Camping In California: Our Top 5 Picks
It’s summertime and what better way to enjoy it with a fun camping trip! During our adventures across national and state parks in and around America, we had our few shares of camping experiences. Sitting around the campfire, telling stories to each other and enjoying the smores, is probably one of our best camping moments that we always look forward too!
Being in California, there are ample of national and state parks around that provide camping facilities for everyone. With a varied landscape of beaches, forests, and deserts, you will probably have some amazing camping experience in California! Also, camping is a great fun weekend activity for all ages!!
Below are the top 5 developed campgrounds that we have been to in California and we feel you will also have a great time, if and when you plan to visit them!
Our Top Picks
Agate Beach Campground
Location:
Agate Beach Campground is inside Patrick’s Point State Park. The park is located 30 miles north of city Eureka overseeing the Pacific Ocean. It is perched on the top of the Pacific coast at an elevation of 120 feet.
Patrick’s Point State Park is located right on the shoreline which ranges from sandy Agate Beach to high-rising cliffs. The park has 640 acres of land with some amazing tree and meadow landscape combined with aromatic ocean breezes from the west.
For generations, Native American Tribe of Yurok People has lived in and around the park. The north coast has abundant life resources and gold, which caused a lot of European sailors and traders to arrive at the coastline of Trinidad Bay 10 miles south of the Park.
Summer Weather:
Patrick’s Point is covered with fog much of the year, but the rugged north coastal views from here are one of the best! Sometimes, the fog does not clear for days during Summer.
Saying that the temperatures are mostly moderate year around with the average high reaching 62F.
Campground Details:
Patrick’s Point State Park has in total three family campgrounds – Agate Beach, Abalone and Penn Creek with around 124 sites in total.
Agate Beach Campground has sites from Site 86 to Site 124 totaling 38 sites. Out of these 38 sites, the campground offers 5 premium sites. Standard Sites are $35 per night plus an $8 reservation fee, while the premium sites are $45 per night. The premium sites have ocean views. In every site, max people per site is limited to 8 including children. Each site has a picnic table, food locker, and fire grill. You are only allowed 1 vehicle and 1 legally towed vehicle as part of your reservation. There are fees for additional vehicles. Pets are allowed but have to be always on a leash.
The campground is equipped with flush toilets and shower facilities. Showers are coin operated and it is $0.25 per 2 minutes. The camp host’s site is located near the restrooms and showers area.
Reservation Details:
You can reserve any site online from 2 days up to 6 months in advance of the arrival date at Agate Campground Reservations. You can also call 800-444-7275 between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm for the same.
Our Site Details:
We had booked Site number 87 during our stay at Agate Beach Campground. The site is right at the beginning of the campground area with no campsites to the west of it. So you have partial ocean views through the branches of trees.
The campsite is nice with good space for either tent or RV camping. Even though you are closer to the park’s road, there is very less disturbance. At the same time, since you are closer to the ocean, you will hear the sweet sound of waves crashing at night! Also, you have easy access to the beautiful Rim Trail right across from the campsite.
Campsite 87 at Patricks Point State Park Campground
Things to Do:
Hiking:
Rim Trail
Most popular trail of the park, it takes you through some spectacular views of the ocean and the offshore rocks. It is 2 miles long and not to be missed during your stay.
The state park is home to some marvelous “sea stacks” formations, which are rocks that were parted away from the mainland due to the constant pounding of the ocean.
As you hike the Rim Trail, make sure you also check out these rock formations – Mussel Rocks, Wedding Rock. Along with these Rock formations, the trail offers three amazing viewpoints – Patrick’s Point, Rocky Point and Palmer’s Point with breathtaking ocean views all along the way.
Mussel Rocks View point at Patricks Point State Park
View from the Wedding Rock at Patricks Point State Park
Wedding Rock as seen from Patricks Point Overlook
Ceremonial Rock
This is another great trail that takes you through the meadows and the trees of the park to a Ceremonial Rock which is perched above 93 flight of stairs. It’s definitely not for faint-hearted!
Agate Beach Trail
This trail gives you access to Agate Beach. Very popular among surfer community in the area. You will find the semi-precious agates which are polished here by the constant movement of sand and water.
Wildlife Viewing:
Wedding Rock, Patrick’s Point and Palmer’s Point offer excellent views of grey whale migration during spring and fall. You will see a lot of shorebirds nesting in this area during your visit. Sea Lions and harbor seals can also be on the offshore rocks near Palmer’s Point.
While climbing the Ceremonial Rock, we encountered a woodpecker carving the woods and we were thrilled to capture it with our lenses.
Sumeg Village Tour:
Along with the natural beauty, you can also deep dive into the culture of the Yurok People who have called his places as their home since the 1800s. From the visitor center, you can get onto Sumeg Village Trail, that will give you a chance to look at the – Sweat House, Family Houses, Dressing House, Canoe and Dance Pit.
