If you’re looking for a well kept campground with a lake for fishing, then check out my real life Rancho Seco Campground Review below.

About Rancho Seco Campground

Per the website, Rancho Seco Campground is located in a 400-acre park called the Rancho Seco Recreational Area and has both tent and RV campsites. It features a 160-acre lake (fed by the Folsom South Canal), bird watching, boating, camping, fishing, hiking and even a sanctuary for rescued exotic animals and wildlife. The area was acquired by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in 1992 and has developed into a scenic recreational area and wildlife refuge. 

Location

• Address: 14960 Twin Cities Road, Herald, CA 95638*
• Phone: (209) 748-2318
• Online Reservations: https://rockymountainrec.com/lake-facilities/listing/rancho-seco-recreational-area
• General Info: https://www.smud.org/en/In-Our-Community/Visit-our-Recreational-Areas/Rancho-Seco
• Open all year
• Pets allowed, extra fee
• You’ll want to call the campground to verify all information.

*Note, the address above is not the exact location for the Rancho Seco Recreational Area entrance. It is actually before the point designated on the map below. There is a sign at the entrance, you can’t miss it, see picture above from Google Maps.

Campsite Amenities

They offer both tent and RV campsites. Call the campground to verify all amenities that are important to you. The online registration system has a map of the campground, see link provided above.

RV campsites amenities:

• Water and electricity hook ups, no sewer*
• Fire pits
• Barbeque grill
• Picnic table
• Rock/gravel surface
• Some campsites are spaced out, some are right next to each other
• Some have trees, some don’t
• Our campsite had a garbage can and it was emptied daily

*Campground does have a dump station near the campground office.

Tip – We were visited by racoons at our campsite, so you’ll want to keep your garbage secured. We had a round metal trash can at our campsite.

Campground Amenities

Call the campground to verify all amenities that are important to you.

• Car/day use
• Paved roads
• Dump station
• Office where you can buy firewood
• Store (limited hours)
• Lake with parking lots, picnic benches, benches, portable bathrooms
• Public bathrooms
• Swimming beach
• Picnic areas
• Fishing (Check out my fishing review)
• Hiking
• Wildlife viewing
• Boating
  • Boat launch (gas motors not allowed)
  • Kayak rental
  • Paddle board rental
  • Pedal boat rental

My Thoughts

I like the campground because it is open all year, close to Sacramento, an easy drive (flat straight roads), has paved streets, well kept, plenty of clean brick-and-mortar bathrooms, has a swimming beach, and has easy fishing (requires fishing permits, call campground for more information) for the kids. Check out my Rancho Seco Fishing & Beach Review.

The RV campsites are level and the gravel/rocks appeared to be newer to me. They may add more gravel/rocks periodically. The campsites that we like are spaced out, but they have sites that are close together too in case you are camping with friends. Note, you do need to make sure your garbage is secure because sometimes racoons will visit. They had a round metal trash can at our campsite.

We had cows visit us on our last camping trip to Rancho Seco, kids got a kick out of seeing them up close.

During the summer, my kids enjoy visiting the swimming beach after fishing, see picture below. The swimming beach located at the south-eastern side of the lake near the group picnic areas. Group picnic sites can be reserved for 50 or more people; smaller covered picnic pavilions may also be reserved for groups fewer than 50 people. You’ll want to bring your own camping chairs and a cart to carry everything to the beach as the parking lot is a short walk to the beach.

I hope you enjoyed my Rancho Seco Campground Review, happy camping!

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