These Sites Will Make Most Campers Happy

Finding the perfect spot for a weekend camping trip isn’t always easy, and what’s great for one family can be the pits for another.

Kids need places where they’ll be safe and have plenty of interesting things to do, and the younger the kids the greater the necessity to find campgrounds with adequate amenities.

Older kids can enjoy hiking, and both adults and kids who like to fish can take advantage of the streams and lakes. Seniors tend to like the peace and quiet. Everyone likes great scenery.

Southern California’s campgrounds offer all of these things, and year-round camping, too, with most sites easy enough to reach for weekend stays. The high and low deserts, mountains, lakes (even if they are artificial) and beach campgrounds are often just two to four hours away from the urban Southland’s noise and pollution.

Mistix has handled reservations for most of the state parks and state beach campgrounds since 1986. Campers can reserve up to eight weeks in advance, or as near as one day. However, during the busy summer travel season, it’s best to reserve as far ahead as possible. The telephone waiting time to make reservations is usually short, and the Mistix people are well-informed and helpful. You can pay by credit card or check, but your check must be received by Mistix within seven days of the day you make your reservations. Mistix adds a service fee of $3.95; if you cancel, it’ll cost you $3.45. You can visit any state park and pick up a brochure that includes detailed listings of all campgrounds covered by the Mistix system. Call Mistix toll-free at (800) 444-7275. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

I’ve camped throughout North America for more than 50 years, and have been a frequent visitor to Southern California campgrounds since 1949. Here are 10 of my favorite Southern California sites, ones that should appeal to a broad range of campers--both tent and RV:

EL CAPITAN BEACH

It’s magic to sit on a beach and watch the never-ending panorama of the waves rolling in, and it’s double magic when you can combine that with a good campground. El Capitan Beach State Park, just north of Santa Barbara, has about 140 developed campsites on 133 acres between U.S. 101 and the Pacific Ocean.

The campground has campsites surrounded by Monterey cypress, pines and other trees, breathtaking views of the ocean below and easy access to the beach for swimming and fishing. Recreational vehicles are restricted to 30 feet, most sites are level and offer lots of privacy, and each site has a table and fire ring. The restrooms have flush toilets and hot showers. There are no hookups, but water taps are provided throughout the campground. In addition, there is a sanitary dump station for RVs.

During the summer, state park personnel offer educational programs for young people, and there is hiking and bike riding. You can also walk or bike 2 1/2 miles north along the bluff to another state beach, Refugio.

El Capitan Beach State Park is about 20 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, just off U.S. 101. Reservations, through Mistix, are a must, particularly in the summer.

WILLIAM HEISE PARK

Campgrounds that are especially appealing to tent campers haven’t increased in recent years like their RV counterparts. One San Diego county park that has always been good for tent campers is William Heise County Park, which is only a mile from the mountain community of Julian.

William Heise Park is in a heavily forested area of the beautiful Laguna Mountains, at 4,000 feet, and the campsites are cozy and private with pines and oaks all around. There are plenty of sites for RVs, but the tent sites are among the best, and hot showers and clean restrooms are available. Each site has a table and fire ring, water taps are spotted strategically throughout, and in the 300 acres of the park there are several hiking trails. The birds that live there are fascinating to watch, including the raucous and noisy blue jays who are always looking for a handout. Some tent sites are mixed in with RV sites, but many of the more than 100 sites are for tents only.

For complete relaxation for a weekend or longer, this county park is hard to beat. The park is off California 78-79, and the turnoff to the park on Pine Hills Road is just one mile west of Julian. Reservations, which close each Tuesday for the weekend, can be made up to 12 weeks in advance by phone and three weeks by mail. As with most county parks--and this is San Diego’s most popular--summer is the busiest time. Supplies are available in Julian, and a trip to this enchanting mountain community, with its antique shops, museum and good restaurants, is worthwhile. Call the San Diego County Parks Department at (619) 565-3600.

