Bothe-Napa Valley State Park

The young man at the gate on Friday when we checked in at around 2 pm was awesome! He told us that the campsite that we had reserved was VERY near the bathrooms (#40, in no way a bad thing, especially if you have a weak bladder) but that there were other sites available within walking distance of the facilities but not right up against it and then he highlighted other prime sites that were available for the whole weekend. Who else would go through all that effort! They also have firewood available for $ 10, a bundle of probably 5 – 6 thick, good burning logs. We ended up staying at site #47, it had a slight slope, great access to everything, and right along the stream and you can hear it at night, very faintly if you want a relaxing sound to fall asleep to. There are trash and recycle bins available, so PLEASE throw away your trash, do not leave stuff on the trail or around the sites. We also saw a couple walking around the sites to plan their visit with their trailer for next month. I highly suggest if you have any big vehicles, to come visit and make sure you’ll be able to fit. I’m sure they can also help you over the phone. We saw all matter of automobiles, from sedans, campervans and huge RVs. We also still had reception (Verizon, AT&T and Cricket). The restrooms have outlets for hairdryers and other tech. I have to say they’re way cleaner than other state park restrooms, just bring flip flops or shower shoes to do anything.

Stayed in a yurt early in February. It was huge — double or queen sized bed and four single cots. Very basic and very clean. Because of the size it was pretty chilly but that was out fault for being unprepared (a tent would’ve warmed up with body heat!). Bathrooms were clean and there are pay showers. Beautiful park, close to the town of Calistoga and all its sights. We’ll be back.

I’d actually give this place a 2.5. We booked a yurt because it showed to be what was a available online, not sure how since upon arrival it was pretty dead. There is not restrooms (ok they had gross portable potties that coincidently said serviced that day but no antibacterial stocked) and showers anywhere near the yurts, I’d figure since these spots cost more that closer amenities would have been a given. Also only one water spout in the area and it was next to one of the permeant tenant houses. There is a dirty just thrown outside to rot washer and dryer set to look at in this magical outdoors environment. Oh wait did I mention I could hear and SEE the traffic from highway 29 from our site? Pool only open to the public on the weekends but some how there were people in there on a Wednesday but we weren’t allowed. Over all I would never stay here again. I’d only recommend it if you were going to stop and pretty much sleep then take off first thing in the morning. Not for family camping at all.

What a Napa Valley gem! I always wanted to stay in a yurt. The large yurts are spacious in a manzanita chaparral forest. The magic sounds of the natural residents were delightful. I heard two spotted owls at night with two different tones and bat screeches at night, as well as coyotes howling off in the distance, and woodpeckers and chickadees in the morning. Bothe is such a great way to enjoy the Napa and Calistoga areas with the added bonus of saving a lot of hard earned cash because glamping is far more affordable than lodging at inns, spa bungalows, and the like. If you enjoy nature and going wine tasting, or just want to splurge on yourself at spas, this is a great option.

Bothe-​Napa Valley State Park is one of two state parks in Napa County (the other is Mt. St. Helena/​Robert Louis Stevenson) It’s a place of quiet, among the redwoods, despite being beside Highway 29. The place has an eerie feeling to it, even in the daytime. It’s where Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who erected the phallic Coit Tower in honor of firemen, vacationed with her family; in a sad irony, her resort burnt down here at the park the year she died. The «Hitchcock Site» is off the Redwood Trail. Natural springs feed the public pools.
Pros–
The ranger at the entrance kiosk is friendly and helpful.
It’s a place of quiet in the woods.
People are going to the trouble to restore the historic cabins, the pioneer cemetery, and the dilapidated Visitors’ Center.
The Native American garden is interesting, wonderfully fragrant.
The cemetery that’s being restored feels very eerie… amazingly, its last burial was in 1988.
The eerie site of the White Church, only its stone foundation remaining, which was the Napa Valley’s first church in the 1850s. Interestingly, the Willamette Mission outside Salem (Oregon) was also a Methodist church, and has a «ghost structure» since its former site is on private land.
Cons–
The Visitors’ Center is falling apart. Peeking inside, I could see an interesting (albeit creepy) taxidermy diorama with a gray fox (meh, I’ve seen livelier), a 3D map of Napa Valley geology. Thank goodness they’re working on it.
Lack of guidebooks/​pamphlets on the History&Native American plant Trails. The area has an interesting past, from the Coit/​Hitchcock family to Reason Tucker.
The trails don’t seem well-​maintained.
There are some abandoned, crumbling historic buildings on the grounds… including what looks like a Victorian mansion. The abandoned manse looks like it would be a worthy Halloween haunted house.
Bothe-​Napa Valley is an interesting snapshot of local history. Thankfully, there are dedicated people restoring this place.

We mainly went to check out the pool, but did drive around the campground too. Both were OK. The pool is a little close to the highway, be it on the other side of a fence. I could see going to use the pool again if I lived a little bit closer. The campground seems just like a bunch of small sites all along a single access road.

