This park has recently been upgraded and cleaned up. The new owners do an amazing job keeping it clean and all the campers following the rules. This is a beautiful park and the views around the edges are awesome. It also has a pool with is a great addition. When we were there it was very quiet and not many sites filled but come Friday afternoon the families that has leased spaces all started showing up and it made for a very busy park. We headed out to explore quite a bit, golfed at Forest Meadows 2 days and spent a afternoon at Big Trees which is 2 miles before the RV park. There is no WiFi or TV reception so be prepared to be off the grid while camping here. We will totally be back very soon. - RVKat

Very nice campground about 2-miles past the Big Trees State Park. Military discount got us the best rate, they also offer Good Sam. Camping amongst the trees, our site was dirt (some have asphalt), needed some leveling, picnic table and fire pit. Quiet at night. They have a tent only section at the rear of the campground. The owner was friendly and helped us with our many questions. Swimming pool and kids playground were great, kids can bike around on the asphalt roads (helmets), firewood was reasonable, restrooms were clean. WiFi was available, no TV or cell phone reception. - zigzag

A shady park in the pine trees about 2 miles east of Calaveras Big Trees State Park. Arnold is the nearest town of any size. The manager was very helpful and friendly. We arrived in a freezing weather storm and could only stay one night. Park is very clean and about half of spaces are leased to vacation/year-round. - firedguy

This is the only RV Park in Twain Harte. Dirt/gravel sites that need some leveling. All back-in with full hook ups. Older park with lots of trees. Only 15 sites in the front, all the rest are permanent trailers and motorhomes. Very nice swimming pool and a small playground for kids. Cable TV at each site, and Wi-Fi only at the Office. Quiet at night. Rate shown is with Good Sam, they charge you the full amount up front, and we would recommend reservations since they only have a few sites available. Staff was very polite and helpful. - zigzag

We only gave this campground a 4 because it was in the mountains and had a nice playground. Otherwise it would probably get a 1. The bathrooms were absolutely filthy. There was 1 shower stall and 1 toilet to share co-ed. That's gross. Mold and dirt/grime was all over the shower. You can tell nobody ever cleans it. The bathroom was out of toilet paper and was dirty and we were the only ones staying in the campground. The other side of the park is for permanent trailer home residents which feels strange. The sign advertises clean bathrooms yet I would definitely ask to see them before you check in if you plan to use them, because this place is nasty. Also it says Wi-fi, but that is only right by the office. If you do stay here, there is a pastry shop about a mile up the road that sells some incredible breakfast pastries: the best I've ever had in my life! Made me glad we came up this way. It's about 80 miles from Yosemite. - adventure

Small park in the tall trees. Sites are close together so they give you two, one for your tow vehicle. Restroom was very clean. Pool was sparkling although it was too cold to swim when we were there. Nice nature trail. There is also a nice playground structure. Park caters mostly to permanents but they are on the other side and up a hill, away from the campground. Tent area is shady and nice. This park is close to Twain Harte, Sonora, and the historic town of Columbia. Black Oak Casino is about 12 miles away. The owner is very friendly and is doing a great job of upgrading the park. We enjoyed our stay and will return. - rosewood38

Nice park, with a walking trail into Columbia. Good amenities and quiet. Showers needed some cleanup and maintenance, but otherwise a very nice stay. Camped two nights and three days, and would return again. Rates competitive and access to sites is very good. - chrisbfishin

The park is small but very clean and the sites are nice. The walk to downtown Columbia is only 5 minutes away as is the old marble quarry. The town of Murphys is only a few miles away to drive to. Would definitely recommend this campground to friends. For the price it is worth it! - Wendy 67

This park is in a great location. Easy access to local sites. The Park itself is dated. Needs updated cable and internet services. We would not stay here again. - R&M

This is an older park that has been well maintained and reflects the history of the gold rush era. It has varies levels and sites tho all are gravel. The main road is paved and the staff leads you and guides you into your site. There is a fenced in dog run with sawdust at the front of the park. Otherwise there isn't any walking or exercising paths or trails.

The historic town of Colimbia is 1/2 mile away but windy steep road does not encourage you to walk into town.

Laundry is only $1 a load and the Friday night hotdog feed was fun. It is very quiet and most sites have some shade during the day.

