Anyone have a suggestion for an easy camping experience for the
summer? A short drive to food/restaurants etc. from the campground,
warm enough a night so that we don't wake up as icicles, and by water
(lake or river). No motorboats. I can do cabin style camping to pit
toilets and no showers. I'd prefer to stay away from overcrowded
places like Leo Carillio.
I'm kinda unfamiliar with camping in Southern California. We've been
to Pt Mugu (hated it, cause we froze), Kern River at Hobo campground
(but it's too hot during the summer months).
My kiddies will be 9 and a little over a year this summer.
I have A LOT of camping experience. I was even concieved in the
woods. I've done all sorts of camping from "illegal" camping, just
hiking in the woods for a couple of days and going with what I've got
on my back, pit toilets and no one around on a small island, pit
toilets and food a 3 hour hike away, as well as easier camping with
showers and too many people for my taste.
I've never camped with an infant before, so I think I'd like to be
relatively close to the civilized world. Any suggestions on camping
with an infant would be greatly appreciated.
I just read this as I got off the state park camping website. It is reserveamerica.com
Our favorite camping is San Clemente SB and Doheney SB. malibu creek is a nice campground too. Juliand and the Lake Cuyamaca area have lots of camping-around 4500 feet so not too cold. I grew up going camping at Lake Silverwood.
We didn't camp till our kids were older so no advice there, sorry. but I've seen lots of pack an play in tents!
Well like you I have done all sorts of camping and although not conceived at a campground was certainly pregnant on a couple of backpacking trips and have camped with infants. The easiest campground we went to when our boys were infants was Chilao in the Angeles Crest National Forest. It is an hour to an hour and a half from pretty much anywhere in LA (closer if you're in the Pasadena or Altadena area). It has drop toilets no showers (we always use a sun shower as there are plenty of tree's to hang it from - we also take it full as there is no water during droughts). Newcombs Ranch is a bar/restaurant less than a mile from the campground on the Hwy so you can actually stop there for meals if you don't want to lug a whole bunch of food up there. There however is no river or lake but it is really pretty and loads of hikes (picture Lassie country). I've never been cold camping there and there is a pretty interesting visitors center for the kids to explore (providing the government cut backs haven't been too harsh again - last year the electricity was cut off so it was only open during day time when natural light could be used).
Another place we went was to Two Harbors on Catalina Island. There are cabins available or you can pitch a tent. You are right on the ocean and a quarter mile walk from the "town" of Two Harbors. The rangers will cart your gear from the boat to the campsite which makes it so much easier than in the past when we had to lug it all ourselves.
If you want pampered camping then North of Santa Barbara is a great spot called El Capitan. It has expensive although incredibly nice cabins or they have tent options. There is a pool, hot tub, hot showers and a restaurant. It is walking distance to the beach (older kids may want to take their bikes) and there is a hiking trail also. There are also vineyards relatively close by if you get some adult time or want a picnic away from the campground. There is no shade and it gets damp in the morning being close to the ocean.
I'm more the rustic type camper so El Capitan is not really my spot just a convenient half way point to meet my Mother in Law to drop our oldest son off to her during Summer for a week. My other favorite campgrounds are further North off the 14 near Lone Pine which although by lakes and rivers are cold at night. My advice stick to the local mountains, especially with an infant. Just the knowledge we were so close to home made each of our first trip with the boys as babies less stressful. Just don't forget your backpack to carry the little one in.
Happy camping
Hi Lisa, we camp at Lopez Lake up Pismo Beach way every year. They have a huge water park for the kids, bathrooms within walking distance to each camp site and only a 10-15 minute drive into town. You can tent camp or they have hookups for a motorhome. It's fun. We've been camping there for the last 10 years and love it. Also, El Capitain above Santa Barbara is a nice campsite as well. You can tent camp there, they also have heated tents and cabins with a very small refrigerator and microwave in it. Look into those and see what you think. Have fun on your camping trip.
Our Cub Scout Pack is camping up at Camp Serrano in Big Bear!
