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2023

Sycamore Grove Campground

nearest town: Red Bluff CA

part of: Mendocino National Forest

A National Park Campground in the Central Valley region.

Number of visits: 7

GPS: 40.1551,-122.2011

Bathroom: yes • Water: yes

A lonely outpost of Mendocino National Forest - a little chunk of federal land next to the diversion dam. The parking lots are huge, making it seem like it was full of action back when the dam was being used create the diversionary lake. Emptying the dam a couple of decades ago was sad for the boaters of Red Bluff, but great for the salmon, who were being killed off by the salmon ladder.

This beautiful campground suffers from being too close to the town of Red Bluff. The bathroom has a security code to prevent random weirdos from moving in.

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T-Mobile cellphone reception was good.

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Notes on each visit (posted cost • senior cost):

September 13, 2022 ($16.00 • $8.00) September 13, 2022 ($16.00 • $8.00)

I finally caved to the system and make a reservation for this place a couple of days ago. It really wasn't so bad. It's good to be back! Still effing hot though...

April 23, 2017 ($16.00 • $8.00) April 23, 2017 ($16.00 • $8.00)

Definitely the word is out on this handy place. It was full-ish when I did a drive-by on Thursday, and it's still pretty busy ere at 4pm on Sunday.

I still scored a nice spot. Site 7 is private but not private: It's in fully view of every car that drives past, but it's a nice distance from all the neighbors.

The bathroom has a security code and there was no camp host that I could find. Not good, but another camper had the code.

November 17, 2016 ($16.00 • $8.00) November 17, 2016 ($16.00 • $8.00)

Surprisingly crowded tonight. Perhaps the word is out? My usual spots under the trees on the outside of the loop are all taken by what look like long term folks. I end up on the inside of the loop in a different part of the loop. This has the usual defect of being on the inside, namely that I am looking right at somebody's big firepit party, and they are looking right at me. Made my night less enjoyable that it would've been.

December 22, 2015 ($16.00 • $8.00) December 22, 2015 ($16.00 • $8.00)

This place really grows on me. Super quiet on this damp, pre-Christmas evening. There is a nearly full moon, and I used it to take a moonlight hike around the Nature Walk.

November 21, 2015 ($16.00 • $8.00) November 21, 2015 ($16.00 • $8.00)

Fate brings me here on a warm November Saturday night, and it's pretty busy. The two sites nearest me are couples making a quick fire then sleeping in their small cars ... like you'd expect at a cheap-ish campground near the interstate.

The river and the strange derelict de-comissioned dam are still awesome.

For the first time I can see why they have a keycode on the bathroom. It's at the riverside edge of the campground, backing up to a day-use lot which contained some sketchy folks when I walked through

November 03, 2013 ($16.00 • $8.00) November 03, 2013 ($16.00 • $8.00)

Daylight Savings Time stopped last night, so I lost an hour and I got here after dark. Still a cool place! Site #2 this time. I Like this end of the park.

A major annoyance is that you must go over to the Host campsite to get a stupid security code for to use the bathroom. Quite annoying if you really need to take a dump. :(

August 15, 2012 ($16.00 • $8.00) August 15, 2012 ($16.00 • $8.00)

Six miles from Red Bluff, yet strangely empty on a hot August Wednesday. Super nice place. A lonely outpost of Mendocino National Forest - a little chunk of federal land next to the diversion dam. The parking lots are huge, making it seem like it was full of action back when the dam was being used create the diversionary lake. Shutting it down a couple of decades ago was sad for the boaters of Red Bluff, but great for the salmon, who were being killed off by the salmon ladder.