I would recommend this park over all the others in this area. Definately the nicest in the area. - MJHP*28

I was put in charge to choose an RV park for our recent trip to the Gold Country (Northern California). There were not many choices in the area where we were staying and by chance, I happened upon the 49er RV Ranch. I reserved our sites several months in advance. We were a party of 2 travel trailers (27 and 24 ft. respectively) and 4 adults. My first impression of the park was that the spaces are small, tight and in need of a little sprucing up. We were placed in an area called the "penthouse" since it is elevated above the main site circle near the office. The penthouse is two sites on a small pad and due to our sizes, we had to have the park back in one of our trailers with their hitch tractor. Our doors literally faced each other....good thing that we were with our friends! We walked the entire park and I could see that this place was probably pretty darn special in its heyday. The gold panning area, the water wheel, the cool barn that hosts complimentary bbqs for the campers on Friday nights, the hospitality house with free coffee in the morning and the beautiful trees all make a pretty neat setting. The bathroom, the laundry room, and the small sites could all use a major makeover. RVs are bigger now than when this park came to be and I don't know how you could make the sites deeper and wider without some major renovations. The staff and the owner were all very kind and eager to please. The highlight of our stay would have to be the BBQ on Friday night with complimentary polish or hot dogs, beans, chips and beverages. That was a nice touch and it allowed campers to chat with others in a history-filled setting. Would I stay at the 49er RV Ranch again? Probably not. We were pretty cramped in our site and have become accustomed to more space and more privacy between sites. If we were younger with kids, a small trailer or tent trailer, and really wanted to explore the Gold Rush era of this area, I would definitely come to the 49er RV Ranch. - ibfrog

Very nice park, our third time here. We stayed three nights, using this as a base to explore south to Jamestown and north to Amador City. Such a cute, rustic, atmospheric park, takes you back in time to the gold rush days. That said, they manage to keep it rustic and charming without it also being tacky and rundown. Sites are gravel; green around them is just mowed weeds, would almost be better to have more gravel and no green surfaces at all. The weeds have a lot of foxtails in them, which were an issue for our dogs. (Foxtails get stuck between toes, and if not found, work their way inside the dog, under the skin. Big hazard.) LOTS of trees, nice and shady; up a long road so you are pretty isolated; feels like real camping! Staff is very helpful and friendly; we were in a site on the hill, but had help getting in and getting out. - MarvMarvs

Overall nice dry camping park. Would definitely not bring a rig over 27 feet here. Narrow turns. One corner took 30 minutes to navigate due to crowding. Great for trout fishing and young children. Caution - dump facility is closed on Sundays. Excellent restaurant/bar -the Steam Donkey; reasonable prices and great food. - Maltaman

This campground was disappointing enough that we stayed only for one night, while we had a reservation for two. The contrast with the Yosemite North Pine campground we were coming from was stunning. When we arrived, mid-afternoon, two cars were already parked in our site. OK, these people were nice and moved out without problem while we had to drive the loop around. The campground next to ours was occupied by a group of at least 15 people drinking and yelling all night, despite the fact that the campground regulations say that the limit of 6 persons per site is strictly enforced. Our site had a significant slope. Some people were burning scrap wood, producing thick smoke and a bad plastic smell. The light was out of service in the very dirty bathrooms: no hooks, a dirty shelf with peeling paint. The showers were worth a photo. For $5, you get: a stall with dirt hanging 9 inches from the ceiling, and an unpainted, wet and unsanitary wood bench. The next campground in our trip was in Calaveras, at the "Golden Pines RV Resort & Campground". For the same price as 4 showers at Pinecrest ($20), we got reasonably clean showers ($1 extra) and a very nice camping spot. Please understand that different people have different tastes. I am sure that many campers will love Pinecrest: those who do not mind crowds, smoke and noise, whose main activity is to sit and drink beer, while children are running around without supervision. Fine also if you like power boats. We are more of the quiet type: hikers, nature watchers. So, despite the crowds, we preferred by far our campgrounds in Yosemite and Calaveras. I will not return to Pinecrest. - NationalParkLover

Excellent Boondocking Park - sunchasermel

The men's bathroom was not clean except for the one day the caretaker cleaned it. It really needed daily cleaning. Park was OK. We were there for little league tournament. The park was right next to the ball fields, so worked for us. Roads were very dusty. There was hardly anyone there. There are some full time live-ins. The sites if full would be close but hardly anyone stays there. I would stay again for a short period. - Littlegrami