Very nice.. North of the lake and near lots of trails and Discovery Center. The Discovery center offers lots of things for kids to do... a Map and compass class was the best for my 9 year old! (free) There is a community zoo not too far away and there are restaurants on the south of the shore, just 10 minutes away. (McDonalds too)
Their campsite offers Showers, RV parking and tent camping. In our San Bernardino Mountains, they have propane controlled only fires right now. Usually in the Summer they do allow open flame when not in fire season. Watch for updates.... have fun!!
I don't know if I have any suggestions for you as far as location. I like Pt. Mugu and have had many wonderful, memorable experiences there. However, I do remember once when the winds were really bad and made our trip miserable. I think weather can be hit or miss. One poster suggested Doheny. That might work for you because it's close to civilization allowing you to eat out. I like it and it's popular, but with kids I'm not a fan. This is because the water is usually contaminated and my kids love playing in the water. I prefer Carpenteria or El Capitan (for beach camping). Carpenteria is close to civilization as well. I love Mammoth in the summer as well, but depending on when you go it could be hot during the day and cold at night (and it's quite a drive). I've heard good things about a campground near Ojai with water features and very kid friendly. I haven't camped there though.
Overall, there's lots of places we enjoy with different features. We go camping about once a month (because we now have an RV that allows us more flexibility) and have experienced numerous locations at different times of year.
When we had an infant/toddler and we tented it, we put a pack-n-play in the tent and used it outside as well. We also really liked this gated yard system. It's 6-panels that attach together making a closed in yard. It contained our children when we were busy setting up/breaking down/etc. but allowed them more freedom to move about and play in the dirt/sand. They're around $100 new.
I recommend a book called "California Camping" by Tom Stienstra published by Foghorn Outdoors. It has been the most useful tool we've used to locate camping locations in California. It's not specific to camping with children, but provides enough information to make good decisions.
San Clemente or San Mateo would be very easy camping. Our son was 1 1/2 when we took him there last year. They have water, shower facilities (bring quarters), the beach is a 5 minute drive away- where we spent the day, there are nearby places to eat, and if you forget anything (which we did) there is a Walmart closeby.
here are a couple lake based camping areas - lake casitas (fairly close to ojai.) lake cachuma is northeast of santa barbara, kind of close to los olivos. also, lake nacimiento, and el capitan is definitely within good driving distance. we stayed in one of the cabins at the back of the property. it was pretty nice - a one bedroom with a loft, and a nice patio that looked at the canyon behind it. good luck...i'll be doing this search in a few years. :)
Depending on how far you want to travel, I have a couple suggestions:
Yosemite Pines in Groveland. They have cabins as well as yurts and its about 5 minutes from Groveland where there are resturants and stores. The only down side is that it is 25 miles to the Yosemite gate and another 25 miles or so to Yosemite Valley. I took my daughter who was 15 months at the time and she had a blast.
Shaver Lake (Camp Edison) east of Fresno. There are resturants and stores close by and alot to do there. Boat rental and horse back riding and trails.
If you really want to get away from it all try Wishon Resevior. You're pretty far away from everything, but it is beautiful! We will definately go back, but I might wait until my little one is a little bigger, just to be safe. It was the most beautiful place we've been...there is nothing like eating breakfast and seeing deer right outside our trailer!
RENT, don't buy, a motorhome. You may be the wilderness chick but your kids may not quite see things the same way and now you have to think more as a collective family group and less exclusively focused on you.
Go to AAA before any vacation, pick up the local travel books to where your heading and see what sites are in those given areas and base your vacation around that. I've vacationed in Yosemite where it was in the 90s in Fresno and 2 days later we got caught in a blizzard (this was a September). Sometimes kids get unexpectedly sick. An RV makes it easier on everyone at that age and you will return more relaxed than tent camping.
Biking might be worth considering. Your 9 year old would love it and I think with a baby carrier you and your infant would as well, as long as the terrain is fairly easy.
El Capitan Ranch Park Campground is a wonderful clean campground with showers. We used to go there all the time when our kids were younger. It's a little bit more money per night but not much and well worth it, because it's somewhat clean. They used to have movie nights for the families and hayrides and music nights. It's a pretty big campground as well. It's on the other side of the freeway, meaning you have to walk a little bit to the beach but better than staying at El Capitan State Beach campground (just on the other side). T?he website is: http://www.hikercentral.com/campgrounds/101651.html
Another great camp ground near the beach is Refugio Beach. If you want info on mountain camping, I have tons more info on that as well. Let me know. Best to your family!
