California is one of the states with pretty good weather year-round. Besides, it offers stunning and majestic landscapes in the country, from the mountains to the sea to the desert. You’ll find endless spots to camp with natural wonders and panoramic vistas in Golden State. Most of the best camping spots California offers are great for winter. But, spring and summer offer more places to camp, including a lake for camping in California. With so many options, which campsite to choose then? Here are the best camping grounds in California for your reference.
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Channel Islands National Park
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For those who want to escape from urban life in the best camping site in California, visiting Channel Islands National Park will suit them best. The park encompasses five islands and is known as The American Galapagos. Those five islands are Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Island. Here, visitors can enjoy sea cave exploration, snorkeling, diving, hiking, and kayaking. You can also spot hundreds of birds from the viewing tower. Channel Islands National Park is also considered to offer the best camping and fishing in California.
You’ll find one campground in five islands of Channel Islands National Park. All five campgrounds in the park are tents-only primitive camping. So, campers must prepare their own camping gear, such as sturdy tent and camp stove/cooking gear. Don’t forget to pack your outfits for camping! Each campground has a different number of campsites. There are nne campsites on Anacapa Island with ine group site. Santa Barbara Island Campground has ten sites including one group site. Meanwhile, there are 6 group sites of 31 campsites in Santa Cruz Island Campground. You’ll find no group site in Santa Rosa, but it offers 15 campsites. In San Miguel, there is one group site from a total of nine campsites available here.
Each campground has pit toilets and picnic tables. Water is only available at the Scorpion Canyon Campground on Santa Cruz Island and Water Canyon Campground on Santa Rosa Island. Each campsite in Santa Rosa and San Miguel has windbreaks. There’s no dump station, and no fires are permitted in all five campgrounds. Visitors need to make a reservation in advance in one of the best camping spots California has. Also, campers must book boat transportation to the park for an overnight trip first. You’ll find no transportation on each island.
Moro Campground
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Moro Campground is located in Crystal Cove National Park, a state beach park with miles of sandy Pacific Ocean coastline and bluffs. As one of the best camping beaches in California, Moro Campground is best known for its stunning beach and ocean views. Campers can enjoy various outdoor activities, including swimming, surfing, scuba diving, hiking, and beachcombing. Also, there are mountain bike trails visitors can try.
As one of the best camping spots California has, it offers 57 campsites, including 27 sites for RVs or trailers. The campground is divided into three loops: Sage Loop, Coyote Run, and Dolphine Circle. Amenities in the Moro Campground include restrooms with flush toilets, piped water, coin hot showers, and a dump station. Meanwhile, each campsite has a picnic table and up to four guests are allowed. Some campsites come with electric and water hook-ups.
Campers can bring their pets, which are allowed in the campground, parking areas, and paved roads. So, come with the entire family. Moro Campground can be your option for the best camping site in California. But, note that dogs are not allowed on the beach, must be kept on a leash, and must not be left unattended.
Big Bear Lake
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Big Bear Lake is located high up in San Bernardino National Forrest, home to some of the most beautiful alpine mountains in Southern California. Aside from its incredible ski resorts, Big Bear Lake also has much more to explore. Visitors will find hiking trails, boating ramps, fishing spots, and mountain hiking paths stretching out in every direction.
There are numerous camping areas in Big Bear Lake that accommodate every camper’s style with direct access to the lake, making it a perfect lake for camping in California. At an elevation of 6,743 feet (2,055 m), Big Bear Lake offers the best camping site in California, including tent camping, lakefront RV parks, and free campsites. Besides, pet-friendly campgrounds welcome your four-legged family members. If you want to connect with mother nature, the free campsites deep in the forest are your best option.
Serrano, Holcomb Valley, and Pine Knot Campground are the most popular here. Each campground accommodates tents and RVs. Amenities include pit toilets, but no shower and running water. Like other best camping grounds in California, each campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, and bear box. Big Bear Lake campgrounds can be very hectic all summer, in October, and during the winter ski season. Some are available on a first-come, first-served, but others take reservations. Hence, it’s best to check ahead and confirm with the campground before leaving your home.
Lakes Basin Campground
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Planning for your adventure in the best lake for camping in California? Lakes Basin Campground can be your top choice since it has unique geological features. Located at 6,445 feet (1,964 m) in Lakes Basin Recreation Area, the campground sits in a field of granite boulders among aspen and fir trees. Visitors will find over 20 natural glacial lakes nearby and see breathtaking scenery. The campground also is a great home base for plenty of outdoor activities.
