Blue Lake Casino

We stayed here for a couple nights and it worked great. They ask for you to register at the hotel though and if you go inside the casino they'll give you coupons and credits. RV parking spots are not very long. There's a free dump station and potable water, the gas station has the key.

After seeing a 5 star review we stopped here for the night. Just us and one other trailer shared the lot behind the gas station / 24hr store.

There were so many ways this stay could have been a 4 star. 5 is pushing it as 5 star is as good as it gets and a casino parking lot is not as good as it gets I'm sorry but 5 stars should be a truly exceptional place.

The good:
1. It was reasonably easy to go wait in line and sign up for the "Players Club" to get the free registration to stay there. First go in, go to the left, fill out the form and get a players card. Then go to the front desk of the hotel (to the right) and register. You do not get to use any hotel amenities. This is just allowing you to park in the lot for 2 days maximum.

2. The food in the Alice restaurant was very good. We had sushi, salad, kids had mac and cheese. Service was good. Prime rib (Mondays) was 14.99 (didn't try it).

3. The blackjack tables and Casino were not too smokey and the restaurant didn't allow smoking so it was a fairly smokeless environment.

4. Staff was very friendly and accommodating.

The bad:
1. While walking the dog a very drugged out looking man tried to offer my wife dog food. Said his dog died, assured her it was not the food. Just as friendly of a gesture as that was he was just in the garbage bins and looked like he was homeless and on something.
2. I was standing with my wife and kids walking the dogs a few minutes later and he comes out of his Van with a water bottle heading past the RV to fill it by the dump station. He is obviously on something, looked like a photo from the crack before and after photos and gives me a hard luck story about running out of gas, Western Union, etc. Upon his walking away I'm feeling nervous about why he's parked now right by us and lying about his situation.
3. I'm up half the night watching him doing a cycle of going behind a dumpster, smoking a pipe in his front seat and going in the back of the van (Burgundy AstroVan or CaraVan) where there was someone else. Eventually about 2 or 3 am he drives away. I finally get to sleep.

Really had it not been for the obviously fake cameras everywhere, no sign of a security guard of any kind and this crack addict in a van making weird conversations and stalking the lot I would have given it 3 stars and said it was an ok spot to grab some sleep and a bite to eat. Maybe play some blackjack or machines. Because of the overwhelming lack of security or care who's camped out in the back lot there doing who knows what I give it a 1 star because there were positive sides. Just rest or security was not any of them.

I will say, nothing bad did happen. However the Cape Fear night was not something I would like to encounter again because you just felt so insecure out there knowing there is no way any of the cameras were working because this guy obviously acting suspiciously was not getting anyone's attention. If only they had some semblance of security I would really recommend this place as a place with some good merits. Right now I'd say avoid it. You can do better.

We really appreciate that this casino has a dump station and water. The key is at the gas station (dump and RV parking is behind it). You must be staying at the casino to use it and need your registration paper and id to use it. You sign up for a player's club in the casino and then register for the space at the hotel. It's 2 nights standard, the third is dependent on game play (or ask nicely). They have $1 Blackjack tables which can be fun. The casino has a couple of restaurants and you're also very close to Blue Lake, Arcata, and Trinidad. We drove up to The Lighthouse Grill in Trinidad one night and drove back down Scenic Dr. with some beautiful views of the coast.

Verizon and AT&T were very usable (streaming with no issues). We did see a motorhome towing a boat in a pull-through spot, so you can fit a somewhat long rig.

My son lives in Arcata so we've stayed here before. The convenience store no longer has a key for the dump station -- you have to get the key from the hotel desk when you register *but* it's a hike from the RV parking area to the hotel desk *and* we came in late *and* didn't see the tiny print on the small sign until the next day :) That said, the only thing locked at the dump station is the "potable" water riser and you have to provide your own hose anyway. The dump station itself is *not* locked and the "rinse" water riser isn't either. As these two risers are only 4' apart, I'm 99.99% sure it's the exact same water . . . just don't let your fill hose touch your drain hose and that's what we did to dump and take on water for FREE.
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I called the hotel front desk and they don't charge to overnight in your RV but you're supposed to register (take both of your license plate numbers with you so you don't have to do the hike twice!) and then put the registration on your dash so it's viewable through the window. AND word to the wise to all of you who put down your landing gear legs *or* your leveler legs -- please put something larger (wood or plastic) under the metal feet of your gear. On a hot day, your steel pads *WILL* make a permanent dent in the asphalt and it's these kinds of things which cause property owners to start charging or pull in the welcome mat.
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We did have some clown who pulled in his big rig -- late -- and let the engine run for far too long. He also fired it up nice and early and let it run for another hour before pulling out. Generators aren't permitted between certain hours but those clowns get carte blanche? They make a LOT more noise than most gensets.

We stayed here for 2 nights as we were passing thru. Nice enough place. There was good cell reception, and wifi available at casino, a place to dump and fill up water for free, and a safe secure place to leave your rig. The RV parking is in the far back lot which was pretty quiet except for trucks making shipments to the gas station. You will need to get a players card then sign in with the front desk, but it is quick. Not the closest spot to the redwoods, thats why we bounced a little south to Bear River Casino to explore the Humbolt Redwood State Park, ok spot too.

5 stars as far as overnight casino parking goes. Free - just register for a player's card at the casino and then sign in at the hotel front desk. Parked in the back lot with a small number of other RVs. No one from the casino or its customers have bothered us back here. Next to a seldom traveled road. Free dump station and potable water directly located in the RV parking lot. Gas station on premises. Good AT&T and Verizon reception. Close drive to Acata and Eureka. What else could we ask for? Thank you, Blue Lake Casino!

The Blue Lake Casino allows up to 2 consecutive nights of free camping in the RV section of their parking lot. It's not too far from the casino/hotel, & it was surprisingly quiet on a Thursday night when I stayed. You have to sign up for a player's card *first*, then check in with the front desk at the hotel to register for a spot. The player's card is basically only valuable for regulars if you do plan on trying your luck in the casino at all, & seems to be mostly a marketing ploy. I opted against sharing most of my contact information & it wasn't a problem. Friendly, welcoming staff & an entertaining bunch of locals! Why not experience it for a night? :)

This casino has a few challenging steps that make it a bit more confusing than most parking lot boondocking experiences. Here are the steps to follow:
1. Park in the RV parking area.
2. Sign up for a players club card in the casino.
3. Go to the hotel's front desk and complete a registration slip. You can stay in the RV parking area for 2 nights.

There is a dump station with potable water available to use. To use it, you take your registration slip, players club card, and drivers license to the convenience store/gas station. They will give you a key and take your license. Your license will be returned after you return the key.

Few other amenities are offered; be aware that your experience will likely depend on your fellow travelers. There are dumpsters behind the convenience store you can probably use if you need trash facilities. As you are registered with the front desk, you can, and many do, detach from your rig and leave it in the parking lot, driving to nearby attractions where your trailer or fifth wheel might not fit (like national parks). You can also put out your slides, a rarity in parking lot boondocking.

The hotel will allow you to stay but take the steps like previous commnets above and regiater the correct way and atleast have dinner here 1 night.

Stayed here on our way to Redwoods. It's a parking lot with a dump station. Just follow the sign posted on lamp posts. All the casino employees was very friendly and helpful. We did eat at one of the casino restaurants, so in reality it wasn't free. But we had to eat someplace.