NorCal Kayak Anglers
Kayak Zone => Places to Launch and Camp => Topic started by: MichaelSterling on June 21, 2017, 06:39:22 PM
-
Looking to go camping in a couple weeks somewhere on northern California coastline, I'll be bringing my kayak so an easy launch spot would be preferable but most my friends will just be looking for a cool place to just hang out. Any favorite spots people can recommend?
Thanks
-
Shelter Cove, California. :smt001
-
There are just to many to mention. Easy launch spots with camping within wheeling distance up near Mendo are Albion Campgrounds, Caspar Campgrounds, Russian Gulch State Park, and Van Damme state Park.
There are many others that have close by camping that you can choose.
It's been off and on windy over here so some of the campgrounds are more exposed and you won't be able to get away from it at some spots. The weather has been in the 60's-70s and in the 50's overnight. So you may actually get cold at times real close to the beach.
There are some spots inland that are warmer but you may actually want the break from the heat.
-
How remote do you want to be? The further from the Bay Area and sac you get, the less people you will see. If you've never been to shelter cove it is a very neat area and very remote.
-
Albion has an easy launch, a river next to it for an easy scenic paddle, a sandy beach and scenic view of the bridge overhead. Also its about a half hour from Ft Bragg.
-
Ocean cove is a good one because the campground is FCFS. Not always easy getting camping reservations in the summer.
-
How is the camping in shelter cove I know the fishing is good haha. And wow that looks beautiful near fort Bragg. Doesn't matter how remote as long as the roads aren't to bad. I mean I could take a 4x4 but trying to just use the subie to save gas.
-
How is the camping in shelter cove?
Easy road unless you're bringing a trailer...
-
Does Shelter Cove ever get so packed (except for an NCKA event) where you can't just roll in and get a spot?
-
Salt Pt State park, 30 min north of Jenner, nice campground on the inland side of Hiway One if you want to be in the trees (out of the wind) and not on top of your neighbor. Hiway one and the fact that it doesn't have showers means it's usually got spots open, talked to the ranger on that just a few weeks ago, but easy to make reservations too. within 10 min of launches at TC, OC, and Salt Pt itself.
-
Whatever you choose, I recommend you hurry up. Unless you plan on wilderness camping, pretty much every campsite in the state is booked up already. The private camp spots like Albion and Shelter might have availability, but I just looked yesterday and pretty much nowhere has availability, even boat in campsites.
-
Oh dang ok, I'm from the foothills I'm not used to campgrounds having reservations other then like Pinecrest.
Thanks everyone.
-
Oh dang ok, I'm from the foothills I'm not used to campgrounds having reservations other then like Pinecrest.
Thanks everyone.
Yea, that's because a lot of the areas around there are National Forest....basically free camping where you can find it. Along the coast and most of the state for that matter, most of the campgrounds are private, county parks, state parks, or national parks.
Go to https://www.recreation.gov/ to look up campsites and make reservations. The website is clunky and can be ambiguous at times, but what do you expect from a government run program?
-
lol @ sending this guy to shelter cove on 4th of July weekend without a heads up on what that actually entails.
-
Does Shelter Cove ever get so packed (except for an NCKA event) where you can't just roll in and get a spot?
You can always roll in and get a spot. It will be a dry spot south of the runway out in the field on the 4th of July.
4th of July is bigger than the NCKA event by a factor. Dope growers come out of the hills and party, blowing up hundreds of thousands of dollars of fireworks in the process and shooting them off for hours, damn near from 3pm until dawn. Many thousands of people, some of them shooting Roman candles at each other. 6" mortars are standard. A couple years ago someone offered to sell me LSD at the launch. It's nuts. I had a great time but not everyone is wired to like a scene like that.
-
If it's for the 4th then it will be really tough getting a spot anywhere in CA. Maybe first come first served if you're in line the night before. :smt009
-
Ya I changed the date it was a poorly thought out plan. However it looks like I'll be forced into Albion based on it's the only availability I can find haha. And recommendations on fishing over there?
-
Ya I changed the date it was a poorly thought out plan. However it looks like I'll be forced into Albion based on it's the only availability I can find haha. And recommendations on fishing over there?
I don't know the area very well. Navionics shows structure all around as you come out of the Cove.
-
Sweet good enough, hoping the ocean is nice enough to let me out of the cove.