Mad River Campground

Six Rivers National Forest — lakeside, hiking

Location: Bridgeville, CA, CA

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

Mad River Campground is located on banks of its namesake river, about two miles south of Ruth Lake in the thickly forested mountains of northern California.The campground is situated on a bluff overlooking the river among a forested area of oak trees and evergreen shrubs. Portions of the campground are capped with tall Douglas fir trees, providing ample shade. The Six Rivers National Forest lies east of Eureka in northwestern California, stretching southward from the Oregon border for about 140

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/mad-river-campground to be notified when sites open up.

Mad River Campground offers quiet riverside camping in the thickly forested mountains of northern California with excellent fishing opportunities for trout and nearby water recreation at Ruth Lake. Google reviews consistently praise its peaceful atmosphere and solitude.

Wildlife alert: Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Green-winged Teal, Steller's Jay, American Goshawk, Northern Alligator Lizard, California Mountain Kingsnake, Western Fence Lizard

Insider tips for Mad River Campground: Book early—this is a federal campground with high demand Continue north on Hwy 101 past Zenia Road exit to avoid 2-hour delay on winding back roads Bring a self-contained RV—no hookups available at most sites

Skip Mad River Campground if: You need RV hookups (none available). You visit outside May-October (seasonal closure). You prefer staffed campgrounds (minimal on-site monitoring reported).

Best time to visit Mad River Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Fir Cove Campground (Bridgeville, CA), Forest Glen Guard Station (WEAVERVILLE, CA), Skunk Point Group Campground (Big Bar, CA), Hayden Flat Group Campground (Big Bar, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Mad River Campground

Cell signal at Mad River Campground (Bridgeville, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Six Rivers National Forest — lakeside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Mad River Campground

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Bridgeville, CA, CA★ 4 (0 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Mad River Campground is located on banks of its namesake river, about two miles south of Ruth Lake in the thickly forested mountains of northern California.The campground is situated on a bluff overlooking the river among a forested area of oak trees and evergreen shrubs. Portions of the campground are capped with tall Douglas fir trees, providing ample shade. The Six Rivers National Forest lies east of Eureka in northwestern California, stretching southward from the Oregon border for about 140 miles.

Best for:HikersFamiliesSites:RV
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
Max RV35 ft
HookupsNo hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
ADA sites7 sites
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic TablesBoat Launch
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups (none available)✕ You visit outside May-October (seasonal closure)✕ You prefer staffed campgrounds (minimal on-site monitoring reported)

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand

Continue north on Hwy 101 past Zenia Road exit to avoid 2-hour delay on winding back roads

Bring a self-contained RV

no hookups available at most sites

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Columbian Black-tailed Deer, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Green-winged Teal, Steller's Jay, American Goshawk, Northern Alligator Lizard, California Mountain Kingsnake, Western Fence Lizard

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
707-574-6233· Six Rivers National Forest
Getting there →

When traveling north on Hwy 101, do not turn off at the Zenia Road exit at Garberville. This will result in a 2-hour delay driving on winding back roads. Instead, continue north until you reach the Hwy 36 exit near Fortuna. Turn right, heading east for approximately an hour until you reach the town of Mad River. After you cross the bridge at the Mad River, look for the Mad River Road turn-off on the right. The sign will say Ruth Lake. Continue for 10 minutes to reach the Mad River Campground. If

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Six Rivers National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Six Rivers National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Mad River Campground cost per night?+
Mad River Campground costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What season is Mad River Campground open?+
Mad River Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Mad River Campground have hookups?+
No hookups. Suitable for self-contained RVs.
What is the maximum RV length at Mad River Campground?+
Mad River Campground can accommodate RVs up to 35 feet.
How do I make reservations at Mad River Campground?+
Mad River Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Mad River Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Mad River Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Mad River Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Mad River Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$20 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Mad River Campground cost per night?+
What season is Mad River Campground open?+
Does Mad River Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Fir Cove Campground

Bridgeville, CA

From $20/night

Forest Glen Guard Station

WEAVERVILLE, CA

From $75/night

Skunk Point Group Campground

Big Bar, CA

From $40/night

Hayden Flat Group Campground

Big Bar, CA

From $40/night

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