You can go biking, hiking, paddling, swimming, and fishing for trout in the fresh, crystal clear water. No wonder summer is the busiest season in this spot for the best camping and fishing in California. Hence, we recommend you make a reservation ahead to get the spot. Lake Basin Campground can accommodate tents, RVs, vans, trailers, and truck campers. Six people are allowed per campsite, while vehicles are limited to two only.
Pets and campfires are allowed in campsites, and group campsites can be reserved only. Like other best camping grounds in California, campers will find some amenities. These include picnic tables, parking, vault toilets, and drinking water. So, bring your water bottles for camping along with you. Please note that Lake Basin Campground has half first come first serve and half reservation campsites.
San Elijo State Beach Campground
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If you’re a camper who loves surfing, San Elijo State Beach Campground is a place you must visit. Check our list of the best surfboard leashes for you to bring. Also, if you want to bring your pet with you, you should be happy to know that dogs are allowed at Cardiff State Beach. This unique campground is also ideal for hiking, biking, and water activities. You can snorkel and dive in the nearby reef between the surfing and warmer water and temperatures. We recommend this one of the best camping beaches in California for your next camping experience.
This camping destination is popular among campers, divers, surfers, snorkelers, and beach-combers. San Elijo State Beach Campground offers 156 campsites stretched along the top of a bluff overlooking the ocean. Some of which are limited to RVs or trailers only.
Not all campsites have the same amenities, but campers will appreciate the availability of hot showers, restrooms with flush toilets, a camp store, and a restaurant. Each campsite has a fire ring, picnic table, and some with full hookups. There’s also a dump station available. Several campsites are popular among the campers, such as sites 5, 18, 38, 147, 151, and 168. So, it’s better to reserve your spot in advance.
Lake Nacimiento
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Another option for the lake for camping in California you can choose is Lake Nacimiento. It’s located among coastal hills with 350 sites spread in 6 campgrounds surrounding the lake. The six campgrounds are Oak Knoll, Eagles Ridge, Quail Roost, Pine Knoll, Rocky Canyon, and Sandy Point. Like the best camping beaches in California, each campground here has a different amount of sites and amenities.
Most of the campgrounds are based on first-come-first-served, except for Oak Knoll. Group camping is available at Sandy Point and Rocky Point Campground, and a reservation is required. If you prefer tent-only camping, Eagles Ridge offers 60 hike-in campsites at the east end of the lake. Amenities in Eagles Ridge include portable toilets and piped water. The other five campgrounds provide restrooms with flush toilets and showers. Check our recommendation for the camping shower kit if you need one.
Each campsite has water, BBQ, and picnic tables. You’ll only find sites with hookups in Oak Knoll Campground. Campers can spend days enjoying the massive lake. You can go kayaking on the lake, jet skiing, and photograph the beautiful scenery. Also, you can fish for bass, catfish, and bluegill in this spot of the best camping and fishing in California.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
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Looking for the best camping grounds in California that offer the world’s largest trees scenery? If so, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks should be on your list! The park offers plenty of campgrounds with the natural wonders and beauty of Sierra paradise. Camping in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks allows visitors to experience the diversity of landscapes, from deep canyons, huge mountains, rugged foothills, vast caverns to giant sequoia trees.
With plenty of options offered here, campers can choose from its advance reservations or first-come, first-served campgrounds. Choose Dorst and the seasonal riverfront Lodgepole Campground if you want to make advance reservations. As for the others, such as Cold Springs, Atwell Mill, and Crystal Springs Campground are based on first-come, first-served.
Most campgrounds in this park are provided with fire grills, picnic tables, and storage boxes. What’s more, they have showers, markets, restaurants, laundry facilities, and even gift shops! But, Sequoia & Kings Canyon campgrounds don’t offer RV hookups. Not only campsites, but there’s also park lodging if you don’t want to camp. While you’re staying overnight in the best camping spots California has, enjoy outdoor activities, such as cave exploration, whitewater rafting, and waterfall hikes. Besides, you can go horseback rides, rock climbing, and cross-country skiing in the winter.
El Capitan State Beach
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El Capitan State Beach offers the sandy beach, rocky tidepools, and a string of oaks and sycamore trees along El Capitan Creek. It has many outdoor activities for visitors, including swimming, surfing, fishing, picnicking, and camping. Besides, the site has spacious campgrounds set along the Santa Barbara coast, making it one of the best camping beaches in California.
