Petaluma Lake Area Campsites

Retired mil cannot use dining hall at this time. Dump site is near sewage treatment facility

We pulled into this small (no kidding, 6 sites!) park on New Years Day and had only two neighbors. By the end of the week, we had the park all to ourselves. This is one of those hidden gems that would be oversubscribed if it were too perfect. By that, I mean the absence of sewer hookups makes this park just inconvenient enough to keep out the long-term'ers and other less-mobile travelers. For our nimble crew, a few runs down the road to the dump station wasn't so bad... got pretty good at the rapid hookup by the end of the week! Speaking of hookups, I'll echo others' feedback: the hookups are on the wrong side. This seems like a silly design error that could have and still should be quickly remedied, but alas current state is such that the electric/water/cable post is on the side facing away from the road. This means that if you want your door to open onto the scenic views of green pastures and hills you have to run your utilities out and under your rig to the opposite side and incorporate that wired mess into your porch ambiance. We opted instead to face our door to the small roundabout road that makes up the donut-shaped park, made more acceptable by the fact that we also took the one 50A site which abuts the children's playground. Perfect for our small family and our rig that has large roadside windows that we can watch the kiddo play through. Were that not the case or were we more interested in the pasture views, we probably would have done the undercarriage routing. Regarding that 50A service, it worked until it didn't. On day 3, after our first dump run, we plugged back in and found it to be intermittent. After being woken up at 1am by the low battery alarm, we flipped over to 30A and rode out the rest of the trip there. Will report the issue on our way out, but frankly if you're the 50A-or-bust type than his probably isn't the place for you anyway (because you probably need sewer for your dish washer, clothes washer, water feature, lap pool, etc.). Each site is outfitted with a fire pit, picnic tables, and a trash can that's emptied every couple days by the facilities folk. Again, these amenities are on the same side as your utilities pole, so in our case they're on the backside of our trailer and not widely utilized. Still a nice feature, especially that trash can which removes one logistical hurdle in exchange for the lack of sewer. There is also a detached bathroom across the street at the Teen Center / Boys & Girls Club with toilets and sinks; nothing to write home about, but a good backup should you need an extra toilet (or somewhere to dump your liquids from a composting toilet, as is our case). The aforementioned kids playground is also a great feature for families of that age, and in these COVID times we were happy to see that it's sanitized daily by the facilities team. The park is frequented by the local childcare facilities, so our nomadic kiddo had others to play with which was nice. Lastly, some decent trails bring you from the campground around the "lakes" (manmade ponds) and around a small but scenic base. There's a decent coffee shop on base, as well as a pizza joint that we defaulted to one late night. Otherwise you're 15 minutes from Petaluma and all that great town has to offer in terms of dining, services, and entertainment. 20 minutes in the other direction gets you to Tomales and Bodega Bay, beaches and cute beach shops, and some fantastic seafood places. We didn't make it to the wineries, but those are a similar distance to the northeast and make this place a perfect adult getaway. All in all we're very happy we came to TRACEN. It's everything you could want without the crowds!

We are going to use this campground in a couple of weeks. We went to the base to check it out. The base security were very helpful and had no problems with the VA health ID and the background check. They told me to check-in with the folks at the MRW office. The folks there were a delight to talk with and knew the ins and outs of the new system and what was available to us. They gave us all sorts of flyers with a ton of info on them about different programs. The camp ground is in a nice area and very open and spread out. They have 6 spots and a nice pad to park your rig. The dump area by the sewer treatment plant is easy to get to but be aware of which side your sewer hook ups are on. You might have to turn around to put them on the right side. We are looking fwd to staying here and checking out the base.

We are new to RVing so I do not have a lot of experiences to compare this trip to. We enjoyed the park very much. It is quiet and the spaces are very spacious. There are only 6 spots, but they could have made double that amount. If you have younger children with you there is a really nice playground with and a horse shoe pit. Bring your own horse shoes. The lake is small and some might call it more of a pond. The Canadian Geese have taken it over so there is a lot of goose poop around it. Walk carefully. I also might add for those of you who do not know the area that This is pretty common in this part of the state. Those geese are everywhere. Each site has a nice fire pit and a table. Make sure to bring your own wood as there was none available on the base. The exchange is small and there is no commissary. The gym is nice and there is a nice coffee/sandwich shop with good hours. Religious services are available on Sunday. The base theater has new movies but you do have to pay. $4.00 per adult. (still a bargain in today's world). There are lots of trails on the base. This would be a good place to run, walk or ride a bike. We were able to use the dump station. Everything was in working order. Make sure to check the hours of the MWR desk. They close at 1:00 on Saturday and do not open again until 1:00 on Sunday. You need to check in or out with them, so make sure to make arrangements if you will not be there during that time frame. We will be returning. A really great experience.

Great little campground in a central location for touring Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, Petaluma, and the Sonoma Coast. The base is a spotless garden, very quiet with small but nice facilities. RV sites are large and come with picnic tables, fire pits, water & electric and nice views. The bathroom is across the road, small and clean but without showers. Showers are available at the gym. Note for 2014 the dump station is closed, no date for re-opening was given so come empty and be prepared to drive to the KOA if you need to empty your tanks.

