Patterson - Best tent camping. Southern California: your car-camping guide to scenic beauty, the sounds of nature, and an escape from civilization

Best Tent Camping: Southern California

Fifth edition 2018

Copyright 2008 and 2018 Charles Patterson

Copyright 1996, 2001, 2004 Bill Mai

All rights reserved

Published by Menasha Ridge Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Patterson, Charles Falk, author.

Title: Best tent camping Southern California : your car-camping guide to scenic beauty, the sounds of nature, and an escape from civilization / Charles Patterson.

Description: 5th edition. | Birmingham, AL : Menasha Ridge Press, An imprint of AdventureKEEN, [2017] | Includes index. | Revised edition of: The best in tent camping, Southern California / Charles Falk Patterson and Bill Mai. 4th edition. c2010.

Identifiers: LCCN 2017044116| ISBN 9781634040464 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781634040471 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: CampingCalifornia, SouthernGuidebooks. | Camp sites, facilities, etc.California, SouthernGuidebooks. | California, SouthernGuidebooks.

Classification: LCC GV191.42.C2 P38 2017 | DDC 917.94/068dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017044116

Cover and interior design: Jonathan Norberg

Cover photo: James Kaiser; inset photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Photos: Shutterstock (pages 137, 138, 140, 146, and 147). All others are noted on page.

Maps: Steve Jones and Charles Patterson

Indexing: Rich Carlson

MENASHA RIDGE PRESS
An imprint of AdventureKEEN
2204 First Ave. S., Ste. 102
Birmingham, AL 35233

Visit menasharidge.com for a complete listing of our books and for ordering information. Contact us at our website, at facebook.com/menasharidge, or at twitter.com/menasharidge with questions or comments. To find out more about who we are and what were doing, visit blog.menasharidge.com.

Front cover: Main photo: Joshua Tree National Park: White Tank Campground

Inset photo: Hanna Flat Family Campground

CONTENTS

PREFACE

Outdoor adventurers in 49 states will surely protest this, but I must say itCalifornia is the best state for tent camping. Although every state has its natural delights, no state has the variety of outdoor experiences and environments you can find by visiting the sites outlined in this book. What other state has great places to camp on beaches, in alpine forests, dreamy coastal foothills, surreal Martian desert landscapes, and balmy offshore islands? Not one, and thats why Cali is the champ.

In this book, youll find a wide assortment of sites in a variety of areas. Visit even a fraction of them and your life will change for the better. Were far too separated from nature in our modern lives, surrounded by modern conveniences that keep us from being in the moment. We spend too many hours indoors and in front of screens these days. Get outside! Theres no better way to destress and refresh your mental state. Pitch your tent. Climb. Ride. Fish. Hunt. Hike. Or just sit on a rock. Trust me, youll be happier.

Charles Patterson

photographed by Bob Carroll

Savor the beauty of .

BEST CAMPGROUNDS

BEST FOR BEAUTY

BEST FOR CLEANLINESS

BEST FOR FISHING

BEST FOR HIKING

BEST FOR PADDLING

BEST FOR PRIVACY

BEST FOR SECURITY

BEST FOR SWIMMING

BEST FOR WHEELCHAIRS

INTRODUCTION

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDEBOOK

Menasha Ridge Press welcomes you to Best Tent Camping: Southern California. Whether you are new to this activity or have been sleeping in your portable outdoor shelter during decades of outdoor adventures, please review the following information. It explains how we have worked with the author to organize this book and how you can make the best use of it.

THE RATINGS SYSTEM

As with all books in the Best Tent Camping series, the author personally experienced dozens of campgrounds and campsites to select the top 50 locations in Southern California. Within that universe of 50 sites, the author then ranked each one in the six categories described below.

Each campground is superlative in its own way. For example, a site may be rated only one star in one category but perhaps five stars in another category. Our rating system allows you to choose your destination based on the attributes that are most important to you. Although these ratings are subjective, theyre still excellent guidelines for finding the perfect camping experience for you and your companions.

BEAUTY

While all the campgrounds in this book are beautiful, some are absolutely sensational. They rate five stars, with mountains, streams, waterfalls, and sunsets all conspiring for a drop-dead campground personality. One- to four-star campgrounds possess a less-spectacular beauty that will grow on you.

PRIVACY

Some campgrounds are very well built. The sites are arranged to take maximum advantage of the contour of the land, and the vegetation gives each one the most privacy possible. Good architecture cuts down on the cringe factor when other campers pull in next door. It makes you feel at home from the moment you step out of your car. What a difference!

SPACIOUSNESS

I want flat land to pitch a tent on. I want the flat area to be far enough away from the picnic table so my camping mate can make coffee without waking me and far enough away from the fire pit so the embers dont burn holes in the tent. And I want a view. A view from each campsite is part of the spacious feeling that qualifies a campground for five stars in this category.

QUIET

Quiet is part of beautiful. Theres nothing like the sound of a generator to ruin an otherwise exquisite campsite. I consider white noise, such as the roar of a river, to improve the quiet rating because it is natural and drowns out the sounds of other campers.

SECURITY

Most of the campsites in this guide have campground hosts who keep a good eye on the property, which makes the campground safer than a good neighborhood. The farther the campground is from an urban center, the more secure it is. Of course, you can leave your valuables with the hosts if youre going to be gone for a day or so, but dont leave little things lying around. A blue jay will take off with a pair of sunglasses, and you never can tell what a visiting bear will decide has food value.