casini ranch campground

[pip8688]

I am looking into camping there this summer. Anyone with experience there, can you comment on how the place is? Also, what is the best route to get there?(via highway 1 to jenner and up or highway 116).

Thanks in advance

[TBRich]

There's an annual rally there ... we have not been, but it looks like a great place... Here's a link to the last rally thread: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f288...1-a-57149.html I'm sure if you contact any of the attendees they'll be more than happy to give you their input on Casini...

[Airslide]

Hi pip8688,

You have to consider our yearly rally to Casini ranch. You would have a blast! I have found the best way when towing is 101 up through Santa Rosa and take the River Rd exit west. This route takes you through Guernville and out 116 to Duncan mills..

Its a great family campground that is very well run. Hope to meet you in the future.

Vinnie

[Yhottys]

Hello pip8688!

We've camped there three times, each time when attending the NorCal rallies held each year in April.

Casini Ranch's website recommends taking highway 101 and exiting at River Road. From what we understand Highway 116 can be challenging when towing a trailer. Highway 1 is breathtaking, but can add a significant amount of time to your travels.

Casini is a great spot for day trips to Jenner, Bodega Bay, wine tasting and/or exploring the Russian River. The campground is older, with established trees providing shade. There's a small store where you can purchase fishing licenses, firewood and camping supplies. They can also fill your propane tanks. If you have children, they might enjoy the little arcade and game room. You can fish along the banks of the river. We've attached an image below of our nephew, Christian, and the whopper he landed last year. The restrooms and showers could benefit from some attention, but the showers were hot and had great pressure.

We hope this information helps. Please consider joining us at Casini next year in April for the NorCal rally.

Happy and safe journeys,

[Mexray]

Lot's to do and explore in area near Casini...Great Italian dinners at the old Occidental Hotel (in the town of Occidental, about 7 miles south of Monte Rio) - yummy! A few small shops in town as well to explore...

Over at Bodega Bay, there are several fine seafood restaurants right on the bay - also, if you drive out along the North side of the Bay, on what becomes Westshore Rd., there is a neat 'hole-in-the-wall' seafood snack shop right across the road from the yacht harbor - great fresh crab in season, and wonderful creamy clam chowder all the time, open days only - more yummies!

If you continue along Westshore RD out to the end, it goes up on the bluff that overlooks the sea, with a beach not far away - there's another side road up there that overlooks the Bay side to the east - great place for some pics - there's also a small herd of deer that usually hang out there for some other great pic opportunities...

North on Hwy 1 a few miles above Jenner (at the mouth of the Russian River), you can visit Fort Ross, the site of the only Russian settlement in the lower 48, from the 1800's - lots of artifacts and several original buildings that have been saved - it's neat as you can wonder around and inside the buildings on your own to get a close up look - numerous old cannons to touch as well!

Several places to check out in the Guerneville area - you're there in the height of the vacation season, so it'll be crowded...we stumbled on a place, one block north of the main street, on the east side of town (near a coffee house) that works on vintage RV trailers - several old Airstreams, and others - fun stuff to look at...There's a curio shop on the north side of the main street, about the middle of the main block, that sell some RV-like stuff - we bought our 'Trailer Trash' T-shirts there, as well a some coffee mugs with an Airstream Pic on them - can't say much about the other stuff in there, except it looks like they cater to the whips and chains, crowd, too!

Enjoy your adventure - if it gets too warm, just head out to the coast for some cool, fresh air, just great!

If you want to 'loop' the area, you can head over to hwy1 from (hwy101) Petaluma or Santa Rosa and go up the coast through Bodega Bay to the Russian River, then a short stretch East along the river to Casini - when leaving you could then head East back over to hwy101...or do the reverse 'loop'...the coast is fun to run and get a break from the inland heat!

Ray

[pip8688]

Thanks All, I am very familiar with that portion of the coast. I go there to dive for Abalone and sea urchins. The campsite looks wonderful. I am looking into getting a riverfront site. Do any of you have any preferences in terms of the site numbers. Do they have any full hookup sites near the river?