The best California campgrounds

What is it? Just the most enchanting place to ever pitch a tent.

Why go? Yosemite’s beauties can’t be overestimated. Scoring a Yosemite campsite is akin to winning the state lottery, both in odds and payoff, especially in the high season from April through October. But plan ahead and you’ll be rewarded with the best camping in the state. First timers will appreciate the year-round Upper Pines campground that eschews solitude for an enviable locale on the valley floor, within walking or shuttle distance to big ticket attractions.

Outside of the valley, the 304-site Tuolumne Meadows campground sits at a 8,619-foot elevation with The Sound of Music-like scenery and trails to Elizabeth Lake and the Cathedral Lakes. At the park’s southern end, Wawona features roomy sites spread along the Merced River with easy access to the giant sequoias of Mariposa Grove. For the backpack-curious, book any of the five High Sierra Camps, which are strewn roughly 5-10 miles apart and provide hikers with tent cabins and family-style meals. 

Time Out tip: East of the national park, at Inyo National Forest, Saddlebag Lake campground in Lee Vining has the highest drive-in campground in California at 10,000 feet.

Price: Starts at $36.

What is it? The chance to camp out on an island.

Why go? Reached via a 1.5-hour ferry ride from Ventura Harbor, the five islands encompassing this offshore national park offer a glimpse of what the California coast looked like hundreds of years ago. Each isle features a small campground, with Santa Cruz’s Scorpion Canyon campground being the easiest to reach. You’ll need to lug your gear a half-mile from the dock, but your reward is a serenity and night sky rarely found on the mainland.

Time Out tip: From Scorpion Canyon’s sites, you can kayak or snorkel the turquoise waters of the protected marine area—book in advance via an onsite rental shop—and trek to the island’s peak, which offers sweeping views of the Pacific.

Price: Starts at $15.

What is it? The kind of Orange County beach community you picture when you think of California.

Why go? Set on a coastal terrace overlooking the Pacific, Moro Campground’s tent and RV-friendly sites aren’t as fetching as the view, but they offer immediate access to a world of water recreation. Whether you've opted to bring kayaks or surfboards, you’ll find plenty of opportunity to ride the waves at the park’s golden sand beach. Laguna’s famously clear waters also provide a refreshing cool down after hiking the inland trails into Moro Canyon’s undisturbed woodlands.

Time Out tip: Take a tour of the nostalgia-inducing vintage cottages—the last of their kind from beach towns that used to be found up and down the coast—that sit right at the water's edge, and even enter a lottery to spend the night in one. The cottage from the movie Beaches with Bette Midler is here!

Price: Starts at $75 plus $15 vehicle entry fee.

What is it? An iconic desertscape with cacti and masterpiece sunrises and sunsets.

Why go? Joshua Tree National Park’s 800,000 acres include a surprising diversity of landscapes and campgrounds. Jumbo Rocks is the park’s largest campground with sites dotted with massive boulders—a rock climber’s paradise—and an ideal locale for exploring the park’s otherworldly desert landscape of staggering rock formations (like the nearby Skull Rock).

Time Out tip: Situated at the park’s northern end, the 15-site White Tank is the park’s smallest campground yet offers the greatest solitude and darkest skies. It’s only open early September through late May. 

Price: $30.

What is it? A national park with spectacular rock faces and a canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon. Plus: the biggest trees on the planet.

Why go? Sequoia National Park encompasses around 40 distinct groves of giant sequoias, the most popular of which is the Giant Forest. There, you’ll see the world’s largest tree by volume, the General Sherman Tree: 275 feet high and 36 feet wide. Just three miles away, the seasonal riverfront Lodgepole Campground is close to the visitor center with free shuttles and offers easy access to park attractions like the Giant Forest and the Wuksachi Lodge and restaurant.

Time Out tip: The extraordinary Crystal Cave reopened in July 2025 after being closed for four years. It temporarily closes for the season in September; try to snag a ticket if you can!

Price: $32.

What is it: A campground where every site is on a bluff overlooking the Pacific.

Why go? The bulk of Los Padres National Forest occupies the woodsy mountains above Santa Barbara. But the park has smaller patch to the north that extends through Big Sur. That’s where you’ll find Kirk Creek Campground, open to the sea and stars with a particular kind of outdoorsy beauty only the Central Coast can offer. Pitch a tent on a grassy lawn and fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves. 

