“Hiking, Picnicking, Camping”
To provide power for the new development in the valley , a concrete dam was constructed across the south fork of the Eel River in 1928. The dam not only provided power but also created Benbow Lake. The Benbow family, interested in preserving the natural scene around the Hotel and along the river, made efforts to place the land under State protection. In 1956 funds were approved for the Benbow Project was purchased in 1958. Today the park consists of campsites and a large day-use picnic area. Hiking, picnicking and camping are popular summer time activities, while salmon and steelhead fishing are popular in the winter. The park’s open field in the campground gives a panorama view of the sky.
Reviews of Benbow Lake State Recreation Area
2 people have reviewed this location
Ratings Summary
Cell Coverage
Verizon 5G
Confirmed by 2 users | Last reported on August 25, 2022T-Mobile 5G
Confirmed by 1 users | Last reported on August 25, 2022This is a woodsy campground nestled by Highway 101. Our site was near the highway, but road noise wasn't bad. Small, short parking areas at sites, with plenty of grassy or shady areas for tents. Most campers here are tenters. We only saw a few trailers and one Class C.
Dry camping. Water spigots nearby. Dump area closed. Bathrooms were recent vintage and clean. Coin showers worked well. (Token machine at bath house)
Good woodland hiking trails. Small, riverside beach for wading or fishing. Close to Avenue of the Giants. Only Con is that the road in needs attention. About 50 yards is very rough, maybe from a washout. Needed our cell booster to get 2 bars of Verizon.
Nightly Rate: $33.00
Days Stayed: 2
Site Number: 16
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
We stayed here for one night, just driving through down the 101 (not many places to stay). It would probably be really nice in the off season during the week. The site was big, but not very private. We were here on a Saturday night, and it’s clear that locals come here to party (noisily!). There were also huge family groups. We were only overnighting so didn’t put up the Starlink, but I doubt it would have worked in the big trees. In a pinch I would stay here overnight again (better than some of the other super cheap places on the route). Dog walking was mainly on the camp road (again, the river was packed with party people).
Nightly Rate: $35.00
Days Stayed: 1
Site Number: 5
Cell Coverage Rating
Verizon
T-Mobile
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Benbow Lake State Recreation Area
Hours
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Restrooms
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Wifi
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
- Affiliation
- State park or forest
- Last Nightly Rate
- 35.0
- Longest Vehicle Length Reported
- 30.0
- Lowest Nightly Rate
- 33.0
- Max Length
- 30 ft
- Max Stay
- 14
- Sites Count
- 75
- Standard Tent Sites Count
- 26
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Full Hookup
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Rec Facilities
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Pull Through
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Tent Sites
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Dump Station
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Big Rigs
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Open Seasonally
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Age Restricted
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Boondock
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Cabin Sites
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Dispersed Sites
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Firewood
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Fulltime Residents
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Group Tent Sites
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Laundry
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Mobile Homes
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Permit Required
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Potable Water
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Propane
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Public Water
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Pull Through RV Sites
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Reservations
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Sewer Hookup
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Showers
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Sites
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Standard Tent Sites
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Water Hookup
Campground, Restrooms
Nearby Hotels
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