California Fairgrounds with RV hookups

On searching through the Forum I cannot find a reference to the availability of Fairground Camping in California, so would like to offer a list to help others and hope that it  does not break any forium rules.
We have been touring California for a couple of months now and sorted a few things about campgrounds, which may help others who are thinking of camping California - or not.
1. California State Parks are the antithesis of what I have come to expect from the State Park system elsewhere. They are expensive, their facilities are usually close to zero and they are not reliably open when you need them, many of them do not even have dump stations.
2. Many private campgrounds (particularly in the 'tourist' areas) are really expensive, sites are close together and often not particularly pleasant.
So as a tourist I want to be able to look ahead to my future destinations and be able to plan my stay in a cheap, clean, fairly secure and fully hooked up campground, but here is no way of easily finding them.
Well having nearly done my tour of Northern California I now have the answer - Fairgrounds. Open all year, full hookup, usually about $20 p.n. Usually on first come firt served basis.
I was surprised how many small towns have a fairground with RV facililties
So I now have a list (which to be fair was mostly passed to me by others) of 50 odd fairgrounds in Northern and Central California. We called ahead for availability for all the fairgrounds we stayed in
I am attaching the list to this post. I hope they can be of use to others.
I wonder if anyone can reply with any other reliable fairgrounds I will add them to the list.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ah4HpSQvhW8adHU1dG50dmprcmpseHRqSTU1bE9tSUE
Still trying to sort this Google doc out, but I will try and add web links to fairgrounds as I can

Thanks for posting that list.

We became fans of camping at fairgrounds several years ago. You'll find a few mentioned in this topic and this topic and this topic; They include a few you may wish to add to your list.

Thank you for the list.

Thanks for posting that list.

Tom, I think it might be a good addition to the Library.

Agreed Tom.

Great. I am going to be in northern California for a few months this spring and that list will come in handy. I might even make a Google map of the fairgrounds.

I have altered the list to a google doc, which I think is easier to acess and I can update more easily.
I am still trying to organise it so that other user can edit it.
However TomA google map would be excellent. I am sure that one can integrate the google doc with the map, but haven't had time to sort that.
Any advice would be great

Thanks for this. We'll be in California in Jan/Feb and this will be very handy for us newbies.

Thanks for the list. I found it easier to print in landscape mode after saving to a pdf, Open Office Calc or Excel file.

I hate to shoot myself in the foot, but you can probably get the fairgrounds, locations and phone numbers by doing a google map search on 'fairgrounds Ca' and calling any fairground within the area you want to be for details.

Thank you for posting that list!  I'm heading to San Rafael to spend Thanksgiving with family so staying at fairgrounds will save a few $$.

One correction:  #44, San Rafael.  Marin County Fairgrounds does not offer overnight RV space.

#33, the Marin-Sonoma Fair in nearby Petaluma does at $25 per night, so that's where I'll be staying.  The office won't be open over the holiday, but they gave me the gate code, said come on in and the host will come around to collect the fee. 

If planning to stay in Santa Rosa (Sonoma County FGs), one might want to phone ahead and ask a question about location of permitted camping.  When we stayed inside the fairgrounds proper, we felt secure.  The last time we stayed there, a few years ago, we were only permitted to park in an empty lot across from the back entrance.  It's kind of a shaky neighborhood back there.  We no longer have family living in Santa Rosa, so haven't been back.

Margi

I agree - the Santa Rosa fairgrounds are in a bad part of town.  I'll be staying at the Marin-Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Petaluma.  The spaces there are in a fenced parking lot behind a preschool - hopefully they'll be closed over Thanksgiving. 

Came online to ask about places to stay in CA, as I was having great difficulty with this as well. Haven't looked at the list yet, but appreciate you posting this. We plan to head down 101, hoping you've got something listed in that area. Wish me luck!

-Roni

tstumpf said:

Came online to ask about places to stay in CA, as I was having great difficulty with this as well. Haven't looked at the list yet, but appreciate you posting this. We plan to head down 101, hoping you've got something listed in that area. Wish me luck!

-Roni

Click to expand...

Roni, I think we'll be following you on the same route in January! Thanks for your blog - I"m looking forward to the updates for Oregon - and hopefully following your blog through CA also. I'd love to hear about places you stay. Sorry I'd send this in a message but I haven't figured that out yet!

Tom and Margi said:

If planning to stay in Santa Rosa (Sonoma County FGs), one might want to phone ahead and ask a question about location of permitted camping.  When we stayed inside the fairgrounds proper, we felt secure.  The last time we stayed there, a few years ago, we were only permitted to park in an empty lot across from the back entrance.  It's kind of a shaky neighborhood back there.  We no longer have family living in Santa Rosa, so haven't been back.

Margi

Click to expand...

Well we stayed there last week, yes it was out the back, but it was fenced with proper hookups and sewers. There was a very nice camp host. The ground was mostly flat, but completely graveled, but apart from that it was fine. P.A. gives half price for one night. Good Sam gives $20 p.n.

seilerbird said:

Great. I am going to be in northern California for a few months this spring ........

Click to expand...

I'm going south.....

Roy and Claudia said:

Sorry I'd send this in a message but I haven't figured that out yet!

Click to expand...

It is pretty easy. Look at any post by a member and right under the number of posts that the poster has is a row of a few small icons. The one on the left allows you to look at the members profile. The one that looks like a caption balloon is the one for sending a message and the envelope is for sending an email. Click on either one and start typing.

We have stayed at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. We had no problem with the Campground. Clean, fenced with several hosts on site.        only one row of sites is 50AMP, the rest are 30amp. Sites are set to be "doubles/shared hook-up", but they only do that during the fair or other events.

Ken

fastrak100 said:

Well we stayed there last week, yes it was out the back, but it was fenced with proper hookups and sewers. There was a very nice camp host. The ground was mostly flat, but completely graveled, but apart from that it was fine. P.A. gives half price for one night. Good Sam gives $20 p.n.

Click to expand...

I'm so glad to hear that.  It was fenced when we stayed there, but no hookups and sewers.  Also, no camp host back then.  They have obviously improved security since we've stayed there.  Spent many an hour at horse shows at the fairgrounds when we lived in Sebastopol.  Have the "bench butt" calluses to show for it.  ;D 

FYI, if any of you happen to be there on horse show weekends, take in the goings on in the arena.  Some of California's premier horses, riders and trainers compete at that venue accumulating points toward qualifying for the Quarter Horse Championships in Oklahoma City. 

Margi