Visitors will have several options for campsites and lodging in this place. El Capitan State Beach offers spaced-out campsites among the trees with a view overlooking the beach. You’ll find 119 campsites that accommodate tents, RVs, and trailers. These campsites can be reserved six months in advance, but based on availability. Besides, there are five group campsites and nine RVs or trailers only. Campsites are equipped with hot showers and a fire pit.
Need beach essentials during your stay? You can get them in the camp store available here. If you plan to bring your pet, dogs are allowed in this best camping site in California. But dogs aren’t allowed on the beach. Campers can enjoy swimming, sun-bathing, surfing, beachcombing, and picnicking while camping in this beautiful campground. Also, visitors can enjoy fishing during their stay in the campground. It’s why El Capitan State Beach is considered one of the places for the best camping and fishing in California.
Yosemite National Park
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When you’re planning to camp in California, Yosemite National Park must be included in your list. The park is widely known for its granite cliffs, El Capitan and Half Dome. Besides, you’ll see countless unforgettable sceneries, from its ancient sequoia trees, Bridalveil Fall, to Tunnel View.
Campers will have plenty of campground options on this World Heritage site. As one of the best camping grounds in California, it offers 13 popular campgrounds. At least seven of them are on a reservation system. Most campgrounds in Yosemite National Park are available for RVs. Want to experience RV camping but don’t have one? You can check this list of RVs to rent.
Meanwhile, horse campsites are available in Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows, and Bridalveil Creek campgrounds. Note that showers are not available in Yosemite National Park campgrounds. But, visitors will find it at Housekeeping Camp and Curry Village.
If you’re first-timers, we recommend you to get the spot in Upper Pines Campground, which is one of the best camping spots California has. Here, dump stations are available all year, while others are seasonal. Standard camping amenities are available in each campground, like a fire ring and picnic table.
Mammoth Lakes
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Planning for your next camping adventure in California? Then, you should visit Mammoth Lakes, the best lake for camping in California. Mammoth Lakes is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains and is known for its ski areas and nearby trails. Plan your Mammoth Lakes camping and relax in nature under a forest or views of an alpine lake.
With more than 800 campsites, you’ll see the surreal beauty of nature here. This rare place offers you jaw-dropping mountains scenery, expansive valleys, and incredible crystal clear mountain lakes. There are endless outdoor adventures just outside your camp. You can choose your spot from various campgrounds in the Mammoth Lakes area. For easy access to alpine lakes and hiking trails, we recommend you to camp in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. There are five campgrounds: Coldwater, Lake Mary, Twin Lakes, Lake George, and Pine City Campground.
Most campgrounds offer amenities like flushable toilets, picnic areas, and RV sites. Showers are available in Lake Mary Campground, while Lake George Campground only offers flushable toilets and tents. Campfires are permitted, except for Lake George and Pine City Campground. You’ll find a camp store in Twin Lakes Campground. Much like the best camping beaches in California, spots tend to book early during the camping season. So, we recommend you plan and book your Mammoth Lakes camping in advance.
For those who want a camping experience with easy access to shops and restaurants in town, campgrounds in the Town of Mammoth Lakes will be the best option. You’ll find four campgrounds available, including Camp High Sierra, New Shady Rest Campground, Old Shady Rest Campground, and Mammoth Mountain RV Park.
Joshua Tree National Park
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In 800,000-acres ( 3,237 square kilometers) of Joshua Tree National Park, you’ll find several best camping grounds in California. The park has five reserved campground options, which are Black Rock, Cottonwood, Indian Cove, Jumbo Rock, and Ryan Campground. Black Rock and Cottonwood Campgrounds offer water, flush toilets, tables, fire grates, and a dump station. Meanwhile, Indian Cove, Jumbo Rock, and Ryan Campground include pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire grates. But, there is no water in these three campgrounds.
Besides, campers can choose spots from its three first-come-first-served campgrounds. These include Hidden Valley, White Tank, and Belle Campgrounds. Only Hidden Valley Campground is open year-round, while the two others are temporarily closed during the summer. These campgrounds have amenities, like pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire grates. But, you won’t find water here.
If you come with a group, Cottonwood, Indian Cove, and Sheep Pass are the best available. These group campsites can accommodate 10-60 people. Also, the Indian Cove Group Campground is available for small RVs or trailers.
Since the park is popular, all campgrounds are usually packed on weekends from October through May. Hence, we recommend you make a reservation or come earlier to get the spot on this best camping site in California. While you camp here, don’t miss exploring the otherworldly desert landscape of staggering rock formations in this park. Another activity you can’t miss is a night of stargazing. Get one of the best tents for stargazing for your next camping.
