California · published-coordinate region
Mad River Campground
Look beyond the campground name. Compare the actual sites and the details that matter to your trip.
USDA Forest Service35Supported overnight records
1Published site categories
35Sites with a reported party limit
A useful starting point, not a fit guarantee. Site-specific warnings are absent from this export. Published lengths may include a tow vehicle. Check the official site page for current notes, restrictions, approach and configuration before booking. No live availability is shown.
A closer look at the campground
Overview
Mad River Campground is located on banks of its namesake river, about two miles south of Ruth Lake in the thickly forested mountains of northern California.Recreation
Fishing is a popular activity and anglers can expect to catch a variety of trout in the Mad River. Nearby Ruth Lake is open for boating, swimming and other water-related activities. A marina and boat ramp are available for easy lake access, and maps and directions to the marina are located on the information boards in the campground.Facilities
The campground offers multiple single-family campsites, available for tent and RV camping. Some sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A majority of the sites are adjacent to the Mad River.
Tables and campfire rings are available at each site. Accessible vault toilets and drinking water are also provided.Natural Features
The campground is situated on a bluff overlooking the river among a forested area of oak trees and evergreen shrubs. Portions of the campground are capped with tall Douglas fir trees, providing ample shade.
The Six Rivers National Forest lies east of Eureka in northwestern California, stretching southward from the Oregon border for about 140 miles. U.S. 101, the famed "Redwood Highway," parallels the inland Forest along the coastline. The Forest is just east of the Redwood National Park.
Nearby Attractions
The 13,800-acre Ruth Lake is about three miles south of the campground.
Full operator-supplied campground description · Scroll within the panel for more · Amenities may be shared by the campground, not present at every site
How much is documented?
Reported fields across the 35 supported campsite records here. A reported value can still need interpretation; missing values remain unknown in the planner.
Party limit
35
Vehicle limit
35
Vehicle length
35
Driveway entry
35
Shade
33
Bars show counts, not a quality, accessibility or suitability score.
The campsite mix
Standard Nonelectric
35
Operator directions
When traveling north on Hwy 101, do not turn off at the Zenia Road exit at Garberville. This will result in a 2-hour delay driving on winding back roads. Instead,
continue north until you reach the Hwy 36 exit near Fortuna. Turn right, heading east for approximately an hour until you reach the town of Mad River. After you cross
the bridge at the Mad River, look for the Mad River Road turn-off on the right. The sign will say Ruth Lake. Continue for 10 minutes to reach the Mad River Campground.
If traveling on Interstate 5, turn at Hwy 36 at Red Bluff and head west for 2 hours until you see the sign for Ruth Lake at Mad River Road.
Campground-level source text. Confirm the current route and road conditions with the operator.
THE ACTUAL SITES
35 published campsite records
Raw published values are shown below, including zeros and ambiguous text. They are not validated capacities. The planner keeps missing, zero and questionable dimensions unknown.
View all 35 published site records
| SITE / LOOP | TYPE | EQUIPMENT LIMITS | PEOPLE / VEHICLES | DRIVEWAY | ELECTRIC / SHADE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site 06 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 22 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 25 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 07 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Pull-Through 75 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 08 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 24 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 27 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 09 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 24 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 28 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 10 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 24 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 27 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 11 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 25 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 30 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 12 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 20 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 24 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 13 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 41 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 14 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 22 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 26 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 15 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 40 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 16 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 24 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 28 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 17 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 40 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 18 Loop A Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 24 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 28 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 19 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 19 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 23 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 20 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 22 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 26 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 21 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 22 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 26 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 22 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 55 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 23 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 30 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 35 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 24 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 30 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 35 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 25 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 26 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 30 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 26 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 18 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 21 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 27 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 24 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 27 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 28 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 26 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 30 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 29 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 21 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 25 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 30 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 26 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 30 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 31 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 30 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 35 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 32 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 31 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 35 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 33 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 21 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 25 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 34 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 21 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 25 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 35 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 44 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 36 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 21 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 25 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 37 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 21 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 25 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Not reported |
| Site 38 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 35 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 100 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
| Site 39 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 15 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 20 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Not reported |
| Site 40 MAD RIVER CAMPGROUND Source updated: 2025-12-02 | Standard Nonelectric | Trailer: 25 ft Numeric screening only | 8 people 2 vehicles | Back-In 30 (raw length) | Not reported Shade: Yes |
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