"Off the beaten path", but if you're looking for a quiet facility in a pastoral setting, this is it. You're about 18 miles from Bodega Bay and 10 miles from Petaluma where there are nice restaurants and shopping. We came here in the worst rainstorm California has had in months, but set our rig up easily and were glad the sites are paved. Some bad news: If you camp in site #1, be aware that the fronds and small branches from the nearest trees will blow off during a wind/rainstorm and sometimes pelt your rig. We also discovered that the base dump site is closed due to some major renovations on the base, so you will have to go back into Petaluma to a Union 76 station or a KOA campground and pay to dump. Some good news - the Base theater is nice and there is a nice coffee shop in the Hub where you register for your campsite. Also, the dining hall is open to retirees - you can pick up a weekly menu at registration but you have to ask. You can also pick up the discounted 3 day Park Hopper passes for Disneyland at the Hub.

Six large sites (our pad was about 30 by 70) with lots of grass (mostly brown when we were there, but it was autumn) and trees nearby. Water and electric at sites. Bathroom (one-seater each for men and women) was very shabby but everything worked. No showers. Picnic tables, playground equipment and a pretty lake nearby. Lovely pastoral setting; saw horses, cows, deer and wild turkeys. Everyone we dealt with was helpful and professional, especially Jason. We had just paid $33 for a spot with no hook ups at a nearby CA state park, so $20 here was a bargain. Overall, very nice!

What a great little place! If you are so fussy about hookups being on the wrong side of the sites and having to dump at a site on the wrong side of the road stay away and leave this beautiful site for those of us who enjoy the quiet rural scene. My grandchildren love it here and I feel safe letting them bike and hike around the base. At $20 I feel it is priced right, especially considering what some "famcamps" charge to park in what I consider to be parking lots jammed in with your neighbors. The Coasties have done a wonderful job creating this really neat campground.

We stayed here on 23 and 24 February 13. Some might disagree but experience at military camps says this one is not worth the price. No sewer, except a dumpsite a good ways away. The utilities are on the wrong side of the trailer if you want your door to open to the side with the grass and table. The dumpsite is on the wrong side of the road to access it properly. You have to turn your whole rig around in a parking lot to access it properly and still you are parked on the left side of the road to use it. There are no showers at the park. The restrooms are not heated. As said before, there is goose poop everywhere. The CATV only works if you have a digital TV. Over seventy five percent of RVers have rigs older than 2008 when they started putting in digital TVs. The fellow at MWR is very friendly and thinks they have the latest and greatest but he doesn’t have a clue. He tried to compare them to KOA but there is no real comparison. KOA charges more but they offer much more too. The only redeeming feature is that the Wi-Fi does work pretty good. No way I will go off the road that far for so little again.

While not exactly close to San Francisco it was perfect for what we needed. There are six spots in a horseshoe that were plenty big enough for my motorhome and trailer with space left over to park the car and motorcycle. The staff at the MWR were very friendly and competent. I will stay here again if in the area.

This was our second stop with our new trailer and our second time here. The woman who checked us in this time was a bit rude at first. But after a bit of joking with her she opened up. I still prefer this family camp to the others we have been at. This is a RURAL base set amongst many dairies. If you can’t handle the “smell” of live stock in the area then go to Travis. This is a perfect spot for families with children. There’s the playground area which was perfect for our now 28 mo old granddaughter. The free movies on Friday night are also a plus. The library has a wonderful area for young children to sit and read or be read to. You can take a book to read (bring back of course). You can swim in the pool, fish in the pond, play volleyball in the sand or horseshoes. Once the gym is finished you can shower there and you will be able to rent bikes and some other equipment. The kids from base housing are very polite and helpful. Since school is out they are there every day for a couple of hours. There are kids of all ages to play with. If kids bother you Travis might be a better fit. It’s sterile and does have everything you would need. It's about 50 miles to San Francisco, 20 miles to Bodega Bay or 55 miles to Travis. If you need diesel the cheapest is at Valero 910 Baywood Dr., Petaluma - they do charge more for credit but is still the cheapest. From North bound 101 take the 116 Sonoma/Napa exit stay in left lane to turn for fuel or right lane to take you to Washington St. Turn left at 1st intersection, station is on right. Base does not have diesel.

Welcomed by rudeness upon checkin at 1630 although closing for checkin not until 1900. Sites and view was beautiful once you got passed the smell of goose droppings all over. It was like walking in a mine field and the geese took us as invaders. The rolling hills and abundance of deer and turkey was nice but lack of facilities and the stench was a turn off. No wonder it was easy getting into the CG on a half days notice. Our companion campers were the only others there. The CG is very quiet and isolated near the rear gate. I don't consider it a good value at $20 a night for 30 amp, water and WIFI when there are no showers or laundry room. The entry into the base is fairly simple as long as you have a DOD sticker and ID, otherwise you will need to fill out paperwork and get a visitors pass. The seem to take security very serious, which is a good thing. Overall we did not enjoy the experience here and would not return by choice.

Absolutely beautiful little spot!!!

This was our 2nd visit here - we love the peace and quiet yet it's still w/in easy traveling distance to San Francisco. Be sure to enjoy one of the meals in the dining hall - a bargain at $2.30/pp for breakfast and $4.25/pp for lunch or dinner. The meals we had there were fabulous - you can't fix that feast yourself for that cost. One word of advice about getting your mail delivered there. The folks where we checked in weren't sure where it would be delivered but sent us to the base post office which has limited hours. When we caught up w/someone there, they told us mail for the famcamp guests goes to the mail room, which is right next door but is only open one hour a day during the week and not at all during the weekend - hard to catch if you want to be out and about sightseeing. Having laundry facilities nearby would be a major plus. Dump station on the wrong side of the road but you can turn around either in the gravel lot next to it or go down that road a bit and turn around in the large parking lot. Next time we are in the area, we'll definitely return.