Though taking your rented Airstream to an ancient Redwood forest at Santa Cruz or near Big Sur is an experience that shouldn’t be missed, some folks prefer less hiking and more gourmet food and beverage type of experiences.  Then Petaluma/San Francisco North KOA is the RV park for you.  Situated about 40 miles north of the city, Petaluma KOA is the perfect place to stay if you want to visit Sonoma and Napa wineries, tour several breweries (including the famous Lagunitas Brewery), grab fresh oysters from local oyster farms, or eat your way through Northern California’s Cheese Trail.  This is the place for Airstream’in foodies.

But first a note about this amazing KOA, which sits on 70 acres of prime Marin County land.  One of the best things about this RV park is the multitude of pull-through sites.  In fact, the majority of them are pull-through so if you’re a novice to towing, you don’t have to stress about reversing into a tight spot.  Also, if you opt for the end sites, they come with wood swings and loungers (see picture above).  And each campsite comes with your own firepit.  The majority of the sites also come with full hook-ups so there’s no need to dry-camp here (though if you like the challenge of no hook-ups, they have some of those sites as well).

This RV park also has a variety of tiny homes you could comfortably stay in as well as tent camping sites.  There’s something for everyone here.

This KOA also has more activities for the whole family than most other RV parks.  There’s a petting zoo with some adorable goats (along with lamb and chickens).  There is a large pool with yellow cabanas, a 30-foot rockwall, a large bounce-pillow and a play ground for the kids, an expansive picnic area complete with charcoal grills, and a large dog park with obstacles.  You could easily spend several days at the park just enjoying their amenities.

But of course, part of the charm of staying at this KOA is to experience all the best that Marin County has to offer.  Here are some things you don’t want to miss when you’re here:

– Downtown Petaluma, which is just minutes from the RV park, has a plethora of small boutiques and restaurants.  If you’re big on antiques, there’s a lot of that here.  Otherwise check out Acre Coffee for your caffeine fix and Central Market for some of the freshest farm-to-table cuisine out there (they even have their own organic farm in Petaluma).  

– A short 30-minute drive west will take you to the California coastline.  Dillon Beach is a popular spot with some picnic benches and grills.  It’s also dog-friendly, so your well-behaved pooch can come with you to enjoy some surf and sand.  A little further north along the coastline is the town of Bodega Bay, which is also famous for their beach Bodega Head.

– Also in that neck of the woods are several oyster farms where you can purchase oysters straight from the sea (you can also take some to go and enjoy them at Dillon Beach).  Hog Island Oyster Farm is about 32 minutes from the RV park and Tomales Bay Oyster Company is about 38 minutes away.  If you like your oysters cooked for you (BBQ’d) then Nick’s Cove is even closer.

– If you want some wine to go with your oysters, then 30-minutes east of the KOA will take you to the famous wineries of Sonoma Valley.  There are just way too many to list here, but take a look at some of the top-ranked ones on tripadvisor.  If these aren’t enough for you, then Napa is just another 15 minutes away (Napa Valley Wineries on tripadvisor here).

– And if beer is more your style, then Lagunitas Brewing Company is a 5 minute drive.  Also clustered in that area are 101 North Brewing Company and Petaluma Hills Brewing Company.  And 15 minutes north of the KOA is the Russian River Brewing Company.

– If you’re a fan of cheese, then you will be in cheese heaven when you stay at the Petaluma KOA.  It is perfectly located so that you can enjoy a day of cheese-eating on the California Cheese Trail.  Plan out your cheese-trip using their handy trail map and you get to see these dairy farms and their cows up-close.

– And lastly, for adults there is the Graton Casino and for kids of all ages there is the Charles M. Schultz Museum.

Whatever your interest, there’s something for everyone when you stay at the Petaluma/North San Francisco KOA!