Wayne L.doesn't recommendOctober 13, 2024
Hike in Group Site
Be informed
We were in a bind one weekend because our original group campsite wasn’t available as the park was closed due to a brush fire, so we were grateful that Molly responded relatively quickly. When we arrived at our estimated time she was not available to greet us and open the gate as originally planned (car troubles?) and showed up maybe 6 hours later (midnight-ish) - a volunteer onsite opened the gate for us instead but didn’t know much about the site so couldn’t answer our questions with certainty.
The listing says wagons available but there is only one wagon available, another only has three of four wheels and another is just the frame so it can’t carry much. There are rocks on the trail going to the site so the wagon kept falling over.
The area we were directed to smelled terrible bc of the dry toilet and was located on a slope. We moved even farther to set up camp. Afterwards, one group discovered that there were fire ants all over their belongings and was forced to just pack up and leave in the middle of the night. Of 4 remaining tents, 2 woke also with fire ants inside and everyone packed and left.
Although you walk a fair amount in to the “campsite” it is just their grassy backyard that actually is right next to a road, so we were woken up multiple times by cars driving by. There is no clearing and there are foxtails everywhere, so it’s not good for dogs at all.
We were all exhausted and communicated after but weren’t refunded the second night.
Sarah W.recommendsSeptember 1, 2024
Frog Pond Hike in Tent Site
Great for camping with dogs
We camped here at the end of August. The land is beautiful and very secluded. There is only one other campsite in eye sight and it’s still quite far and it feels private. We brought our 3 dogs (one of which is a barker) and they hardly noticed the other group. Molly is great. Her and her family live on the property as well and they were all very kind and accommodating. It was extremely hot the weekend that we stayed and they invited our family to swim with them to escape the heat. There is a cute little restaurant on the property that is open for lunch however we didn’t get a chance to try it other than to order a few cold drinks. This place is definitely worth checking out! I recommend visiting fall or spring to avoid the summer heat.
Catherine A.recommendsAugust 11, 2024
Frog Pond Hike in Tent Site
Peaceful campsite for Perseid show
My husband and I scored tickets to one of the "Music of the Spheres" concert nights at Lick Observatory and were happy to find this campsite about 30 minutes away. (It's a good hour and a half from the Observatory back to home, and that seemed like a lot in the middle of the night.) Bonus, it was the weekend of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower! We can't see meteors well at our house due to city light pollution and fog, but the campsite is located in a spot that is quite dark in comparison, and we did see some great fireballs shoot across the sky. The site we were in is in sight of Mines Road, but it still felt pretty secluded and was quiet all night and into the early morning. We were able to see or hear some wildlife around the campsite, too. Cottontail bunnies, a jackrabbit, a California toad, raptors, and heard owls and coyotes in the distance. Molly and her partner were very personable and accommodating in working with us with our initial arrival time and our middle of the night return from the observatory. We also enjoyed being able to take advantage of their cafe for brunch after we packed up our site. I had a good fried egg sandwich with avocado, and my husband was happy with his BLT. What you shouldn't miss, though, is the house made strawberry lemonade! So good on a hot day.