Calistoga. Some of the best wineries in the valley are within minutes of the State Park while it still being a little hideaway. Most people were in vans, small trailers or tents, although did see a Class A that had a large enough spot, although not all that level. Site 15 is next to the camp hosts who were super friendly but enjoyed loud movies in the afternoons on their outdoor system.

Our campsite was comfortably private -- we could see other campers through the trees, but there was enough foliage and distance where it wasn't noticeable. We needed about 4-5 inches of leveling blocks on one end for our site. Food storage box had seen better days. We kept everything in our camper so it wasn't an issue, but the cabinet wouldn't have kept any animal out.

It was a busy weekend at the campground, but it never felt crowded. Trails in the park were well maintained and walking along the river was nice. Easy to drive in and out of the park.

Ideally situated between Calistoga and St. Helena, Bothe-Napa is a cute little gem if you are traveling by camper or tent. We were in site 4, semi-level; i would pick sites 8 or 11 for very level surfaces. But we got pretty good with leveling blocks for our van. Bathrooms clean, water spigots available, no other services. Cell reception 2 bars T-mobile. Quiet. We enjoyed despite the unseasonable rains..

Beautiful park with sites that are spread out and not too close to other campers. We stayed at site #41, it’s a wow with rolling creek and a private trail head that leads to the water and a bench overlooking the creek. Very peaceful when we stayed in March and we got good cell service with Verizon. No dump station or hookups. However, there is potable water available away from individual sites. Camp Host was friendly and helpful. We had excellent weather.