Time Out tip: There’s no running water, so make sure to bring your five-gallon jugs.

Price: Starts at $45. 

What is it? A state park set along the fern-blanketed banks of the Little River near Mendocino.

Why go? Van Damme State Park’s year-round campground immerses visitors in the lush environs of the wild Northern California coast. From the campsites, follow the aptly named Fern Canyon Trail that skirts the streaming river back into a jungle-like forest of sword ferns and Douglas fir pines, eventually reaching a bizarre pygmy forest of bonsai-like trees. Along the way, you’ll spot a handful of environmental camps tucked into a redwood grove, offering even more serenity. Across Highway 1, the park extends to a lovely, pebble-lined beach cove at the mouth of the Little River.

Time Out tip: During the summer, book a tour with Kayak Mendocino, who sets up on the shore and leads you into the many offshore kelp forests and sea caves.

Price: Starts at $45 plus $8 fee.

What is it: A wooded campground near redwoods trails in Orick, near the state’s northern border.

Why go? While you won’t find many coastal redwoods at Elk Prairie Campground proper, the camp’s creekside sites offer quick access to California’s most striking redwood trails. From the state park’s visitor center—a short stroll from the campground— follow the Prairie Creek Trail to the Cathedral Tree Trail, which loops through a primeval forest of the park’s most scenic redwood stands. Or, hop on the James Irvine trail that leads 4.5 miles to Fern Canyon, a dazzling, overgrown streambed bounded by towering walls of lush ferns and dripping moss.

Time Out tip: On the beach, you might be able to see a herd of Roosevelt Elk grazing. 

Price: Starts at $35 plus reservation fee.

What is it? A state park with stunning landscapes.

Why go? Take in some of northern California’s most captivating, rugged coastlines just north of Mendocino at Russian Gulch. In these windswept headlands, watch as water surges through a collapsed sea cave at Devil’s Punch Bowl, or wander through a leafy canyon that spans three miles. There’s a glittering beach and a 36-foot waterfall that cascades into a bower of redwoods. Take note: Camping is available only in the summer. 

Time Out tip: Along with the standard sites, there are four equestrian sites (replete with corrals, staging areas and water troughs). 

Price: Starts at $45 plus $8 vehicle entry fee.

What is it? A place to see fumaroles (gases seeping from vents in the earth) and volcanoes in Northern California.

Why go? Beyond its volcanic terrain, Lassen’s impressive 160,452 acres feature stunning alpine lakes and meadows dotted with gushing waterfalls. Set up camp at one of seven seasonal campgrounds, like the popular Manzanita Lake, which includes tent sites and spiffy camping cabins, or Butte Lake, which offers the most seclusion. Summit Lake South Campground sits in the middle of the park, at the southern edge of Summit Lake, with picturesque views and access to the water. Don’t miss the 2.3-mile round-trip trek to Kings Creek Falls—it traverses a lush meadow and leads to dramatic, 30-foot cascades. 

Time Out tip: Head to the Bumpass Hell Trail in the morning or evening to avoid crowds. This popular trail leads you on a wooden walkway through the park’s largest hydrothermal area.

Price: Starts at $10 for the winter rate to admit one car and its passengers; summer rate $30.

What is it? A thoughtfully modern campground in California’s atmospheric Gold Country.

Why go? The snazzy campground features traditional tents, RV spots and glamping tents outfitted with real beds, electricity and hardwood floors. A host of cushy amenities—community kitchen, outdoor movies, swimming pool, and a camp store stocked with s’mores and wine—takes the sting out of roughing it. Better yet, you’re within 15 minutes of the crystal-clear swimming holes of the majestic South Yuba River.

Time Out tip: You can also choose a yurt or a themed glamping tent, like the Cowboy or river tent. Some have balconies or concrete pads to sit outside with your glass of wine.

Price: Starts at $40.

What is it? The chance to camp near Lake Tahoe’s most beautiful area.

Why go? Strewn along a forested ridge overlooking the azure Emerald Bay, the seasonal Eagle Point Campground offers sites with access to beaches and trails like the scenic Rubicon Trail. During the summer, rent kayaks to paddle out to Fannette Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe. For more adventure and solitude, load up your kayak with camp gear and head for the intimate, lakefront boat camp set on the bay’s other shore.