TABLE MOUNTAIN

The Angeles National Forest has about 50 campgrounds, but one of the best is Table Mountain near Wrightwood, in the Big Pines Recreation Area. Drawing crowds from all over Southern California in the summer, Table Mountain has 115 campsites, many level, on several loops that meander through the campground. The vanilla smell of the Jeffrey pines, combined with the birds and other wildlife, plus the magnificent views of Mt. Baden-Powell--which rises to 9,399 feet just south of the campground--as well as the panoramic views of the desert floor below Table Mountain, where you can see Lancaster, Palmdale and the Antelope Valley, can change your whole perspective on life.

Many of the campsites are wide enough for a travel trailer and tow vehicle, there are plenty of good tent sites, and RVs up to 30 feet can be accommodated.

Table Mountain is a good family campground. There are no hookups, hot showers or flush toilets. This campground takes you back to the forestry service campgrounds of many years ago. There are open meadows where kids can play, and plenty of hiking trails. Campfire programs are held in the amphitheater just off Apache Loop during the summer.

The Big Pines Recreation Area is off California 2, west of Wrightwood about five miles. Supplies are available in Wrightwood. There are no reservations; campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call the Big Pines Visitor Center at (805) 944-2187.

COTTONWOOD SPRING

Joshua Tree National Monument stretches from Interstate 10 north to Twentynine Palms, and near its southeastern end, Cottonwood Spring campground provides high-desert camping all year. There aren’t any Joshua trees to speak of at the campground, but there are well-defined hiking trails that take you to other scenic treasures. From the campground you can take the eight-mile round-trip hike on Lost Palms Trail to Lost Palms Oasis, or shorter hikes to Mastodon Mine and Mastodon Peak, Cottonwood Spring, Teamster’s Road and Morton’s Millsite.

None of the trails are difficult, and the shortest leads to Cottonwood Spring. You can now drive to within 50 yards of this oasis, where seeping underground water feeds an interesting stand of native Washingtonia palms.

Two loops in the campground, south of the visitor center, have over 60 paved and level campsites. Many are good for tents, all are good for RVs, and each loop has restrooms with flush toilets and electricity. Each site has a table and fire ring, and water taps are located nearby.

Joshua Tree National Monument is open year-round, but the best times to camp at Cottonwood Spring are in the spring and fall. Winters can be cold at this 3,000-foot site, and while summers aren’t as hot as the low desert, it can get quite warm. Campfire programs are given by the monument staff during fall, winter and spring. Cottonwood Spring is off Interstate 10, 25 miles east of Indio. Supplies are available in Indio. There are no reservations, and campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call Joshua Tree National Monument at (619) 367-7511.

McGRATH BEACH PARK

I’ve met campers who say McGrath Beach State Park in Ventura is the best of the beach campgrounds and the only one they ever go to. It has much to offer. The sites are level and paved, and there are enough small shrubs and trees around to provide privacy, shade and protection from ocean breezes. A large play area sits between the beach and the campground, with the beach about 200 yards away.

Campsites are big enough for any RV, and many grassy spaces provide for tent campers. There are no hookups, but water taps are spotted here and there, each site has a table and fire ring, restrooms are equipped with hot showers, and there is a sanitary dump station for RVs.

The swimming at McGrath is only so-so, with cold water and a strong undertow at times, but the beach is one of the best for surf fishing, walking and sunbathing. Because of the way the campground is laid out, it’s a good place for families with kids. Nature trails have been designated adjacent to the campground.

Reservations, through Mistix, are necessary in the summer, but you can often get in for one day on a drop-in basis during the off-season--late fall, winter and early spring. Supplies can be obtained in Ventura. To reach McGrath State Beach, take U.S. 101 north to Ventura, exiting at the Victoria off-ramp.

BARTON FLATS

Barton Flats, in the San Bernardino National Forest, is an old campground. We first camped there 30 years ago, and it’s just as good today as it was then. Located east of San Bernardino and north of Mentone, Barton Flats is the quintessential mountain campground.