$22 Senior rate can't be beat. ($25 regular) Grass sites that needed several boards to level but hookups were easy and I even found some shade. Famous Frog Jumping fairground, lots of Winery's and a quaint old town but the road - Hwy 49 - is not so 'friendly', be Careful. Easy access to Murphy, CA for a day of wine tasting. WiFi is a charge of $10 day but restrooms are fine and has shower. I get several antenna tv stations and phone service is good. Stayed 2 days and found this park very adequate on my way to Yosemite. - SailorGolf

This was a over nighter spot for us. We were pleasantly surprised. It is at the fairgrounds, but was great for the price. Internet was a separate company which we had to pay for. We actually had the guy come out and get us connected, but it was so nice to get back online we didn't care. - goldenk9s

This park is cut into a steep hillside. After some rather interesting interior roads, we were escorted to a level pull through site with moderate afternoon shade. Utilities worked well and Wi-Fi was strong. A good overnight stop. - Alworth

We recently stayed here, we were in a 37' fifth wheel with 3 slides.

Reservation process worked smoothly. We arrived during their lunch hour, and the office closes during lunch. But they had our information posted right on the front door.

Location was easy to find, but if you are driving a larger unit, roads are very curvy and narrow. Postings on the road that units over a certain size aren't advised on the roads.

Our site was great, very private, fairly level. Water, electricity, and sewer all worked ok. Our particular site had large flowering trees around it, which were great for privacy, but also seemed to attract many, many bees. No big deal for us, but if you a concern about bees, you may want to note that when you make your reservations.

Even though the RV park is closed to the highway, we didn't seem to hear any road noise.

There is a pool on site, small but adequate for a quick dip. No hot tub.

We didn't use the wi-fi very much, but had ok reception with our AT&T cell phones.

Many attractions in the area, including caves, state parks, and many wineries. Also, if you are up for a long day trip, can get to the west entrance of Yosemite.

Bathrooms were ok, nothing special, but they were clean. It does seem to be an older park, roads are narrower, but the privacy of many of the sites can't be beat. - KTorline

We stayed with our camping club and were very impressed by the park. It's maintained well, the office staff was super friendly and helpful and the park staff escorting us to the site were great. Water pressure and taste were good and the 50 amp pedestal was well placed. Park staff offered us a 50-30 adapter for our use there when we checked in and instead of digging for mine, I accepted with no charge. WiFi was free and worked well for us and the park was calm and quiet for the weekend. This is a nice place to stay. - Bluestreak

It's a paved road to get here, then the campground is all dirt. We took a regular site for $33, the XL sites were $50. Only 15 amp electric and water, they have a dump station and a honey-wagon for waste. Hard to find a level site unless you take and XL. You are very rural up here. Best to checkout the campground on foot to find a site that fits your requirements, as narrow and steep roads make driving around a bit difficult. There is a store, cafe, $ Wi-Fi, $ showers, $ laundry. Boat launch and marina. Elevation is around 6,000' so its cool temps. Quiet at night with plenty of stars. Lake is beautiful, but down about 30' as we are in a drought. Campground opens in late May and closes at the end of October. - zigzag

First off, it is important to note, that we had a wonderful time at Bear river in our 40 foot motorhome! They have a great little store, that is open until 9:00 PM, where you can get a large number of provisions that you might need. They have a restaurant and Bar as well. The windows from the restaurant and the bar, look out onto the lake, presenting a view that can’t be beat. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They do have Wi-Fi here, though it costs $4.95 for 24 hours. Everyone staying here seems to be real respectful and tries to keep the noise down. There is a lot of fishing here and a place to put your boat in the water if you’d like too. That being said, it is important to keep some things in mind when staying here. This is a vast ‘campground’ that is very rural and above 6,000 feet with well over 100 sites. As such, all of the amenities, (Power and water) are provided by the resort, not by some general utility. Because of this, there is only 15 amps at each site. Plenty to run the TV, VCR, blender and Microwave, but not enough to run the Air conditioner or washer/drier. Also, you are in a forest area, so setting up a septic system here isn’t practical, but there is dump station for when you are ready to depart. This is a mountainous area, so some of the sites aren’t terribly level. If you are coming here with a 5th wheel or travel trailer, you should be able to level your rig in almost any site with a little effort. However, if you are coming here in a Class A motorhome, leveling, as it was for us, may be impossible depending on the site you are assigned. If you are in a class ‘A’, you may want to see if there are other open sites available and scout those out for the most level one, before parking your rig. In our case we would have needed to raise the back end of our 40 foot motorhome 2 feet or more to get it level. But, we made do. Because of the altitude, the ground freezes in the winter time. This is very hard on pavement and as such the sites aren’t paved. The sites are dirt. The dirt is very fine, so if dirt freaks you out, this is not the place to come. However, if you are looking for a place that is a little rustic, to get away from it all, with all of the amenities, clean bathrooms, clean showers, laundry facilities and the like, this is a great place. If you love to watch the squirrels and the kids or grand kids run and play, this is the place to come. If you like to hear birds chirping and check out the night stars, this is a great place to visit! - luvdoggiez

