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Perfect Camping for You in Southern California
The Golden State provides a spectacular backdrop for some of the most scenic and diverse campgrounds in the country, from desert camping in Death Valley to glacier camping in the Sierras. But do you know which campgrounds offer the most privacy? Which are the best for first-time campers? Charles Patterson has traversed the entire region, from the Mexican border to coastal Malibu to the rugged Sierras, and compiled the most up-to-date research to steer you to the perfect spot!
Best Tent Camping: Southern California presents 50 private, state park, and state and national forest campgrounds, organized into four distinct regions. Selections are based on location, topography, size, and overall appeal, and every site is rated for beauty, privacy, spaciousness, safety and security, and cleanliness—so you’ll always know what to expect. The new full-color edition of this proven guidebook provides everything you need to know, with detailed maps of each campground and key information such as fees, restrictions, dates of operation, and facilities, as well as driving directions and GPS coordinates.
Whether you seek a quiet campground near a fish-filled stream or a family campground with all the amenities, grab Best Tent Camping: Southern California. It’s a book for tent campers who like quiet, scenic, and serene campsites. This guide is a keeper.
Charles Patterson, a Southern California native, daydreams about his next outdoor adventure every time he finds himself indoors, bound by some professional or otherwise mundane obligation. Naturally, he relishes the opportunity to explore further, pushing himself to greater lengths than most would tolerate. Writing Mountain Bike! Los Angeles County: A Wide-Grin Ride Guide forced Charles to spend many hours in the sticks, often alone, occasionally pondering the size of local mountain lion populations. It was a true adventure, and getting to write about it afterward and share his love for the outdoors was a blessing. Revising Best Tent Camping: Southern California is a natural progression because Charles’s banged-up body certainly can’t tolerate two-wheeled pursuits forever, and tent camping is an activity he’ll still be able to enjoy after his first walker, cane, or wheelchair purchase.
Southern California Campground Locator Map
Map Legend
Preface
Best Campgrounds
Introduction
The Coast
- Catalina Island: Two Harbors Campground
- El Capitán State Beach Campground
- Fremont Peak State Park Campgrounds
- Kirk Creek and Plaskett Creek Campgrounds
- La Jolla Valley Hike-In Campground
- Leo Carrillo State Park Campground
- Malibu Creek State Park Campground
- Montaña de Oro State Park: Islay Creek Campground
- Pinnacles Campground
- Point Mugu State Park: Sycamore Canyon Campground
- Point Mugu State Park: Thornhill Broome Campground
- Reyes Creek Campground
- Topanga State Park: Musch Trail Camp
The Desert
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Arroyo Salado Primitive Campground
- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park: Blair Valley Primitive Campground
- Joshua Tree National Park: White Tank Campground
- Mid Hills Campground
- Red Rock Canyon State Park: Ricardo Campground
- Saddleback Butte State Park Campground
- Vallecito County Park Campground
The Northern Sierras
- Atwell Mill Campground
- Buckeye Campground
- Cold Springs Campground
- Dorst Creek Campground
- East Fork Campground
- Fairview Campground
- Four Jeffrey and Sabrina Campgrounds
- Horse Meadow Campground
- Kern Plateau Dispersed Camping Area
- Lower Peppermint Campground
- Minaret Falls Campground
- Moraine Campground
- Princess Campground
- Quaking Aspen Campground
- Rancheria Campground
- Redwood Meadow Campground
- Saddlebag Lake Campground
- Tillie Creek Campground
- Trapper Springs Campground
- Trumbull Lake Campground
- Twin Lakes Campground
- Vermillion Campground
- White Wolf Campground
The Southern Sierras
- Dark Canyon Campground
- Flat Campground
- Heart Bar Campground
- Laguna Campground
- Marion Mountain Campground
- Palomar Mountain State Park: Doane Valley Campground
- William Heise County Park Campground
Appendix A: Camping Equipment Checklist
Appendix B: Suggested Reading and Reference
Appendix C: Sources of Information
Index
About the Author