Huge Jeffrey pines tower over the campsites, joined here and there by sugar pine, limber pine, white fir, big cone Douglas fir, cedar, black oak and live oak. You’re really in the forest at Barton Flats, and the San Gorgonio Wilderness Area is nearby. Hikers and backpackers will find several good wilderness trails. The relatively easy Rio Monte Trail of 2 1/2 miles starts at the San Gorgonio Information Center, while the steep Jenks Lake Trail begins from the same general area.

The campsites are generally level, mostly paved, and there are many good tent spots among the 50 or so sites. All have tables and fire rings with grates. Water taps are nearby, and there are restrooms throughout the campground. The forest is loaded with wildlife, and the birds include Steller jays, woodpeckers, blackbirds, Western bluebirds and melodic chickadees--heard but not usually seen in the tall pines. There are occasional sightings of deer and black bears, and the squirrels are plentiful and quite tame. Barton Flats is a summer campground, elevation 6,300 feet, that fills up early on the weekends and holidays. But it’s worth whatever it takes to camp there.

To get to Barton Flats, take Interstate 10 to Redlands, then California 38 north through Mentone and Angelus Oaks. The entrance is about 7 1/2 miles past Angelus Oaks. Stop at the San Gorgonio Visitor Center just before you get to the campground for brochures on the campground and the trails. There are no reservations, and campsites are on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call the San Gorgonio Visitor Center at (714) 794-1123 or the San Bernardino National Forest regional office at (714) 383-5588.

BOW WILLOW

If you’re wondering how Bow Willow campground in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park got its name, you’ll figure it out when you see the bow willows growing in the area and the mortars in the rocks on the ridge just above campsite No. 2. In times past, Indian pottery fragments have been found here.

This is one of the “primitive” campgrounds in Anza-Borrego, and despite its lack of development, people come back year after year. A couple of years ago I met a camper who said he’d been coming here, summer and winter, for more than 25 years. Summer might be a little warm for most people, but late fall, winter and spring can be delightful due to the warm and pleasant days. In the spring, there’s an abundance of wildflowers, plus desert holly, catclaw, ocotillo and cholla, and plenty of wildlife due to the various water seeps.

This is a desert for exploring and hiking, where numerous groves of native palms grow. You can visit the Carrizo Badlands, Indian Gorge, Sweeney Canyon, Canyon Sin Nombre and Mountain Palm Springs. The black-tailed gnat-catcher and the silky flycatcher can be seen and heard in and around the campground. The campsites are fairly level, big enough for RVs and fine for tents, with about 16 sites in all, including a new section built recently, all with tables. Water is available.

Shade ramadas have been built at most sites, and some are sheltered from the wind by the fairly good growth of brush.

Bow Willow is off Interstate 8 at Ocotillo, west of El Centro. There are no reservations; campsites are first-come, first-served. For more information, call the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Visitor Center at (619) 767-5311.

LAKE SKINNER

For the most part, Southern Californians must make do with artificial lakes, and that’s not going to change unless the earth tilts on its axis and the climate changes. Not too likely in our time. So for people who like to boat and fish and want to camp near a lake, the possibilities are limited. But a good-sized campground, tucked away in the foothills near Temecula, in Riverside County, has it all. The campground is next to Lake Skinner, a 1,200-acre reservoir on 600 acres of untouched rural land, and it offers more than 300 developed campsites, 211 of them with full hookups for RVs, and many good tent sites.

Three loops in the campground are within walking distance of picnic areas, boat ramps, the lake shore, a big swimming pool (needed because you can’t swim in the lake) and a well-stocked convenience store.

The campsites are big and wide, and each has a table and barbecue grill. There are large, grassy strips for kids to play on, and restrooms and showers in each loop. Family camping is at its best in this county park. There’s something for everyone to watch, including waterfowl and various migrating water birds who have begun to make Lake Skinner a regular stop.