If you are willing to drive to get there, we love Lake Hume which is located between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. It has a nice sized lake that you can swim across to a sandy beach if you are in decent shape (I swam pushing my husband and baby in a raft, it took about 1/2 hour to cross). It has a Christian camp on part of the lake that has a grocery store and a malt/hamburger shop if you don't feel like cooking. The campgrounds are for tents or RVs. They have flush toilets, but no showers. You can drive about 1/2 into Kings Canyon for showers. There are great hikes in both National Parks. Last year we saw three black bears! The biggest downside is that it is pretty popular and the Christian camp area can get rather crowded. The upside is that there is a lot to do. We took our son who was about 15 months last year and had a great time.
Big Bear is beautiful, right near lake, with nice walking and bike riding path. Discovery center is really cool, and your 9 year old will like panning for gold. THe town is only 1-2 miles away and there is a lot to do. Also, beach camping is really fun. I love Doheny Beach up in Orange County, also San Clemente, and South Carlsbad State beach. There is also a nice campground in Idylwild, with a river close by.
La Jolla Indian Reservation is fun with the kids because you tube down the water and stuff like that. We used to love it but we stopped going there a few years back because they don't designate spots, so no one is responsible for their trash and there can be a lot of large party groups who like to party all night, etc. It was annoying and we couldn't take our dogs so that is another reason we stopped. Since then we found this place, which has a pool and was nice.
Places our family has enjoyed:
Woodsvalley Campground in Valley Center. It is a little "oakey" if that is the word, but we like it. It does get hot out there, they have a pool a really small pond for fishing with ducks and some animals. They have a place where you can play board games etc. Bathrooms and showers are great.
La Jolla Indidan Reservation-they have a little river that flows through that you can get innertubes to go down. Certain times of the year the flow is not great, i would check. Right nextdoor there is a small waterpark, maybe a block big, great to cool off in the summer. Bathrooms are ok, a lot of kids like to party on 4 day weekend here, so i would not not bring my family during that time!
Lake Dixon-Escondido-It gets hot here too, but they have shady grass pic nic areas, a little play aparatus. They do have canoes,paddleboats etc for fishing or fun. Bathrooms are fine.
Have fun! Great question, i look forward to getting some new ideas.
I recommend Refugio or Gaviota, just north of Santa Barbara. They are smaller and more secluded than El Capitan. There is mostly RV camping, but I've seen tents there several times. And, these locations are close to Solvang for a fun day trip.
They say this is a local list, but I am not sure how local...my suggestion is to try a weekend or even just an overnight at Dripping Springs Campground outside Temecula (8 miles east of the South End of Temecula.) If you take "South 79" (now called Temecula Parkway) and go east you will see it on the right side. It is just a little place, costs about $10 for the overnight permit (probably a bit more by now). You can bring a tent, RV, or just sleep in your car (we had a station wagon and did this route). There is a pretty creekbed to look for arrows in, you will see the remains of Indian Mortar & Pestle rocks, and lots of pretty scenery. Outhouse toilets, but running water faucets you can use. It is a nice easy introduction to camping. They do lock you in at night. We found this an easy way to introduce camping to our autistic child. He played in the tent but would have nothing to do with sleeping in it, so we were glad to have the station wagon. He was a little loud at night, but the campground is usually uncrowded, so nobody seemed to mind. We have also used it as a "cheap date" for my husband and me when we needed an overnight getaway and couldn't afford anything but the babysitter. We just sat talking around the fire, slept in the woods, and then went tooling around town the next day (to places we never usually go, like craft fairs), smelling like firepit. It was fun. Barbara
We always went to Big Bear when our daugher was little - nice little town and some nice camping by the lake. that would be my first choice. There are also some campgrounds if you head south towards San Diego - we just went to Julian and next weekend are trying a new one near Julian called Oak Knoll. We typically take our camper trailer now with the kids - but these locations have places for both tent and campers. Have fun!