Camping Recommendations
Thread started by
kryxtanicole at 05.18.09 - 6:29 pm
Can anyone recommend a nice campground within 2 hours of L.A.? I'd like to spend a few days outta the city. I've camped in Carpenteria and Leo Carrillo and spent plenty of time in Arrowhead...I'm looking for somewhere new. Beach areas would be nice, though I'd also like to be somewhere I can go for a nice bike ride.
Any suggestions?
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Hi Nicole, look up Capitola, CA. There is a beautiful camp ground and a hidden Beach.
skano05.18.09 - 6:37 pm
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Lake Casitas, outside of Ojai. Try for lot M or O- it's beautiful!
jonnyboy05.18.09 - 6:39 pm
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There is a lot of camping at the sate beaches above Santa Barbara: Gaviota, El Capitan and Refugio. El Cap (the
private campgrounds, on the north side of the 101) is my favorite. That grounds has a verity of camping accommodations, mostly "park and camp" style.
SPOOK05.18.09 - 6:40 pm
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Another vote for Ojai.
Wheeler Gorge Campground has water to play in and lots of shade, the town of Ojai has a nice bike path.
alicestrong05.18.09 - 7:50 pm
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Angeles Forest has miles of trails, plus campground,s plus bikes are allowed on most trails. Awesome hiking up there and it's really close.
Eric Hair05.18.09 - 7:57 pm
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What about places that are "primitive"? I would like to avoid RVs if possible. Sites that have just compost toilets or less.
User1 responding to a
comment by Eric Hair
05.18.09 - 9:39 pm
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If you continue North on 33 there is some very primitive camping at Pine Mountain above Ojai...
alicestrong05.18.09 - 9:57 pm
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yeah, pine mountain is SUPER primitive. theres a buddhist temple near there where you can get your hippie on.
http://www.pinemtnbuddhisttemple.org/
ruinedbyidiots05.18.09 - 10:00 pm
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http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/lospadres/publications/ojai/pmtn-reyespk-ojai-3-2007.pdf
Very rustic, you even need to bring your own water...
alicestrong05.18.09 - 10:01 pm
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I knew you would know about it, nice, huh?
alicestrong responding to a
comment by ruinedbyidiots
05.18.09 - 10:02 pm
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hehe. ive never actually camped there, but i knew about it.
ruinedbyidiots05.18.09 - 10:04 pm
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I like both of those spots! The Buddhist temple looks waaaaaay cool! I'm sure they would dig us rolling up there to see them on our bikes. I'd be up for either or both of those spots for a ride and camping trip.
User105.18.09 - 10:08 pm
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like 2 hours south of LA is San Mateo Creek Campground and its in a lil valley and you can hike and on paths and its like a mile from the beach so u can ride ur bike or walk there.
Its a GREAT surf spot too. Its right by Old Man's Beach and Trestles. SUPER fun
830 Cristianitos Rd
San Clemente, CA 92672
(949) 361-2531
61.1 mi – about 1 hour 3 mins from LA
baby_jane05.18.09 - 10:09 pm
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That's a great spot for going down to SD. It's half to SD and there's a nudie beach there too.
User1 responding to a
comment by baby_jane
05.18.09 - 10:46 pm
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a nudie beach??? hahaha ive been going to that campground forever and i NEVER knew about the nudie beach... i feel so cheated!!!
baby_jane responding to a
comment by User1
05.18.09 - 10:47 pm
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buddhist temple is like, another 25 miles past where we were when we went up to rose valley.
ruinedbyidiots responding to a
comment by User1
05.18.09 - 11:14 pm
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One of my favourite places to camp is by the little caliente hot springs in the Santa Barbara back country. It's about 45-60 minutes of mild offroad driving from SB or a nice 13 mile mountain bike ride down a fireroad from the top of Gibraltar. I've never failed to get a ride back to the top fro a pickup truck, but can't offer a guarantee. But its only a 13 mile climb, and you'll have eaten all your food. There's fantastic mountain biking, a nice hot spring, a reservoir to swim in, and depending upon how much things have changed since I was in college, there's a steep concrete debris damn that you can slide down and launch into the reservoir. Bring a frisbee or snow disk to sit on. It is isolated enough that you'll never get crowds, but might have to share the springs with one or two others.
http://www.santabarbarahikes.com/hikes/caminocielo/littlecaliente.shtml
ideasculptor05.18.09 - 11:15 pm
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LOL you got some catching up to do!
