0
Pull-thru
USACEMendocino Lake · California
Chekaka Recreation Area Lake Mendocino
Overview Chekaka Recreation Area is situated on Lake Mendocino in California's Mendocino Range, where redwood forests meet wine country.
Sites241 reservable
Elev.801ft
Comf.n/a
Max rig43 ft
Electricnonesites
From Sacramento2h55real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
Sits at 801 ft. 24 sites total: 1 reservable and 23 first-come, first-served. Within about 4 miles: 20 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and cool nights. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Sacramento
131 mi
2h55
02
San Francisco
139 mi
3h05
03
Fresno
327 mi
7h16
04
Los Angeles
584 mi
12h59
05
San Diego
729 mi
16h12
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 1.1 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 24 SITES
Color byShow only
19 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
2
Accessible
0
Prime
24
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
618
Peaks
20
Viewpoints
1
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
1.1 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.