There are no level sites. The sites are filthy and not maintained. Most sites and the roads have deep gullies in them. I later discovered this is from the untreated grey water that is allowed to be dumped freely (through other campsites) from those above. From 9am until well past dark, the roads in the park turn into a OHV motocross course for unattended minors. The noise is unbearable. Dump costs $25.00. I considered the camp unhealthy but was refused a refund. - MysticRaven

Family campground with lots of things for kids. Swimming pool, water park, arcade, mini-golf, playground, movie night, pool table, and a hiking trail. We had a pull-thru site, level, gravel, with a picnic table and fire pit. WiFi was slow and worked best closer to the Office. Cable TV. Biggest problem was the sewer connection was 8" off the ground, so had to lift the hose to dump. Quiet at night. - zigzag

Our site was nice and wide, as are most of the sites, and required only a couple Lynx blocks to level. The sites are definitely more rustic, but that's a positive. We like having the feeling of real camping while still being able to run our A/C and take warm showers in the RV. The sewer hookup in the site is beyond bizarre. They are raised considerably higher than the sewer connector on the RV.

The staff is very friendly. The biggest problem we had was that the power kept cutting out. They do not have the power capacity for the number of sites they have. That meant not being able to run the A/C during the 100 degree day.

This might not be a problem, except we're paying for that power in our nightly rate and they really nickel-and-dime you in other ways. For example, my father-in-law (who lives 10 minutes from the campground) came and visited us for an hour. He had to pay $5 for parking. If we would've had 4 people staying, he would've had to pay an additional $5 to get into the park. I realize there are probably people who take advantage of liberal policies on visits, but charging family members $5 for a 1-hour visit is beyond ridiculous.

On top of that, we had a very noisy neighbor. They ran their stereo at very high volumes, had a dog that barked constantly and the staff did nothing about it.

The staff does not wear any type of uniform, so you have no idea who works there and who doesn't. That's really convenient for the staff, but inconvenient for paying campers who might need help from the staff in one way or another. - tylersdad

Folks were friendly, sites were fairly spacious. Some of the roads are gravel, and several had ruts. Cable is mostly analog, and snowy. WiFi is intermittent. Lots of trees and shade. We hit bottom getting into our site, but other than that, the site was fine. - ta96silver

Stayed in advance of the Strawberry Music Festival near Tuolumne, arriving on A Wednesday afternoon. First come-first served, envelope system for payment. Full hookups and wonderful water.

The upper RV sites are in shade and pretty level in an open, park-like setting. There were a few other campers nearby, all music festival attendees.

Fine place to camp: easily accessible off the highway and close to town for all our shopping needs in advance of a 4-day music event. - ReggieK

Open field camping with some shade in selected sites. Level and easy to maneuver for big rigs. Clean bathhouses. We had full hookups with 50 amp and partial shade. Perfectly good place to stay and convenient to the Sonora Twain Harte area. About an hour and 40 minute drive to Yosemite. Will stay here again. - lmg

Access to locked restrooms/showers is by keypad. If you arrive when the office is closed, there may not be anyone there to give you the code, and there is no phone number to call. Campground host was not there the whole weekend we stayed, but the maintenance crew happened to be working Sat. morning, and they were able to help. (We were told by another camper that the host hadn't been there during his previous visit either.) We called the next time we planned to stay to ask for the code or a phone number and were told to use the facilities in our RV. Won't stay there again despite it being a fairly nice and convenient place. - jlms