San Clemente - San Onofre State Beach
An hour north of San Diego and 90 minutes south of Los Angeles. Many would say this is the finest nude beach in California. Directions: Go past San Clemente on the I-5. Take the San Onofre exit. Go into the State Beach. Drive about two miles to Beach Trail #6. Park past the area designated for camping. There are three trails named Trail #6. They all lead down to the beach you want. Go past the last Trail #6, park near the restrooms, and walk down. It's an easy path. In fact, the trail becomes a road used for official vehicles. When you get to the beach go left. The nude beach begins 300 yards south of the last lifeguard tower.
http://www.beachcalifornia.com/nude-beaches-california.html
User1 responding to a
comment by baby_jane
05.18.09 - 11:44 pm
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I used to go up PCH to the ventura county line to this there's RV campground just past the military base. Totally isolated, nice stony beaches and beautiful miles of coastlines to discover.
But if youre up for a longer drive and youve never been, lake casitas is sweet. I once did a road trip up there during off season and ive always wanted to go back.
tortuga_veloce05.19.09 - 12:12 am
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Does anyone know about the bike-and-hike on PCH? I forgot who was telling me about it.
tortuga_veloce05.19.09 - 12:15 am
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I would second this one as well.
I remember camping out there back in '99 when one of my mom's ex's took us down there for the weekend.
In addition to that, this was also the first time I witnessed some Marine maneuvers going about in the various wooded areas of the adjacent Camp Pendleton.
The guy we were with was a retired, Senior CPO who was a corpsman there for some time.
bentstrider responding to a
comment by User1
05.19.09 - 4:22 am
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I did a canoe trip dowm the Kern, it was wonderful but isn't it further than 2 hours?
alicestrong responding to a
comment by sancho1
05.19.09 - 8:17 am
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Leo Carrillo has $3 hike/bike camping, no advance reservations. Oh so does Topanga State Park.
That would be an interesting bike/camp experience.
alicestrong responding to a
comment by tortuga_veloce
05.19.09 - 8:26 am
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DON'T LISTEN TO ANYONE HERE. CHECK OUT THAT SPOT---->
barleye05.19.09 - 8:49 am
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@barleye
that's the one! the beach is amazing, and the mountains go on forever in each direction up and down the coast. i really adore that place.
tortuga_veloce responding to a
comment by barleye
05.19.09 - 9:49 am
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We are going to Hurkey creek in idillwild in the los jacinto mountains near palm springs! it's about an hour and a half drive! fishing,swimming,rock climbing,biking,kids play grounds,showers and more..... There is a huge bike event happening ths weekend as well i think! I might be in the DH race! Come check it out.go to idilwild.com
pporras05.19.09 - 10:11 am
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here's the view from pch. --->30 miles north of santa monica.
barleye responding to a
comment by pporras
05.19.09 - 10:29 am
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+ 3 for Lake Casitas, outside of Ojai. Tons of nice road riding options up there. And the town is a refreshing change from LA. Check out the open air bookstore. Anything on either side of route 150 is nice to ride on. If you want a big ride, around 60 miles, with a big climb in the middle, start at Casitas, take 150 over the pass towards carpenteria, then hug the beach road all the back south to route 33 back up. Use gears. Otherwise, just do some out and backs on that road. It's nice.
0gravity05.19.09 - 10:46 am
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That Buddhist temple looks totally bitchin Tyler. Have you ever been up there? I would love to do a ride up to there from Ojai if you're up for putting one together again. Maybe do the weekend retreat they suggest? Ride up there Friday, and roll down Sunday? Sounds like they pretty much have you at their mercy on Saturday, hard to say.
Tell me more!
User1 responding to a
comment by ruinedbyidiots
05.19.09 - 9:18 pm
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here's a photo from the little/big caliente hot springs area taken last spring.
cured1 responding to a
comment by ideasculptor
05.19.09 - 10:14 pm
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I'm going with San Clemente this time. I love this thread - I'll definitely have to refer back to it for future trips. sounds like Lake Casitas is awesome, based on everyone's responses. Oh, and I just got my own tent, no more borrowing! I'm really excited for this trip, thanks for all your suggestions, and thanks babyjane!
kryxtanicole responding to a
comment by baby_jane
05.19.09 - 10:44 pm
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i've always wanted to ride the road through joshua tree; it's too hot at this time of year though.
sshagy05.19.09 - 10:48 pm
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joshua tree is amazing. september is a nice time go.
kryxtanicole responding to a
comment by sshagy
05.19.09 - 10:55 pm
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Kern River is great, you have to bring an SUV or a Truck and do a little off roading to get to the good spots though. Kern ftw
Sty responding to a
comment by sancho1
05.20.09 - 2:33 pm
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Does anyone know a really isolated place where you can surf and camp on the beach?