From the sandy and rocky coastline of California, let’s take you to one of our favorite campgrounds inside the dense and green forests of California.
Hidden Springs Campground
Location:
Hidden Springs Campground is located in the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The largest remaining old-growth redwood forest in the world is located inside the Humboldt State Park.
The Park consists of some dense and beautiful groves of redwoods, which are truly spectacular and magical! With its more than 17,000 acres of breathtaking redwood and Douglas-Fir trees, you would absolutely love your time in the State Park and the campground!
Campground’s GPS coordinates can be found here.
Summer Weather:
Summers are usually dry and most of the fog clears off by noon.
Campground Details:
The campground is located on the scenic Avenue of the Giants Road inside the Humboldt State Park, 1 mile south of Myers Flat. The campground is at an elevation of 345 feet. There are in total of 155 sites, with each site allowing at the maximum 8 persons including children. Each site is allowed 1 vehicle and 1 legally towed vehicle or trailer. Dogs in the park always need to be on a leash. There are no RV hook up sites and no sanitation stations in the park.
The campground has flush toilets and showers. Showers are coin operated with 25 cents for 2 minutes. Each site has a picnic table, food lockers, and fire grill. A mention needs to be made that restroom and the showers facilities inside the park are of the top notch with space even to wash laundry!
Reservation Details:
Each site is available for $35 per night along with $8 convenience fees. Reservations for the campground can be done online at Hidden Springs Campground Reservations or by calling the 800-444-7275 between 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Reservations can be done in advance from 2 days to 6 months prior to your arrival.
Our Site Details:
Site # 66 in the campground was reserved by us during our stay in the campground. The site was perfectly nestled up on an elevated hill and felt very secluded as the adjacent sites were at a good distance from us.
Hidden Spring Campground Site - 66
Things to Do:
While in the campground you can do some of the below activities to explore the Humboldt State Park:
Hiking:
From the campground, you can take the trail to Williams Grove which is 4.7 miles out and back trail. This trail leads to one of the most popular and famous Williams Grove on the Avenue of the Giants. On the trail, you will come across some beautiful California wildflowers.
Auto Tour of Avenue of the Giants:
Avenue of the Giants is a scenic 32 miles of drive that goes through the State Park. The entire route has multiple stops to enjoy the radiant redwoods.
For our next favorite campground, we move from the giant coastal redwoods to another set of giants trees which are seen more inland in California, located in the Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Park!
Stony Creek Campground
Location:
There are a lot of campgrounds in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, but Stony Creek is our favorite. The best part of the campground is that it’s close to both King’s Canyon and Sequoias main attractions.
Sequoia National Forest is located in Central California. This is the home of the popular giant sequoias which are the world’s tallest trees. There are tons of activities that one can plan while visiting the Sequoia National Forest area.
Summer Weather:
May-September is the best time to visit the national park and also for camping since it’s mostly in high 80F throughout the time. These campgrounds might be closed for the rest of the year depending on the weather.
Campground Details:
Stony Creek Campground is located on the General Highway at an elevation of 6430 feet. The campground is divided into Upper and Lower Stony Creek, where Upper has 24 sites with only vault toilets, whereas Lower has 48 sites with flush toilets.
Lower Stony Creek campground is known as “Stony Creek campground” across the park’s website. Out of the 48 sites, 26 are for standard RV’s, tents or trailers, whereas remaining are tent-only sites. Sites #12 and #29 are walk-in sites. Max number of people including children, per site, is 6 and 2 vehicles are allowed per site.
There are flush toilets only in the Lower Stony Creek campground. A couple of minutes from the campground, there is a gas station with a store and shower facilities. Near the shop, you will find free wifi! Each site has a picnic table, fire ring, and food-locker. Dogs need to be on a leash all the time.
Reservation Details:
You can make reservations online for Lower Stony Creek Campground Reservations. There is a limitation on a number of days you can camp in this campground. You are allowed to camp only 14 nights from June 14 to Sep 14 and a total of 30 days per year.
Our Site Details:
We were on site number 42 during our stay at the campground. There was ample space between the sites and enough privacy for you to enjoy the surroundings. The camp hosts were very friendly and informative. The site was large enough for accommodating 8 person tent and nicely surrounded with trees around.
Things to Do:
As the campground is nestled at the halfway mark from both King’s Canyon and Sequoia, there are a plethora of options for you to enjoy:
Hike through the Bearskin Grove and General Grant Grove for experiencing the amazing old and tall sequoia trees.
Hume Lake is a popular recreation area, providing opportunities for fishing, non-motorized boating, etc.
Visit Crystal Cave, check out the popular Sherman Tree and climb the Morro Rock.