Time Out tip: Vikingsholm, a beautiful Scandinavian mansion, is part of the park and can be reached via a steep hiking trail. House tours are offered seasonally.

Price: Starts at $10 to admit one car and its passengers.

What is it? A campground in wine country.

Why go? Situated between St. Helena and Calistoga, in a stunning redwood and tanoak forest with rippling creek, this Napa Valley campground allows you to alternate between trails and tasting rooms. Get a workout on the 1.5-mile Coyote Peak Trail that climbs to a 1,170-foot-high peak with sweeping vistas of the valley, or follow the 1.1-mile History Trail to a pioneer cemetery and working, historic grist mill (where you might be able to take home a sack of freshly ground flour).

Time Out tip: Don’t feel like pitching a tent in your pinot noir haze? Snag one of the yurt tents or newly renovated, historic cabins.

Price: Starts at $10 to admit one car and its passengers.

What is it? A campground at a decommissioned nuclear power plant in Herald, southeast of Sacramento.

Why go? It’s a quirky stay, devouring your s’mores with two 425-foot cooling towers looming over you. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District opened the nuclear site in 1974, but it (ironically) kept having power outages, and the Three Mile Island meltdown provided enough impetus for residents to get the plant closed. Today, it’s a beautiful 400-acre recreation spot with swimming and boating on the 160-acre lake, and there’s interesting signage on the cooling towers which you can get close to but are protected behind fencing.

Time Out tip: On the Howard Ranch Trail, you can walk the seven-mile circumference of the lake, seeing vernal pools, wildflowers and cattle (don’t bring dogs, who might worry the bovines).

Price: Starts at $20, with an additional $12 park entry.

What is it? A place to pitch your tent directly on an oceanfront beach, west of Malibu.

Why go? This may be the peak California coastal camping experience. Point Mugu State Park is off the Pacific Coast Highway between Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, where you can fall asleep listening to the waves mere feet away. It encompasses two campgrounds, Sycamore Canyon and Thornhill Broome. If you’re lucky, you'll see whales, dolphins and sea lions. 

Time Out tip: Due to high tides and sea level rise, the Thornhill Broome Beach campground frequently floods. Choose a spot farther from the ocean and check with park staff about conditions when you arrive.

Price: Starts at $12 to admit one car and its passengers.

What is it? Set in the Inyo National Forest, this campground is the closest to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.

Why go? Grandview sits at 8,600 feet and due to a wide open area in the middle of the campground, stargazing here is intense (in fact, campers are encouraged to not use lights or generators to preserve the beauty of the night sky). On the way in or out, stop at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest to see the oldest trees on the planet—more than 4,000 years old! That’s older than King Tut’s reign.

Time Out tip: Bring a picnic (including your own water, since there isn’t any) to Patriarch Grove to see the Patriarch Tree, the world’s largest bristlecone.

Price: No fees required but a $10 maintenance donation helps cover maintaining toilets, tables and fire rings.

What is it? You, companions, a tent and redwoods.

Why go? There’s nothing more magical than standing under a grove of giant redwoods, except maybe sleeping under them. At Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park—located at the very top ocean-facing corner of California near the Oregon border—you’ll be able to camp among old-growth forests and bountiful greenery that will make you feel like you’re in a storybook. The park is only a short drive to the beach.

Time Out tip: As of this writing, some areas of the park may be closed because of road construction and forest rehabilitation. Check the website for updates.

Price: Starts at $8 to admit one car and its passengers.

What is it? A private campground in Big Sur, a seaside region of the central coast.

Why go? While Big Sur’s redwoods-meet-the-sea landscape is legendary, nabbing a site at one of the area’s few campgrounds is absurdly difficult. Just down the road from the heavily trafficked Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, you’ll discover the lesser-known and tent-only Ventana Campground tucked in a quiet redwood canyon. Enjoy the sleek Airstream bar serving cocktails and snacks in a makeshift outdoor lounge beneath the redwoods.

Time Out tip: Splurge on the luxurious glamping tents (and if you really need to be indoors, Alila Ventana Big Sur is the posh resort next door).

Price: Starts at $80.