Sty05.20.09 - 2:35 pm
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Mexico is definitely a good place to camp on the beach but I'm still fairly young (24) and don't want to be kidnapped yet, maybe when things in my life start to get boring a good kidnapping can spice up my life.
Sty responding to a
comment by alicestrong
05.20.09 - 3:04 pm
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Is 90 too hot for you? I like it there through most of June...
I want to go here...
http://www.dhsspa.com/
alicestrong responding to a
comment by sshagy
05.20.09 - 3:13 pm
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you are VERY welcome!!! have fun there, i always do :D
baby_jane responding to a
comment by kryxtanicole
05.20.09 - 3:47 pm
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It is extremely common to get robbed on the beach while camping in baja. The waves there are super nice though, especially if you drive a little further to ensenada. Out of town surfers who go try to hide there boards inside their cars so they wont attract too much attention.
http://tinyurl.com/o42kqc
Sty responding to a
comment by ruinedbyidiots
05.20.09 - 3:49 pm
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Kern river is awesome place to fish and camp, it also has free camp sites and hiking. the only problem it like a 3 or 4 hour drive.
Debut213 responding to a
comment by alicestrong
05.20.09 - 3:55 pm
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There's some really good recommendations for camping spots here. I would love to get a bunch of us go camping in the woods sometimes.
MTB, swimming, and soaking in the hot springs ftw!
User1 responding to a
comment by Debut213
05.21.09 - 12:38 am
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i love camping at Jumbo Rocks in Joshua tree. It takes about 2 hours to get there from LA.
Spring is the most popular so go during the week if you can. It's so fun there and weird. I just brought my fixie and loved riding on the roads. but a road bike might be better. You could go for days.
onemanstrash05.21.09 - 12:58 am
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I left on Wed and just returned. I really enjoyed riding the trails to the beaches on my mountainbike, and the beaches are beautiful and peaceful, most of the people there are surfers. The weather was great and the campground was nice and peaceful. Maybe it's because I went alone, but the bunnies and chipmunks were running all over the place, even bold enough to come onto the bench I was sitting on! And the bunnies were so little and adorable. Oh, the trails and all the roads around there are quite hilly, it's great!
Trestles beach was really great...but I got stung by a stingray - those fuckers hurt! Apparently they aren't common, but do like soft, sandy areas, like the spot I was in. There were a lot of plants around where I was, and I'd been walking through the waves for a while, then all of a sudden-ZAP! It felt like a crab had pinched me, but stung like hell and I made a mad dash out of the water. Sure enough, the side of my foot was bleeding and the pain immediately started creeping up my leg...it hurt like the devil and my foot and leg swelled up. Finally the lifeguard came and treated me - with hot water. He took me up to the lifeguard tower and gave me a bucket of hot water. I soaked for an hour until the pain subsided.
So, in short - Watch out for sting rays!
kryxtanicole05.22.09 - 7:32 pm
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How did Steve Irwin die, and you survivded?
Am I mistaken?
rayrayray responding to a
comment by kryxtanicole
05.22.09 - 7:33 pm
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He was stung in the chest by a giant stingray. Crikey!
Joe Borfo responding to a
comment by rayrayray
05.22.09 - 7:36 pm
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That's because kryxtanicole is aka wonderwomen..
Debut213 responding to a
comment by rayrayray
05.22.09 - 7:40 pm
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Couple spots after Gaviota and before El Capitan. Or between El capitan and Refugio is also nice since pitstops and fresh water can be had at either park.
Only trouble with Casitas is that you can't swim there. Ventura lakes are drinking water reservoirs. I like Isabella, but I haven't been there in a while, the kern river is nice also.
I've kind of sort of seriously thought about guerrilla/stealth camping in Balboa park near the LA river...or is that too much like pretending to be a homeless person? I hear that the east end of the Orange Line bike path is getting somewhat popular for experiencing the outdoor urban living style.
dave responding to a
comment by Debut213
05.22.09 - 9:53 pm
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uh not really responding to anyone in particular but I'll pay more attention next time.
dave05.22.09 - 9:54 pm
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sheese, meant to say couple spots after goleta and before el cap...
dave05.22.09 - 9:56 pm
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