Modesto, CA RV Rentals and Motorhome Rentals

Modesto is a fast-growing city situated in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley in central California, within driving distance of San Francisco and Sacramento. The city sits between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, on the edge of the historically famous Gold Country. Known for its mild climate and fertile soil, Stanislaus County produces a number of nuts, fruits, wine, and dairy. Modesto proudly exhibits their homegrown produce from May to November at their weekly farmers market.

This Californian city makes a convenient base for an RV rental in Stanislaus County. Aside from its close connections to Oakland and the Bay Area, Modesto is also just a hopping distance from many natural parks, geological attractions, and lakes popular for water sports. Meanwhile, the city center offers a mixture of art galleries, museums, urban recreation areas, and amusement parks.

The Great Outdoors

The highlight of a luxury RV rental in Modesto will certainly be a visit to the Yosemite National Park. Protected since 1864, the park offers hundreds of miles of trails to be explored by bike, horseback, or on foot, and acres of untamed wilderness to delve into. The park is best known for its waterfalls but it is also home to stunning alpine lakes, granite rock faces, lush valleys, wildlife-rich forests, and beautiful meadows. When you book an RV in Modesto, CA, you can take the 39-mile scenic drive on the Tioga Road. Open from spring to autumn, the route traverses the park, connecting the western Big Oak Flat Entrance with the eastern Tioga Pass Entrance. The park has four official entrances, accessible via Highway 140, 41, 132, 395, or 120. The closest entrance to Modesto is the eastern entrance, 85 miles away via Highway 120. Usually, all areas of Yosemite National Park are accessible in May and June. Camping is possible within the park but visitors must have a free backcountry permit to stay overnight. During the winter season parts of the park are open for cross-country skiing but certain high-elevation roads will remain closed.

Although many people look for a motorhome rental in Modesto, CA to visit the Yosemite National Park and to bath at sunny Bay Area beaches, there is actually an abundance of state parks surrounding Modesto. One of the most popular is the Pinnacles National Park. Its stunning and diverse landscape was largely formed by volcanic eruptions. The park offers excellent climbing opportunities in deep canyons, trekking in oak forests, and the chance to spot golden eagles in their natural environment. Alternatively, you can take Highway 4 to the Stanislaus National Park and walk the Osborn Ridge Trail. The well-marked hiking route begins two miles from the Silvertip Campground and takes a route to Emigrant via Osborne Point where all your physical efforts are rewarded with a panoramic view towards Lake Alpine.

Not too far from Modesto are the Don Pedro and New Melones Lakes. Technically man-made reservoirs, these large bodies of water are framed with a picturesque background of oak forest and canyon cliffs. They offer scenic excursions from the urban city center as well as a variety of water sports including water skiing, swimming, paddling, and boating. Meanwhile, their shores are dotted with campsites and laced with walking and mountain biking trails. If you feel like spending a night or two on the water, you can lock up the Modesto RV rental and enjoy comfortable accommodations on a floating houseboat rental.

RV Parks

There aren’t a lot of options when it comes to RV parks in the city of Modesto. There are a couple parks that offer long-term site rentals but if you’re not planning to stay for more than a month, your best bet is to broaden your search to some of the surrounding cities and state parks.

Caswell Memorial State Park, about 11 miles northwest of Modesto, doesn’t offer a full menu of amenities, but it does provide hookups, restrooms and showers, and you can bring your pet.

You can also park the Modesto camper rental at the Modesto Reservoir Regional Park. There are campsites with full hookups on the east and south side. The park also offers restrooms, barbeque facilities, and picnic areas, as well as direct access to the reservoir for swimming, boating, or birdwatching.

Exploring the City

Modesto offers a mixture of modern facilities and old-fashioned hospitality. The city was the inspiration for the movie American Graffiti and the birthplace of its co-writer and director, George Lucas. Each June, the city hosts Graffiti Summer during which visitors can enjoy anything from concerts to street fairs and classic car shows to showings of their beloved movie. It’s also common for local residents to dress up in 60’s fashion and hear hits by The Beach Boys, Little Richard, and other 60’s stars drifting through Modesto’s streets. There’s plenty to see throughout the year, too. Rent an RV near Modesto and take a scenic drive through the surrounding orchards which are in full bloom during early spring and under harvest throughout the summertime. In September, Modesto hosts the annual International Architecture Festival and in October, the International Heritage Festival takes place.

When there are no special events visitors can wander through Modesto’s downtown. Some of the most visited attractions in the area are the Modesto Art Gallery, the Gallo Center for the Arts, the Mchenry Museum, George Lucas Plaza, Graceada Park, Hoppers Party Zone, and the Camelot Family Amusement Park. Nearby, the town of Oakdale has the Hershey's Chocolate Visitors Center and the Oakdale Cowboy Museum. There are also a number of tour agencies operating within Modesto, which offer full-day whitewater rafting trips on the Carson River, the Tuolumne River, and Stanislaus Canyon, or off-road ATV adventures at the Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area.