Lake Skinner is just off California 215, northeast of Temecula and Rancho California. Lake Skinner is usually booked for weekends in the summer, but this summer bookings are down and campers can get in on relatively short notice. In the winter, spring and fall, you can usually book the weekends or the middle of the week without difficulty. Reservations for groups are a must. Call (714) 787-2553.

BIG SYCAMORE CANYON

Just south of Oxnard, in Pt. Mugu State Park, lies Big Sycamore Canyon campground, poorly listed in some of the campground directories but not hard to find with good directions. The campground is part of the state park, which includes fine beach, some primitive camping areas, a good day-use section at Sycamore Cove and hiking trails.

The beach is easily accessible, and is one of the best beaches to be found near a campground. It’s long and smooth, with wave action good for bodysurfing and boogie boards. Though the water is a little cool for swimming for my taste, it’s great for sunning and just plain watching the world go by. Surf fishing is good north and south of the campground.

The campground, aptly named for the huge old sycamores that grow in the canyon and shade many of the campsites, is a relaxing place. There are 58 sites, level and paved, many wide enough for a trailer and tow vehicle. Two sites are set aside for handicapped campers, and some are for groups. And there are numerous good tent sites. There are no hookups, but water, clean restrooms, showers with handicapped facilities and an RV dump station are available.

The Chumash Indians hunted and fished in this area for several thousand years, and mugu, a Chumash word, means beach.

While directories list the campground only as Pt. Mugu State Park, the area is actually called Big Sycamore Canyon. Reservations, through Mistix, are necessary in the summer. In the off-season--late fall, winter and early spring--it’s not hard to find a spot here. These are often the best times to enjoy this scenic beach campground.

MID HILLS

If you’re a desert camper, Mid Hills campground, a Bureau of Land Management campground in the high Mojave desert, is a surprise just waiting for you. At an elevation of about 5,000 feet, the campground’s climate is temperate in the summer, best in the fall and spring, but good even in winter. It’s a fairyland of tall junipers and pinon pines, suggesting a forest in the middle of the desert, and the campsites--26 in all--are artfully placed among the junipers, sagebrush, cactus and pinons, giving a maximum of seclusion to each site.

Many of the sites are level enough for trailers and motor homes, and there’s good tent camping. While there are no hookups, there are water taps throughout the campground, clean pit toilets, tables at each site and fire rings with grills.

What’s best about Mid Hills, in addition to its peace and seclusion, is the unusual scenic beauty of the area. Pinto Mountain, at 6,144 feet, is just northeast; Round Valley is just below, and Table Mountain is about 10 to 15 miles southeast. The Marl Mountains lie across the valley to the west, and the spectacular Providence Mountains lie about 15 miles to the south. This is a prime area for exploring on foot or by four-wheel drive, and many of the roads are passable for a passenger car.

Dirt roads crisscross the desert, leading to mines, springs and ranches. There are several natural wonders to see, including Mitchell Caverns, just off the road on the way in to Mid Hills. There are extensive lava beds and some cinder cones north of Kelso off Kelbaker Road, and many interesting rock formations to explore. Wildlife is plentiful in and near the campground, including chipmunks, ground squirrels, foxes, coyotes, scrub blue jays and huge ravens.

Not many directories list this campground, but it’s easy to reach. The closest supplies are in Barstow or Needles. There are no reservations in this high-desert campground; sites are first-come, first-served. For more information, call the Bureau of Land Management in Barstow at (619) 256-3591. Or for more general information, call the Bureau of Land Management in Riverside at (714) 653-3264.

Camps 1. El Capitan Beach State Park 2. William Heise County Park 3. Table Mountain 4. Cottonwood Spring 5. McGrath Beach State Park 6. Barton Flats 7. Bow Willow 8. Lake Skinner 9. Big Sycamore Canyon 10. Mid Hills