California’s abundant parks and preserves offer epic outdoor vistas ranging from soothing seascapes to golden deserts and ancient redwood groves. If you want to immerse yourself in this amazing scenery, a California camping trip puts you right in the middle of it all. Camping gives you VIP access to hiking, stargazing, forest-bathing, beach-lounging, or staring at nature’s wonders. You don’t admire the beauty from afar; you’re surrounded by it.
If you’ve never camped before, the logistics can seem daunting. To get you started, below are answers to seven common California camping questions.
(And if you need ideas for your first camping trip, check out 8 Perfect Summer Campsites, California’s Best Coastal Campgrounds, and the 10 Best Family Camping Sites in California.)
1) Do I have to sleep in a tent?
Tent camping is the traditional choice, and one that many campers swear by. But camping is more about where you go and how you spend your time than it is about where and how you sleep. Camping in a tent requires a fair amount of gear, so the preparation curve can be tough. First-timers (or visitors flying into California) can ease the planning-and-packing anxiety by renting a complete gear kit from a California REI store or local outfitters like The Camp Wolf in San Diego or Sports Basement in the San Francisco Bay Area and Orange County. Online companies like LowerGear or KitLender also rent camping gear.
2) What about camping in a van or RV?
Camping in an RV or campervan can ease the learning curve. These “homes on wheels” keep you warm and dry no matter the weather and provide comforts a tent can’t provide.
Most campervans are 19 to 24 feet long, fit two adults comfortably, and are as easy to drive as a standard-sized car. RVs are significantly bigger—up to 40 feet—and fit up to 10 people, but their larger size makes them more challenging to maneuver. Most campervans and RVs come with a refrigerator, stove, toilet, shower, and/or other amenities, but some models are more bare-bones. Look for a rental van or RV that matches your comfort zone.
For campervan rentals, check out options from Roadsurfer, Escape Campervans, Moterra, Indie Campers, Native Campervans, and Travellers Autobarn.
For RV rentals, search Cruise America, El Monte RV, or Adventure RV, or check peer-to-peer marketplaces like Outdoorsy or RVshare to book a privately owned vehicle from an individual.
Prices typically range between $100 to $250 per night—but read the fine print. Some rentals include only 50 to 150 miles per day (you’re charged extra if you drive more miles). Others charge extra fees for linens or kitchen utensils. If you’re traveling with your dog, check on pet rules and fees.
3) What is glamping?
Glamping is a great choice for anyone who wants a touch of “glamour” mixed in with their “camping.” Many California campgrounds rent cabins or yurts that provide basic comforts like four walls, a roof, a bed, and a table. Some even have electricity, like the cabins at Northern California’s Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and Clear Lake State Park. Others, like the yurts at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park in Calistoga, are only a notch fancier than a tent, but they offer easy access to Napa Valley wineries.
You can rent glamping cabins by the Pacific Ocean at Jalama Beach County Park in Santa Barbara County or in Anza-Borrego desert at Agua Caliente Regional Park. Many private campgrounds specialize in glamping, too. To find them, search web directories like Hipcamp, Glamping.com, and GlampingHub.
4) When is the best time to camp in California?
California is famous for its easygoing climate, so camping is a year-round pastime in many areas of the state. Topography matters: Desert camping is ideal from October to April when the temperatures are mild; summer is too hot for most folks. Camping in the high mountains is best from June to October when the roads and trails are snow-free. Coastal camping is great anytime, but because summer is the most popular season, you’ll have better luck scoring a prime beach site in the “shoulder months” of April, May, September, and October, when the weather is lovely and crowds are scarce.
5) Do I need to make advance reservations?
California’s most popular campgrounds fill up months in advance, so booking early is key. Multiple government agencies and private companies manage the state’s campgrounds, so you can use multiple booking sites to find a campsite. State park campgrounds are listed on Reserve California. National park and national forest campgrounds are listed on Recreation.gov. At both websites, you can reserve campsites up to six months in advance. County and regional park campgrounds typically have their own reservation systems. Find them by searching for keywords like “reserve San Diego County campgrounds.”
Private campgrounds offer more options. KOA (Kampgrounds of America) manages a huge network of campgrounds worldwide. In California, KOAs are located in Lake Tahoe, Mt. Shasta, Pescadero, Moss Landing, and the Eastern Sierra. Similarly, Thousand Trails has campgrounds in Palm Desert, Idyllwild, Santa Barbara, Cloverdale, and near Yosemite.
The web directory Hipcamp can help you find private campsites. You can filter your search by location and type of site: RV, tent, or glamping. Harvest Hosts offers a similar service that’s primarily for RV campers.
6) What should I look for when I book a campsite?
Some campgrounds have flush toilets, drinking water, hot showers, and maybe even a camp store or swimming pool. Many don’t. Within each campground, site amenities vary too. Some sites may have electrical and water hookups for RVs; some have just a picnic table. Some sites may be much larger, more private, or have an ocean or lake view. Some may be closer or farther from the restrooms. Make sure the campground and site you choose match all your needs and preferences. Expect to pay as little as $20 for a primitive campsite and $100-plus for a campsite with all the extras.
7) What if I’m a last-minute planner?
If reservable campsites are already full, you can search for first-come, first-served campgrounds. At these camps, the first people who show up score the open campsites. California State Parks has 20 first-come, first-served campgrounds, and California’s 18 national forests have hundreds of first-come, first-served sites.
To maximize your chances, don’t arrive at a first-come, first-served campground on a Friday night at 6 p.m. Instead, show up on a Wednesday or Thursday when the camp is less likely to be full. Once you occupy a site, it’s yours for up to 14 days.
Another option is to nab a cancelled campsite. Because campers reserve sites at popular parks far in advance, sometimes they need to cancel. One way to find these cancellations is to sign up with apps like Campnab, CampsiteAssist, or YesYouCamp. They’ll notify you when a site becomes available; you jump on the appropriate booking site and reserve it.
