Glamping in the Bay Area: Mendocino Grove

There’s nothing like a good ol’ pandemic to make you appreciate being outside even more. I was starting to get cabin fever and started exploring options for travel while being socially responsible, and going glamping near me in the Bay Area seemed like the best option. Glamping was appealing because it’s something that you can do while social distancing, while enjoying the great outdoors and immersing yourself in nature.

My friends and I decided to go to Mendocino Grove due to its proximity to the Bay Area and as a noob camper, I appreciated how easy and simple the entire experience was. There is virtually no set up needed on your part – there is already a tent with beds inside, electric outlets, and the part that I was most excited about…plumbing and hot showers. This is essentially camping for yuppies and after this experience, it’s going to be hard to go back to regular camping.

One thing that you will have to prep is food. We chose to go full on Asian and bring a grill and kbbq! At each camp site, there was a picnic table and two sets of benches as well as a campfire pit. Mendocino Grove also sells s’mores kits if the craving hits when you’re there. You can find more info on what is available for food here.

Activities:

In terms of things to do, there are plenty of outdoor activities nearby like hiking and Big River Beach, which was 5 minutes away from the campsite. We chose to do the Mendocino Grove Loop trail, which starts at the camp and is a 1/2 mile loop. We chose a short loop because we got to the park site late, but you can find additional hikes here.

Camp services open during COVID-19:

• Breakfast – Coffee and yogurt parfaits are served by a camp employee who is masked
• Fire startup – Camp employees are available via text to help you and your group get your fire started (we were very grateful for this)
• Provided each person with their own hand sanitizer bottle upon entering the campgrounds

Camp services shut down due to COVID-19:

• Communal dinners
• Group yoga

https://mewanttravel.com/

Cost:

In terms of cost, it can be quite pricey. A tent for 2 adults was $189.00 and a tent for 4 adults was $259.00 for a Thursday night. There is also the option to bring pets for an additional charge. Including taxes and fees, the total came out to be ~$550.00 for 6 people and 1 dog for 1 weeknight. This is comparable to getting a nice Airbnb and while it was a fun experience, I don’t know that I can justify the cost for going glamping here again.

Other tips:

• On the way up, we chose to stop by Russian River Brewery at their Santa Rosa location, which was doing outdoor dining and dog-friendly.
• Because we’re in a pandemic, we had a constant steady of hand sanitizer and frequently washed our hands. We wore masks whenever we were with strangers.

If you liked this post, you may like the following:

• How to Visit Crater Lake, Burney Falls, McCloud River, Mount Shasta, Shasta Lake, and Bend, Oregon in Four Days
• How I Went to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Antelope Canyon, and the Grand Canyon in Six Days

Watch the Youtube video below to experience Mendocino Grove with me!

*MeWantTravel is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.