Flying with Four loves all types of travel especially outdoors, hiking, adventure and camping. This is our second year heading up to Coloma Resort and once again it did not disappoint. Coloma Resort is located in Coloma, about 50 miles northeast of Sacramento and 62 miles west of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California. The weather can be HOT in the foothills during the summer months, but with some campsites located directly on the river, you can post up with the kids and enjoy the cool and refreshing waters of the American River. And even better they have a pool on site as well! We spent 3 nights/4 days camping at the resort and wished we could have stayed longer. Or maybe I was just secretly dreading the ridiculous amount of laundry that would be waiting for me once I got home (#momlife).
Coloma Resort has something for every type of outdoor enthusiast. Not into sleeping in a tent?! NO PROBLEM. That is the awesome thing about this resort. It has RV sites, traditional camping sites, bunk houses and CABINS!!!! You literally can feel like you are camping, without sleeping in a tent. Last year, with a crazy heat wave, and a newborn baby, Dave had basically decided we were canceling our camping trip. The temperatures were expected to hit 110 degrees. I was completely bummed about the idea of canceling our trip. BUT – I was so fortunate to be able to change our camping reservations to bunk house reservations. We weren’t able to get one of the cabins, but we were able to reserve a bunk house on the upper part of the resort. The bunk house is a simple design (this one had A/C), a private bathroom, running water and electricity and a ton of bunk beds. My kids thought it was the coolest thing ever. It was a perfect way to escape the heat at night and each day during nap time for my little ones. Each bunk house also comes with a covered area, a picnic table and a fire pit. Here is a picture of our bunk house #407 and all of our stuff, because we are camping and we have four kids! This year, we opted for a RV camping site (even though we are just TENT campers), because we wanted to be on a site right along the river. Camping sites 57, 58, 59, and 60 were prime property! They had wonderful shade from the trees, easy access to the river, located close to the showers and bathrooms (which were so clean!!), and just a walk away from the park and swimming pool areas.
In 2017, we opted to stay in one of the bunk houses at Coloma Resort. It was a great escape with A/C from the record breaking heat – especially with a newborn!
Here are Flying with Four’s Favorites about Coloma Resort:
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- Easy drive. Our oldest gets carsick (often) which makes me hyper aware of the drive time and the turns of locations. This is an easy drive up the 50 towards South Lake Tahoe. Once you exit the freeway it is a quick drive to the resort. Some turns back and forth – but not too bad even for the worst carsick kids.
- Clean. The grounds and facilities are beautfully kept. I personally saw employees raking the camping sites after one of our neighboring campers checked out. The bathrooms and showers were cleaned daily and were always fully stocked with soap, paper towels, and toilet paper.
- The river. There is something magical about water, especially a river. There is a calming effect that occurs when you are sitting there and you can hear the river rapids right from your campsite. The kids are able to play in the banks of the river, the parents (and kids) can float down the river in tubes, and babies can splash in the water to cool down. There are ample spots to fish, pan for gold, and skip rocks. If you are feeling up to it you can also book a river rafting trip down the south fork of the American River. ***We have not done this with our kids yet because of their ages, but we have done this as a parent get away! Rafting companies in the area offer half day, full day, and even overnight rafting expeditions.
- The location. Who wouldn’t want to be camping along a gorgeous river…but it also is directly across the street from the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park
- The amenities. Coloma Resort has a pool, parks, plenty of space for riding bikes, offers ice cream socials and music on Saturday nights during the summer…what more could a kid ask for!?
- Sleeping options. Like stated before. Coloma Resort has something for everyone. RV sites, bunkhouses, cabins, and traditional tent sites. My husband would like to rent a cabin next year (South Fork Cabin we are coming for you!) just so we can experience the cabin life at Coloma.
- The Argonaut Farm to Fork Cafe. Thats right. Coloma Resort has the cutest little cafe located just across the bridge of the resort. It has all your breakfast needs (avocado toast lovers unite), lunch and farm to fork dinners (served on Friday and Saturday nights).
When we camp with our kids, we don’t over plan anything! We actually try not to plan anything (excepts our meals!). Camping is a time to set up camp, relax, and let the kids roam the campgrounds (read: bicycles, playing in dirt, exploring). Camping with an infant does take away from the relaxation element, but I would rather go with a baby, then miss out on the opportunity. If you haven’t gone camping before, or are overwhelmed by the idea of it, I highly recommend trying out Coloma Resort. It’s a beautiful, family-friendly atmosphere in a wonderful location.
