Calling this a "resort" is a bit of a stretch, maybe it was in the 50's. However, this is a beautiful campground with many activities for kids, as mentioned by others. This is not the best place to camp if hookups and a level site are important to you. Even though we paid for full hookups, our sewer lines and water line couldn't reach. We only had electricity because we carry an extension cord. The location of the hookups is not ideal for most rigs. Also, unless you enjoy camping on top of your neighbors, stay away from the B-loop, sites B1-B5. This is a perfect campground for those in tents or with small RVs who enjoy quiet. The campground is patrolled in the evening to enforce the quiet policy. There are also daytime patrols by very helpful people who also kept the campground, including the restrooms, clean. The showers, sinks, toilets, and laundry machines are very clean, but the floors are muddy, to be expected. In addition to the rather high price ($40) its $2 extra per night for each pet and $3 per night for a fire ring, which is required if you want a campfire (you can bring your own). Also, campers are given wristbands to wear, something I've never encountered at any other campground. If arriving with a big rig, drive directly into the campground and then unhitch (or walk) to the office as there is no place for large rigs to park or turn around at the office parking area. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Lake Francis resort is operated by a non profit organization that benefits foster kids. It is a fairly well maintained park, with a restaurant, ice cream parlor, and small store. The lake is about a 10 minute walk from the campground, but there are several trails by the sites. Unfortunately, most of the sites are not level, and some are down right steep. There is no WiFi and very spotty cell phone service, which makes this is a great place to go if you want to get away from it all. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here over the 4rth of July weekend and there were lots of fun activities including: relay races, wine tasting, smores, band playing,ice cream parlor, ping pong, pool, wall climbing. The staff was friendly and the camp coordinators were really enthusiastic about the activities and would drive by and remind the campers about the upcoming activities of the night. The downside of the park is that all the activities including the pool, lake, general store were all the act are about a 10-15 min walk from the campsite and is pretty steep. Also the site we stayed in was pretty tight and narrow - we were not able to lounge in front of our awning, however there are a number of sites that are roomier. In addition, the water pressure was not very strong. We ended up having to use our water pump to get enough water pressure for a decent shower. The campsite has a nice woodsy feeling to it - lots of surrounding redwoods, but the campsite itself has some pretty steep hills and is not ideal for bike riding or scooters. We would return if we were able to get a better RV site. We camped here in a Motorhome.
The entrance to the campground is on the right with the office, store, pool and “village” down the road 1/4 mile and on the left. The lake is small, quiet and peaceful. There are tall trees, and the resort is free from garbage and loud raucous crowds. I expected greater things based on the previous reviews here and we were a bit disappointed although not totally unsatisfied. The park is not really big rig friendly as there are only a few pull thrus that are cut into the dirt on a slope. There are only a few spots that would accommodate our 34’ 5er and even those are very close together. We were in B3 and had we had a neighbor on our door side we wouldn’t have been able to have our awning out and if they had slides we’d have 2.5 ft of room between their rig and our pad. There isn’t much grass between sites...mostly dirt. We arrived and went to the office and were sent to the campground. We went to the campground and were sent back to the office to register. Not very organized considering we’re towing a large 5th wheel driving in circles. The 20 feet of sewer hose we brought didn’t reach our outlet and we had to find a hardware store to buy more. The bathrooms were nice and clean with lots of hot water which was good because the water pressure in our trailer was a dribble. There is a nice swimming area on the lake with grass and boat rentals. There is also a restaurant that we did not eat at. It was too cool to swim, but the pool looked great even though it is a ways from the campground itself and I love that toddlers are allowed with swim diapers. There was a huge grassy field with areas for softball, soccer and a small playground as well. There are nice paths to walk along the lake. There is no Wi-Fi. This park has a nice setting and lots of activities, but few spots that can accommodate our length trailer with 3 slides. We would go back, but only if one of the few larger, nicer sites was available. With some capital investment to improve the park, this would score higher for us as a future destination. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Nice park in a beautiful treed setting. Perfect for families as there are lots of amenities for kids of all ages. Nice pool area and a really cute little old west "town" with a saloon, store, eatery, and arcade. Sites were not huge but were set up nicely for decent privacy. Good fishing lake has swim beach and boat rentals (only non-motorized boats allowed on lake). Owners are GREAT! I'd highly recommend this park. Only the lack of internet keeps it from being a 10. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed at Lake Francis RV Park in August 2006. I made reservations over the internet and then followed up with phone calls. The staff there were very nice and answered all of our questions. We got there in the evening, at around 7PM. Their office was already closed, but some of the staff live at the park so there was immediate help when we arrived. He showed us our spot and got firewood and a fire ring. The next morning we checked in. As before, everyone in the office was super nice. We stayed there for 10 days and over the weekend the park filled up. During the week there were only a couple of RVs left. Even during the busy weekend, at 10PM all was quiet at the park. Our spot was surrounded by trees and it is a 3 minute walk down to the lake. The lake itself is absolutely beautiful. Since there are no powerboats or jet skis allowed, it is super quiet. There were grill stations right by the lake and we had some wonderful evening meals down there. Right across from the beach is the office and a restaurant and an activity area for kids. All is very well kept. We had our dog with us and it is a wonderful place to take a nice long walk. I used their laundry facility and it was great. Very clean!!!!! The restrooms and showers are cleaned twice a day and they were always clean. If you have family that do not have a motorhome, there are cabins throughout the park that can be rented. Since we towed our car we went on day trips to the surrounding area. We are definitely coming back. I do not have any complaints about this place. The staff at Lake Francis go out of their way to service you. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
May 2006
$27
Beautiful place to camp in the foothills. Sites are close but very large pine trees help to break them up some. Very quiet at night. Great fishing as well as beach/lake activities including non-motorized boat rentals. This campground has free, clean, hot showers which we took full advantage of. Staff drives around at all times of the day in golf cart to check on things. Be sure to eat at least one time at The Palace Restaurant. Great burgers. This resort is a definite repeater for us in the future. They offer AAA and Good Sam discounts so be sure to include that in your reservation. Two dollars extra per night for each pet. Friendliest staff we've come across in a while. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This was one of the BEST camping / rv-ing trips ever! We camped here on Memorial Day Weekend 2005. The entire resort was geared toward families. There were tons of kids activities, a rock wall, contests, campfire stories, a live band, and much much more. They have the same things going on for the 4th of July weekend and Labor Day weekend. Sites go fast. We booked one of the last remaining sites for Labor Day weekend today. Check out the website, they show a lot of the fun activities on there. We will be coming back for years to come!! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We spent more time at the little town than we did at our RV. Town is a short walk on dirt trail. Kids LOVED it! Sites are a little small but not as small as some places we've been. I would highly recommend this campground for people with kids. Even if you don't have kids, the actual campground is almost empty (of people) because all the kids are down at the town playing. We have 30ft 5th wheel and we wouldn't want to go down the Lakefront Loop. Best spots for larger rigs (with hookups) are B1-B18. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$25
Nice shady campsites, many paved with good access. Resort includes access to private lake, but no lake front sites are available. Plenty of things for the kids to do. Somewhat crowded on holiday weekends. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.