Most people ring in the new year with champagne and parties. This year, I spent it camping in Napa Valley.

Bothe-Napa Valley State Park is a small, historic, and very hidden campground right off St. Helena Highway in Calistoga, California.  Located in the very heart of California’s beautiful wine country, Bothe is a hidden gem. The campground is mostly known for it’s restored historic cabins, but I tent camped in the very back of the ground, in a site located at the very base of the longest trail surrounding Napa Valley. There are also RV spots available, as well as running water spickets, car parking, and a few public restrooms scattered throughout.

This was the first time I ever used this site, and since it was a very spur of the moment get-away (I actually decided the night before), I found this area online. I am from Sacramento, so the drive was very reasonable, only about two hours or so.  I also had never camped in the winter, so the experience was completely new to me all around. I can honestly say I did not prepare enough for the weather in this part of the valley. First of all, I had propane lamps and due to the severe temperature drop that occurs between three and six am, the cans froze and the gas couldn’t get through its proper holes. I recommend white gas if you are going camping in the winter time in Northern California, not propane. I was also lacking clothing wise; I advise thermals for the night time (I had sweats, long socks, and two thick coats, but I still suffered).

The area was absolutely gorgeous, one of the prettiest areas I visited. Miles and miles of redwoods, Douglas firs, and tanoaks covered every inch of the park and surrounding hiking trails. The hiking trails are by far the best part of this area, there are so many leading straight from the campsites. The first day, I spent five hours hiking uphill straight out of the campsite. Incidentally, I never actually reached the top of the mountain before I had to turn back. There are hundreds of small rushing streams, fallen redwoods creating tiny waterfalls, and even more fallen trees creating exciting bridges. I liked how the trail I took, branched off into many other trails, some even taking you outside of Napa.

If you aren’t much into hiking, the town of Calistoga is only about a fifteen-minute drive away. Like all small towns, there’s a quaint, locally owned grocery store with freshly grown produce, one-of-a-kind baked goods, and a deli. There’s also your small boutique shops, handmade crafts and clothing shops, and a modern coffee bar. Other than that, there isn’t anything for miles, so if hiking is not your thing, I would not necessarily recommend Bothe.

As for family-friendly, Bothe State Park is of course, with a small swimming pool open in the summertime. I am not sure if it because of the time of the year, but when I stayed, I saw no families with young kids. Most of the sites were taken, but really only by couples.

I really really enjoyed this area and will be returning in warmer weather. It’s quiet, unpopulated, and private. This is also the first area I had camped without having to worry about wildlife (bears, raccoons, coyotes, etc) breaking into the food. The hiking trails are difficult and steep, but beautiful and worth the aches.