View from Moro Rock - Sequoia National Park
Hume Lake - Kings Canyon National Park
From the Sequoia national forest area, we move further south in California to the region of serene and calm waters of Big Bear Lake as our next stop in the list of campgrounds.
Serrano Campground
Location:
This campground is located in the beautiful San Bernadino National Forest, right beside the Big Bear Lake. This is the only family campground along the shores of the Big Bear Lake. It is an hour and a half drive from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
You will find the pine trees, with sagebrush growing all around the campground. Another plus for this campground is that the Big Bear Lake is just at a walking distance
Summer Weather:
Summer is the perfect time for camping in this campground as the temperatures are around 80F, with clear skies and some cool breeze from the lake.
Campground Details:
The campground is usually open from February-November. It is located at an elevation of 6800 feet. There are 132 single family camping sites for tents, RV’s and trailers in the campground. Sites are divided into four loops – Summer Wind: Sites 1 to 34, Snowberry: Sites 35-64, Evening Star: Sites 65-100 and Lake View: 101 to 132.
Max number of people allowed is 8 including children. Each site is $34.50, while RV hookup sites are $44.50. The sites are $2 extra during holiday weekends. During Holiday weekends, there is a restriction of a minimum of three nights.
Each site has a picnic table, fire-ring. Restrooms are equipped with flush toilets and pets need to be always on a leash.
Reservation Details:
Sites can be reserved online at Serrano Campground Reservations.
Our Site Details:
We wanted to stay closer to the lake, so we booked our site 114 in the lake view Loop. The site was perfect as we were right at the edge of the N Shore Lane, crossing which you have the access to the Big Bear Lake. Also, the other sites were pretty far from ours, so we really had the place to ourselves.
Serrano Campsite 114 at Big Bear
Things to Do:
During summertime, you can enjoy fishing, boating in the lake and there are ample rental centers around for the same.
You can also explore the lake’s shoreline, by paddleboard, kayaks or canoe.
A lot of trailheads are located in the vicinity. Visit the Big Bear Discovery Visitor center, which is located across the street from the campground’s entrance.
Even though camping in the desert during summer might not be fun and ideal, we had to include one of the desert campgrounds in southern California in our favorite list.
Black Rock Campground
Location:
Black Rock Campground is located in the Joshua Tree National Park. This campground lies among the thickest Joshua tree forests of the park.
Joshua Tree National Park is unique as two distinct desert ecosystems – the Mojave and Colorado come together here. The park is known for its distinct and unique Joshua Trees that find their home amid these desert surroundings. Along with the trees, you will also see some spectacular rock formations here.
Summer Weather:
The temperatures in the desert during summer is quite unpleasant with high’s of 110F, so the campground is open to first-come-first-serve during summer. The peak season for the campground is between September to December.
Campground Details:
The Black Rock campground is located in the northwest corner of the park, 5 miles away from the town in Yucca Valley. The campground is outside the main scenic drive of the Joshua Tree National park, but it is surrounded by beauty all around.
There are in total of 100 sites in the campground, with 6 sites (7,9,13,15,17 and 20) accommodating vehicles of 38-40 feet. 7 sites (38,41,43,45,46,47,and 48) are able to accommodate vehicles of 42 feet in length. Cost of each site is $20 per night.
Max of 6 people is allowed on the site, with two cars. You can only stay for 14 nights consecutively in the campground. Flush toilets are available year around with no shower facilities. Each site has a picnic table and fire-ring. Due to the dry climate, there is always high fire danger, so make sure to keep your fire low and carry extra water to completely douse the fire. You have to bring your own firewood too!
Reservation Details:
Sites can be reserved online at Black Rock Campground.
Our Site Details:
We camped in Site 42 at Black Rock Campground. The site was a decent size and had very less shade. It was very quiet during our stay in April and we witnessed some amazing night sky before the full moon brightened the dark skies. We experienced a windy night during our stay, but otherwise, everything was perfect.
Black Rock Campground - Joshua Tree National Park
Things to Do:
There are plenty of trails from the campground which can take you to some spectacular views of the low desert and high peaks.
The entire region in and around Joshua Tree National Park is known for its amazing night sky. If you are an avid night sky watcher, this is the best place to do so.
Visit the Joshua Tree National Park and admire the tall and unique Joshua Trees and different rocks.
View of Mt. Jacinto peak from Black Rock Canyon Trail
Camping has always been memorable and a great experience for us. It is one of the best activity, where you get to live closer to the natural surroundings, than the everyday modern concrete jungles! We hope reading through this blog, you might have either relived some of your camping experience again or got inspired to get one!
Feel free to share your camping experiences or campground suggestions in the comments below! Also, help us in spreading the joys of travel by sharing our blog with your friends and family! We always believe in the motto – Sharing is Caring!
