Lake Oroville State Recreation Area
Oroville (Butte County) · near Oroville · Gold Country & Central Valley
Camping
At a glance
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Elevation
- 901
- Campsites
- Bidwell Canyon 75 (full hookup) + Loafer Creek ~137 + 10 floating boat-in sites
- Season
- Year-round at Bidwell Canyon; Loafer Creek & floating sites ~Apr-mid-Oct
- Fee
- ~$40 hookup (Bidwell) · ~$25 (Loafer Creek) · $125 (floating)
Permits and booking
- Reservation required
- Yes
- How to reserve
- ReserveCalifornia for all. The 10 moored floating campsites (reached only by boat, ~$125/night, 2-night weekend minimum, NO pets, bring your own drinking water) are the trophy - grab them the day the 6-month window opens. Bidwell Canyon has the only year-round full hookups in the foothill-reservoir tier.
What is here
- Setting
- lake-river
- Amenities
- Full hookups at Bidwell Canyon · Showers & flush toilets · Boat ramps & marina · Swim beach at Loafer Creek · Dump station
- Best for
- Unique floating boat-in campsites plus year-round lakeside hookups
- Features
- California-rare floating campsites moored in quiet coves · Only year-round full hookups in the foothill lakes · Equestrian sites at Loafer Creek · Adjacent marina, ramp & fishing
Worth knowing
- Dogs
- Allowed
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Camping detail
- Nickname
- Floating Campsites
- Camp type
- developed · rv · boat-in
- Intl tip
- The floating campsites are the trophy - reserve the day the 6-month ReserveCalifornia window opens, and remember they take no pets and no on-site drinking water (bring your own + a padlock). If you miss them, Bidwell Canyon has the only year-round full hookups in the region.
The guide
Lake Oroville is the most versatile camping destination in Gold Country - the one place where you can take a full-hookup RV sit…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Lake Oroville State Recreation Area — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 39.518, -121.427