Petaluma Lake Area Campsites

This is our first time staying here and it is absolutely fantastic. Checking in was very easy and since the sites are all pull-through, parking was a breeze. All six sites have 30 amp service and water. The dump station is about a half-mile from the park. If you want quiet and dark, this is the place to be. We visited Petaluma, Point Reyes National Seashore and Bodega Bay while we were here and had family visit us as well. Getting someone on base is very no problem. Just call the main gate and tell them who is coming and when. Make sure your visitors have driver’s licenses, vehicle registration and proof of insurance. There is gas (no diesel) on base, a small exchange, barber shop and a mini-market. The gym is great. The movie theater is open every evening as well. You and your guests can eat in the Galley for all meals. The noon meal during the week has limited hours for retirees; 12:15-12:30. Friday is seafood day and it is a feast. When we got in they were out of crab but there was some huge peel-and-eat shrimp (some fried too), fried calamari, grilled Ahi tuna and jambalaya. The salad bar is wonderful as well. Both of us ate that meal for $6.50 and I think you can eat breakfast for under $3.00. The only negative is if the wind is blowing in the right direction, you will know that there are neighboring dairies. Nuff said. We will be back!

Small, quiet and beautiful campground and the only improvements would be the addition of sewer at the sites and a laundry somewhere on base. All staff were wonderful and the galley was great.

G.W. left this review using the Directory software: Ditto to all the great comments on this site. This is a wonderful quite site with lots of walking trails. Makes me proud I'm a retired Coastie.

Don't miss this campground! Although only 6 RV pads, the campsite is beautiful; the on-base facilities are excellent -- very guest-friendly. Jason, in charge of the library, has a huge collection of DVD movies, well organized. The lower rating on hospitality was from a brusk reception for me and others awaiting help when we went to resolve a routine Tricare matter. The rest of the experience was a "5". Petaluma is an excellent base from which to visit the dramatic, beautiful seashore and hundreds of California's best wineries. We were sorry that our plans only allowed us to stay a five days.

S.R. left this review using the Directory software: What a fantastic deal. Super large sites, so big that you could put a couple rigs in each designated site if necessary. Beautiful views of the lake and the surrounding hills. More small bases need to model after this one.

This is the way to run a FamCamp. Boy were we surprised how nice this gem of a campground was. We had traveled for almost 3 weeks when we got here for our last week of leave, and what a way to end our trip. One word, RELAXING! A charming little base with good amenities for such a small place. I don't know what the Coast Guard is doing, but the Navy and Air Force could learn a LOT from these young men and women. We were routinely greeted and welcomed everywhere we went. From the great gym, to the nice movie house, to the awesome galley. Breakfast for 2.40, dinner from 3.85, and the food was EXCELLENT. They are family friendly and all are welcome to eat there. Contrary to the other comments, the seafood buffet was delectable, equal to a 5 star restaurant in Chicago. I must admit, we were able to get in right away, so the food wasn't gone. Our retired "friends" weren't let in until almost the end. By then, I had consumed 6 LARGE crab legs that were dynamite, a pound of large pacific shrimp, and an awesome fillet of sea bass. We hated to leave, and at 16 a night, this is value. The only drawback was no sewer at the site. They have wild blackberries all over the place. We picked enough to make an awesome pie, and plenty for our ice cream too. The lake is nice, the trees smell great, and deer walk all over the place. They have a free RV/car wash site on the old helo pad too! Overall, it was THE BEST military campground we have ever stayed at. We will be back as soon as we can. Pt. MuGu and Fairways at NBVC could learn a lot with a stay here. A hearty ooh-rah to this base and it's fine staff and CO. Thanks!

New directions when entering the base and getting to the campground:
Take Washington Street exit off US 101, proceed west through the City of Petaluma. After passing the Chamber of Commerce building on the right, continue 8 miles (Washington Street will become Bodega Avenue). Follow the Coast Guard signs and turn left onto Tomales Road. A flashing amber light marks the main gate. Turn left through the main gate and immediately turn right and go around the building. Stop at the gate for an extensive interview with the gate guards. When directed to leave the gate area, turn right and go straight on Pennsylvania Avenue. Park at the helo pad on the left past the gym since there is no big rig parking permitted in the gym area. Stop at the Gym on the left to check-in with Rob or Roy. Proceed down the hill on Colorado Avenue until you get to the last right turn. Turn right until you get to the dead end and turn left. You will see the lake on your left. Campground is past the lake on the left. --- You can no longer preceed on Pennsylvania through the housing area to get to the campground.

Stopped by to look around and update the information. Pleasantly surprised! Nice, pretty, and quiet campground! Looks like a GREAT place to relax and enjoy the local area. Very nice base with small, but adequate facilities. Based on previous reviews, we had Friday lunch at the dining facility. Good, but we weren't impressed. Retirees have to wait until 15 minutes before closing before they can enter to eat. By the time we got in, the clam chowder and the cold seafood bar was empty and wasn't refilled. We enjoyed a good shrimp lunch.

Located near wine country, the famcamp was a good location to hang out and explore the area. There are only 6 sites, W/E only - dump station is back towards the main base along side the road. There are plenty of nice walking trails, including trails to the main part of the base. No BX/Commissary to speak of, but there is a mini-mart and small CG exchange. Theater has movies every night, and retirees are allowed to use the dining hall. Nice, quiet famcamp - we would stay again.

No sewer connection, showers at base gym, a mile or so.