My husband and I really enjoyed hiking Bothe-​Napa State Park! We did the hike up to Coyote Peak and it was just enough to make us feel good about ourselves after the previous day’s eating and wine tasting sins. We spent maybe 4 hours hiking the loop and it was beautiful. The weather was just right. There are some sunny spots on the Coyote Trail but only for a minute or two.
Another group advised us that they saw a rattlesnake on one of the other trails, but that was not one we hiked, so always be on your guard!

This is a special area in the upper Napa Valley. The generally NE and N exposure keep it cooler in the afternoons during the Summer when much of the valley can be oppressively hot.
That said, it is a great place to picnic, camp, swim, hike.
The picnic tables a are tad dirty, they don’t get cleaned often, so no white pants! ;-)
The pool can be swarmed in the PM, so don’t expect a quiet scene. It’s lots of fun for kids and campers.
There are a couple hiking loops, one is a good length and challenge level where even athletic people would be satisfied.

I loved the hike that goes to the mill, passing by the grave site. I think it’s a little over 4 miles round trip. Make sure to do a tour at the Bale Grist Mill, it was really interesting! Mario our tour guide was awesome, really nice.
To learn more about the Bale Grist Mill, go to

I really like this campsite but would think twice about coming back here because of the mosquitoes. They were a huge problem. I’m not sure if it’s seasonal or not, but I’d definitely call to ask before reserving again.
We were in campsite 5, which has a nice pat

The hike before the wine/​gluttony makes you feel like you earned it a bit more. ;) Ample hiking, not too many trails, but I kinda liked that because there wasn’t the possibility of getting overwhelmed by choice.

It was eight dollars to hike for the day and was definitely worth it. There are a number of beautiful trails and great scenery. The path along the creek was awesome and I got a lot of nice pictures. There is a lot of poison oak as well, but it’s easy to avoid if you stay on the path. I will definitely revisit this park when I am back in the area.

This is one of the state parks that was to be closed due to State budget problems, but, thankfully was saved by the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District which took over mgmt in April 2002. This campground has almost 10 miles of trails, a swimming pool, a creek, a visitor center, Native American garden, and trail to a pioneer cemetery. There are 45 campsites, 10 yurts, and 9 walk-​in tent only sites. The walk in sites are close to the parking area, so you don’t have to lug your gear too far, but they are spaced far enough apart to feel secluded.
We camped here at the end of January, had beautiful weather, and the campground almost to ourselves. We biked to Sterling Winery to ride the tram and taste some wine. Two other wineries are within easy biking distance, but if you don’t want to bike you can arrange for the on-​call shuttle to Calistoga.
The only downer here, and the reason for the 4-​star rating, is the western black-​legged tick, which is common in the park. We spent our first night here drinking a bottle of Sterling Vineyards 2011 limited release anniversary blend while pulling ticks off our two dogs (we pulled off 9 total) and wondering how many ticks remained that we missed. For the rest of the trip we were very careful to keep our dogs away from the grass and bushes. But don’t let that keep you away, just be aware.

I really enjoyed this campground. It was just off the 29 but not close enough to hear the sound of traffic. We stayed at campsite #43, which was perfect for the two of us, but it could of easily accommodated more if needed. There was enough trees in between us and our two neighbors that we could still see their tents, but it didn’t feel as if they were super close. We saw poison oak but it wasn’t much of an issue. Just watch your step. Firewood is $ 8 per bundle (cash only). We managed with one bundle and a bag of charcoal for the 1.5 days we were here, but we would’ve been better off buying 2 – 3 bundles to keep the fire going longer.
Initially I was more concerned about mosquitoes, but after arriving I realized that wasps were a bigger issue — so I’d definitely suggest some wasp repellant as well. They disappeared after sun down but were back by the morning. There were so many in the area that we had to take the cooked food from the grill, and put it in the car so they couldn’t reach it. Using the mesh food cover net that I brought kept them off of it, but it just attracted more and more of them. After everything was done cooking, we grabbed it from the car and hid out in the tent to eat. There was no way we could have sat at the picnic table and enjoyed our food comfortably. Next time I will remember to bring an extra air tight container for the cooked food.
The bathrooms and shower were very well kept. Just remember to bring quarters to start the shower. I believe it was $ 1.00 for 3 minutes of hot water. I wouldnt recommend staying in campsites 38, 40, or 42 which are located right next to the bathrooms/​shower. There seemed to be no privacy at all for them, especially during night when having to use the restroom. I walked right at the edge of their campsite because I didn’t know where the actual path was (sorry guys!)
All in all, the wasps were the only issue but not enough to deter us from having a great time. I would definitely camp here again.

Nice place to go for a day hike. We stopped by the Visitor’s Center to learn about the recommended trails. We took the Redwood Trail to Coyote Peak Trail to South Fork Trail and back to Rictchey Canyon Trail. I wouldn’t recommend going up to the Coyote Peak Point since there wasn’t an overlook to the vineyards. It was about 3 hours of hiking. There were some inclines, and plenty of shaded areas.
There wasn’t a lot of people hiking, so that was nice.
There is an $ 8 fee for cars.